The Dallas-Fort Worth ‘metroplex’ is the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Since it’s such a large and spread-out city, we’ve divided our running guide to Dallas into three sections: Central, incorporating downtown and the immediate suburbs; Suburbs, which includes Irving, Las Colinas, Richardson, Plano, Garland; and Fort Worth. As a large, spread-out, and auto-centric city, running in Dallas is a bit of a mixed bag. This guide will help you find the best spots! If you’d like to have an in-person guided running experience in Dallas, we highly recommend our friends at Go! Running Tours.
The best bet for running in downtown Dallas is the popular Katy Trail. Nearby, there’s the more park-like Turtle Creek Trail and Highland Park neighborhood. In the east end, the Santa Fe Trail is a good off-road option. In Northeast Dallas, some of our favorite running in the metroplex is around popular White Rock Lake and the linear park that heads north from there. In northwest Dallas near the Love Field Airport, take some laps around Bachman Lake. See also our Dallas: Suburbs guide for routes all over the Metroplex.
Runners should note that Dallas weather can be searingly hot from May through September, with many days exceeding 100F. As for getting around, there a car is generally needed, but there’s also a quite decent light rail system.
