Parkview: Westcliff Drive/Westcliff Stairs/Zoo Lake

The Parkview neighborhood in the north of Johannesburg offers some of the best running in the city, between the lovely sidewalk of Westcliff Drive, the killer views from the Westcliff Stairs, and the peaceful loop around Zoo Lake. Runners can combine these features for a pleasant tour of one of Johannesburg’s most charming old suburbs. We recommend starting at Zoo Lake and completing the shady 1 km cement circuit. Go south on the dirt path to Princess of Wales Terrace and turn RIGHT out to Lower Park Drive. At the end of the road, turn RIGHT onto Jan Smuts Ave, then RIGHT again onto Westcliff Drive. For a stunning views of Johannesburg, use Crescent Drive. A gate leads to the steep stone “stairway to heaven.” Runners can build serious endurance sprinting up the staircase to Wexford Avenue, Pallinghurst Road, and Woolston Road. The route is 4.25 one way, and runners can either backtrack from Woolston Road or pick their way back on the quiet residential streets of Parkview.