Running is one of the healthiest and easiest sports to practice: it does not involve schedule commitments, it is very independent and offers many alternatives and circuits, fleeing from the gym routine.
Running is one of the most practiced sports in recent times.It does not require joining a gym, fixed hours, or a specific duration for each workout… you just need good sneakers and a desire to enjoy nature while you exercise your body, generate endorphins and help you feel much better with yourself fleeing, for a while, from the energetic cosmopolitan life of cities like Madrid.
In addition to setting goals in line with our ambitions and expectations when it comes to practicing sport, there are now dozens of running groups who we can join to feel more motivated and not stop practicing this sport. Since, although at first glance running may seem like a boring sport, it is essential to get out of your comfort zone, to escape the monotony of running the same ruta de running again and again and delve into exploring the numerous options that the center of Madrid offers runners.
Madrid Ro
Since it opened in 2011, the Madrid Río park has been one of the favorite options for runners in Madrid. Covers a length of 10 kilometers from Príncipe Po to the Matadero cultural center, next to the Manzanares river. It is a very simple -and busy- linear route that combines mixed asphalt and dirt terrain, an advantage if we want to intensify our training a bit. In addition, throughout its entire length, from the Segovia Bridge to Legazpi, it has kilometer points that will allow you to control your route. Lastly, this park, which is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, is ideal for the whole family, as it offers a multitude of sports and leisure spaces -such as slides, small beach bars, a soccer field, a basketball court and another for skateboarding, among others- and for all outdoor sports, from running, skating or cycling, to practicing yoga. In addition, it has several bridges to cross the river and enjoy the amazing views offered by its sunsets.
west park
The Parque del Oeste is located in the heart of the Moncloa district and arose in 1906, as an initiative of Alberto Aguilera, the mayor of the capital at that time. It is a space of 65 hectares of English-style vegetation with very leafy trees that make it one of the most oxygenated green areas in the capital. Its itinerary is of medium difficulty, with sudden changes in elevation and mixed asphalt and dirt terrain, an ideal route for lovers of jogging and for those runners who seek intensity and practice strength and power. The tour covers the space from Avenida Sneca to Paseo Pintor Rosales, passing through Paseo del Rey. In addition, it has a famous Rosaleda Ramón Ortiz, an extensive garden with thousands of rose bushes of more than 650 different varieties that can be perfectly seen from the Madrid cable car and which has hosted the International New Roses Competition every year since 1956. of the Villa of Madrid. Finally, it is located a few meters from the iconic Temple of Debod, which offers spectacular views of Plaza España and a viewpoint from which you can see La Almudena and the Royal Palace.
Cottage
It is known as the lung of Madrid and ideal -as well as for a family outing- for all types of runners. It arose during the reign of Felipe II with the purpose of creating a farm (to which other contiguous ones were annexed) that would unite the Palace with the hunting ground of El Pardo. The country house is located in the Madrid Arena area, it has a perimeter of 25 kilometers of mixed terrainasphalt and dirt roads and with El Bosque, four uneven kilometers for more intense training, perfect for the more adventurous long-distance or medium-distance runners. The temple of runners in Madrid has 2,000 hectares available for athletics, far exceeding the iconic Central Park in New York. In addition to going through places like the Puente del Rey, the Paseo Azul, the Paseo Maria Teresa or the Ronda del Lago, you can rest and admire the boats at the Paseo del Embarcadero beach bar to recover your strength and admire the dizzying views of the roller coasters of the Madrid Amusement Park.
Juan Carlos I Park
The Juan Carlos I Park was opened to the public in 1992, on the occasion of the “Madrid European Capital of Culture” celebration and is the second largest park in Madrid, only behind El Retiro. Located next to the well-known Feria de Madrid, it is made up of an area of about 160 hectares -which house an immense olive grove with more than 2,000 specimens of the old Hinojosa olive grove- ideal for skating, cycling, walking and, of course, running and training since this park has an extensive circular circuit of 3 kilometers, surrounded by vegetation, sculptures and pieces of art, a small hill and an endless number of paths through which to get lost.. In addition, it offers a wide variety of different routes, most of them on dirt roads, and it is perfect to go from anywhere in Madrid since one of its greatest attractions is that it has its own parking area for private vehicles. . Some of its most emblematic points are the Jardín de las Tres Culturas, the Pasarela del Agua or the Lago del Parque and an estuary where you can practice water sports, which you can visit on a small tourist train that runs through the park continuously from free form.
Retirement
The gardens of El Buen Retiro have 125 hectares available, full of art and history where you can practice all kinds of sports in the open air, from dance to, obviously, running. It is a space, considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2021, ideal for inexperienced runners who have just started running or for those who want to train in short and medium distances without leaving the center of Madrid. In addition to a large number of asphalt and dirt roads, the park has a perimeter of 4.5 kilometers around the Big Pond that will allow you to practice sports with the best views. On the other hand, to carry out training series, El Retiro has Paseo de Coches, the main street of the park, known as the Gran Vía de El Retiro and so nicknamed because in 1873, when the park was inaugurated sponsored by the Duke of Fernández Núñez. , was frequently traveled by horse-drawn carriages.
