Running in London Guide | Urban Runner — Barefoot & Minimalist Running Group

London is one of the world's great running cities. From the Thames Path to Hyde Park, from world-famous marathons to hundreds of free parkruns every Saturday — here's how to make the most of it.

Thames Path

Up to 180kmFlatRiverside

The Thames Path runs from the Thames Barrier in the east to the source of the river in Gloucestershire. The London sections — particularly from Tower Bridge west through central London and Chiswick — are flat, scenic, and well-surfaced. The riverside at dawn is one of the best running experiences London offers. Good tarmac paths make it suitable for minimalist shoes.

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Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens

~5–8 km loopMostly flatGrass & path

Two of London's Royal Parks joined together offer a car-free running environment in central London. The mixed grass and path surfaces are excellent for minimalist shoe running. The Serpentine running club trains here and hosts the famous Serpentine 5K and 10K.

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Regent's Park

~4 km outer loopFlatTrack available

The outer circle is exactly 4km and almost perfectly flat — making it ideal for time trials. There's also a proper athletics track inside the park. Popular with runners of all levels and a favourite for London-based training groups.

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Lee Valley VeloPark Loop

~5–10 kmFlatEast London

The Olympic Park area in Stratford offers flat, traffic-free running routes across the Lea Valley. Close to Ilford and accessible by tube. The mix of path and grass is well suited to minimalist footwear. The area connects to the wider Lee Valley trail network.

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Hampstead Heath

VariableHillyTrail

320 acres of woods, heaths, and hills in north London. The most trail-like running environment within the M25. Excellent for building strength and proprioception in minimalist shoes — the uneven natural terrain is exactly what they're designed for. Views of the city from Parliament Hill.

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London Marathon Course

42.2 kmFlatIconic

You can run the London Marathon course any time. Start at Blackheath, through Woolwich and Greenwich, along the Embankment through central London. Running the course before race day is one of the best mental preparation strategies available — you'll know every landmark on race day.

↗ Course map

There are over 200 parkruns in London. Your barcode works at every single one. When you're in a different part of the city on a Saturday morning, find the nearest parkrun and run it — this is called parkrun tourism and it's one of the best things about the parkrun community.

Race	Distance	Typical Month	Notes
TCS London Marathon	Marathon	April	World Major. Ballot entry — apply in April for the following year. One of the world's most iconic races.
The Big Half	Half Marathon	March	Official London Marathon feeder race. Thames-side route through Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf. Excellent course.
Vitality London 10K	10K	May	Closed-road central London course past Buckingham Palace and the Mall. One of the best 10K race experiences in the UK.
Vitality Westminster Mile	1 Mile	May	A single mile down the Mall. Surprisingly hard and seriously fun. Great for speed-focused UR members.
Hackney Half Marathon	Half Marathon	May	Community atmosphere, East London course. Very popular with east London running clubs including UR members.
Royal Parks Half	Half Marathon	October	Through four Royal Parks in central London. One of the most beautiful half marathon courses in the country.
Epping Forest 10K / Half	10K / Half	Various	Trail race on the doorstep of Ilford. Excellent for UR members wanting trail experience close to home.

Use the UR Barcode Generator to save a backup of your athlete barcode to your phone so you're never without it when you're away from home.

RUNNING IN LONDON