The City — The daily grind and crowds of people never seem to end. But, even in the busiest of cities like Chicago, you’ll find joggers out and about as the sun is rising to enjoy the outdoors and escape the pressures of work. No matter which city you are in, going for a jog lets you take a tour of your own city and maybe see it in a whole new light.
If you happen to be travelling to a new place, a jog can help you bounce back from jet lag and recover your energy so you can enjoy your stay. Jogging is also a great way to revitalize your overall health. It’s easy, even if you’re a beginner, to get out there a see what a city has to offer. You might even stumble upon a few restaurants or other local attractions to add to your agenda while you’re on vacation!
1. Chicago
The Windy City – It’s a wonderful city to go for a run, with tons of options for different types of paths and even gorgeous lake views. So get on your best running socks and running shoes and hit the trails. Grant Park is the place to visit if you want to see the sun rise over Lake Michigan while you get in your daily run. The Grant Park L is a 4-mile loop that runs along the lakeshore and back through the park.
For a longer run, Lincoln Park is another great place to try; it is well-known for being the most popular urban run in Chicago, and with good reason. You’ll get a slightly longer 5-mile loop on paths through some heavily wooded areas. Also, you’ll be able to get some picturesque views of the beautiful lagoon and sculptures on the path.
2. London
London boasts plenty of Royal Parks scattered throughout the city. With close to a dozen to choose from, you’ll find plush greenery and captivating historical sites galore. You may even find a needed escape from the busyness of London’s underground stations and towering buildings. Hyde Park has miles of scenic paths for joggers to enjoy, with sights along the way that give a distinctly British twist to the experience. During your run, you will find views of many historic buildings and possibly even a glimpse of the guardsmen near Buckingham Palace.
London also offers a great public transportation system that can get you to any route you choose, leaving the options wide open. You will have the freedom to get creative with plenty of choices for a great run.
3: Washington D.C.
So, you’re up early and itching to go for a run and get acquainted with Washington. If you’re deciding on a place to go to break a sweat, an excellent place to start is the National Mall. It’s roughly 2.5 miles long, but it offers a level terrain that will let you enjoy a pleasant run without the obstacle of sudden inclines. You’ll also get views of historic galleries, museums and architecture along the way. If you’re looking for more of a challenge, helpful guidebooks are available that can recommend routes by breaking down paths into length and difficulty.
Another National Park you can try is West Potomac Park, home to the annual Run! Geek! Run! 8K held in September. Here, you’ll also be able to enhance your running experience with views of celebrated monuments like the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, FDR Memorial and the Reflecting Pool. It also has options for much longer and more strenuous runs to strengthen your workout while you take in the sights.
Clearly, if you’re a jogger visiting a new place, there are numerous hotspots to mull over if you want to get outside and see the city. Plus, if you happen to live in any of these great cities, a jog through some of its highlighted areas could open up your eyes to sights you haven’t seen before. Jogging is all about improving your strength and health and achieving new goals. You’ll gain incredible confidence as you get a little faster with each time out.
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Chicago is a great place for running so I’d agree on this. I live in California but it’s so difficult to find the time to run. I always find myself running for 3-5 days with the intention of burning calories but then I always quit. Surely, there must be something I can do to keep up the motivation.
adriannei recently posted..The Dead Nation Space on Playstation Home
Motivation can, at times, be tough. The exhilarating feeling that running gives me generally motivates me for my next run – and so on and so forth (and has been that way for 26 years now). I schedule my runs in my calendar and treat them as an appointment with myself – this system works well for me.
I would also advise joining a running group or finding a running partner to keep you motivated. Good luck!
Jacquie Cattanach recently posted..Best Jogging Stroller: Jeep Overland Limited Jogging Stroller Review
Hi, Jacquie!
I never had an opportunity to run in any of these cities, although London is the closest one to my country, so it might happen when I visit UK next year.:)
There are plenty of hotspots where a jogger can enjoy a good run…I like to choose places near the river, as there is always a fresh breeze coming from there, refreshing enough and encouraging at the same time. Parks are not my favorites for running, I prefer to walk through them and enjoy the green trees around.
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Hi Kristina,
Ya, some parks are small and you have to run through or around them multiple times before you can get a good run in. But if you take a park like Central Park, running is the way to go because you’ll never see it all. When we visited New York, we went for 3 runs in Central Park, never repeating our run, and still never saw the whole park.
And, of course running by the water anywhere is beautiful and refreshing. Have fun in the UK – maybe you can find a joggers path down by the Thames River
Jacquie Cattanach recently posted..Best Jogging Stroller: Jeep Overland Limited Jogging Stroller Review
I guess parks are always a great location for running, regardless of what city you’re in. If you can find them, lol.
But when i go out of town with business i prefer to take my jogging to a gym and not waste time with looking for unknown parks.
Joshua recently posted..How to Open and Run a Plumbing Business
Hi Joshua, well hopefully if you get an opportunity to visit any of the 3 cities in my article, these parks won’t be unknown.
Jacquie Cattanach recently posted..Almond Butter vs. Peanut Butter
Twitter: monadvexp
says:
One thing that amazes me about these big cities is just how much park space there is. I grew up in the country and when I first visited London, I was amazed.
I am not an avid runner by any stretch of the imagination but I can see that living in a big city will not stop someone who is.
Trevor Barrett recently posted..Financial Independence Is Not About Making Lots Of Money
Hi Trevor, yes, I love it when cities make the effort the preserve the parkland. I live close to Vancouver and we have an amazing park right off of the downtown core – Stanley Park. You can be in a concrete jungle one moment and in the middle of vast parkland the next.
Jacquie Cattanach recently posted..4 Highly Recommended iPhone Apps for Running
Hyde park is definitely a nice place to run but it is not conveniently located for everyone, there are plenty of small parks around London I run around Queens Park it a nice park and a lot smaller than hyde park.
Thanks for your added tip Furri.
Jacquie Cattanach recently posted..Almond Butter vs. Peanut Butter
I move to London in a year, and I want to keep running, i will follow you at you running blog. I am from Denmark so i really don’t know much about the english running culture. I think i will try to study some rutes I can run, then i move.
Thanks
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Hi Daniel,
I recommend that you hook up with a local running group – they will show you the ropes and it’s a great way to meet new friends with a common interest. You can typically find running groups through the local running stores. Good luck and have fun in London – what a great city to move to.
Jacquie Cattanach recently posted..Best Jogging Stroller: Jeep Overland Limited Jogging Stroller Review
Twitter: peacefulrunner
says:
I have spent some time in England, but not close enough to London to check out the parks there. I did some running in the Kent area and they have nice parks there too. I do enjoy running whenever I travel. It is a great way to see and get a feel for a new place and I feel better for it.
Jackie Linehan recently posted..Mindful Running
Hi Jackie, Running while travelling is the BEST. I love how it gets my body gets regulated to any time changes as it helps me sleep, it helps me see everything so much better than driving (it’s alot easier to stop when running) and often I’ve met locals that I’ve ran with too. I remember getting up once at 5:00 am on my first morning in Copenhagen and running through the Hans Christian Anderson walking route – it was just so classic. It was hard to keep this article to only 3 cities
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Twitter: seejoerun
says:
Chi-town is an all time favorite.
Joe recently posted..Marathon Training Schedule
I used to run before but because of my hectic schedule, I totally stopped running. Plus the fact that I will run with cars, motorcycles, everywhere every morning! I will definitely experience headache all day, that’s for sure! So I totally agree with your points here… Choosing the right place to run can help us get motivated. Maybe I should start finding a great place now.
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