The best cities for running, October 2026
This edition analyses 999,399 routes in 51 cities. Every route is evaluated using the same criteria, making it possible to compare and rank routes and cities consistently.
The best cities for running
Each city's typical run, measured using the same scoring method. The tick marks the median across all 51 cities.
- 1
Amsterdam Typical run scores 77 out of 100 69% of what you can reach on foot is nature3,260 runs measured - 2
Utrecht Typical run scores 68 out of 100 55% of what you can reach on foot is nature2,699 runs measured - 3
Madrid Typical run scores 65 out of 100 51% of what you can reach on foot is nature6,219 runs measured - 4
London Typical run scores 65 out of 100 28% of what you can reach on foot is nature4,803 runs measured - 5
Copenhagen Typical run scores 62 out of 100 41% of what you can reach on foot is nature2,864 runs measured - 6
Paris Typical run scores 62 out of 100 35% of what you can reach on foot is nature3,752 runs measured - 7
Oslo Typical run scores 62 out of 100 34% of what you can reach on foot is nature3,990 runs measured - 8
Dublin Typical run scores 62 out of 100 26% of what you can reach on foot is nature893 runs measured - 9
Berlin Typical run scores 62 out of 100 36% of what you can reach on foot is nature6,553 runs measured - 10
Hamburg Typical run scores 62 out of 100 30% of what you can reach on foot is nature3,517 runs measured - 11
Zurich Typical run scores 61 out of 100 29% of what you can reach on foot is nature1,887 runs measured - 12
Ghent Typical run scores 61 out of 100 40% of what you can reach on foot is nature2,221 runs measured - 13
Cologne Typical run scores 61 out of 100 22% of what you can reach on foot is nature1,835 runs measured - 14
Munich Typical run scores 61 out of 100 30% of what you can reach on foot is nature3,778 runs measured - 15
New York Typical run scores 61 out of 100 24% of what you can reach on foot is nature4,467 runs measured - 16
Stockholm Typical run scores 61 out of 100 27% of what you can reach on foot is nature5,099 runs measured - 17
Edinburgh Typical run scores 61 out of 100 38% of what you can reach on foot is nature7,400 runs measured - 18
Tokyo Typical run scores 61 out of 100 20% of what you can reach on foot is nature4,672 runs measured - 19
Vienna Typical run scores 60 out of 100 31% of what you can reach on foot is nature5,419 runs measured - 20
Seoul Typical run scores 60 out of 100 25% of what you can reach on foot is nature7,099 runs measured - 21
Lyon Typical run scores 59 out of 100 32% of what you can reach on foot is nature2,891 runs measured - 22
Taipei Typical run scores 58 out of 100 43% of what you can reach on foot is nature9,914 runs measured - 23
Dresden Typical run scores 58 out of 100 23% of what you can reach on foot is nature3,019 runs measured - 24
Barcelona Typical run scores 58 out of 100 40% of what you can reach on foot is nature3,199 runs measured - 25
Bristol Typical run scores 57 out of 100 27% of what you can reach on foot is nature5,639 runs measured - 26
Boston Typical run scores 57 out of 100 29% of what you can reach on foot is nature12,857 runs measured - 27
Brisbane Typical run scores 55 out of 100 27% of what you can reach on foot is nature4,998 runs measured - 28
Toronto Typical run scores 55 out of 100 21% of what you can reach on foot is nature2,829 runs measured - 29
San Francisco Typical run scores 55 out of 100 31% of what you can reach on foot is nature19,752 runs measured - 30
Manchester Typical run scores 55 out of 100 25% of what you can reach on foot is nature13,188 runs measured - 31
Osaka Typical run scores 55 out of 100 22% of what you can reach on foot is nature4,989 runs measured - 32
Wellington Typical run scores 55 out of 100 35% of what you can reach on foot is nature8,358 runs measured - 33
Valencia Typical run scores 55 out of 100 37% of what you can reach on foot is nature7,563 runs measured - 34
Lisbon Typical run scores 55 out of 100 33% of what you can reach on foot is nature8,718 runs measured - 35
Singapore Typical run scores 55 out of 100 26% of what you can reach on foot is nature6,214 runs measured - 36
Bogotá Typical run scores 55 out of 100 32% of what you can reach on foot is nature20,139 runs measured - 37
Melbourne Typical run scores 54 out of 100 29% of what you can reach on foot is nature57,527 runs measured - 38
Seattle Typical run scores 53 out of 100 20% of what you can reach on foot is nature15,526 runs measured - 39
Perth Typical run scores 52 out of 100 28% of what you can reach on foot is nature80,566 runs measured - 40
