Routes

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Running Routes in London

If you add together all the running done by the current members of the Serpentine Running Club, then we reckon we have done hundreds of millions of hours between us. In that time, we worked out some excellent running routes in London. Here are some of our favourite training routes.

Click the name of the route for a map and full details.

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Routes from the Seymour Centre

No Miles Name and start Description Traffic free
1a 7.2 The Three Parks Saturday morning route
Bandstand,
Hyde Park
A flat route through the Royal Parks – Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Green Park and St James’s Park – passing historic buildings such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and 10 Downing Street. 7/10
1b 7.2 The Three Parks Wednesday evening route
Speakers’ Corner,
Hyde Park
As above, but for after dark when Kensington Gardens are closed. 6/10
2a 4.3 The Two Parks Saturday morning route
Bandstand,
Hyde Park
The traffic-free route around the Royal Parks of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. A shorter version of Route 1. 9/10
2b 4.3 The Two Parks Wednesday evening route
Speakers’ Corner,
Hyde Park
As above, but for after dark when Kensington Gardens are closed. 8/10
3a 6.0 The 2.5 Parks daylight route
Speakers’ Corner,
Hyde Park
The traffic-free route around the Royal Parks of Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens and Green Park. A shorter version of Route 1. 7/10
3b 6.0 The 2.5 Parks evening route
Speakers’ Corner,
Hyde Park
As above, but for after dark when Kensington Gardens are closed. 6/10
10 12.0 Millennium Bridge
Seymour Centre
A central circuit along the north and south bank of the Thames – well illuminated so great in winter. 6/10
11 11.0 Tower Bridge 12
Seymour Centre
An easterly circuit along the north and south bank of the Thames – well illuminated so great in winter. 6/10
12 12.0 Battersea & Hungerford Bridge
Seymour Centre
A westerly circuit along the north and south bank of the Thames – well illuminated so great in winter. 6/10
13 12.0 Western Grand Union Canal
Seymour Centre
A mainly off-road circuit along the Grand Union Canal. 8/10
15 16.0 Parks, Pimlico and Tower Bridge
Seymour Centre
Through the parks and Pimlico to Tower Bridge, encompassing 4 miles of the official London Marathon course. 6/10
16 18.0 Battersea and Tower Bridge
Seymour Centre
This training route combines Routes 10 and 11. 8/10
17 20.0 Kensington, Battersea and Tower Bridge
Seymour Centre
This training route combines the start of the 3 parks run and goes through Kensington to combine the Battersea and Tower Bridge runs. 7/10
18 15.7 Monopoly Run
Seymour Centre
This route meanders through central London picking up many of the properties on the Monopoly board. 3/10
21 10.0 Seymour to Hampstead
Seymour Centre
The “standard” 10 mile run from the Seymour Centre to Hampstead Heath via Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill. 7/10
22 16.0 Regent’s Canal Loop
Seymour Centre
Follows Regent’s Canal across north London to Limehouse Basin, returning along the Thames. 5/10
23 14.8 Finsbury Park Loop
Seymour Centre
Follows the Regents Canal via Camden then through Holloway to Finsbury Park. Ascends Parkland Walk to Highgate returning via Hampstead Heath to the Seymour Centre. 6/10
25 16.5 Hammersmith and City
Seymour Centre
Hyde Park to Holland Park then on to Hammersmith and back along the river to Westminster. 5/10

Routes in West London

No Miles Name and start Description Traffic free
4 7.7 or 5.8 The South Bank
Waterloo Station
Continuous footpath along the River from Vauxhall Bridge to Tower Bridge on the South Bank. Back along the North side of the river. Great historic sights. 5/10
5 13.0 or 10.0 The Boat Race
Putney Bridge
Putney to Kew – along the North side of the river, and back along the Tow Path on the South Side. Can be shortened by crossing Chiswick Bridge instead. 9/10
6 8.2 The Railway Bridge
Putney Bridge
Putney to Barnes railway bridge – an abbreviated version of the Boat Race run above. 9/10
7 7.4 or more Hampstead Heath
Parliament Hill track
Hampstead Heath is a gloriously varied, irregular grouping of heathland, woodland, fields and formal grounds. An option to extend along the 14m Dollis Valley Green Walk. 9/10
9 2.8 or more Regents Park & Primrose Hill
Regents Park Track
A circuit through Regents Park, which links to route 6 on Hampstead Heath. 8/10
24 16.7 or more Kew, Richmond & Barnes Loop
Kew Bridge
A long, route mostly on trails through Kew, Richmond Park, Wimbledon Common and Barnes. 7/10
26 7.2 9 Hills
Hampstead Heath
A fast and scenic route around Hampstead Heath aiming to cover most of the bigger inclines, almost all on good paths. 10/10

Routes in East London

No Miles Name and start Description Traffic free
8 11.0 The Lea Valley
Springfield Park
An off-road route, following footpaths along the River Lee, the Lee Navigation and the Hertford Union canal taking in Walthamstow Marsh, Hackney Marsh and a circuit of Victoria Park. The route is very flat. 9/10
14 13.1 Last Half of the London Marathon
Tower Bridge
This route follows the last half of the London Marathon from Tower Bridge to the finish line in the Mall and we use it as a training route. 7/10
19 6.2 Limehouse Loop
Limehouse DLR
A 10km loop around East London’s waterways, starting and finishing at Limehouse DLR. 7/10
20 8.5 Greenwich Riverside and Parks
Cutty Shark DLR
An 8.5-mile circular route, much of it on traffic-free footpaths, which goes past many of the sights of maritime Greenwich. 7/10