Europe

Budapest, Hungary

A comprehensive guide to the best places to run in Budapest

Budapest is the capital of Hungary and the country’s largest city, with a population of 3.3 million. It’s a popular travel destination, with wonderfully preserved architecture, great restaurants and bars, and a good transport infrastructure. Budapest is the combination of two formerly separate cities: Pest, on the east side of river, contains the Inner City and some of the more visited sites. Buda, on the west side of the river is hilly and semi-suburban, and has winding, narrow streets wending their way up into the hills. There are four bridges crossing the river in central Budapest, with the ‘Chain Bridge’ being the most iconic. There are great places for running in Budapest, and we note that it can be magical at night. Note: If you’d like to have a guided running experience in Budapest, we highly recommend our affiliate partner Go! Running Tours

The best places to run in Budapest are all centrally located. The highlight is Margaret Island, a recreational mecca in the middle of the Danube with several km of trails, and a 5.3 km rubberized running track around the perimeter with great river and city views. There is also excellent running along the Danube, on both sides, although one should look carefully at our guide to learn the best sections. There are also some great parks for running: City Park (Varosliget), Bikás Park, and Orczy Park. And for some hills, head to Gellért Hill in Buda and run up to the Citudella (fort), or enjoy the more expansive Normafa park, a few km west of the city. For an iconic long run, one can incorporate Gellért Hill, the Buda Castle, Danube Path, and Margaret Island, all of which are in our Runseeing Tour.

There is excellent transportation in Budapest, consisting of a subway, plus trams, buses, and trains. All of our routes are accessible by public transport, and one really does not need a car if staying in the central area.

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  • All Routes
  • Iconic Routes
  • Weather & Climate
  • Where To Stay
  • Stores & Group Runs
  • Events

Budapest has a humid continental climate, with cold winters and warm summers. July high temps are near 80F (26C), with warm nights. It can be humid. Winters are cool to cold, with average January highs a bit above freezing (3C), but cold enough for skating and winter sports. You’ll need to be equipped for running in winter. There’s also quite a spread in the amount of sunshine between the seasons. Winters can be overcast and chilly, while summers are sunny and dry.

Budapest is a popular tourist city, and there is an excellent range of centrally located hotels. The fanciest and most plentiful selection of hotels are located in Pest, south of the Elizabeth Bridge and within a mile of the river. In Buda, there is also a growing selection of hotels. Try to stay within a mile of the river, and south of Margaret Island, for the best running. Or, close to a metro stop that can whisk you to or from a good running spot.

Running Stores

Nyulcipobolt

Spuri Futbollolt. Several stores in Budapest and surrounding areas. Great team of consultants and runners.

Group Runs

There are several running groups that visitors can connect with. WeLoveBudapsest listed 5 running clubs in a 2016 article.

  • Nike Run Club. Events several days a week, 5pm-8pm, notably Wednesdays. More info
  • Városmajor Running Club. Group runs, often on Tuesdays at 6pm
  • Főnix Running Club. More for trail running
  • Kvázibárki. Tuesdays, 6:30 am. Often longer runs.

Run in Budapest organizes tours to several notable running events in Budapest.

Notable running events include:

Wizz Air Budapest Half Marathon. Second Sunday in September. The biggest half marathon in Central Europe.

Spar Budapest Marathon. October. 20,000 participants, 2-day event, with different races and distance options.

Telekom Vivicitta Half Marathon. April. 2-day event draws 30,000 runners for different events, with 1/2 Marathon being the signature race, offering a great ‘runseeing’ tour of Budapest.