Greenwich Park Run, London (3.3 km)
A circular running loop through Greenwich Park — about 3.3 km of hill paths, tree avenues, and views over the Thames to the City and Canary Wharf.
· 2 min read
Greenwich Park rises steeply from the Thames, and climbing it shows you London for free. This 3.3 km lap starts up on the eastern side, drops fast towards the Cutty Sark, and climbs back to the Royal Observatory before the finish. Greenwich Park is a short run, but it gains around 40 metres, which is enough to make it feel like a proper one — denser than Danson Park further out in Bexley, and steeper than Hyde Park.
The Greenwich Park loop
Greenwich Park is circular, so you can run it in either direction; these notes follow the way I ran it.
Route
England - London - Greenwich Park
- Distance
- 3.3 km
- Ascent
- 39 m
- Max altitude
- 46 m
Works in Komoot, AllTrails, Garmin & most hiking apps.
- Start and finish: the eastern side of Greenwich Park
- Distance: About 3.3 km (2.0 miles)
- Terrain: Paved and gravel, dropping downhill first, then a steady climb up to the Royal Observatory
Easy to follow: from the start, drop downhill towards the big buildings, loop the lower lawns, then climb back up to the Royal Observatory. Greenwich Park is busy with walkers and families at weekends, especially higher up.
The Royal Observatory
The Royal Observatory marks the high point of the run and the reason most people are up there at all. The Prime Meridian runs through the courtyard, and the bright red time ball on the roof still drops at one o’clock. From the railings, the Queen’s House sits on the lawn directly below, with Canary Wharf across the river and the City of London further upstream behind the bend of the Thames.
Running it
The descent is the fast part — a long drop towards the Cutty Sark and the old college domes, then easier running through the lower park. Greenwich Park opens early, and it is worth being there for it: empty ground, low light off the Thames, and no one to weave through on the descent. Later in the day the climb up to the Royal Observatory clogs with people, so take the outer paths.
One lap barely counts. Greenwich Park takes a second one well, and the climb hurts more the second time. Blackheath lies just beyond the southern gates if you want to keep going — flat, open heath after all the shade, and an easy way to make this longer.