The top spot for running in Durban is the waterfront promenade along Golden Mile and Durban Beach. This wide brick pathway stretches for 5 miles (8 km) from North Pier all the way to Blue Lagoon Park, featuring wide open views of the Indian Ocean. The path passes by the central business district, some of the finest Indian Ocean beaches, then eventually meets the Umgeni River at Blue Lagoon Park. Runners can pick up the path anywhere along Timeball Boulevard, Erskine Terrace, Tambo Parade, or Snell Parade. If accessing from downtown, the path heads for ~2 miles south of ~3 miles north. An out and back is up to 16 km, with plenty of opportunities to extend the route.
Durban Beach. Google Street View.
Alongside the path is Durban Beach, which extends for about 3.5 km. It’s a wide beach and quite runnable, with fairly firm sand near the water.
Add-Ons: From Blue Lagoon Park, you can connect to our Umgeni River route. It’s possible to use one of the bridges crossing over the river, but use caution as the sidewalk is very narrow.
The top spot for running in Durban is the waterfront promenade along Golden Mile and Durban Beach. This wide brick pathway stretches for 5 miles (8 km) from North Pier all the way to Blue Lagoon Park, featuring wide open views of the Indian Ocean. The path passes by the central business district, some of the finest Indian Ocean beaches, then eventually meets the Umgeni River at Blue Lagoon Park. Runners can pick up the path anywhere along Timeball Boulevard, Erskine Terrace, Tambo Parade, or Snell Parade. If accessing from downtown, the path heads for ~2 miles south of ~3 miles north. An out and back is up to 16 km, with plenty of opportunities to extend the route.
Durban Beach. Google Street View.
Alongside the path is Durban Beach, which extends for about 3.5 km. It’s a wide beach and quite runnable, with fairly firm sand near the water.
Add-Ons: From Blue Lagoon Park, you can connect to our Umgeni River route. It’s possible to use one of the bridges crossing over the river, but use caution as the sidewalk is very narrow.
The Umhlanga Promenade is a pretty brick pathway lining the beach. The Umhlanga Lighthouse and Whalebone Pier are the highlights. An out and back is about 5 km.
A short, scenic path along the Umgeni River. A great run on its own or can be done in combination with the Durban Beach Promenade. About 4 km out and back.
A great road run through the neighborhoods of Durban North on a path/sidewalk along the M12. It’s possible to run the whole 9 km, but some sections are more protected from traffic than others. Nice ridgeline views.
Any of the streets that run north to south between Glenwood and Morningside make for pleasant neighborhood running. We’ve mapped a 13 km route as an example. Pleasant sidewalks, attractive homes, and park-like greenery.
Some of the best trail running in Durban can be found at the Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve. There are about 13 km of paths, and a 10 km mountain bike trail, looping around a coastal, rivervine forest, and grassland mosaic habitat.
Giba Gorge is a beloved mountain bike park, but its trails also welcome runners. Their website provides some popular trail running routes, and they also host a 5 km group run on Sunday mornings.
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