Whether you're chasing a new PB or simply fancy a relaxed jog through nature, London and its nearby counties are packed with parkrun routes that blend fitness with fantastic scenery. You’ll find everything from flat, fast tarmac loops in city parks to undulating trails through historic estates and leafy woods.
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All are free, timed, and open to everyone, so lace up your running shoes and explore the best parkruns the capital and its surrounding areas have to offer.
Best Parkruns in and around London
Bushy Park, Richmond upon Thames
Bushy Park is the birthplace of parkrun, having started life in 2004 with just 13 runners and three volunteers. Although it’s not the site of the fastest ever parkrun (that title goes to Belfast’s Victoria Park), it has played host to a number of significant records in the event’s history. It was here that Andrew Baddeley set a time of 13 minutes and 48 seconds back in 2012, a record that stood as the fastest parkrun for over a decade.
Victoria Dock, East London
With a perfectly flat course alongside the stunning Royal Docks, Victoria Dock parkrun is one of the easiest parkruns in the UK. With wide paths, there are plenty of opportunities for easy overtaking, and the relatively straight route means it’s a great route for grabbing a PB. But there’s nothing tedious about the waterfront views on this parkrun route, with a lovely out-and-back course starting and finishing at City Hall.
Hilly Fields, Lewisham
The clue’s in the name when it comes to the Hilly Fields parkrun. This Lewisham course is three laps of challenging climbs and uneven descents, making it one of the hardest parkruns in the UK. If you’re chasing hills in London, the Hilly Fields parkrun is a good place to start.
Hackney Marshes, East London
Hackney Marshes parkrun is a flat, fast course which is perfect for beginners and those wanting to clinch a PB, it’s an exciting course too, with a mix of tarmac and gravel paths. Enjoy spectacular views of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in nearby Stratford as you run around this out-and-back course, running a lap of the football grounds, through the park, along the riverbank and back up through the fields.
Dulwich Park, Southwark
Lots of London parkruns are fast, with flat terrain and wide, open paths. Dulwich Park is one of the fastest parkrun routes in the UK, with a smooth, tarmacked course made up of three laps of the park’s main carriageway. If you’re keen to set a PB, the course has pacers on the second Saturday of every month.
Osterley, Isleworth
Start your weekend with a scenic 5km run around the beautiful Osterley estate, a Georgian country estate in West London. This two-lap course starts and finishes in front of the dramatic mansion house, once described by Horace Walpole as “the palace of palaces”, and now cared for by the National Trust.
You can build up to the biannual Osterley Park 10k series, run each June and December in partnership with the Ealing Half Marathon.
Beckenham Place Park, Lewisham
With 96 hectares of parkland to explore, Beckenham Place Park is a great spot for a longer run, but it also plays host to the weekly 5k parkrun. Set on a mix of tarmac, gravel and grass, this course has an interesting one-lap route covering both sides of the railway line.
As is the case with many other parkruns, Beckenham Place Park also runs a junior parkrun, a 2k event for children aged 4-14 on Sundays at 9am.
Ally Pally, North London
This popular parkrun takes in three loops, beginning close to the entrance of the cricket and football club of Alexandra Palace. It’s a little more undulating than some of the other London parkruns, but you’ll be rewarded with dramatic city views as you ascend the route’s two hill climbs and gain elevation.
Banstead Woods, Surrey
If you find yourself south of London and closer to Surrey, why not try the Banstead Woods parkrun? It consists of two laps around woodland tracks in Banstead Woods, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Some of the course may be muddy, so you might want to bring your trail shoes, but there’s lots to enjoy in this ancient woodland, believed to have once been owned by Anne Boleyn.
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