Nice is the unofficial capital of the Côte d’Azur, which stretches from Saint-Tropez to the Italian border, and includes Monaco/Monte Carlo. The ‘French Riviera’ is a spectacular setting, with azure waters, yachts, hilltop towns, beaches, and the mountains Alpes-Maritimes in the background. The area is a popular tourist destination, on account of its beauty, beaches, and great weather. This guide features several great places to run in Nice, while our companion Côte d’Azur guide covers the area west of Antibes and east of Villefranche-sur-Mer.
The running highlights in the Nice area are several coastal routes: the iconic Promenade des Anglais, and routes west to Antibes and east to Villefranche-sur-Mer. Our 10k Nice ‘runseeing’ tour has a nice variety of scenery & sites. Trail runners will love Parc du Mont Boron. For gorgeous Côte d’Azur routes east and west of Nice, see our separate guide.
Runner Notes: Some of the roads in the area are very narrow, with no shoulder or sidewalk. We’ve paid careful attention to that in designing our routes. Also note that transportation in this area is terrific: it’s fun to try to a one way run and hop on a train or bus back. Note also that summers in this area can be hot and dry.
