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Birmingham Runners Discover 62-Metre Climbs and 100-Mile Flat Routes
Birmingham's best running spans Sutton Park, one of Europe's largest urban parks with a surprising 62 metres of climbing, and 100 miles of flat Birmingham Canal Navigations towpath, both real ground for the AJC Great Birmingham Run.
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Birmingham offers a genuine mix of a huge national nature reserve, city-centre parkland and one of England's densest canal networks. Here are the best running routes in Birmingham for 2026.
Sutton Park
Sutton Park, a 2,400 acre National Nature Reserve six miles north of the centre, is one of the largest urban parks in Europe, with mixed woodland, heath, marsh and unpaved trails around seven named pools. Its parkrun, a single 5 kilometre lap, has a surprising 62 metres of total climbing on what looks like flat parkland, and the park also hosts the Birmingham Running Festival and MoRunning events.
Cannon Hill Park
Cannon Hill Park, a 200 acre park near Edgbaston, offers a flat 5 kilometre parkrun entirely on tarmac footpaths, a two-lap route starting near the bandstand, looping the boating lake and running alongside the River Rea past the Tea Rooms.
Edgbaston Reservoir
Edgbaston Reservoir's main perimeter path runs about 1.75 miles, or 2.8 kilometres, flat and mostly paved or compacted gravel, popular with both runners and rowers for repeat laps.
The Birmingham Canal Navigations
Roughly 100 miles of canal towpath run through and around Birmingham, managed by the Canal and River Trust in partnership with the city council. Flat, mostly paved or gravel and entirely traffic-free, recent towpath improvements drove a reported 37 per cent increase in use, and the network is well suited to a linear out-and-back run from the city centre toward Aston Junction or Brindleyplace.
Running the Great Birmingham Run Route
The AJ Bell Great Birmingham Run, held on 3 May 2026, starts at Centenary Square on Broad Street and passes the Jewellery Quarter, St Paul's Square, the Mailbox, Grand Central, Digbeth, Cannon Hill Park, Selly Park and Edgbaston Stadium before finishing on Jennens Road at Aston University, a genuine "greatest hits" tour of the routes above.
Practical Guide to Running in Birmingham
Cannon Hill Park and the canal towpaths are the most reliable choices for a flat, straightforward run; Sutton Park is worth the trip for anyone wanting genuine elevation and a break from the city.