Running in Madrid, and in Spain in general, has become more and more popular over the years. It is said that in Madrid, you are never further than 15 minutes away from a green space. With it’s high standard of living, relatively small size (in comparison to other European capitals), coupled with the fact that it has the highest number of trees and green surface per inhabitant in Europe, Madrid is a great city to live, and indeed, to run.
5. Parque Dehesa de la Villa
Parque Dehesa de la Villa – This small but quiet park located to the northeast of the centre is a great place to go for a run. It features a gravel and tarmac track that winds uphill from one entrance to another, making it a great place for a bit of uphill resistance training either on foot or on your bike.
4. Canal de Isabell II
Canal de Isabell II – Located in the city, close to Cuatro Caminos, this is a 1.1km track with a surface similar to that of an athletics track. It surrounds astroturf pitches and a driving range. A great place to run if you don’t want to go far, the surface is easy on the knees and it’s close to two metro stations.
3. Manzanares river
Along the Manzanares river – the paved river bank stretches several kilometres along Madrid’s very own Mazanares. The wide, paved paths are always full of dog walkers, cyclists, and runners and it’s a great way to spend a morning running along the river. Also, it is close to one of the entrances to Casa de Campo, so it is possible to combine the two.
2. Retiro
Retiro – probably the most well-known park in Madrid, this park is always full of families, tourists, runners, rollerbladers, street entertainers and others making the most of Madrid’s beautiful weather. Whilst it isn’t the biggest park in the world, there is plenty of room and enough space to run 7/8 km without seeing the same thing twice. It even has its own metro station. A great place to do some exercise away from the traffic without venturing out of the centre.
1. Casa de Campo
Casa de Campo – the huge mass of green to the west of the city centre that can be seen on any map of Madrid is Casa de Campo – the biggest green space in Madrid. Its big enough to have a theme park, a zoo, a lake, a cable car and can be reached using two metro stations. its sprawling, beautiful, open green space is well-used by Madrileños, but its sheer size means you are never tripping over people, and it means you can always go on an adventure somewhere that feels like it’s a million miles from the bustle of the city.
Article by Michael Slevin Uttley from www.therinse.co.uk