Sydney Typical run scores 52 out of 100 28% of what you can reach on foot is nature67,848 runs measured - 41
Mexico City Typical run scores 52 out of 100 15% of what you can reach on foot is nature3,730 runs measured - 42
Jakarta Typical run scores 51 out of 100 13% of what you can reach on foot is nature644 runs measured - 43
Vancouver Typical run scores 51 out of 100 19% of what you can reach on foot is nature12,940 runs measured - 44
Auckland Typical run scores 51 out of 100 35% of what you can reach on foot is nature22,966 runs measured - 45
San Jose Typical run scores 49 out of 100 11% of what you can reach on foot is nature2,925 runs measured - 46
Boulder Typical run scores 49 out of 100 19% of what you can reach on foot is nature3,168 runs measured - 47
Portland Typical run scores 48 out of 100 12% of what you can reach on foot is nature15,769 runs measured - 48
Chicago Typical run scores 48 out of 100 11% of what you can reach on foot is nature46,242 runs measured - 49
São Paulo Typical run scores 46 out of 100 13% of what you can reach on foot is nature96,531 runs measured - 50
Cape Town Typical run scores 44 out of 100 13% of what you can reach on foot is nature3,626 runs measured - 51
Los Angeles Typical run scores 41 out of 100 9% of what you can reach on foot is nature11,406 runs measured
How cities are ranked
Every run is scored from the streets it travels: through nature 30%, views 5%, away from traffic 30%, longest nature stretch 15% and starts near a station 20%. Away from traffic is the share on paths and on roads up to 40 km/h on main roads or 50 km/h on side streets; a pavement counts as the road beside it. Before building anything longer we build 5 km runs from every starting point in the city; Typical is the middle score of those, so every part of the city counts once, however many starting points we went on to build further from.
Where each city stands out
Every city's typical route on each part of the score. The tick is the middle city; the city named is the one that does best.
Through nature
Views
Away from traffic
Longest nature stretch
Starts near a station
As a table
| City | Through nature | Views | Away from traffic | Longest nature stretch | Starts near a station |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | 78% | 0% | 100% | 47% | 84% |
| Utrecht | 66% | 0% | 100% | 35% | 60% |
| Madrid | 62% | 0% | 91% | 32% | 60% |
| London | 42% | 0% | 99% | 23% | 98% |
| Copenhagen | 58% | 0% | 91% | 32% | 60% |
| Paris | 38% | 0% | 100% | 19% | 100% |
| Oslo | 46% | 0% | 99% | 25% | 60% |
| Dublin | 47% | 0% | 88% | 25% | 85% |
| Berlin | 47% | 0% | 88% | 24% | 85% |
| Hamburg | 49% | 0% | 96% | 25% | 60% |
| Zurich | 43% | 14% | 91% | 23% | 85% |
| Ghent | 48% | 0% | 100% | 23% | 60% |
| Cologne | 38% | 0% | 98% | 24% | 84% |
| Munich | 39% | 0% | 100% | 22% | 84% |
| New York | 34% | 0% | 97% | 18% | 100% |
| Stockholm | 44% | 0% | 100% | 24% | 60% |
| Edinburgh | 51% | 0% | 98% | 26% | 60% |
| Tokyo | 35% | 0% | 91% | 20% | 99% |
| Vienna | 40% | 0% | 94% | 19% | 85% |
| Seoul | 42% | 0% | 97% | 26% | 60% |
| Lyon | 42% | 19% | 98% | 21% | 60% |
| Taipei | 49% | 0% | 90% | 26% | 60% |
| Dresden | 36% | 0% | 95% | 20% | 85% |
| Barcelona | 36% | 12% | 92% | 16% | 60% |
| Bristol | 42% | 0% | 97% | 22% | 60% |
| Boston | 43% | 0% | 97% | 24% | 60% |
| Brisbane | 42% | 0% | 91% | 21% | 60% |
| Toronto | 37% | 0% | 95% | 21% | 60% |
| San Francisco | 33% | 10% | 99% | 18% | 60% |
| Manchester | 40% | 0% | 95% | 20% | 60% |
| Osaka | 36% | 0% | 92% | 19% | 60% |
| Wellington | 47% | 0% | 83% | 28% | 60% |
| Valencia | 43% | 0% | 90% | 22% | 60% |
| Lisbon | 39% | 0% | 91% | 19% | 60% |
| Singapore | 32% | 0% | 100% | 17% | 60% |
| Bogotá | 39% | 0% | 95% | 17% | 60% |
| Melbourne | 39% | 0% | 92% | 19% | 60% |
| Seattle | 29% | 0% | 100% | 16% | 60% |
| Perth | 37% | 0% | 90% | 17% | 60% |
| Sydney | 39% | 0% | 85% | 20% | 60% |
| Mexico City | 22% | 0% | 95% | 11% | 60% |
| Jakarta | 24% | 0% | 80% | 12% | 97% |
| Vancouver | 29% | 0% | 94% | 15% | 60% |
| Auckland | 45% | 0% | 72% | 24% | 60% |
| San Jose | 19% | 0% | 99% | 11% | 60% |
| Boulder | 22% | 0% | 97% | 11% | 60% |
| Portland | 18% | 0% | 99% | 11% | 60% |
| Chicago | 23% | 0% | 90% | 13% | 60% |
| São Paulo | 16% | 0% | 97% | 8% | 59% |
| Cape Town | 32% | 0% | 64% | 18% | 60% |
| Los Angeles | 12% | 0% | 82% | 8% | 59% |
Each part is the middle of the routes measured from every starting point we tested, the same ones the city ranking reads. Climbing is ranked in its own table.
