Eliud Kipchoge<\/a>, knocking out a few, rather rapid, laps. It\u2019s London\u2019s number one running park for a reason. <\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Sophia-Parvizi-Wayne-(dark-hair-white-top)-Nick-Mertes-(all-in-black)-Meagan-Roecker-(black-two-piec.jpeg\")
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Runners on Hampstead Heath<\/p>\n
Daniel Lynch<\/p>\n
Other than being London\u2019s best park \u2013 or green space, if you must \u2013 Hampstead Heath has everything a runner could want. For the fast lapheads there\u2019s Parliament Hill Fields athletics track, the home of Highgate Harriers, and where anybody can train (so long as they pay a few quid per session). Then there are the rolling and beautiful paths of the Heath itself. Ok so it\u2019s not flat like many other places on this list, but that\u2019s what makes it so special and charming. <\/p>\n
Besides, you can always slow down (or even, whisper it, walk) the tougher uphills. The views from Parliament Hill speak for themselves \u2013 if they were good enough for the Guy Fawkes conspirators, they\u2019re good enough for you \u2013 while the sweeping perspective you get from the top of the Heath is arguably even better. The mix of paths means you can choose looping routes that eat up the miles while staying varied. A personal favourite (as you can probably tell). <\/p>\n
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AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n
The Queen of East London\u2019s parks is another top spot for running. It\u2019s got a very wide road looping round the outside which means you can run and run \u2013 without risking bumping into people. I\u2019ve been running along the path early in the morning and seen a squadron of 40 or so runners coming towards me, yet we passed as if neither were there. <\/p>\n
Space to do your own thing is a plus \u2013 and in ample supply here. The park is divided by a road \u2013 so laps of the entire circuit (totalling around 4 kilometres, or about 2.5 miles) have to be done with care. Alternatively the eastern part of the park features a looping round that is entirely car free \u2013 though it does have some bike traffic cutting across it horizontally \u2013 for those who want to lock in for a speed session without having to worry about motor vehicles. <\/p>\n
In summer the wide avenues of plane trees offer cool shade if it\u2019s sunny. Plus there are three separate cafes within the park itself, for whenever you decide you\u2019ve run enough to reward yourself with a coffee and a pastry (one of life\u2019s small pleasures). <\/p>\n
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A jogger runs along the Thames Path (Yui MOk\/PA)<\/p>\n
PA Archive<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re a fan of out and back runs (these Ronseal-like activities involving running to a certain and then turning tail and running back the same way), the Thames path has you covered. <\/p>\n
In the West, especially upstream of Hammersmith Bridge, the river itself is on particularly beautiful form. You can run down Chiswick Mall and ogle the grand houses there before pushing on to Kew and Richmond, or Barnes on the south side. It\u2019s tree-lined and calm and it\u2019s very easy to forget you\u2019re in one of the world\u2019s great urban environments. <\/p>\n
To the East \u2013 and I\u2019m a partisan here as I run the Thames path out from Greenwich currently \u2013 it\u2019s far more industrial, but carries a stark beauty of its own. The river widens as you head downstream, growing wilder and less manicured. Again, you can easily forget you\u2019re in London, until you turn and see the iconic vista of Canary Wharf right in front of you. <\/p>\n
Speaking of iconic London, it doesn\u2019t get more picture-postcard than Bankside, with its wide paths and views of the Globe, Tower Bridge and Parliament. It\u2019s a top spot for taking in the sights, though maybe not the place for your speed work. <\/p>\n
Hyde Park & Kensington Palace Gardens<\/p>\n
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PA<\/p>\n
If it\u2019s grandeur you want, why not try Hyde Park and Kensington Palace Gardens? A full loop of the two is 4.3 miles (7 kilometres), but really it\u2019s the trails within them that make these two such great spots to run. You can really build your own route and, yet again, get lost in greenery right in the middle of London. <\/p>\n
The Serpentine lake is also a favoured spot for people doing loops, and can be a good place to work on your speed, should you so desire. Have a gander at Kensington Palace, too, while you\u2019re at it \u2013 home of the future king Prince William and his young family. Once you\u2019ve finished and are in need of a break, the Serpentine \u2013 and the Round Pound \u2013 come into their own as relaxing spots to chill out on a bench with a view. <\/p>\n
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Ben Whitley\/PA Wire<\/p>\n
For natural grandeur I have to concede Richmond Park can\u2019t be beaten for running. Where else in London can you spot a herd of deer majestically sweeping out of a wood, while you\u2019re out for a light jog? While it does have roads going through it, the park is so damn big you can spend a long time there without seeing so much as a taillight. <\/p>\n
There are innumberable routes through and around the park, though one loop \u2013 the Tamsin trail \u2013 is just over 7 miles (11.5 kilometres) and takes in most of the perimeter. But really the joy is getting lost and making up your own route as you navigate the soft trails and hills, some more gentle than others. It\u2019s a great wildlife spotting place too, for more than just deer \u2013 and then of course there\u2019s the famous, protected, view of St Paul\u2019s. If it\u2019s wildness you want, look no further. <\/p>\n
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Daniel Lynch <\/p>\n
Stretching between Paddington and the Limehouse basin just by the Thames, this is the big daddy of London running canals. <\/p>\n
Firstly, though, a word of warning: it can get quite busy, so you have to take care. But lots and lots of people use it for good reason. It makes for lovely, peaceful running to have a canal at your side. Clocking up the miles along a stretch in East London, I found myself looking at the reflected buildings on the water\u2019s surface, the day was so still and clear. <\/p>\n
It goes through Regent\u2019s Park too (another good spot for running) where you can play at being chased by the African hunting dogs kept in London Zoo on the opposite bank. Sometimes they run \u201calongside\u201d you, which is faintly terrifying, even with the large body of water (and chain-link fence) separating you. <\/p>\n
What\u2019s particularly good about the Regent\u2019s canal is that you can hook into it at some points, turning a dreary pavement run into something a lot more enjoyable.<\/p>\n
Bushy Park.<\/strong> The home of the original park run<\/a>. It\u2019s fast, flat, and spacious. <\/p>\nDulwich Park<\/strong>. Very \u201cloopable\u201d ie you can run round and round and round in peace and quiet, undisturbed by cars. <\/p>\nClapham Common<\/strong>. The inferior cousin of nearby Battersea? Don\u2019t let the locals here you call it that\u2026 a very popular spot, even if it does get very busy in summer. <\/p>\nPlus many, many more. Use the comments to castigate us for leaving out your favourite place to run. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Feeling inspired by the London Marathon or just looking to shift a few pounds in the lead to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":57224,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7757],"tags":[748,393,4884,18099,257,30085,30086,16,15,23568],"class_list":{"0":"post-57223","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-london","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-hyde-park","12":"tag-london","13":"tag-richmond-park","14":"tag-thames-path","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom","17":"tag-victoria-park"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114415165359095977","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57223"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57223\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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