Visitor's Guide to Boston Running Routes

*Originally published on Salty Running

It’s Boston Marathon time! This week, thousands of runners and their families, friends and supporters flock to my city to run in or cheer at one of our country’s most storied road races.   This influx of running-minded visitors brings a host of unfamiliar runners to our roads, paths and trails. For those looking to run while you are here, there is no lack of fantastic running routes to choose from. Whether you are a racer in need of a good shakeout or last mid-distance run, or a supporter getting in your daily six-miler, there’s a perfect route here for you.

Below are some brief descriptions of the routes, and you can click on the links to see the starting points on GoogleMaps.  Most are parks or well-defined running paths, so you can choose your own distance once you get to an area.  However, I’ve also included suggested mileage for each route from Greg Wilmore’s beloved Boston running guide, Running In and Around Boston.

Boston

  • Charles River (Boston side)
    • Pick this path up anywhere along Storrow Drive.  The path runs directly along the Charles River and can be run as an out-and-back, or can be looped with the Cambridge side path (see below).
    • 8.6 miles, paved and flat
    • A breezy runner’s mecca with scenic water views. One of the prime places to run in the area.
  • Boston Common
    • Intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and Arlington St.  A well-defined green space with a variety of paths meandering throughout the park.  Commonwealth Avenue feeds right into it, so you can expand the run by crossing over onto Commonwealth and running on the tree-lined pedestrian walkway that bisects it.
    • 3.3 Miles, mostly flat terrain
    • Busy hustle and bustle but a good way to take in the sights of Boston’s Back Bay.
  • Arnold Arboretum
    • 125 Arborway.  A large green space with a variety of walking and running paths inside its gates.
    • 4.3 miles of paved road with two significant hills; short off-road trail options.
    • Running here feels like running in fairyland. Many beautiful tall trees, a peaceful and scenic place.

Brookline

  • The Emerald Necklace
    • Pick it up at Back Bay Fens Park (intersection of Boylston St. and Park Drive).  This is the beginning of a chain of parks which lead into one another.
    • Maximal mileage is a 10.4-mile loop traversing Back Bay Fens Park, Muddy River, Olmsted Park, Jamaica Pond and Lars Anderson Park. Mostly paved roads; relatively flat terrain except for Lars Anderson, which is quite hilly.
    • There is something for everyone here. You can run parts of the loop in any number of permutations, depending on your mood and/or desired distance. A runner’s haven.
  • Summit Ave
    • Intersection of Beacon St. and Winthrop Rd.  This is the center point of a hilly, residential area area in Brookline.
    • 3.3 miles of serious hills, paved roads
    • Not for the faint of heart!

Newton

  • Chestnut Hill and Brookline Reservoirs
    • Beacon Street at Cleveland Circle (Chestnut Hill); Route 9 and Lee St. (Brookline).  These two reservoirs each have dirt running paths around their perimeters, and they are connected by Chestnut Hill Avenue.
    • 5.6 miles if you run both, mostly dirt paths with some paved road between the two. The loops around the reservoirs are flat, the connecting road is hilly.
    • Good energy from all the collegiate runners. The individual reservoirs are excellent for tempo runs and longer intervals if you don’t want to run on a track but also don’t want to deal with crossing streets.
  • The Carriage Roads/Heartbreak Hill
    • Beacon St. at Cleveland Circle is the starting point for this out-and-back route along Commonwealth Avenue.
    • 11.5 hilly miles, paved
    • A nice, continuous stretch of road relatively shielded from traffic. Lots of great camaraderie on this historic route, and the best route for hill training of any kind.

Cambridge

  • Charles River (Cambridge side)
    • Pick up anywhere along Memorial Drive.  As with the Boston side, the running path follows the river and can be used as an out-and-back or looped with its Boston counterpart.
    • 7.9 miles of flat, paved paths
    • Scenic run by MIT and Harvard as well as all the collegiate boathouses. The adjacent Memorial Drive is also closed to traffic between Western Avenue and Mount Auburn St. on Sundays, so you can run unimpeded on this broad, flat street.
  • Minuteman Trail
    • Varnum St. at Alewife Station is the starting point of this former rail trail, which runs all the way to Bedford.
    • 19.6 paved out-and-back
    • Very flat, monotonous in parts and you do have to share the road, which is somewhat narrow, with bikers, strollers and roller bladders. Still excellent for tempos, road speed work or long runs as your exposure to car traffic is minimal.

Enjoy!

Travel RunningRebecca BreslowRun Strong Studioboston running routesComment