Running Routes in Beijing, China

Running in Beijing has been getting a lot of bad press over the past decade. High industrial emissions caused by an economy in overdrive has resulted in Beijing having one of the worst

Beijing's Olympic Stadium

air pollution records in the world which made running in the city a very unpleasant and unhealthy affair. For the 2008 Beijing Olympics in 2008 however, the city made a big effort to clean itself up, with chemical factories being moved further afield, incentives for commuters to buy lower emission cars and scooters, improvements to public transport and finally, a temporary switch to natural gas power from coal. Although since 2008 the air quality has declined Beijing is now only the 13^th most polluted city in the world and is making great strides to reduce its long term output of noxious gasses such as sulphur dioxide and chemical oxygen. In 2010, targets have been set that will result in 400,000 less tonnes of sulphur dioxide and 200,000 tonnes of chemical oxygen being emitted, which means that Beijing is well along the road to cleaning up its air.

Beijing Running Route One – Temple of Heaven

Even with high levels of air pollution, there are still a number of places in Beijing that runners can escape from the heat and bustle of the city and accomplish some decent training.

The Temple of Heaven by Tiantandongmen is by far one of the best places to run in Beijing. The temple grounds are surrounded by high walls that do an amazing job at blocking out all sound from the surrounding roads and construction, and the pine trees that line the broad avenues and paths act to soak up some of the pollution and freshen the air, resulting in much more pleasant run.

Wide Avenues Cross Beijing's Temple of Heaven Grounds

Running Routes within the Temple of Heaven grounds

The Temple of Heaven grounds are criss-crossed by a variety of small dirt paths and larger paved walkways, but there is also a wide avenue that stretches around the inside perimeter of the grounds that can be used for some longer distance running.

There are also some paths surrounding some quads dotted around the eastern side of the temple grounds that can be used for some speedwork or some shorter distance running.

Entry

Entry to the temple grounds is 80Yuan (£1.60, $2) and you can gain entry from the Tiantandongmen metro station entrance or the north entrance.

Water and Toilets

There are a number of free to use toilets within the grounds that are signposted at regular intervals if you are prepared to drink the water from the taps. As this is not recommended it is best to bring your own water or pick some up at Tiantandongmen metro station on your way into the temple grounds.

Best time to run

As always, try to plan your run so that you avoid the late morning/early afternoon crowds and public holidays. When it starts to get busy around the middle of the day you might want to restrict your running to the wide avenues that ring the area, as the small paths can become blocked pretty quickly by tourists which makes running on them very tedious.

Beijing Running Route Two – Tiananmen Square Area

Tiananmen square is one of the most visited and iconic places in Beijing and if you are looking for a place for a quick inner-city run then there is no better place in central Beijing. The area is swarming with police, surveillance and security forces that act as a poignant reminder to any visitor that they are treading in one of the most centrally controlled countries in the world. Intimidating security staff aside, Tiananmen Square plays host to the start of the annual Beijing Marathon that attracts a fair number of entrants considering that the Chinese have not partaken in the running craze that has swept the western world which shows that the area is ripe for running.

Tiananmen Square

Running in Tiananmen Square

Running through Tiananmen Square proper in the height of the tourist season is not recommended as you will most certainly be stopped and questioned by stressed security staff trying to cope with the summer crowds. However running there in the mornings when it is quite shouldn’t be a problem and it is worth the risk for the huge amount of open space that you will have at your disposal within which you will be able to conduct some great training sessions.

If the square becomes too busy then you might want to take your running to the outside perimeter of the square areas as there are roads and adjoining pavements that circle the area.

Running Route Three – Aolinpike Park

If you have time enough to take a metro line up to the north of the city then the area just to the north of the Beijing Olympic Green Park known as Aolinpike Park is a great area to run. The park and surrounding green area is the largest in Beijing which makes for some great running away from the pollution of the city proper.

Beijing Running Route Four – Beihai Park

Known for its lake rather than its running Beihai Park to the west of the Forbidden city has one main path that rings the lake which can make for some good running if you can get to the park before the crowds do.

Beihai park, Beijing

If you are in the west of Beijing then you might want to travel to the larger Yuyuanan park by the military museum as there is a much larger lake there with a larger network of paths ideally suited for running.

…………………………………………………………

Other ‘Running and Gym’s in Asia’ Posts: