Where to Run in Riyadh

Mohammed Ameenuddin

This new year, go for a quick run to start a healthy lifestyle. If you’re up for it, go for a long run. Just keep running!

Running is the most natural form of sport. We learn basic running the moment we are able to walk. It is a good exercise that doesn’t cost a lot to do and can be done any time. Enhancement of basic walking or jogging or running can give rise to the athlete inside each of us.

Over my last 3 years of running, I have realized that running not only helps physically but is a great source of positivity. Running builds stronger bones and strengthens muscles. It also improves cardiovascular fitness and helps maintain a healthy weight.

One of the main tips for running is finding and planning the best route to do it. In recent years, Riyadh has become a good place for running. Many places were improved by the excellent initiative of the Saudi government to motivate the community to live a healthy lifestyle.

Below are the places I have been training for the past few years for my races, which have evolved with time and have become more secure making runs stress free and safe for everyone. The patrolling personnel are doing a marvelous job in being vigilant at the places mentioned below.

Diplomatic Quarter

https://goo.gl/maps/JosJHsf4WMpf2i6f8

Beautiful roads, well maintained gardens, and numbered roundabouts

If you are interested in some scenic beauty and want to get a challenging run, the trails in DQ are must-run places especially during winters when the mornings are cold and the sunrise and sunsets are vivid. Watching them has its own bewitching effect. Sure it can distract for a moment but it can also bring some inner calm.

Wadi Hanifa

https://goo.gl/maps/sVorrcyFncyFyfHB7

20 km away from the DQ

More than 10 kilometers of straight road routes, picnic spots and amazing views

Frequented by many running groups, Wadi Hanifa is one of the most visited picnic spots in Riyadh. There are certain road routes that stretch up to 10 km straight which are very good if you are considering long runs.

Foot bridge along Wadi Hanifa.

King Abdullah Walkway

https://goo.gl/maps/Eyamwit5N6GMHjwA9

13 km away from the DQ

Familiar, common place, solid pavements, and refreshing flora

Situated on the main road near Prince Sultan University, this is one of the most common places to have small runs while enjoying the fresh breeze from the trees and flowers around.

King Fahd Medical City

https://goo.gl/maps/JSYaJUaGLhQ3tLcG7

11 km away from the DQ

Like-minded crowd, popular walking spot, and center of the city

One of the most accessible walking places is the area around King Fahd Medical City. Easily accessible and popular with a lot of locals and residents, you’ll enjoy the walk and run with like-minded people who also want to insert a quick exercise in their daily life routine.

Ghadeer Walking Trail

https://goo.gl/maps/DELyEXFXQ9CWeD1y7

19.5 km away from the DQ

Corniche-like feels, Winter Wonderland view, and open spaces

This walking and running trail has a corniche-like ambiance, minus the water. It’s beside the ongoing Winter Wonderland though and its lights and activities create an energy-filled backdrop. You just have to be more careful here as this area is used by others for biking, riding scooters, and also walking their dogs.

I love running. It is something I do by myself or sometimes, with friends. We can control our pace, decide on which direction to go, and attain new goals. It doesn’t matter if we go slow or fast, if we come first or not; the only thing that matters is we start and finish our goal.

Walking Trails in Riyadh Parks

There are many trails in the deserts outside Riyadh but not everyone has the time and experience to walk or run in these desert trails. Opt for the huge parks in the city for solid, flat, and stable areas to start your running journey.

Interested in hiking trips and trails across Riyadh province instead? Read DQ Living’s article here: http://dqliving.com/hiking-across-riyadh/