Group runs in Madrid
Running in Madrid is easy; overlapping with anyone is the hard part. Everybody goes out at the same hour, almost nobody goes out with anyone, and the pace of whoever is beside you in El Retiro is a mystery until the third kilometre.
Where people run in Madrid
- El Retiro
- The reference point: roughly 4 km around the perimeter, central and flat apart from the climb past the Ángel Caído. One thing worth knowing before you arrange anything — the park shuts at night, so late runs move to the Paseo de Coches or down to Madrid Río.
- Madrid Río
- Ten uninterrupted kilometres along the Manzanares, not a single traffic light, from the Puente de los Franceses down to Matadero. This is where the city's long runs happen, and it's the easiest place to mix paces: you can always turn back early.
- Dehesa de la Villa
- North of the centre, small, pine trees and short hills. Far quieter than the other two, which is why it's where people end up when they want to do intervals without weaving through crowds.
- Anillo Verde
- The ring that circles the city, paved and junction-free for long stretches. Not glamorous, and exactly right when the session is about kilometres rather than scenery.