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.
Tip: printing routes
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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 |