11 great places to get out and run in Philly

With spring finally here, it’s time to dig out your running shoes and hit the sidewalks, parks and trails that the area has on offer.   

If you’re new to the city’s run scene, or just looking for a healthy way to get to know others in your neighborhood or community, there’s many run groups all around the city and neighboring counties for you to join, and most are free! 

We’ve made a list of as many running and walking groups as we could find, and plotted out their runs over the course of a week, to help you find the one that fits your schedule and vibe best.

In the meantime, here are some places — near and far from the city — where you can stretch your legs on your own, with a couple less-travelled options provided by some run group leaders. 

Many of the trails and parks are accessible by public transport, and you can figure out how through the “Getting to Green: Routes to Roots” map made as part of a Mural Arts project.

The Schuylkill River Trail (SRT)

As popular as it is incredibly long, this 30-mile riverfront trail runs from Center City all the way to Parker Ford, Pa., with more being added to the south soon. The route offers a scenic view of Philly’s skyline, the Schuylkill River and Kelly Drive, and passes by landmarks like the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Boathouse Row and East Fairmount Park.

The trail can get pretty busy on nice days, especially weekends, with runners, cyclists and walkers sharing space. Marice Edwards, a personal trainer who founded Chasing Miles Running Club, said all the runners, along with the picnics, yoga, fishing and everything else, can be good motivation for first-time runners.

The Delaware River Trail

Along Philly’s other riverfront is the Delaware River Trail. This route stretches for just over three miles from Penn Treaty Park in the North to Pier 68 by the Walmart on South Christopher Columbus Boulevard. It can get a little stop-and-start waiting for the stoplights at busy intersections, but parts like the Race Street Pier and Penn’s Landing Marina offer interesting inlets to detour into.

Want to add a little more distance to it? Northern Liberties Run Club founder Keith Tomaselli suggests carrying north past Penn Treaty Park, along Richmond Street and past Graffiti Pier until East Allegheny Avenue in Port Richmond. You can then take a right to the shipyard and find a running path that leads all the way up to Bridesburg.   

The Ben Franklin Bridge

If you’re not too daunted by heights, this detour off the Delaware River Trail offers about three miles of inclined running by travelling to the Camden side and back, along with spectacular views of both the Philadelphia and Camden riverfronts.

The pedestrian walkway is open daily, weather and events permitting, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m, from May 1 to Sept 30 (it closes at 8 p.m. the rest of the year). The entrance to the bridge on the Philly side is at 5th and Race streets, and it lets out at 4th and Pearl streets in Camden. You can find live travel advisories about whether the walkway is closed at the Delaware River Port Authority’s website. 

Want to throw some extra miles in? You can easily add the Camden Riverfront or the DRT to your route. 

FDR Park and Navy Yard

South Philly’s biggest park offers a roughly two-mile loop of paved walkway, along with several trails and paths on its 348 acres. 

For a change of scenery, you head down Broad Street a little to get to the Navy Yard for some waterfront views as you run.

The city’s biggest park has plenty of space to explore on either side of the Schuylkill River.

If you want to try a 10-mile run through both sides of the park, the Fairmount Park Conservancy has mapped one out, as well as a 10-mile route around South Philly.

In Fairmount Park West, Montgomery Drive isn’t easy to cross so it splits access between the north and south options of the park. South of the drive, there are roads and trails that take you to scenic spots like the Shofuso Japanese Gardens, The Mann Center and the park’s Horticultural Center. West Philly Runners founder Alon Abramson recommends the Please Touch Museum of West Philly Park as a good starting point with parking. North of Montgomery Drive, there’s the Belmont Plateau and the four-mile long Trolley Trail. 

MLK Drive offers another way to run along the Schuylkill, and is often closed off from motor vehicles in the warmer months. You can check the schedule for that on the City’s website.

In East Fairmount, there are options, including the Boxer’s Trail, Lemon Hill Park, Strawberry Mansion and easy access to the Kelly Drive SRT paths.

Near University City and West Philadelphia is a 54 acres of 18th century English pleasure gardens, active cemetery and green space where you can run a roughly one-mile loop around the grounds.

The gates to the Woodlands are open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year, and there are bathrooms available during business hours.

Bartram’s Gardens

Another historic site out west, Bartram’s Mile will soon be connected to the Schuylkill River Trail. Till then you can run it from the Greys Ferry Bridge to around the overlook at South 61st Street, just under two miles. The Garden is open every day from sunrise to sunset.

Cobb’s Creek Park

At the edge of West Philadelphia is 3.7 miles of paved and unpaved trail along Cobb’s Creek, kept clean and beautified by members of the neighborhood’s community.

If you want to add a few miles to your run, Abramson suggested Haddington Woods north of 63rd and Market streets as a hidden gem. The ecological restoration project has a one-mile natural trail along the creek and dam.

Editor’s note: You’re probably going to start needing a car, or some extra patience on public transport, for the next few.

In Northwest Philly, there’s over 50 trails in the 2,000 acres for runners, hikers, cyclists and horseback riders. Friends of the Wissahickon have a list of the major trails as well as travel advice, volunteer opportunities and even an app on their website. The park has a curfew from 1 to 6 a.m. from April through November, 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Dec.1 to March 31.

Further up in Northeast Philly is over 1,600 acres of beautiful woodlands, wetlands and meadows, and fields. You can take the almost-10-mile trail along Pennypack Creek from the Delaware River to the border of Montgomery County, where it carries on for another six-plus miles. The park is open every day from 8 a.m. to dusk.

Near Philadelphia International Airport, America’s first urban refuge is a haven for birders and fans of other flora and fauna. It also has over 10 miles of trails to explore at your preferred pace. The park is open every day from sunrise to sundown, with free parking at the Lindbergh Boulevard entrance and the Route 420 entrance.