Kingston lies between Toronto and Montreal, with a scenic setting on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River. The city of 130,000 is known for its limestone buildings and location of Queen’s University — one of Canada’s largest. There are some terrific running options in Kingston, anchored by the 11+ km of waterfront paths, numerous parks, and a couple of long-distance multi-use trails. For more in the area, see our running guide for the Thousand Islands region.
The signature run in Kingston is to choose a section of the of the scenic Waterfront Trail along the St. Lawrence River, with numerous parks just north of King St. as add-ons. Another great place to run in Kingston our route combining the campus of Queen’s University, City Park, and the adjacent residential neighborhoods. Further west, is easy trail running in our Parks & Marshland route, Lemoine Point Conservation Area, and Nicholsons Point/Parrott’s Bay. For an easy off-road option, the 22 km K&P Trail runs north of the city, connecting to the even longer Cataraqui Trail in Harrowsmith. We also love the trails in Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area. For a fun & scenic option, take the 20-minute ferry from Kingston Harbor to Wolfe Island, to enjoy miles of flat, traffic-free farm roads.
Runners should note that Kingston’s winters are the real deal. Very cold and very snowy. Many of the conservation areas are used for winter sports. The Waterfront Trail and our Queen’s University/neighborhoods route are good, maintained options.,
