Set on Lake Ontario, Toronto is the fourth largest city in North America. It is a very cosmopolitan, diverse city, with a great arts and culture scene. Many travelers to Toronto will stay downtown, where there are many large office & apartment buildings, and numerous hotels. Note that Toronto is a very spread out city, with large suburbs and bedroom communities. Our guide to running in Toronto includes numerous routes in and near the downtown core, highlighting the waterfront and some larger parks and trails. We’ve also researched numerous places to run in the suburbs of Etobicoke, Mississauga, and Scarborough, where there are wonderful waterfront paths and linear park trails. Note: If you’d like to have a guided running experience in Toronto, we highly recommend our affiliate partner Go! Running Tours.
The best places to run in Toronto center on the lakeshore, anchored by the iconic Martin Goodman Trail. There are also good linear parks and trails near downtown, such as the Beltline and Don River trails. We’ve also recommended several attractive residential neighborhoods for running. Another running favorite is The Island — a 15 minute ferry ride from downtown. East of town, there’s terrific running in The Beaches, and under white lakefront cliffs in Scarborough. West of town, the Etobicoke and Missisauga have some excellent running options.
Toronto is a geographically large and spread out city. Major ‘business traveler’ suburbs include Mississauga and Etobicoke. There is good public transportation, called the “TTC”. The subway runs within the downtown limits and to the north, and there’s an extensive bus system.
Routes By Area
Downtown: Queens Park/downtown tour, Martin Goodman Trail.
Waterfront/South: Martin Goodman Trail and waterfront trails; The Island.
West: Martin Goodman trail west, Humber River, Sunnyside Beach, High Park.
East: The Beaches, Lower Don Valley River trails, Distillery. Also, trails in the suburb of Scarborough.
Midtown: Beltline Trail, Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Forest Hill and Summerhill/Yorkville/Rosedale neighborhoods.
North: Botanical Gardens, linear park around the Science Center
Northwest/Pearson Airport: Separate posts for Etobicoke and Mississauga, with numerous parks, linear paths, and waterfront trails.
