Raring to Go For a Run?
There are great running routes nearby and a variety of landscapes to explore...
If you’re a fan of running, The Octagon is a perfect place to live with great running routes nearby and a variety of landscapes to explore – and it’s mostly fabulously flat! Step outside and within minutes you can trade the busy city streets for tranquil canal paths, historic waterways, and leafy loops. Birmingham may not brag about it, but it’s one of the UK’s most underrated running cities, especially if you know where to go.
Here are some of the best routes you can run straight from Paradise, whether you’ve got 20 minutes or a full morning to explore.
Cannon Hill Park is a popular green space with well-lit, tree-lined trails, ideal for regular, safe running. If you like to measure distance and run loops then Edgbaston Reservoir is a good option with a 2.2 miles (3.6 km) trail loop which is traffic-free and popular for scenic jogs. The miles and miles of Birmingham Canal Towpath has plenty of historic routes offering long, flat, traffic-free runs with plenty to look at en-route.
For a little more incline and a bit further away, Sutton Park has a 5-kilometre route near Streetly, featuring rolling hills and shaded forest trails. Woodgate Valley Country Park also has a 5-kilometre nature route connecting Woodgate Valley and Blackheath Park. For the more seasoned off-road runner, Lickey Hills Country Park provides challenging cross-country trails.
If you’re new to the city and just want to meet fellow, friendly runners, then there are several Parkruns held at parks including Cannon Hill, Oaklands Park, and Woodgate Valley.
Birmingham Running Festival is an annual event featuring 5k, 10k, and half-marathon distances at Sutton Park and the AJ Bell Great Birmingham Run takes place annually in the city-centre with half marathon and 10k distances.
Starting from The Octagon in Paradise, you’re perfectly positioned to experience the best of Birmingham running. Within minutes, you can be gliding along peaceful canals, circling reservoirs, or weaving through a vibrant city centre.
Whether it’s a quick lunchtime 5km or a 15km weekend long run, Birmingham has plenty of running routes to cater for every ability and every distance required.
