Part of the enclave of New Taipei City, Taipei is the political, economic, educational, and cultural center of Taiwan, and one of the major hubs of East Asia. The geography is interesting, as the city lies in the Taipei Basin, bordered by the Xindian River to the south and the Tamsui River to the west, with Qixing Mountain and Mt. Datun rising to the north. Despite its being one of the most densely populated cities in the world, there is good running in Taipei, and a great running culture, with some 200 km of riverside paths, some nice parks, and challenging, hilly trail running nearby.
The best places to run in Taipei are along the extensive paths along the Tamsui, Jingmei, and Keelung rivers. Daan Park and Metropolitan Park are two centrally located oases for running. We’ve also put together suggestions for running in the Xinyi and Zhonhshan Districts. For some great hills and trail running, head to Jiannan Rd. and Yangmingshan National Park. A note about street running in Taipei: the big streets have long lights, so best to run early; while the smaller streets don’t have sidewalks — be aware of scooters!
The good transport system, consisting of the MRT subway, light rail, and bus lines, makes for easy access to most of our routes. Note that Taiwan’s weather is hot and humid in summer. It’s air is much better than many other east Asian cities.
Our thanks to Karla Mei Robertson, who has spent a lot of time in Taipei, for her help with our Taipei running guide.
