Text & Photographs: Claire Lessiau

Discovering Madrid running is a fantastic way to enjoy some of its landmarks and take the pace of the city. With a few routes described in this article, explore Madrid’s majestic streets and secret gardens!

The Buen Retiro Park (Parque del Buen Retiro)

The best run of Madrid consists in making your way to the Buen Retiro Park and explore its ins and outs. With a perimeter of 4 kilometres and many alley ways taking you to the beautiful crystal palace or the unexpected fisherman’s hut, it is a real pleasure to get lost and enjoy this stunning park that was reserved for the kings until the late 19th century.

The Manzanares River

The run to the river is a great way to explore different areas of Madrid, from its centre with its royal squares and gardens, down to the river along which a nice park has been set up with bridge crossings and green spaces. The way up is challenging and a good opportunity to go through some of the enjoyable off-the-beaten-path neighbourhoods.

The Temple of Debod (el Templo de Debod)

Run through the heart of Madrid, across Plaza Mayor to reach the West Park (Parque del Oeste). Slowly make your way to the Temple of Debod, a 200BC Egyptian monument. It was donated to Spain by Egypt during the construction of the Aswan high dam to preserve it. This park is perfect for elevation training, so venture up and down until you run back the same way.

Travel tips:

• To download the GPS tracks of these running routes, refer to this short tutorial.
• Madrid is full of hidden gems! Find out more non-touristy things to do in Madrid.

For more in Madrid: