Travel

The 12 Best City Running Routes

oneinchpunch / Shutterstock

With Strava’s fitness-tracking app and sports participation platform, Strava Local, finding the best runs and bike routes in major cities around the world became a whole lot easier. The app is built using the most common city running and cycling routes from its users. According to the company, in just over a month, Strava Local saw 46 million uploaded activities by athletes, using Strava’s global data set of over 2 billion activities. Strava relies on local experts to interpret that data and distill it down to the best options in that region.

“We’ve built a series of city guides designed specifically for athletes, by athletes,” said Gareth Nettleton, Strava’s vice president of marketing. “Every Strava Local guide includes routes of varying difficulty, in the city or the countryside, as well as our favorite places to buy gear, grab coffee or simply pull over and snap a great photo.” We went through 12 cities (out of a total of 88) in Strava Local and present the absolute best must-run route in each town.

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Barcelona

Route: La Playa

Distance: 5.1 miles

If you want to admire something other than Gaudí’s masterpieces, this stunning stretch of beach is it. Avoid the tourist crowds and hot sun by getting out early when the city will be unusually quiet, save for the crashing waves of the Mediterranean. You’ll pass rows of palm trees, artisans setting up shop, bobbing sailboats, and cool visuals like the La Parella sculpture in Port Vell and the “Homenatge a la Barceloneta” art installation in the Brooklyn-esque neighborhood of La Barceloneta. Make it an out and back workout and reward yourself with a fresh fruit juice at nearby La Bordiny.

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Amsterdam

Route: Vondelpark

Distance: 2.1 miles

When locals aren’t getting around on two wheels, they are running, and it’s easy to see why. Situated near the center of town, Amsterdam’s largest park is a feast for the eyes. Dappled with bridges, ponds, and sculptures, such as Pablo Picasso’s “Fish,” this flat tree-lined loop in Vondelpark offers a great taste of running life in the Netherlands’ capital.

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Berlin

Route: Sightseeing Berlin West

Distance: 8.1 miles

You’ll be tempted to slow the pace as you weave around Berlin’s most iconic sites, like Charlottenburg Palace, the striking Berlin Institute of Technology, the picturesque Tiergarten park, and bustling thoroughfare of Kurfürstendamm. The Spree River will keep you company for much of the route, as will the many locals who consider this to be one of the most thrilling urban runs.

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Denver

Route: Lookout Mountain

Distance: 6.9 miles

You’ll never hear a Denverite talk about a lack of places to run. Whether in town for vacation or a quick work trip, you’ll be encouraged to lace up your shoes after discovering the bevy of beautiful park paths and mountain trails close by. Set your sights on Lookout Mountain, where you’ll cover 1,763 feet of elevation as you head up Chimney Gulch Trail. Follow the switchbacks through Windy Saddle Park and dig deep up an average 10-percent grade towards the top. After taking in the spectacular views of the Rockies and downtown Denver, recover with a Breakfast of Champz donut at the Glazed and Confused bakery.

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London

Route: Four Royal Parks

Distance: 6.6 miles

On days when it feels like life’s too short to stroll in the park, this run is for you. London’s prettiest, most prominent green spaces happen to be close enough for you to sneak in a regal run before the city starts stirring. Highlights of this nearly traffic-free route include Kensington Palace, Hyde Park, Green Park, St. James Park, and Buckingham Palace.

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Melbourne

Route: Beach Road

Distance: 13.3 miles

The Run Down: Melbourne runners get why their city was named the world’s most livable city for seven years in a row. From the myriad parks, Dandenong mountain ranges, and beaches, there are endless routes to connect with the city and escape far from it. Skirting the northeastern side of Port Phillip Bay, Beach Road’s well-paved path calls to runners, who like to refuel at Cafe Racer and the Beachcomber Café in St. Kilda.

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Milan

Route: Parco Sempione

Distance: 2.3 miles

Parco Sempione is the kind of park you could run circles around all day and never get bored. On a beautiful afternoon, everyone is drawn to the 116-acre urban sanctuary to revel in the outdoors. Tucked up against the medieval Sforza Castle and Arch of Peace, the park offers something fetching to look at in whatever direction you’re moving. After your laps, stick around Parco Sempione to visit the top of Torre Branca for 360-degree views of Milan before having an al fresco bite at Bar Bianco.

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New York

Route: Central Park Loop

Distance: 6.1 miles

While it seems like just about every New Yorker in a suit is running to get somewhere, you should see what happens before the work day begins. The best place to get inspired by the city’s running movement—partially fueled by the New York City Marathon—is Central Park. The main loop, which is permanently car-free north of 72nd Street, takes you behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art, along 5th Avenue, up Harlem Hill with an average 4.4-percent grade, and around The Lake, with the skyline peeking out over the tops of trees. You’ll share the road with cyclists, horse-drawn carriages, and fellow runners, whose every stride appears to characterize the town’s energy.

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Paris

Route: Boucle de la Seine Ouest

Distance: 10.2 miles

The Run Down: You can’t pick an ugly route in the City of Lights, but if there’s no time for lollygagging, Strava’s Local guide is a boon to Francophiles. The run starts in the heart of Paris, on the Left Bank in front of Esplanade des Invalides. You’ll follow the Seine southwest past the Eiffel Tower, onto verdant Île Saint-Germain then back along the other side of the river, through the beautiful 16th arrondissement and around the National Museum of Modern Art, Grand Palais, Musée de l’Orangerie, and into the Tuileries Gardens, where you’ll be ready to take a time out and people watch with a crêpe at Le Cafe de Diane.

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San Francisco

Route: Marin Headlands

Distance: 8.4 miles

San Francisco‘s got plenty of hills, but nothing quite like this. Go beyond the Embarcadero, Golden Gate Park, and Presidio and into the Marin Headlands, where it seems like you’ve crossed over to pure California wilderness. Once on the trailhead, you’ll make your way around the path, climbing 1,912 feet as you pass lupines, blue-eyed grass, fields of California poppies, and a spectacular vista of green-gold hills, and the glistening bay. As the incline forces your knees to lift higher along the Coastal Trail, you’ll feel yourself getting stronger and faster as the San Francisco skyline and Golden Gate Bridge come into view. On those days when you find yourself rising above the fog, you’ll feel like you’re on top of the world.

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São Paulo

Route: Ibirapuera Park

Distance: 2.1 miles

In a building-dense city like São Paulo where the jarring buzz of mopeds is ever-present, Ibriapuera Park is the ultimate sanctuary for runners. Though the skyline is often visible in the distance, you feel like you’ve left the hustle-bustle behind as you jog through a tranquil landscape of giant trees, lakes, fountains, and meadows. Finish the run with a traditional Brazilian breakfast at Restaurante Praça da Paz, where the antioxidant-rich acai bowl is chock-full of granola, bananas, and strawberries.

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Sydney

Route: Bondi to Coogee Return

Distance: 9.5 miles

Once you’ve crossed “run over Harbor Bridge” off your to-do list, plan to head east for this dreamy journey along the South Pacific coast. Settle into your steady long-run pace as you pass beloved Bondi Beach, scenic promontories, and dramatic bluffs along the undulating out and back route. You’ll tap into the runner’s high and before you know what’s come over you, you’ll be jumping into the turquoise sea at Coogee Beach. Linger in the sun to dry off, then slip your shoes back on for the run home.

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