New York City Running Guide
This city can run. Fast. You’ll find more group runs and clubs than probably any other city and one of the most popular marathons in the world. Of course, Central Park… just start there and you’ll find someone to run with.
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The Central Park Loop
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Distance 6.0 mi
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Elevation 392 ft
The classic run in New York City is unequivocally the Central Park Loop. Any day of the week, any time of day, you will find hordes of runners circling the park. Central Park has amazing scenery, a variety of hilly and flat terrain, easy access to restrooms, water and public transportation, iconic landmarks, and plenty of other runners for motivation.
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Central Park Reservoir
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Distance 1.5 mi
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Elevation 9 ft
“The Res” as locals call it, is the perfect place to do speed workouts in the park. It offers a flat, soft surface, distance markers, and beautiful scenery. The reservoir loop is 1.58 miles around so most people will run at least a couple of laps for a decent workout. You also have the option of running on the bridle path loop, which is a 1.66-mile dirt trail circling the main Res loop.
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Hudson River Path
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Distance 15.9 mi
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Elevation 269 ft
The Hudson River, or West Side, path - stretching from Battery Park to the top of Manhattan - provides an excellent place for long flat runs uninterrupted by streetlights. You’ll enjoy views of the city skyline and the river as you cruise along this tree-lined path.
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Prospect Park
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Distance 3.4 mi
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Elevation 122 ft
Prospect Park is the crown jewel of Brooklyn. Some might even say it’s a better experience than Central Park due to the lack of traffic lights and swarms of tourists. A popular place to meet friends for a run is Grand Army Plaza, the main entrance to the park. Here you will see New York’s answer to the Arc de Triomphe - the massive Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Arch, a tribute to Civil War veterans. Inside the park you will find a lush landscape with rolling terrain.
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Brooklyn & Manhattan Bridges
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Distance 5.9 mi
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Elevation 343 ft
In the city, the best way to add hills to your run is to conquer one of the many bridges of New York. The iconic Brooklyn Bridge is the most obvious choice if you are starting in Brooklyn or downtown Manhattan. Of course a lot of tourists are thinking the same thing, so if you don’t want to dodge throngs of tourists you need to start bright and early!
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Lower Manhattan Loop
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Distance 9.9 mi
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Elevation 131 ft
This loop around the bottom of Manhattan is loaded with iconic New York scenery. As you make your way around the horn, you’ll have views of New Jersey, the Freedom Tower, the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn, and a plethora of bridges along the East River. The real beauty of this route, however, is not dealing with traffic lights as you cruise through the pathways that border the perimeter of Manhattan.
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East River Bridges
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Distance 12.2 mi
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Elevation 310 ft
This three bridge adventure is excellent training for the NYC Marathon because it includes the Pulaski and Queensboro bridges, which are both part of the marathon course!
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East River Path & Randall’s Island
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Distance 10.2 mi
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Elevation 357 ft
The scenic East River Path pathway is more of a local treasure than a showcase for tourists. Although many would agree that the views from the East Side easily rival the West Side. Starting at E. 60th Street, you will get your heart pumping right away as you climb up the ramp to access the pathway. Look up and see if there is a Roosevelt Island Tram crossing overhead!
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Van Cortland Park
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Distance 3.1 mi
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Elevation 108 ft
Most people don’t associate trail running with New York City but those people have never been to Van Cortlandt Park (VCP). An easy ride up the 1 train will take you to this treasure tucked away in the Bronx. Here you will find a runner’s haven complete with a running track, a legendary cross-country course, and wooded trails that extend for miles north of the Bronx.
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Clove Lakes Park
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Distance 5.7 mi
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Elevation 390 ft
Staten Island's Clove Lakes Park is often referred to as “little Central Park”, but if you are looking for peace and quiet there is no comparison. Clove Lakes is as serene an oasis as you can come by in the big city and you certainly won’t find any tourists here. The park’s three lakes - Brooks, Martling and Clove - are part of a pastoral landscape including dense forests, babbling brooks, bridges, waterfalls, ducks and geese.
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