The best places to put your laces through their paces and join races in Dubai
There are lots of reasons to start running, and exploring the best running routes in Dubai is a great place to begin. It’s a great all-round form of exercise, you can do it almost anywhere with minimal equipment, it gets you outside and (heavily) breathing fresh air, avoiding pursuing bears, and making tight connection times in unfamiliar airports. There are only really two main reasons why you shouldn’t – you’re physically unable to and it looks hard. And we’d argue the second of those is actually a reason to do it. If you’re keen to try, or are already a fully signed up member of the sole patrol, Dubai offers up some truly fantastic places to squeeze PBs and blitz those splits. These are best ways to keep your fitness goals on track in 2026.
Here are some of the best running routes in Dubai.
Kite Beach
This shoreline community hub is positively brimming with big leisure attractions. There are plenty of restaurants strewn along the sandy stretch where you can indulge your feast mode, but it’s the opportunities for activating your beast mode that really set this coastal enclave apart from its peers. Not far from the water’s edge you’ll find an 8km (with some change) long rubber-topped running track that’s kind on the knees, and blessed by a soothing sea breeze. If you want a slightly longer run, you can tag on a Dubai Canal sector – taking you through the heart of Business Bay.
Join the club
Running can be a social event, especially if you keep your heart rate in zone two and are capable of stringing sentences together. These are just some of the best run clubs in Dubai operating weekly group sweat sessions. Consult their social channels for scheduled start times and locations.
@jumeirahjohnsrunningclub, @dubaicreekstriders, and @desertroadrunners (membership fee applies).
Hatta
There aren’t many places you can do incline training in Dubai, it’s a famously flat city. But head to the hiking trails of Hatta and you’ll find a quad-bothering plethora of ups and downs. It’s where Ultra Trail Dubai hold their races, so just make sure you prebook a celebratory ice bath for the following day. For something a little less intense, Hatta Hill Park has its own cushioned track, and whilst (as the name suggests) Hatta Mountain Bike Trail Centre was built with wheeled access in mind, runners are welcome to attack the challenging climbs.
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Barsha Pond Park
Found, unsurprisingly, in Barsha (opposite Barsha Mall) and staged, equally unsurprisingly, around a giant pond, Barsha Pond Park would be our pick for putting together a Rocky-style training montage in Dubai. It’s free to access and in addition to the bounce back running track, has a whole load of open green space for aggressive warm up lunging and jumpers-for-goal-posts five-a-siding.
Al Ittihad Park
Found on the trunk of Palm Jumeirah, along the Golden Mile, Al Ittihad Park is a leafy leisure oasis filled with ways to help you chase down your fitness goals. The running track takes you on a loop that passes monorail stations and two separate shopping malls (Nakheel Mall and Golden Mile Galleria). Along the way, you’ll find gym equipment to help you mix up up your workout with some cross-training variety. If you want to go the extra Golden Mile, the Palm West boardwalk is just over the road.
Images: Archive/Provided
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