Ulaanbaatar is the capital and largest city in Mongolia, with a population of 1.6 million. It’s a rugged place, holding the distinction as the coldest capital city in the world, and an open, steppe type landscape, with mountains surrounding the city. Running in Ulaanbaatar presents a challenge: frigid winters, elevation (1,350m above sea level), wide, car-choked roads, and pollution that can be especially bad in winter.
The best place to run in Ulaanbaatar is National Park/Ubpark, which is a major outdoor recreation spot and features several km of paved multi-use trails. Runners also head to the National Sports Stadium, where they can do laps around the running track (when permitted) and a path around the stadium’s perimeter. We’ve also put together a ‘runseeing’ tour of Ulaanbaatar, which hits the main sites of the historic center on safe roads for running. For trail running near the city, the hike to the 2,261m Bogd Khan Mountain is popular and challenging.
Notes: Winters in Ulaanbaatar are frigid, with average high temperatures of -15C (though dry). Runners should also be aware of the altitude, pollution (worse in winter), and open/exposed nature of the terrain.
