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‘Romantic’ Running Themes and Destinations!

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we’ve been thinking about what a ‘romantic’ run might entail. Certainly not some super challenging hill run, or one that would leave you so exhausted that you might not have time to enjoy the day’s ‘festivities’. Many spots one might consider to be ‘romantic’ are also great places to run — think beaches, views, sunsets, snowflakes. So in that spirit, below are five romantic themes with four favorite runs in each. Maybe you’re lucky enough to live in or will be traveling to one of these spots. Or at least the idea might get your romantic running wheels spinning.

Beaches

What’s more romantic than a long walk run on the beach? Recognizing it is the middle of winter, let’s leave New England out of it for now and think about great beaches in warm weather climes. A few picks below. For more, search the Great Beach Runs category on the GR site, or explore our extensive running guides to Florida and the Caribbean.

Bridges

What is it about bridges and romance? The iconic bridges are great to look at or run along. Below are some favorites. For more, search the Bridges category on GR!

Sunsets

There’s nothing more romantic than watching a sunset with your sweetie. Here are a few great spots where, if the weather’s good and you time it right, you can enjoy a beautiful sunset while running.

  • Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas. If you find yourself in Las Vegas, get off the Strip for a few and enjoy the incredible colors when the sun hits the rocks in the Mojave Desert late in the day.
  • Fort Myers Beach, FL. If you think sunset in Florida, it’s gotta be the west coast, right? This is a great beach for running, too.
  • Hudson River Greenway, Manhattan. Great light, skyline, and sunset views. Pack an extra layer and enjoy!
  • La Jolla, California. Actually, we should proclaim any spot in the Pacific in San Diego as a sunset landmark. La Jolla, Sunset Cliffs, Torrey Pines. They’re all fantastic.

Snowflakes

For those bothered about the warm weather tilt of our romantic runs so far, there’s something awfully pretty about a fresh blanket of snow and twinkling lights, right? Here are some romantic winter spots. Think white, not slushy…and for more inspiration, see our ‘winter running lists‘!

  • Old Montreal. Montreal is one of the world’s snowiest major cities. Cobblestone streets, french restaurants, and fresh snow makes this the quintessential winter run. Mount Royal is also the quintessential romantic run.
  • Church Street, Burlington. Vermont this time of year is another spot with almost guaranteed snow. A run through central Burlington, with its narrow, snowy streets and great food & bar scene makes this a great winter running spot.
  • Emerald Necklace, Boston.  Really pretty when there’s snow, given the canopy and the way the trail was laid out. An Ode to Olmsted.
  • Rideau Canal, Ottawa. Combine this with a skate and grab a hot chocolate or a crepe at one of the warming shacks.
  • Sapporo, Japan. Almost guaranteed snow in the snowiest major city in the world!

Views

Getting to a spot with a view is another romantic thing thing to do. We’ve selected four routes with particularly scenic views. To find a running route with a view close to you, search the ‘Great Views‘ keyword on the GR site, organized by city and region!

  • Crissy Field to Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco. Run north, and you see the ocean, Marin Headlands, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Turn around, and there’s the fantastic SF skyline and Bay Bridge.
  • Central Park, New York City. A loop or two around “The Res”, with great skyline views is one of the best.
  • Elliott Bay Trail, Seattle. We love runs with both water and mountain views. On a clear day, the view of Mt. Rainier is unparalleled.
  • Banks of the Seine, Paris. OK, we couldn’t have a piece about romantic places to run without including something from Paris…Views of the famous Seine and landmark buildings make this one of the best.

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Raoul
2 years ago

Paris and Verona are the number one hotspots worldwide in that respect.

You can explore both romantic cities with a local running guide.

Sue
2 years ago

Portland being the bridge city… not even mentioned in the bridges category!