The Central Park Loop

“The” classic run in New York City is unequivocally the Central Park Loop. Any day of the week, any time of day, you will find hordes of runners circling the park. Central Park has amazing scenery, a variety of hilly and flat terrain, easy access to restrooms, water and public transportation, iconic landmarks, and plenty of other runners for motivation. The park is especially beloved by runners as it is home to many of the NYRR races including the finish of the NYC Marathon. The standard Central Park Loop is 6.1 miles but there are a few ways to shorten the loop if you like. If you are running the full loop be sure to leave some gas in the tank to get you up the famous “Harlem Hill”, the rollers on the west side of the reservoir, and “Cat Hill” with its cougar statue taunting you from a rocky perch. The streets are closed to vehicles on the weekends and Monday through Friday from 10AM – 3PM and 7PM – 10PM. At all other times you’ll want to stay in the designated lane for pedestrians. And always be sure to go with the flow of traffic and run counter-clockwise.