Best Runs Near Airports (and where to stay!)
Your flight got canceled or delayed. Or you hope to get a run in before getting on the flight. For travelers who end up having to stay near an airport, the running options can be hit or miss. But Great Runs has your back! We’ve researched the best places to run within proximity to the airport in major cities. In the table below, you’ll see the airport, best run nearby, and recommended areas to stay as close to the run as possible.
Best Major Cities/Airports For Running: (alphabetical, by region) Boston; Los Angeles (LAX); Minneapolis-St. Paul; Oakland; Philadelphia; San Diego; San Francisco (SFO); Washington, D.C. (Reagan); Amsterdam; Frankfurt; London (Heathrow); Milan; Osaka (Kansai); Singapore; Sydney.
Worst Major Cities/Airports For Running (alphabetical, by region): Atlanta (Hartsfield); Dallas (DFW); Houston (Bush); Las Vegas; New York (LaGuardia); Miami; Seattle; Athens; Beijing; Moscow (Sheremetyevo- A.S. Pushkin); Paris (Charles de Gaulle); Istanbul; Tokyo (Narita). If stuck near the airport in these cities, the best option, unfortunately, is the hotel treadmill.
25 Best Runs Near an Airport (worldwide).
All routes worldwide tagged ‘Near Airport‘ by Great Runs.
Best running options for major city airports, worldwide, and where to stay nearby (table below). If the airport isn’t listed, it means there aren’t good running options nearby.
| City/Airport | Run | Stay |
|---|---|---|
| Austin - Bergstrom | McKinney Falls State Park | East of I-35/South of SR 71 |
| Baltimore - BWI | BWI Trail | BWI Business District |
| Boston - Logan | Airport Waterfront Path & Greenway | Airport Hilton/Enbassy Suites; Hyatt Harborside |
| Chicago - O'Hare | DesPlaines River Trail | Hotels in Rosemont |
| Cleveland - Hopkins | Rocky River Reservation | Hotels in at the I-480/SR 252 interchange |
| Denver - DIA | Rocky Mountain Arsenal | Hotels off Pena Blvd. north of I-70 |
| Los Angeles - LAX | Near LAX: Ballona Creek/Playa Del ReyBallona Creek or Manhattan Beach | Marina del Rey or El Segundo |
| Mexico City | Bosque de Aragón | Cluster of hotels in Peñón de los Baños (a short cab ride away from the run) |
| Minneapolis−Saint Paul | Fort Snelling State Park | Hotels near the Mall of America |
| Montreal - Trudeau | Centennial Park & Bois-de-Liesse | Airport hotels are a short cab ride away |
| New York City: JFK | Baisley Pond Park - JFK Airport Loop | North of JFK Expressway/East of I-678 |
| Newark Liberty | Near Newark Liberty Airport: Weequahic Park & Lake Loop | Good airport hotels off Spring St. -- about 1.5 miles from Weequahic Park. |
| New Orleans - Louis Armstrong | Duncan Canal Levee & Lake Pontchartrain Trail | Stay in hotels north of airport to access Levee path along Duncan Canal |
| Oakland | Alameda: Bay Farm Island | Off Harbor Pkwy. or Doolittle Dr. |
| Orlando | Lake Nona Area | Try to stay near Lake Nona Blvd. |
| Philadelphia | John Heinz Refuge | East of SR 291 |
| Phoenix - Sky Harbor | Tempe Town Lake; Arizona Grand Canal Trail: Glendale to Tempe | Hotels south or airport for Tempe Town Lake. Or, hotels north of airport for Grand Canal trail. |
| Pittsburgh | Montour Trail | Marriott/376 Airport Expwy |
| Portland, OR | Running Options Near Airport: Marine Dr., Blue Lake | East of Airport, off I-295 provides good access to Marine Dr. |
| Raleigh-Durham | Umstead Park | Close to SR70/I-540. Still a short cab ride away. |
| Salt Lake City - SLC Int'l | Jordan River Parkway – Western SLC | Stay east of SLC Airport to access Jordan River Parkway trail @Cottonwood Park |
| San Antonio | McAllister Park | Off Hwy 281, north of Wurzbach Pkwy. |
| San Diego | Convention Center/Embarcadero | Hotels Near Convention Center or on Harbor Island |
| San Francisco - SFO | San Francisco Bay Trail | South of SFO, North of the 101 toward Coyote Point |
| Tampa | Upper Tampa Bay Trail/Courtney Campbell Causeway | Pelican Island, west of the airport |
| Calgary | Nose Creek Parkway | Worth a cab ride from the hotels off Highway 2/Airport Trail |
| Toronto - Pearson | Centennial Park, Etobicoke Creek Trail | Hotels right near Centennial Park off Eglinton Ave W. |
| Vancouver, BC | Iona Regional Park | Hotels in Richmond (a few km from Iona Park) |
| Washington, D.C. - Reagan | Mount Vernon Trail & Other Trails in Arlington, VA. | Arlington, VA area hotels near trail |
| Amsterdam - Schiphol | Amsterdam Woods (Amsterdamse Bos) | East of airport off the N32 |
| Barcelona | Near Barcelona Airport: Gavà Mar Promenade | Lots of hotels of Gava Mar promenade |
| Berlin - Brandenburg | Best Run Near Berlin Brandenburg Airport | North side of airport, with nearby hotels off Hans-Grade Allee |
| Frankfurt | Frankfurt City Forest (Frankfurter Stadtwald) | Take the (free) shuttle bus (1km) to the Hotel Steigenberg Airport, which is across the street from the Forest. |
| London - Heathrow | West of London & Near Heathrow | North of LHR in Hammondsworth |
| Madrid Airport | Juan Carlos I Park | Southwest of airport near Juan Carlos Park |
| Madrid Airport | Parque Forestal de Valdebebas | Northwest of airport hotels |
| Milan - Linate | Idroscalo | Hotels west of SP15b. Also Parco Forlanini. |
| Paris - CDG | Parc de Sausett | Also near the major Villepinte convention center. Lots of hotels in the area |
| Prague - Václav Havel | Near Václav Havel Airport: Sarka – Lysolaje Natural Park | East of Highway 7 near Lysolaje |
| Rome - Leonardo da Vinci | Ostia: Good Running Option Near Rome Airport | Hotels in Ostia |
| Rome - Ciampino | Via Appia Park is Near Ciampino | Hotels are mostly on the east side of the airport |
| Singapore - Changi Airport | Near Airport: Jurassic Mile, Changi Beach Park, Pasir Ris Park | There are hotels near Changi Beach Park, Pasir Ris |
| Osaka - Kansai | Rinku Park | Good selection near Rinku Park! |
| Tokyo - Haneda | Near Haneda Airport & Tokyo Disneyland: Oi Wharf Seaside Park | No hotels right at Oi Wharf, but can stay in Shinagawa City |
| Sydney, Australia | Cooks River Trail | West of airport off Airport Dr. |
| Seoul - Incheon Airport | Near Incheon Airport: Bridge to Muui-dong & Somuuido Island | South end of Yeongjong Island for access to Masian Beach & Muui-dong |
| Chongqing, China - Jiangbei Airport | Bijin Park & Shuanglonghu Park | Good hotels just west of the airport and near these parks! |