London experiences,
July 07 2024
London is an incredible city with lush outdoor parks and paths for runners, explore road canal and river runs with options of challenging routes or more quiet trails, we’ve collated the best London running routes across the capital.
Hyde Park is open from 5am until midnight and hosts some of the top central London running routes, it’s hugely popular due to the variation and customisability of the trails. The scenic views of this Royal Park can be taken in on a flat sprint around Serpentine Lake, a sight-seeing jog by Kensington Palace or learn about London’s landmarks by jogging through around Speakers’ Corner and the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. If you’re looking to extend yourself on a longer run, you can pass through St James’s Park or Green Park to make the most of a gentle variation of up and downhill terrain. The Hyde Park London running routes vary from under 1 mile, to a longer 4 miles with changing elevation.
The Greenwich running routes are a great way to get around East London. This well-loved 2.5 mile trail can start at the famed Cutty Sark - an award-winning visitor attraction at Greenwich Park of a celebrated 19th-centrury ship known to be one of the fastest of its time – following into Greenwich Park itself and the around the Royal Observatory. The rewarding views at the top of Greenwich Park Hill is one of the most important reasons to try out this East London running route, the city skyline and landscaped gardens even feature a deer park where, if you’re lucky, you may see some roaming roe.
One of the longer jogging routes in London, Richmond Park plays host to the Tamsin Trail, a circular 7-mile loop best for intermediate to advanced runners. As London’s largest park there is plenty to look at along the way, from woodland wandering to nature reserves, the terrain can be hilly so it’s more of a challenge, even for experienced runners.
The big Richmond Park running route can begin clockwise or anticlockwise starting at one of the six gates: Roehampton Gate, Robin Hood Gate, Kingston Gate, Ham Gate, Richmond Gate or East Sheen Gate. As such a large park with so much to see and do you’ll likely come across lots of other runners, cyclists and pedestrians along the way.
At just over a 5k run (or roughly 3 miles) one of the most rewarding London running trails can be found at Hampstead Heath. Combining a trail-like terrain of paved and dirt path this harder Hampstead Heath running route is best for experienced runners. A paced path up Parliament Hill offers incredible views of the city and a chance to see some local wildlife in the woodland too. The Heath is well-known for its wild swimming ponds and lidos, a great way to cool off and connect with your surroundings after a challenging hike up the hill.
The Thames Path is one of the most famous running paths in London, the national trail alongside the River Thames passes through both the north and south banks of the river and London’s most iconic landmarks like the London Eye, Tower Bridge, Big Ben or the Tate Modern. The 79-mile stretch is a significant task to undertake and has been split into well-known sections – we recommend one of the top Canary Wharf running routes starting at The Docklands and finishing up at London Bridge.
We hope you enjoy taking in the sights on our favourite London running paths, it’s a great way to see the city. To enjoy a good rest after a long jog in London we’d love to invite you to stay at one of our Thistle Hotels in Park Lane, Marble Arch, Kensington Gardens, Trafalgar Square or Piccadilly.
