Running in London, United Kingdom

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12 Best 5K Running Routes in London

Generate Art Routes in London

12 running routes in London sit in the 5K band (3–7 km). They range from 3.5 km to 5.9 km, climbing between 4 m and 81 m. Surfaces are mostly urban roads and mixed city surfaces.

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12 Best 5K Running Routes in London

PreviewRouteElevation LossMapRun in appVideoReviews
3.5 km35 m35 mPreview-
5.9 km22 m22 mPreview-
4.9 km21 m21 mPreview-
4.5 km17 m17 mPreview-
4.7 km37 m37 mPreview-
5.8 km81 m80 mPreview-
5.8 km4 m4 mPreview-
4.1 km30 m28 mPreview-
5.0 km42 m43 mPreview-
4.6 km17 m16 mPreview-

Map section

Showing popular routes on map

Running 5K in London

Using these routes for 5K training

Anything between 3 and 7 km works for a 5K block. Use the shorter loops for interval sessions where you want to repeat the same stretch, and the 6–7 km options as easy recovery runs. Check route details and local traffic conditions before running GPS art routes.

Picking by elevation

Flat routes give you repeatable splits, which matters when you are chasing a time. Routes with more climbing are better as strength sessions — expect to run 20–40 seconds per kilometre slower for the same effort.

When to run

Depends on city weather and season.

Where locals run: Yassan GPS Drawing.

Frequently asked

Where is the flattest 5K route in London?
Short river loop via Wetlands is the flattest option listed here, at 5.8 km with 4 m of climb.
What surface will I be running on in London?
Mostly urban roads and mixed city surfaces.
When is the best time of year to run in London?
Depends on city weather and season.

Explore pages for London