Europe

Kyiv, Ukraine

A Comprehensive Guide to the Best Places to Run in Kyiv

Creative Commons. Andriy155

Kyiv (also known as Kiev) is the capital of Ukraine and the seventh largest city in Europe. Located on the Dnieper River, Kyiv is an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural center of Eastern Europe. The old section of the city is quite charming, showcasing several iconic cathedrals and churches. We think Kyiv is one of the more underrated cities in Europe from a running perspective. The highlights of running in Kyiv showcase paths along the Dnieper River and the numerous large, centrally located parks.

A great way to get oriented is to use our Kyiv Runseeing Tour, which hits many of the city’s highlights and numerous parks. For riverside running, there are paths leading from central Kyiv south to Navodnitsky Park, and on the left bank, Obolonska Quay & Park Natalka. We also like running on the several ‘islands’ just across the bridges, such as Hydropark, Trukhaniv Island, and Muromets Park. Some of the best places to run in Kyiv are in its numerous parks: a popular route combines Mariinskyi Park/Palace Grounds & Park of the Eternal Glory. Other favorites include the National Botanical Garden, Peremoha Park, and a route combining Park Dubky & Park Nyvky in the northwestern part of the city. For trail running, Holosiivskyi National Natural Park is one of the few national parks in the world located within a city. Note:  Runners should take advantage of the unique stair paths that run between the river and Mariinskyi Park, and the fashionably dilapidated outdoor gyms.

Kyiv has an excellent transport infrastructure, consisting of three metro lines, a tram system, and buses. Nearly all of our routes are reachable by public transport. Runners should note that Kyiv winters can be cold and snowy — come with the right clothing. But with its abundant snow and extensive parks, Kyiv is one of our favorite winter running cities!

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Some of our favorite runs in Kyiv, Ukraine

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Hydropark Loop

Kyiv, Ukraine

This island that sits in the middle of the Dnieper River is a popular urban beach and park. A loop around the island is a pleasant 5 km run, combining paved and wooded paths. Can be combined with our Rusanivska Embankment and Telbin Lake route.
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Muromets Park

Kyiv, Ukraine

Large park that sits between the left and right banks of the Dnieper has some good trails for running. A highlight is the round Memorial Garden. We've mapped a 7.7 loop, but many more km are possible. Good for a longer but not challenging trail run.
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Kyiv has a humid continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. Summers are generally delightful, but humid. Average high temperatures are in the 26C (79F) range, and nights can cool off. Autumn is gorgeous, with lovely foliage in the Kyiv’s many parks. Winters are cold but not frigid…and they’re celebrated with lots of winter recreational infrastructure. Winter high temps are around freezing, and lows of -6C (20F). There is ample snowfall. About 620mm (25 inches) of precipitation falls annually, with winters being drier.

ClimaTemps.com

There’s a good range of hotels, well spread across the city. Try to stay on the right bank. If you’re near the city center, you’ll be able to access the river and Kyiv’s numerous parks. Or try to stay near a metro station, since most of our Kyiv’s routes are accessible via the city’s subway.

RUNNING STORES

There are many options to buy running gear in Kyiv, including outlets of major shoe/apparel brands, and some larger sporting goods stores. See the overview map.

GROUP RUNS

There are several active running clubs in Kyiv and surrounding areas, RunUkraine keeps a good list: https://clubs.runukraine.org/en/#/list

There’s also a very active ParkRun community. Information here: https://kyivparkrun.runukraine.org/

RunUkraine has a good list of area running events in Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine.

A signature event is the annual Work.UA Kviv Half Marathon, typically held in December. It’s a popular event! Amazingly, during the pandemic year of 2020, the ‘online’ event had 6,000 participants, representing 38 countries and five continents!