My Favourite South London Running Routes

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I love exploring London on foot, the city is constantly changing so you never run out of things to see and I feel lucky to have everything from river paths to parks right on my doorstep ready for me to explore!

Here are FIVE of my favourite running routes in South London. These routes are all totally customisable, start and end them wherever’s convenient and chop them and change them to suit you. It’s all about exploring and having fun!

South East London Parks

South East London has some truly lovely parks, and this route includes 3 of the best - Brockwell Park, Belair Park and Dulwich Park. Whether you’re a fan of trails or prefer running on road this route will work for you as the trails run parallel to the paths and starts and ends at Brockwell Lido which is perfect for post run dip and/or coffee (the onsite cafe/restaurant has AllPress coffee and delicious pizza). You can find this route here.

Surrey Linear Canal Path

I was blown away when I discovered this cute linear park nestled amongst the housing estates in Peckham. It’s a real little oasis connecting Burgess Park to Rye Lane which takes you up to Peckham Rye and Lordship Lane - the perfect stop for coffee and cake! You can find this route here.

Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park

Can you run more than 10 miles only on trails in London? YEP! I love to head down to Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park when I fancy hitting the trails. There are miles and miles and miles of paths to choose from and it really feels like you’ve escaped the city. Easy to get to on public transport and with facilities like toilets and cafes it’s also super convenient. You can find this route here.

Common Hopping

South London is packed with commons and it’s easy to hop between them on a run. When I’m not feeling too creative about my route I love running from Clapham Common to Wandsworth Common and then on to Tooting Common - it’s easy, picturesque and there are loads of dogs! You can find this route here.

Wandle River Trail

[mostly] following the Wandle River, this 12.5 mile trail runs from East Croydon Station to the Thames Path in Wandsworth (the perfect extension if you’re looking to add a few miles!). I’ve been dipping in and out of the trail over the last few months, linking it in with common hopping or runs along the Thames Path, but I’d really like to do the whole thing in one go very soon! There’s loads of information about the river trail here.

Need More Inspiration?

I love exploring London on foot, there are so many cool corners to discover and running is my favourite way to discover them - it’s one of the reasons why I was so thrilled to be asked to be an ambassador for Camino Blueways 2023.

Camino Blueways is a unique London based running challenge. There are 12 curated trail routes taking in the very best the city has to offer from a Blue perspective. Think rivers, lakes, ponds, canals and take in some of the glorious parks and green areas London has to offer (read the benefits of spending time in nature here). Plus some of the routes even include a little outdoor dip!

Once you complete each of the 12 routes (which are released to challengers in batches of 3) ‘in your own time’ you let the Camino Blueways team know and they’ll send you a unique puzzle medal, at the end of the year you’ll be able to complete the jigsaw puzzle to reveal the bigger picture - how cool is that?!

The only rule of Camino Blueways 2023 is ‘Enjoy Yourself’. You can complete the routes at any time and in any time, it’s a brilliantly inclusive challenge that anyone can get involved in. You can find out how to get involved here.