The Best Running Routes in Chicago

Taking a diversion off the Lakefront Trail at Museum Campus, Northerly Island is a man-made peninsula featuring a number of paths for walking and running. Despite its proximity to the city, the 91-acre space is quiet and dedicated to nature, offering a more pleasant environment for your run if you want to get away from the city.

Created specifically for walkers, runners and cyclists, The 606 is a multi-use trail and urban garden built on an old elevated train line. Alongside great views, manicured gardens and public art, useful features of the trail for runners include distance markers and soft surface paths. At 2.7 miles (4.3 kilometers) long, it’s fairly short, but there’s plenty to see to keep things entertaining on multiple journeys.

Designed more with relaxing tourists in mind, the Riverwalk nevertheless can be an amazing place to run, surrounded by some of the city’s most iconic buildings and the flowing Chicago River. There may be pedestrian traffic at times, but it’s almost always better than the crowds, traffic and red lights on the busy streets above.

Lincoln Park has everything—beaches, harbors, ponds, gardens, city views, and plenty of paths for runners to see it all while getting their sweat on. You can even make your run extra fun by taking a diversion through the free Lincoln Park Zoo, not an option that runners in many cities have available to them.

Just a couple of blocks south of The 606 in the up-and-coming neighborhood of the same name, Humboldt Park is a great option for extending your run. The huge 219-acre park has an inland beach and historic lagoons, with many paths and trails to get a good workout on while enjoying the scenery.