Blue suede shuffle

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This was published 10 years ago

Blue suede shuffle

Quick time: the midtown route has many attractions, including historic Beale Street.

Quick time: the midtown route has many attractions, including historic Beale Street.Credit: Alamy

Memphis rocks on foot, writes Rob McFarland.

It's a common holiday conundrum: how do you find time to exercise while you're away? No one wants to spend hours cooped up in a gym when you could be sightseeing.

It's particularly challenging in a city such as Memphis, with its tempting trifecta of blues, booze and barbecue food.

The Circuit Playhouse theatre in midtown.

The Circuit Playhouse theatre in midtown.Credit: Rob McFarland

Rockin' Running Tours reckons it has the answer: guided running tours. Who says you can't sightsee and stay fit at the same time?

The most popular itinerary covers downtown and Beale Street, but you can easily explore this area on your own. Instead, I've opted for the Midtown Hipster run because it ventures into suburbs few tourists visit.

Ironically, our meeting point is a branch of the fried chicken fast-food joint Chic-Fil-A. When we arrive, manager and guide Mel Baddorf is already limbering up in the car park.

I'm more than a little concerned. Mel was the founder of an elite running camp and regularly competes in 5-kilometre races. I'm also travelling with my brother, who has run nine marathons. The furthest I've ever run is 12 kilometres. And that was at school.

But Mel allays my fears. He caters for all standards of runners and the emphasis is on sightseeing.

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"Try not to get run over though," he adds with a grin. "It creates a lot of paperwork."

We turn off Union Avenue and enter Central Gardens, a historic district of wide avenues and grand homes, then we loop around into the Cooper-Young district, an area that after decades of decay has sprung back to life with a quirky range of shops, restaurants and bars. Along the way Mel points out attractions, including the church where Johnny Cash first performed and the theatre where Elvis gave his first paid concert. He also shares his entertaining insights on Memphis's history, culture and attitudes. By the time we arrive back at Chic-Fil-A an hour later, we've covered all manner of topics from local sports teams to the Civil War.

I'm genuinely surprised when Mel reveals we've covered 10 kilometres. Going for a run normally feels like an onerous chore; this was dangerously close to being enjoyable. Equally enlightening is the discovery there's more to Memphis than the neon-lit glitz of Beale Street.

That night I tuck into a rack of sauce-covered ribs without the slightest pang of guilt, safe in the knowledge that, for once, I've earned it.

The writer was a guest of Qantas, the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau and Rockin' Running Tours.

TRIP NOTES

GETTING THERE

Qantas flies to Memphis via Los Angeles and Dallas/Fort Worth, phone 13 13 13, see qantas.com.au.

STAYING THERE

The historic Peabody Hotel has rooms from $US239 ($270) a night, see peabodymemphis.com.

TOURING THERE

Rockin' Running Tours has five itineraries that range from 5-10 kilometres but can also design customised tours. Prices start from $US20 a person and include a post-run bottle of water and a snack, see rockinrunningtours.com.

MORE INFORMATION

memphistravel.com

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