THE Grand Union Canal was once the busiest waterway in the country. The M1 of its time, a 137-mile route stretching from London through the Chiltern Hills, rural Northamptonshire and Warwickshire, and into the suburbs of Birmingham.

It has been described as "a 1920s marriage of historic waterways".

Today, the Grand Union Canal remains a busy, leisure waterway, but has seen better times. Running along the towpath on Sunday on a 13-mile stretch from Cowley in West London to Watford, it can't be described as the most picturesque of runs. In fact, it was deadly dull at times.

Many of the barges tethered to banks haven't seen a lick of paint for years. They are still lived in, but many are rusting, grotty and, in some cases, dilapidated hulks which line the towpath.

I was taking part in the first-ever Grand Union Canal Half Marathon. Hosted by an organisation called Purple Patch Running, some 400 runners set out from a park just outside of Uxbridge in Middlesex along mile after mile of towpath.

We had initially gathered at the finish in Casiobury Park in Watford to be bussed to the start. When we got there, it was annoying to find there were no toilets. We could use the nearby garage or pub, which simply wasn't good enough. Not when we had paid £12 to enter and another £5 on top for the transport. Fair enough for the guys who could find a quiet corner in the woodland for a constitutional, but for the ladies on a cold and drizzly start to the morning, it can't have been comfortable.

The organisers weren't helped when water from the first of three water stations at three miles was stolen!

The route of the race headed north, through Uxbridge, under the A40 near Denham, past Harefield and onwards to Watford. It was pretty turgid running. The towpath was dotted with the occasional unsmiling fisherman, families out for a morning stroll, and barge owners carrying out repairs. Occasionally wood smoke bellowed from chimneys on the drab barges.

From a scenery point of view, after a few miles the relatively flat course just dulled the senses. The rocky towpath occasionally made for uncomfortable running. Frankly, I was bored.

I was suffering after cracking a couple of ribs in a freak accident on Friday when I walked into a metal skip at work and damaged my ribs near the sternum. I had taken painkillers for the run and tried to keep my breathing shallow, but it hurt. After starting out well with a pace just over seven minutes a mile, I went through 10 miles in 73 minutes, but slowed for the final three miles to clock 1hr 38min.

It was the first half marathon along the Grand Union Canal, and while this was an experience, it's not one I would readily want to repeat.