The hilliest cities
How much the typical run climbs in each city. Climbing is measured but not scored, so hills neither lift a city nor hold it back.
| Rank | City | Metres up per km | Runs measured |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wellington | 33.4 | 8,358 |
| 2 | Oslo | 20.8 | 3,990 |
| 3 | São Paulo | 20.7 | 96,531 |
| 4 | San Francisco | 19.8 | 19,752 |
| 5 | Seattle | 17.5 | 15,526 |
| 6 | Barcelona | 17.2 | 3,199 |
| 7 | Seoul | 15.6 | 7,099 |
| 8 | Lisbon | 14.1 | 8,718 |
| 9 | Lyon | 13.2 | 2,891 |
| 10 | Bristol | 12.8 | 5,639 |
| 11 | Auckland | 12.7 | 22,966 |
| 12 | Sydney | 11.7 | 67,848 |
| 13 | Zurich | 11.5 | 1,887 |
| 14 | Vancouver | 10.1 | 12,940 |
| 15 | Singapore | 9.5 | 6,214 |
| 16 | Stockholm | 9.5 | 5,099 |
| 17 | Madrid | 8.6 | 6,219 |
| 18 | Edinburgh | 8.3 | 7,400 |
| 19 | Brisbane | 8.0 | 4,998 |
| 20 | Dublin | 7.0 | 893 |
| 21 | Mexico City | 7.0 | 3,730 |
| 22 | Boston | 6.6 | 12,857 |
| 23 | Cape Town | 6.6 | 3,626 |
| 24 | Portland | 6.3 | 15,769 |
| 25 | Toronto | 5.9 | 2,829 |
| 26 | Perth | 5.8 | 80,566 |
| 27 | Boulder | 5.3 | 3,168 |
| 28 | Vienna | 5.3 | 5,419 |
| 29 | Melbourne | 5.2 | 57,527 |
| 30 | Paris | 4.2 | 3,752 |
| 31 | Dresden | 4.1 | 3,019 |
| 32 | New York | 4.1 | 4,467 |
| 33 | London | 3.9 | 4,803 |
| 34 | Los Angeles | 3.3 | 11,406 |
| 35 | Manchester | 3.3 | 13,188 |
| 36 | Jakarta | 3.3 | 644 |
| 37 | Bogotá | 3.0 | 20,139 |
| 38 | Tokyo | 2.6 | 4,672 |
| 39 | Hamburg | 2.4 | 3,517 |
| 40 | Taipei | 2.1 | 9,914 |
| 41 | San Jose | 1.8 | 2,925 |
| 42 | Cologne | 1.4 | 1,835 |
| 43 | Munich | 1.4 | 3,778 |
| 44 | Berlin | 1.3 | 6,553 |
| 45 | Copenhagen | 1.3 | 2,864 |
| 46 | Valencia | 1.3 | 7,563 |
| 47 | Ghent | 0.6 | 2,221 |
| 48 | Osaka | 0.5 | 4,989 |
| 49 | Amsterdam | 0.0 | 3,260 |
| 50 | Chicago | 0.0 | 46,242 |
| 51 | Utrecht | 0.0 | 2,699 |
How it is measured
Ranked by metres climbed per kilometre, using the median of the routes measured from every starting point we tested. These are the same routes used for the city ranking. Minor changes in elevation are filtered out.
