More than 80 million people visit the Orlando area each year, for its theme parks and conventions. Our guide to running in the Orlando area is divided intot his Orlando proper guide and the Theme Park area around Universal Studios/Orange County Convention (9 miles southwest of downtown Orlando) & Disney World (9 miles southwest of there).
There has been greater attention to making Orlando more runnable and walk-able. One of the best places to run in Orlando are the Orlando Urban Trail, which winds around several lake. Just northeast of downtown, the Lake Baldwin loop and the Cady Way Trail are nice off-road options. There are some nice parks, lakes, and trails just north of downtown Orlando, such as the 14-mile Seminole Wekiva multi-use path. Winter Park, a suburb 7 miles northeast of Orlando has great running options: numerous trails, parks, pleasant residential streets, and a pretty downtown/commercial area. In southeast Orlando and near the Airport, there’s some decent running in the trendy Lake Nona area. In Southwest Orlando, close to Universal, the recently expanded Shingle Creek Trail is a good option for a long off-road run.
See also our separate guide to the Disney/Universal Studios area. To be honest, the running options aren’t very good — but we’ve researched the best options! For a great excursion — and miles of fabulous beach and waterfront running — head 70 miles east to the Space Coast area, from Canaveral/Titusville to Palm Bay.
