Newcastle upon Tyne is an attractive city in northern England, located on the banks of the River Tyne and also 8.5 miles west of the North Sea. It has a unique geography, with much of its medieval layout still intact and stairs that lead from the river to the upper sections of the city. For a relatively small city, there’s a fantastic variety of running options — riverside paths, moors, parks, estates, and some lovely seaside running nearby. A couple of must-dos: Millennium Bridge, some of the stair paths, and the unique Tyne Pedestrian and Cycle tunnel. See also our running guide to Sunderland for more routes!
The two signature runs in central Newcastle are the paths along both banks of the River Tyne with its seven bridges, and the Town Moor (150 acres larger than Central Park!). Just east of town, there are several nice parks for running. We also recommend the Georgian gardens at Gibside and adjacent Derwent Walk. In South Shields and Tynemouth, there are wonderful seafront promenades and easy, scenic coastal bluff trails. Trail runners will enjoy options in some of the country parks such as Rising Sun and Bolam Lake.
There’s a fantastic transport system with two metro lines, extending all the way to the seacoast. Newcastle is also a busy rail hub. Runners should also note that Newcastle has very long days in summer — it’s the same latitude as Copenhagen.
