If you’re a runner, you really couldn’t ask for a better place to be than New York. The low elevation means a seasoned runner can go for miles without getting winded, and you’ve got your pick from parks to gyms and everything in between. Here are a few of our favorite spots in the Big Apple to put those new shoes to the test. Let’s see the list of the best New York running tracks
Van Cortlandt Park
Yeah, Central Park is great and all, but:
- You already know about Central Park, it’s hardly the city’s “best kept secret” so it’s hardly the reason you’d be reading this list
- Van Cortlandt is probably the best spot in the city for a nature run. For tall trees and dirt tracks, this is the place to be.
If you want a serious workout, one of the best running tracks in New York for an endurance run is the cross country running course, which loops through the Northwest Forest and runs for six miles. When starting the day with a short run, we recommend the Cass Gallagher Nature Trail. 1.4 miles, and accessible from the Broadway and Mosholu Avenue intersection.
There are public restrooms available at the park if you need to change, with showers.
If you’re doing some nightrunning, bring a friend or two. This is one of the safer nighttime parks in the Bronx, but this is the city, so you can’t be too careful.
There are workout facilities on the premises, and the park offers metered and non-metered parking on the 6000 block of Broadway, off-street parking at the Golf Course on 115 Van Cortlandt Park S.
If you work up an appetite, hit up Lloyd’s Carrot Cake at 6087 Broadway and grab a medium cupcake.
Coney Island Boardwalk
We all want to run the Brooklyn Bridge, but boy oh boy does it get congested fast. If you’re not out of bed at three in the morning, forget about it. But, Coney Island in the off-season, there’s a great place to do some running without fighting the crowd.
The boardwalk runs about two and a half miles long, and as long as you’re not here in the Summer, you can usually sprint the whole stretch without worrying about tripping over anybody.
Metered parking is available, and there are paid parking lots all around.
Related: How to find a running track near me?
Park Slope Armory YMCA
Located at 361 15th Street in Brooklyn. Three miles of indoor track. Community-oriented with friendly, helpful staff. One of the cleanest gyms in the city. And, there’s parking just 175 feet away at 406 15th Street for nineteen dollars.
NYC is one of the most beautiful spots in the world for runners, and if you can run outdoors, that’s usually going to be your first choice. But sometimes you’d rather not have to worry about crowds or weather, and the Park Slope Armory YMCA is perhaps the best indoor running track New York has to offer.
The YMCA has an overall three-star rating on Yelp, perhaps owing to the lack of features like saunas, but it really is a runner’s paradise. The facility itself is one of the best new york running track.
The Park Slope Armory YMCA is open from 6:30 AM to 8:30 PM mondays to thursdays, 8 AM to 3 PM on weekends, and closed on fridays.
Premium memberships for adults start at $69 per month, but there are free amenities. Call them up at 212-912-2580.
Queensborough Community College
Perhaps the best publicly-open track in Queens, the Queensborough Community College Men’s & Women’s Outdoor Track. A standard quarter-mile of well-maintained dirt track.
There is visitor parking, but there is limited parking available even for students. This is New York, after all. There is plenty of free parking available nearby, if you’re lucky, on Kenilworth Dr., Enfield Place and 56th Avenue. The good news is that public transportation is built around community colleges, so it won’t be too tough to catch a bus here.
Chelsea Piers Fitness
Everything a runner wants from a gym. Quarter-mile indoor track, massage tables, an in-club cafe, luxurious locker rooms with sauna and steam room. If you want the full fitness club experience, this is the place to get it. You don’t get a 4.5 star rating on Yelp without being just about perfect.
Membership fees can very, and you’ll have to call them at 212-336-6000 to get a price, or fill out the application at their website, but they’re said to start around $140 a month.
The flagship location can be found at Pier 60, Chelsea Piers, and there’s a second location at 265 Schermerhorn St. in Brooklyn.
Parking is always a hassle in Brooklyn, but the fitness club has a special arrangement with the garage across the street at 255 Schermerhorn St., with members parking for up to two hours for nine dollars. You can find some free parking at 110 11th Avenue for the Pier 60 location, if you get there early, or there’s a $26 parking garage at Pier 61. In other words: Take an uber.
Chelsea Pier is one of the more upscale tracks in NYC, but you get every penny of what you pay for.
Honorable Mention: Mile High Run Club
The focus at the Mile High Run Club is the treadmills. That’s why it’s just an honorable mention.
Yeah, we know. You like the feel of real track under your feet. But you haven’t been to MHRC yet.
The club really is a club, that’s not just a word they threw into the name. They host outdoor running events and meetups, and the instructors will put you through some of the most rigorous training of your life. If you hate treadmills, it’s only because you haven’t used one at the Mile High Run Club yet. They didn’t get a 4.5 star Yelp rating for nothing.
An account is free, and then you pay per class, $15.00, $36.00 for three, $20.00 for an outdoor run, and $51.00 for three outdoor runs. For part-time NYC residents, this is a great option. You won’t be paying monthly fees for something you only use a few times a year.
Call them up at 212-466-6472 and book a class.
Conclusion
This concludes the review of the six best New York running tracks. You can find the best outdoor running tracks, as well as great New York indoor running tracks. Find the best New York running track near you for your own liking.