Published 13 February 2026
The Jersey Tidal Trail became a place of perspective, community and freedom for Wolf Pack Run Club founder, Scott Welsh.
For Scott Welsh, Jersey’s north coast is more than a beautiful stretch of coastline. The 15 mile stretch of rugged cliff faces, single-track pathways and expansive headlands – forming part of the longer 48 mile Jersey Tidal Trail around the island’s circumference – were the gym owner and founder of local running community Wolf Pack Run Club’s introduction to running.
“I’ve always had a sporty-ish background,” he says, “but when COVID hit and group sport stopped, I had to find another outlet. Like many others, I turned to running and I didn’t enjoy it at first.”
Pavement pounding on the then-quiet streets left him a little uninspired, but a locally organised race that traced the Jersey Tidal Trail west from St. Catherine’s (east coast) to Devil’s Hole (north coast) in St. John changed all of that.
“It took place at the beginning of November, so it was a wet and windy initiation. To be honest, I just went along to enjoy getting muddy,” he laughs. “But it felt really warm and welcoming, and I just took a huge amount of enjoyment from my surroundings.”
From there, he was hooked. Jersey Marathon soon followed, as did a full 48 mile loop of the island, following every inch of the Jersey Tidal Trail. His increasing passion for exploring on two feet eventually led to the creation of Wolf Pack Run Club in 2024. “Running made me feel really good,” he explains, “and so I wanted to create a safe, comfortable and welcoming space that helped others feel the same.”
The community hosts several sessions each week and the prevailing spirit of each session reflects an ethos that is quintessentially Jersey: grounded, close-knit and convivial. “We live in a small place where people genuinely do look out for each other here,” Scott says. More than that, the various groups across the island’s running world embody one of Jersey’s most unique geographic phenomena.
“There’s a ‘rising tides raises all ships’ mentality across the clubs here. You see it in the support for races and the collaboration taking place between different groups.” Fortuitous, then, that Jersey is home to some of the world’s biggest tides.
With increasing amounts of time dedicated to sharing his passion for running with others, does Welsh leave himself with little time to explore on his own, and fan the flames of passion that brought him to the sport in the first place?
“Definitely not,” he quickly responds. “The Jersey Tidal Trail is a place for me to breathe.” As Scott sees it, the trails and coastal paths allow him to switch from intervals to instinct, focusing less on pace and more on place. “I don’t have to worry about mile splits and times, and tend to leave my headphones at home. Running on feel, I really tune in to where I am and what’s around me. The sounds, the sights, it’s all completely immersive.”
And there’s as much to be found in the chaos as there is in the calm. “I love it messy,” he smiles. “The wet, muddy and windy autumn and winter runs are as incredible as the bright and still morning runs of the summer. Leaves crunching under foot, my feet hitting puddles and mud, the sound of the sea crashing against the rocks and cliff faces. For me, that’s often more enjoyable. What’s exciting, and always interesting, is how much things change out there from week to week.”
For Scott, the island’s north coast captures everything that makes Jersey extraordinary in miniature. “It’s a microcosm of the island,” he says. “At any given moment you’re running past recent and ancient history, from woodlands onto single-track, moving through large, open spaces before being swallowed up by dense greenery on narrow paths. The breadth and depth of experience you can have, in such a short space of time and distance, is phenomenal.”
Such is the enormity of those experiences, our tiny island still has the ability to make the individual feel wonderfully small. “Running on the coast gives you perspective,” Scott tells us. “The undulating and varied terrain doesn’t just show you where you’re at physically. It also reminds you of what you have.” The times he has benefitted most from running, he tells us, is when he’s not been at his best – “feeling tired, stressed, anxious or down”.
During these moments, finding himself amongst the ferns, gorse and heather, and beside the sea, has provided an opportunity to recalibrate. “We’re so lucky to live in a place like this, and just being out on the Jersey Tidal Trail is a stark reminder of that, which helps you to appreciate the other good things you’ve got going on in your life too”.
This feeling of movement through a space that’s evolving constantly, alive and ancient, present and past, rugged and peaceful all at once – is this setting what ultimately sets up a good run for Scott? “Any run that helps you feel better than when you started is a great run,” he says, before pausing for a moment. “But my runs along the coast are, without doubt, some of the best.”
Discover the Jersey Tidal Trail
Encircling the island in a spectacular 48 mile loop, the Jersey Tidal Trail is shaped – quite literally – by some of the world’s biggest tides. It’s a route that reveals Jersey at its most elemental, where wild headlands give way to sweeping bays, ancient castles stand watch above the sea, and hidden wartime bunkers emerge from the landscape.
Whether tackled in sections or as a full island circuit, the trail invites you to slow down, tune in and experience Jersey on your own terms. Cliff-top paths open out to views that stop you in your tracks, while quieter inland stretches offer moments of calm and reflection. Constantly changing with the light, the weather and the tide, no two journeys are ever quite the same.
For runners, walkers and explorers alike, the Jersey Tidal Trail isn’t just a way around the island – it’s a way into it.
