It is quite a busy road, wind-y, and the cars are often going IMHO too fast. One lane of traffic each direction with no dividers. The bike lane is just marked with no physical separation. Hard on either side of the road is either woods or hedges, so runners can and do step off to the side when necessary but it’s not run-able off the bike lane. There are driveways and side roads quite well hidden. Does that description help?

Yup, that's helpful. For me, it would be a road that I avoid whenever possible. If I had to run on it, I'd run against traffic and step off whenever a bike is coming. In that scenario, I also try to 'over communicate' with hand motions (and voice, but range is more limited) to indicate my intentions.

Busy road with cars driving too fast is not something I trust behind me. I'd probably end up looking over my shoulder most of the time if I ran with traffic.

Thank you, Andrew and BG, for the food for thought. I’m actually describing quite a number of the roads around here (a place I’m staying for a month), but I’m thinking that your advice just to run elsewhere is the best option - and while cycling, keep my eyes peeled for random runners who could be anywhere!

Good luck! Another good resource is the heat map on Garmin Connect (and I think Strava too, although I don't use it). That way you can see where other people in the same area tend to run (and ride).

This ^

As much as I would rather have runners going in the same direction because it feels more fluid for me to pass objects going in the same direction, and I ride enough to be able to pass them without incident if they just stay in their lanes, runners really should also be responsible in avoiding collisions by using their own eyes also. Yeah, it does feel that on the average everyone is going to go a bit slower with all these potential head ons and either too much politeness or road hogging by either the cyclist or runner. But as you know, people on those paths are sometimes not going to be paying attention because they are looking at their phone for various reasons, listening to music or just have their heads in the clouds. So, it's better to have 4 eyes avoiding the accident and everyone stay in their lane, no sudden turns or switching sides without plenty of pre-checking or warning. It may seem corny, but use a bell as well. Hopefully runners can hear it over their headphones.

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The more people I encounter the more I love my cats.

Slug - no question your response is 100% right for bike paths with users going both ways. Unfortunately this situation is a bike lane that is only one direction and in many places doesn’t have width for much more than a bike, so when it’s bike vs runner someone may have to veer into traffic or throw themselves into a hedge. 🙂

Also I wasn’t sure if the laws about walkers and runners on the road needing to face traffic apply when they’re not on the road proper, but in the bike lane..?

Well, I’m clearly overthinking this!
The

The law is one thing, safe life another. over here in Germany you are only allowed to run against the traffic outside of city signs.
But like others have said I always like to see the oncoming traffic and if they are not paying attention for whatever reason I at least can react.
And if the cops stop me for that I tell em exactly this. Life is more valuable than a fine.

But others stated already—if there is any chance run somewhere else.

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-shoki

Glad you are seeking options and being safe. I'd hate to be the one to spoil the fun for the runners, and that is not just because I also run. But if it were me and I didn't have any other options to bike at a pace suitable for me and they had options to run other places except the Bike Only path, then I might have to force them off it. Do local runners there not have options? Or are they just running on the bike path because it is better than where they usually run? Cyclists get tickets for a variety of reasons, at least one of which is riding where they shouldn't. People get jaywalking citations as well. Should joggers get a free pass because they have an Olivia Newton John head band and springy shoes on?
Now I sound like a grumpy old man, and before anyone asks, I don't wear headbands like McEnroe either.

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The more people I encounter the more I love my cats.