My Bucket List Runs

Yup, I hope to run in New York City!!

Thanks to Competitor Magazine, here are 5 routes that are recommended:

1. Central Park

Best for…escaping the city streets

Located literally in the middle of Manhattan, Central Park is a mecca for runners, cyclists and walkers alike. You could do a short, 1.58-mile run on the packed-dirt reservoir, complete the longer, hillier 6-mile paved loop around the park or try anything in between. Either way, you’ll get some great city views and a nice dose of nature. For the Brooklyn equivalent, head to Prospect Park, which has a 3.3-mile inner loop.

Tourist Tip: New York Road Runners hosts races here often. Visit nyrr.org to see if there are any events happening during your visit that you might want to join in on.Warning: In a city with 8.2 million residents, the races often fill up quickly!

2. Brooklyn Bridge

Best for…seeing the NYC skyline

Take the R line on the subway to Court Street– Borough Hall in Brooklyn Heights, and run down the Promenade, a short stretch of sidewalk sandwiched between the East River and a row of beautiful brownstones, which provides breathtaking city views. Continue going north along the newly extended Brooklyn Bridge Park, and then backtrack to run up and over the Brooklyn Bridge, which takes you into lower Manhattan for 3-ish miles in total. Completed in 1883, it is one of the oldest (and most photographed) suspension bridges in the U.S. Hop back on the subway (at one of the City Hall stops) to get back to your hotel.

Tourist Tip: Go early to avoid busy foot traffic.

3. Hudson River Park

Best for…logging flat, fast miles

Head as far west on 59th Street as possible, and then cruise about 5 miles south along the Hudson River Path, down to Battery Park City. You’ll pass Chelsea Piers, multiple dog parks, plenty of green space, and you’ll even see the Statue of Liberty. Bonus: This bike- and runner-friendly path has multiple restrooms and water fountains for you to use en route. Circle around the tip of Manhattan and then continue up the east side until you reach South Street Seaport.

Tourist Tip: If you need to refuel, stop at the amazing indoor smorgasbord Chelsea Market (chelseamarket.com) for a cookie from Fat Witch Bakery, or a donut from Doughnuttery, or…you get the idea.

4. The 59th Street Bridge

Best for…getting a taste of the New York City Marathon

You may not experience the full trampoline effect that comes with sharing the bridge with thousands of other runners on race day, but there’s still something exhilarating about crossing the East River on this giant structure. Cut straight across the bridge, step foot in Queens and then head back up the incline to your starting point for a total of 2.8 miles.

Tourist Tip: If you’re looking for a true race sampler, turn up First Avenue after you exit the bridge in the city, run about a mile north, and then cut left, toward Central Park.

5. Broadway

Best for…early morning sightseeing

Before everyone else rises and the chaos begins, head downtown to City Hall on the subway, and then run north on Broadway through the heart of the city. You’ll meander past City Hall, Soho, the Flat Iron building, the Garment District, Macy’s, Times Square, Columbus Circle and Lincoln Center, all in less than 5 miles.

Tourist Tip: Be out the door before 7 a.m. and finish your jaunt with bagels and lox at Barney Greengrass, one block over, on Amsterdam, between 86th an 87th Street (barneygreengrass.com).

Riverside Park

Interestingly, this list doesn’t include Riverside Park, a route that I heard was awesome and that I planned to maybe race on.

Riverside Park is Manhattan’s most spectacular waterfront park, stretching four miles from 72nd to 158th Streets along the Hudson River. Since 1875, the landscapes of Frederick Law Olmsted have offered escape from the city and opportunities for people of all incomes to relax, play and socialize in tranquil settings. His design for Riverside Drive made it is one of the most beautiful boulevards in the world, affording views of the Hudson River along its serpentine route.

At the 135th Street, if you want to do another 1.4 miles, go up to 139th Street and enter Riverbank State Park  (the only State park in Manhattan, complete with pool, ball fields, skating rink, basketball and handball courts, a concert stage, a carousel, picnic areas, even park rangers.) If you go down the stairs on the northeast corner of the complex, which bring you to a whole new section of Riverside Park, where you can run (mostly) along the river all the way to the Little Red Lighthouse underneath the George Washington Bridge at 180th Street, a bit more than 3 miles north of Columbia.

Happy Running! Have you ever run in NYC?