There are some truly great cities in the world and what better way to explore them than by going for a run. Just imagine jogging through a bustling city as the sun is starting to come up. What sights and sounds would you experience? What smells would you take in? Here are 3 great cities that I would highly recommend going for a jog.
Jogging is a recreational past time that many of us take up because it is quite simply one of the best ways of keeping fit. It doesn’t cost you a dime and you can do it any time of the day or night. If you have never thought about city running, then you may want to think again. It can be a great way of exploring new cities and landmarks and you might even experience new sights and sounds of a city that you are already familiar with. Either way, based on my own personal travel and running experiences, here is my choice of some of the best cities in the world to run in.
New York
They say that New York is the city that never sleeps and no doubt that this is true, but is the hustle and bustle of such a busy city really good for jogging? Well my advice would be to forget about trying to tackle the crowded streets, and head to downtown Manhattan and Central Park. It is an oasis amongst the chaos that New York offers and is great for jogging.
There are plenty of routes that you can find that are drawn in map form at the many entrances to the park. The routes range from 6.1 miles, if you are feeling like you are in need of a more challenging route, through to the more genteel 1.5 mile route around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis reservoir.
The month of November hosts the world famous New York marathon which, for the first six years, took place around the 843 acres of Central Park. This is a true testament to the beauty of the part itself. Nowadays sheer volumes of participants make this an impossible task and as a result it has now taken to the street where it takes in all five boroughs of the city.
London UK
London also has its fair share of parks dotted all around the city and two of these, Hyde Park and Richmond Park, make up only two of the eight ‘Royal’ parks.
Hyde Park is quite simply a jogger’s delight with its pathways that are surrounded by greenery and flowers. It is, in fact, a horticulturist’s paradise as well. Jogging through the park is a great way to escape from the bustling underground stations and high rise buildings that you associate with the city, while still actually being at the heart of it. As you jog around the perimeter you will see plenty of recognizable landmarks and if you time it right, you can witness the changing of the guard, just to remind you that you truly are in London.
Richmond Park is the largest of the royal parks and at 2500 acres is over 3 times as large as Central Park in New York. It is home to a wide range of birds and wildlife and is also home to hers of famous ‘Fallow’ and ‘Red’ deer. The ‘Tamsin’ trail is a cinder pathway that stretches the 7.5 miles round the perimeter and as you jog around, you may catch fleeting glimpses of the deer as they are nestling in the ferns.
Washington DC
Washington DC is a very clean city and has a selection of tree-lined sprawling avenues with expansive pathways. A lot of the roads are lined with museums and galleries which attract lovers of architecture. For a great jogging experience then, get on your For a great jogging experience then, get on your best running socks and running shoes and try running along the 2.5 mile stretch of the ‘National Mall’. It is very popular with runners and takes in some of the most recognizable landmarks that Washington has to offer. The route is reasonably flat, so you can easily pace yourself.
So there you have it, my 3 favourite cities to run in. Even if city jogging is something that you have never comprehended before, I definitely recommend it. I travel often so it’s important that I keep my run routine, even when visiting other cities. It’s a great way to get to know a city in a relatively short space of time and even if you are familiar with the city, it can still open your eyes to different sights, sounds and smells that you may not have experienced.
Photos by sanfrancisco2005 | dannijak | thisisbossi
I loved London and the scenery is definitely amazing. Running in NYC is def a must. Try Prospect Park too! They have groups running there in the evenings.
Thanks for the added tip about Prospect Park. I ran 3 times in Central Park and still never saw everything, but will definitely give Prospect Park a try on my next visit.
You would so love to run here in my city, Corner Brook, Newfoundland. We have had the ITU world triathalon here, we run next to the ocean and it’s absolutely great! Flats, some hills and a cooler climate makes perfect running conditions.
Hi Barry – I LOVE Newfoundland – well at least St. John’s. Unfortunately, it was a quick trip, but seeing more of Newfoundland is now on our bucket list. We did run to Signal Point and through the trails up there, but, at times, it was a bit challenging and turned more into a walk/run.
Cool. They have a race there called “Cape to Cabot”, it’s about a 12 mile run, starts at sea level by Cape Spear and heads to Cabot Tower on Signal Hill. It’s the most challenging road race around! There’s a group of us runners at work that find it VERY challenging. It turns into a walk/run for us as well!