I've been trying for an early morning 5K (3.1 miles) walk these days. My path is a loop that runs along Commonwealth Avenue from Massachusetts Avenue to the top of the Common (across from the State House) and back. You could jump in anywhere along this path and loop around to where you began to walk or run a 5K.
As you can see, a lot of people use the hill, officially called the Beacon Mall, for early morning exercise and as a walking commuter route. Thankfully this path had been clear and salted since the weekend storm.
Looks like back in the day [ca. 1873–1877], Bostonians would "take the air" and perhaps their "daily constitutional" along this path. (Lithograph from The Boston Public Library Collection)
Here's an 1865 photo from the top looking down from the Boston Public Library Collection.
Here is what it looked like as walkers and runners enjoyed the balmy day on Wednesday.
Look how lush and shady the Beacon Mall was in 1892! (Photo from the Boston Public Library Collection)
You can map any loop you like on Google maps. Just set the walking option and watch the mileage add up to something around 3.1 miles. My loop looks something like this.
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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2017 Penny Cherubino