Follow Joyrun for the Best Running Routes in Beijing – The Beijinger

Whether you’re looking for a quick workout or a long jog, Beijing has many peaceful, traffic-free places that will have you hitting the ground running.These include city parks that offer a brief respite from the hustle and bustle, as well as further afield destinations with amazing natural backdrops that are easily accessible via public transportation.

We’ve put together some of the running rails catering for both beginners and enthusiastic runners. You can also download the Joyrun (悦跑圈) app for more running trails recommended by other avid runners.

Under 5km

Tuanjiehu Park 
Very centrally located, this small park has a nice water area and its paved running trails are great for a quick workout. The distance of the running track inside extends for only 1.3km, making it an ideal option for beginners.

Price: Free
Opening hours: 6am-9.30pm

Ditan Park
As one of Beijing’s four ancient parks, Ditan Park has a great atmosphere with towering trees and the classic Beijing-style red-walled buildings. This is a popular spot for local Beijingers and you will see people doing all sorts of exercise. A circuit around the perimeter of the park is around 1.8km.

Price: RMB 2 (RMB 6.5 for a monthly pass or RMB 60 for a yearly one)
Opening hours: 6.30am-9.30pm

Ritan Park
The Chaoyang counterpart of Ditan Park shares the same atmosphere and rich history. A circuit around the perimeter of the park is around 1.4km.

Price: Free
Opening hours: 6am-9pm

Honglingjin Park
This park (also shown in the main blog image) is located at the junction of East Fourth Ring Road and Chaoyang Beilu. The park is neat and clean, with a nice lake as well as an extending walkway goes around the lake. The total length of the walkway is around 2.5km.

Price: Free
Opening hours: 7am-10pm

Zizhuyuan Park
Located in the city’s northwestern Haidian district, Zizhuyuan Park boasts beautiful lakeside vistas around its three lakes, as well as extensive bamboo gardens (from which it takes its name).

Price: free
Opening hours: 6am-9pm

Ming Dynasty City Wall Ruins Park
The site of the Ming dynasty city wall starts from Chongwenmen Dongdajie and stretches about 1.5km all the way to Dongbianmen. The park that follows the wall is tranquil and provides a glimpse into the rich history of the city.

Price: Free
Open hours: 7.30am-5.30pm

Taoranting Park
Home to a mixture of ancient architecture and modern waterways, Taoranting Park is great for either a leisurely afternoon walk or a more robust jog. The park has a circuit of around 3km.

Price: RMB 2
Opening hours: 6am-10pm

5-10km

The Temple of Heaven
Despite being one of Beijing’s most iconic scenic destinations, the Temple of Heaven welcomes far fewer tourists than the Forbidden City, especially if you’re an early bird, when you will be able to fully appreciate the well-forested park as well as its gorgeous buildings. Interestingly, if you follow the pavement that winds through the park, it forms the shape of an elephant. The circuit stretches about 5km.

Price: RMB 15 (RMB 15 for a monthly pass. Note that the pass is only available during the last five days of the month and requires a profile photo for the pass)
Opening hours: 6am-10pm

Summer Palace (Yiheyuan)
Although this popular tourist spot gets crowded every day, if you follow the route starting from Bafangmen (八方门) and travel in a circuit around the lake, it will take you to some picturesque parts with fewer tourists. The circuit is around 7km long.

Price: RMB 15
Opening hours: 6.30am-6pm

10-20km

Olympic Forest Park
The massive, 1,680-acre green Olympic Forest Park is both Beijing’s biggest park and Asia’s largest urban green landscape and is filled with trees, plants, lakes, and modern art sculptures. The north side of the park has a variety of running trails that are well signposted with distance markers and stretch for further than 10km.

Price: Free
Opening hours: 6am-9pm

Around the Yanqi Lake
Looking for a long jog to kill some time on an afternoon? Yanqi Lake is well-known for its stunning scenery (hence why it often hosts important governmental summits) and the trail that surrounds the lake is flat and great for cycling and running. The circuit is around 19km long.

Over 20km

Tongzhou Canal Park
Located 15km away in the Northeast of Beijing, this massive park is easily accessible via the subway. Filled with lake, gardens, and numerous scenic destinations, the park is a great choice for a picnic day out as well as outdoor exercise such as cycling or running. Read more our full review here. A complete circuit of the park stretches for slightly over 20km.

Price: Free
Opening hours: 5am-11pm

Beijing 2019 route (帝都2019)

This circuit is a great way to celebrate 2019. The route starts from Xisi Nandajie, then takes in Fuyou Jie, Lingjing Hutong, and Dong Chang’an Jie, makes a circle around the Forbidden City, and turns at the Changpuhe Park. It then runs back and forth across Wangfujing Dajie, before making the number nine by following Dong Chang’an Jie, Jianguomen Neidajie, Chaoyangmen Xiaojie, Chaoyangmen Neidajie, Dongsi Nandajie, and Jinbaojie. Parts of the route are crowded but it also takes in some of the city’s most iconic sites, stretching around the length of a half marathon.

Beijing Marathon route (北京马拉松路线)

Didn’t get the chance to run in the 2019 Beijing Marathon? Why not follow the same route to experience a special track that takes in some of Beijing’s iconic sites? The route starts at Tian’anmen Square and stops at the Olympic Park. The only difference is that you won’t get the old Beijingers standing along the route to cheer you on. Don’t forget to keep a record on your running app, which could help you with your application for next year’s race.

READ: Explore Asia on Foot: Five Upcoming Marathons to Get You Out of Beijing

Photos: Wikimedia, Zhihu, Joyrun