United States

New York City - Boroughs

Best Places to Run in Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island

Most running guides to New York City focus on the island of Manhattan. But New York City is composed of five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. All of them offer some great running options, most accessible via public transportation. In this guide, we focus on the best places to run in the New York City Boroughs, New York.  There’s also information on how to get to the routes and suggested areas to stay. If you’d like to have an in-person guided running experience in NYC area, we highly recommend our friends at Go! Running Tours.

For information on the best running in in the New York City area, see our guide for Manhattan, and even across the river into New Jersey!


Great Runs – Manhattan

 
Great Runs – Newark/Hoboken/Jersey City

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Some of our favorite runs in New York City - Boroughs

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  • Weather & Climate
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New York City has a humid subtropical climate, being the northernmost major city in North America with this categorization. Summers from June to August are typically warm to hot with some periods of high, uncomfortable humidity. Temperatures average in the 80s in summer. Winters are cold and damp, with average January highs in the 30s (4C) and lows dipping below freezing. Surface conditions can get icy but don’t stay that way for long. New York averages 25.8 inches of snowfall. Spring is unpredictable but autumn is gorgeous and lingers well into November. Humidity is a factor, especially in summer. Another factor is the buildings — they create shade and shadowing from the sometimes oppressive sun.

nyc-climate

Brooklyn

There are plenty of hotels located near Prospect Park and Green-Wood Cemetery on Union St and 4th Ave. And they’re generally cheaper than what one would find in Manhattan. Visitors at these hotels can easily run in Prospect Park and also have good access to public transit. Additionally, there are hotels located near the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges. Great running opportunities are accessible from these hotels as well. Staying near Williamsburg and Greenpoint forces you to travel a little bit to get to an iconic route. Finally, a few hotels are located near Coney Island.

Queens

The majority of Hotels in Queens are located near the Queensboro Bridge. Staying in this area provides good access to Roosevelt Island, and easy public transit access to Hunter’s Point South Park and Astoria Park. Flushing houses another cluster of hotels, and good access to Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Finally, if near JFK Airport, check out Baisley Pond Park.

Bronx

Numerous hotels in the Bronx are located near the Bronx Zoo and Fordham University. These hotels have easy access to the New York Botanical Gardens and quick transportation to Van Cortlandt Park. Bronx’s hotels near the Yankee Stadium are in close proximity to the High Bridge route. Hotels in the East of the Bronx off interstate 95 do not have great access to the routes above

Staten Island

The majority of the hotels are located along Rt 440 and interstate 278. All routes are accessible by bus from these hotels. Additionally, a few hotels are located near the Staten Island Boardwalk with easy access to the Boardwalk route and beach running. Unless you are staying in Staten Island for a specific reason, we would recommend staying in one of the other boroughs and commuting to these routes.

Click on the NYC Running Overview map at the top of this page for more information on running stores and group runs in the Boroughs.

Looking for road or trail races in this area? Find them on RaceRaves, the best online race calendar and reviews community for runners!

Find races in New York City - Boroughs

Because NYC attracts so many visitors, it is a great place to host some major running events!

Events Calendars #1. Events Calendar #2

Some of the major events are:

The New York City Marathon November. The world’s biggest and most popular marathon

NYRR Five-Borough Series

Scotland Run 10K April. Runners bring the feel of Scotland stateside, donning their kilts, waving Scottish flags, and even painting their faces in the white and blue of Saint Andrew’s Cross.