Despite being one of the major global cities, a modern, high-technology business, economic and cultural centre, London is a city full of parks and green spaces, which make it a wonderful place to live in and to find a balance between professional life and relaxation. With hundreds of different parks spread across the city, and a substantial part of its total area covered in green spaces, London’s natural side offers something for everyone from enthusiasts of weekend walks and picnics to pet owners and keen athletes. This is particularly true for runners and joggers who can find fantastic running paths and routes in almost every larger park in London. As a runner myself, I had the pleasure of discovering many of London’s best parks in my running shoes and I am happy to share a list of my favourite running-friendly parks the city has to offer.

Regent’s Park

One of my favourite parks to run, walk or just enjoy some time off is Reagent’s Park, located in the north-western part of London. In addition to being home to the London Zoo and to some beautiful colourful gardens and a boating lake, the park offers amazing paths for runners, with a wide variety of flat routes and hills surrounded by a scenic background. A loop around the park is approximately four kilometres, and it goes around the lake, sports fields, a few bridges, and beautiful gardens, which makes it one of the most beautiful loops in London. While it can be busy sometimes, the park is always full of runners of all abilities, or home to running events and races and therefore it is a place to be in case you need some extra motivation.

Hyde Park and the Kensington Gardens

Next on the list is a classic amongst London runners, the world’s famous Hyde Park. One of the biggest parks in central London, it offers multiple running paths both for road and trail runners. You can run around the famous Serpentine Lake surrounded by swans and ducks, cross the park through one of the many narrow paths along the fields or make your way towards the breathtaking Kensington Gardens situated just across the road. The loop of the entire park including the Kensington Gardens is approximately eight kilometres long and therefore will satisfy longer run enthusiasts, but there is something for everyone and nothing beats a sunrise or a sunset run along the Serpentine.

Hampstead Heath

All fans of hills, trails and scenic panoramic views should head to North London towards Hamstead Heath, which is a beautiful wild park full of meadows located in Zone 2 of London. The green space is full of hills, ponds and woodlands, and a perfect place to embrace nature and take a break from the chaotic city life of London. As it is one of the highest points of the city, you can enjoy a marvellous panoramic view of London both from the heath and the Parliament Hill located in the southeast part of the park. There is also a well-managed running track for those in need of some interval runs, and the park hosts a weekly park run on Saturday during which hundreds of runners gather to tackle the hilly 5-kilometre route.

Battersea Park

Last, but certainly not least on my list of London parks, is Battersea Park located on the south bank of Thames close to the Chelsea district of London. The park has many historic and modern gardens, beautiful tree alleys, modern sculptures, and historical sites such as the 1861 Pump House Gallery or the Japanese Buddhist Peace Pagoda. All of that, together with a beautiful 2-kilometre long promenade along the river Thames, makes it a perfect place for runners who aside from training appreciate beautiful views and don’t mind taking a short break to take a few pictures.