Running Routes on Hampstead Heath

Hampstead Heath's combination of undulating terrain, varied surfaces and 790 acres of car-free space makes it one of London's finest running environments. Few places in the city give you hill, trail and open grass within the same three kilometres; fewer still offer it ten minutes from a Zone 2 Tube station.

Parliament Hill parkrun

The Saturday parkrun at the Parliament Hill athletics track is the most popular entry point, drawing 300 to 400 runners each week through a 5km loop that involves a satisfying climb and a fast descent. It is free, friendly and chip-timed. Beginners are welcomed; walkers have their own category; the post-run coffee culture at the nearby café is half the appeal.

The perimeter loop

For something longer, the full perimeter of the Heath covers approximately 11km if you follow the boundary closely. This route passes through five distinct habitats — acid grassland, ancient woodland, scrub, pond-edge and formal parkland — and climbs about 140 metres in total. Trail shoes are recommended after wet weather; the paths through the North Wood can be genuinely muddy in January and February. For walkers, the equivalent circuit is detailed in our Heath walking guide.

Hill repeats and interval work

The slopes of Parliament Hill and the climb from South End Green up to Highgate Men's Pond are short, steep and reliable enough that many local club runners use them for structured interval work. A 200-metre hill repeat from the South End Road crossing to the viewpoint, run five or six times with a slow jog down, is a sharp session. The Kite Hill summit — with its panorama across central London — is the standard cool-down destination.

Longer circuits and trail links

Serious distance runners use the Heath as part of longer circuits through Highgate Wood, Queen's Wood and the Parkland Walk — an off-road linear route that runs from Finsbury Park to Highgate and links cleanly into the Heath's north-east corner. Putting those sections together gives you a 15 to 18km run on mostly unpaved ground, which is rare for inner London.

Running clubs and group runs

Heath-based running clubs include the Highgate Harriers and the Hampstead Road Runners; both welcome visitors to their informal weekly sessions. The Serpentine Running Club holds regular away runs that use the Heath, and the English Cross-Country Championships have been held on the Heath in recent years — the course is genuinely testing.

Practicalities

Running shoes, a water bottle in summer, a head torch if you plan to run in winter (the unlit paths get dark quickly in December). The Lido at Parliament Hill has changing facilities, and the café at the athletics track opens from 8am. For post-run recovery, our brunch guide and coffee scene guide are the obvious reading.

If you only run it once

Saturday parkrun followed by a walk up to Kenwood and a coffee at the Kenwood café. For broader Heath suggestions, see our Heath overview and the walks directory.

## The benchmark routes The Parliament Hill Loop (5.4 km): from Hampstead Heath overground, up past the running track to Parliament Hill summit (98 metres), around the upper Heath ponds, back down past Parliament Hill Lido. Mostly trail, modest elevation, the standard Heath training run. Around 30 minutes at moderate pace. The Whole Heath Loop (8.7 km): a circumnavigation of the Heath's perimeter. From any of the entrance points, take the outermost path roughly anticlockwise, hitting the Vale of Health, the Hill Garden, the West Heath, the Kenwood approach, the Highgate boundary, and back along the south. Mostly trail, harder than the Parliament Hill Loop, around 50 to 60 minutes. The Kenwood Hill Repeat (varied distance): for hill training, the climb from the Highgate Ponds to Kenwood is around 600 metres of grass with 30 metres of elevation. Run hard up, jog down, repeat. Six to eight repeats is a serious session. The Parliament Hill Hill Repeat: the south-facing ascent from Hampstead Heath overground to Parliament Hill summit is around 400 metres at 8% gradient. Eight to ten repeats with a 90-second jog recovery is the local club session. ## When to run The Heath is busiest from 10am to 4pm at weekends. For empty trails, run before 8am or after 7pm in summer; before 9am at weekends in winter. The athletics track at Parliament Hill is open most weekday mornings at 7am for casual users; weekend mornings for the Highgate Harriers session. ## Underfoot in different seasons From October to April, the Heath paths run wet to muddy. Trail shoes with proper grip are essential; road shoes will slide on the south slopes after rain. Compression socks help on the long downhill from Parliament Hill — the eccentric loading on a hard downhill grass surface is harder than tarmac. In summer, the south slopes get sun-baked and dusty; the north sections (West Meadow, Kenwood approach) stay cooler and greener. A bottle is essential after May; the drinking fountains are at Parliament Hill, the Pergola, and the Kenwood gate. ## Local clubs The Highgate Harriers run an open Saturday morning session at Parliament Hill athletics track, 9:30am, free for first attendance. Welcoming to all ability levels; the session structure is standard club programming. The Harriers also run a long Sunday road run at 8am from the Mansion House on the edge of the Heath; pace groups from 7:00 to 9:00 minutes per mile. London Front Runners hold weekly social runs from Camden, accessible from Hampstead by a short Northern line ride or a longer Heath run. ## Safety and orientation The Heath is safe to run alone in daylight. After dusk, the inner woodland sections are less safe; stick to the lit perimeter paths or run with a head torch. Mobile phone signal is sporadic on the Heath, particularly in the West Heath; carry an emergency contact card or share your route via a phone app before setting out.