A little idea (good or awful?)

[kendalcottages]

I just happened to stumble upon a website about running holidays in the Lake District and it gave me an idea.

I'm quite a keen runner myself (though not all that great at it). I did the Windermere Marathon a couple of years back and am planning on doing the Edinburgh Marathon later this year (if I can get a charity place). I usually run solo - I enjoy that but perhaps would appreciate the company sometimes. And then it occurred to me... do you think guests who are also runners might be interested in running with me???!! We have the usual folder of information about how things work in the property and what's available nearby. Just as we add information about babysitting, I wondered if it might be a nice idea to have a section on running that reads something like "If you enjoy running and ever fancy a gentle jog with one of us, then drop me a line." My day job is fairly flexible that I can usually do this at short notice.

Is this horribly cheesy/intrusive, would you say, or a nice idea? I'm guessing it's not really that intrusive as if people don't want to, they simply choose not to get in touch. And actually it could potentially be quite a nice way of introducing guests to the town/countryside... it would also mean I need to keep on top of my fitness year round... just in case!

Opinions welcomed. Thanks.

[Darko Kontin]

All extra activities are good activities. So IMHO I would say go for it

And in the end you have nothing to loose by offering a bit more than before.

[la vache!]

A nice idea.
I think that guests will appreciate being shown the running routes and have the chance to pick your brains on other things to do in the area. I get a lot of guests who enjoy running and I leave maps of circuits/bike rides to do in the local area.
I often get guests who want to come on dog walks with me and the kids, and occasionally some who want to borrow the dogs to walk as they have left theirs at home.

[Musetta]

Can't hurt to offer!! i stayed at the st. Regis hotel in Washington D.C. and one of their desk employees was offering to allow guests to accompany him on an am run around the city - i didn't partake but it seemed a nice touch. It was also offered on a recent Disney Cruise - just a little notice that one of the crew members was an avid runner and, to meet at xxx point at xx time (very early - before passengers were really allowed off the ship) if you would like to tag along on his am run! again...i didn't participate but would of if i thought I could keep up! the morning runs at both places seemed to be well attended!

[Aldo]

I think that is a lovely personal touch to your business. Great idea.

[Phil Schofield]

do you think guests who are also runners might be interested in running with me

I think it’s a great idea. Keen runners, who may also be in training, still run on holiday (I am amazed of how many people I see running on Christmas day!).

One of the problems when running in unfamiliar territory is knowing where to go. Your inside knowledge should prove valuable. You could also create maps/routes and leave them in the guest folder.

Maybe you have discovered a new niche?

[Mouse]

I agree - great idea.

I often get asked by runners where the best routes are and dearly wish I could help them. I think it would prove to be an enhancement to their holiday to have you do all the 'leg' work...so to speak

Mouse
x

[Maurmc]

It gets my vote too! As you say, people can choose to avail of it or not, so definitely not intrusive (unless you turn up at their door demanding they come out to run )

[katel0908]

I think this is a lovely offer. I have been toying with the idea of holding a gym/dance session in the piazza in the village where we have our holiday home and asking not only the locals but our renter to come along too, if I was renting I would be delighted. Why not?

[Moliere]

I think everything you can do to expand and personalise guests' experience is money in the bank (or goodwill at any rate). Even if it just brings you one extra booking, that's a bonus, and I suspect you could get a lot more than that.

I would fine-tune and de-personalise it a little bit - pick up on the suggestions about supplying running routes and maps which have been personally prepared by you and then chuck in the bit about you will accompany them if they would like that as an extra freebie, rather than making it sort of compulsory (if you get my drift).

Thank God we never seemed to attract runners to our villa - I would have had to go and lie down in a darkened room somewhere! Still, chacun a son gout.

G'luck

Mols

[tavi]

Also think it's a good idea, and moliere's suggestion is a nice one.

Something like a "map for Runners" page in your apartment folder, - and add your offer somewhere there.

[CSE]

Jogging is for whims..ask if they go fell running.
The best one is Grasmere Sports I believe.

[Normandie]

Very nice idea. And potentially an entrée into a nice niche market, particularly if you blog about your runs and take photos of anything exceptional en route. Though only on sunny days with blue skies, of course!

[la vache!]

KC, just resurrecting this thread as I'm curious to know if you did issue the invite to guests and whether or not you had any takers? And if you did, how did it go with the pace? I am now running every morning at 7am (not far, just 5 or 10kms) but where I am there are no main roads and therefore some nice routes for running, including an off road 'voie verte' (a converted disused railway track) and was thinking of offering the same thing (although the number of takers for that time of the morning will probably be nil!)

[kendalcottages]

I must confess, LV, I've not tried it yet. I've not dismissed the idea - just not got around to doing anything with it just yet, possibly in part because I don't envisage I'd get any takers.

Our typical guest tends to be 60+, but admittedly we get all age ranges. We have an arrangement with a members-only gym around the corner from our place where they will let our guests use the facilities for a small one-off fee but, when I spoke to the gym owner about it last, it's never once been used (that's in two years now). With that in mind, I'm not anticipating any running company either.

I am still running. Did a short one today, about 8 miles yesterday, and just over 15 miles on Saturday (and yes, casasantoestevo, that included some fell running ). With the nice weather, I've taken to taking a few pictures with my iPhone along the way, and then uploading them to Facebook to give would-be guests a feel for what the area is like.

Here's an album from my 15-mile run if you fancy a browse:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 88c1bb5e5c