Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States and a popular visitor destination. Running in Washington, D.C. is wonderful. It’s one of our favorite running cities in the United States, beautifully laid out, with wide streets and sidewalks radiating from the Capitol, miles of multi-use trails around its most visited destinations, and numerous paths waterfront & park paths. And no buildings higher than the Washington Monument in D.C.!
A run on The National Mall and the Lincoln Memorial, and then out the Tidal Basin memorials, is one of the most inspiring runs in the world. Catching the Ellipse during Cherry Blossom season the first two weeks in April should be on any runner’s bucket list. Also in that area are paths along the Potomac and out to Arlington National Cemetery. In northwest D.C., we love Embassy Row for its hills and posh neighborhood, and Rock Creek Park for some wooded running. Historic Georgetown features some great running options too. In the northeast part of the city, we love running on the newish Anacostia River Trail and the National Arboretum. For longer distances, we recommend the C&O Canal Trail and the Mount Vernon Trail, which bridges into our companion guides for Virginia & Maryland just over the D.C. border.
Good transportation infrastructure helps the running scene in the greater D.C. area, with its excellent Metro system, Capital Bike Share system, and an extensive network of paved, well-signed bike paths. Note: runners should be aware of Washington’s famously hot and humid summers. If you’d like to have an in-person guided running experience in Washington, D.C., we highly recommend our friends at Go! Running Tours.
