Running in London, United Kingdom

Photo by Ilya Grigorik via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

United Kingdom › London › City guide

53 Running Routes in London

Generate Art Routes in London

London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of 9.1 million people in 2024. Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 15.1 million. London stands on the River Thames in southeast England, at the head of a 50-mile tidal estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years. Its ancient core and financial centre, the City of London, was founded by the Romans as Londinium and has retained its medieval boundaries. The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, for centuries has been as the site of the national government and parliament. London grew rapidly in the 19th century, becoming the world's largest city at the time. Since the 19th century the name "London" has referred to the metropolis around the City of London, historically split among the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent and Hertfordshire. Since 1965 it has largely comprised the administrative area of Greater London, governed by 33 local authorities and the Greater London Authority.

Local runners can also target 1 discoverable race/event pages linked below when planning training blocks.

Weather and seasonal running guidance

Current weather…
AQI indexUnavailable
Temperature--
Wind speed--
Wind directionN/A
Best monthsDepends on city weather and season.
SeasonTypical weatherRunning guidance
All seasonsVaries by locationChoose time slots with lower traffic and better weather.

Surface mix: Mostly urban roads and mixed city surfaces.

Safety tip: Check route details and local traffic conditions before running GPS art routes.

Running events and festivals

Marathons and races

  • TCS London Marathon — Marathon, usually April.
  • London Landmarks Half Marathon — Half marathon, usually April.
  • The Big Half — Half marathon, 10K, 1 mile, usually September.
  • Royal Parks Half Marathon — Half marathon, usually October.
  • Vitality London 10,000 — 10K, usually May.

Full London race calendar

Route list

PreviewRouteElevation LossMapRun in appVideoReviews
Art track31.5 km252 m249 mPreview-
Art trackCat silhouette12.9 km31 m31 mOpen mapRoute details-
Art trackStar15.8 km87 m89 mOpen mapRoute details-
Art trackMoon16.1 km64 m67 mOpen mapRoute details-
Art trackLightning bolt5.3 km24 m23 mOpen mapRoute details-
Art trackCamera9.9 km7 m7 mOpen mapRoute details-
Art trackDragon17.0 km64 m63 mOpen mapRoute details-
Art trackPineapple9.2 km13 m13 mOpen mapRoute details-
Art trackRocket4.5 km3 m3 mOpen mapRoute details-
Art trackHeart with arrow11.3 km0 m0 mOpen mapWatch video-

Explore pages for London