January is always our busiest month for new runners, with the overindulgence of the festive season already feeling like a lifetime ago, and many runners focusing on new year’s resolutions, and perhaps their upcoming races and events in the spring.
To celebrate this time of running renewal, we’ve been on a mission to crown the top cities in the UK for runners.
Best Running Cities For 2024
Based on a range of runner-friendly variables, our research looked at the 25 biggest towns and cities in the UK by population (excluding London) and measured them on a range of factors favourable to running. These included how many official parkrun events there are per 10,000 people, the average size and distance to the nearest public park, air pollution levels, the number of running clubs per 10,000 people, and the average number of days per month with rainfall. Each location was ranked on all of these factors to determine a final league table which aggregated each category score.
Southampton Takes Top Spot
Southampton has taken the top spot for runners, thanks to its abundance of park space and increasing parkrun popularity. Brighton follows as a close second, largely as a result of its clean air and number of parkrun events. Leicester and Birmingham have taken third and fourth place respectively, while Southend is in fifth place thanks in part to its low rainfall levels.
Top 25 UK cities for runners according to our research
UK Running Scene Is Thriving
Commenting on the research, We Run founder John White said:
“Running is always a popular choice for people looking to improve their health and fitness, and with more than 1,600 UK Athletics affiliated running clubs and more than 1,200 parkruns, there’s never been a better time to lace up in the UK.
Running groups and parkruns are a great way for running newbies and long-time runners alike to come together to get fit while enjoying green spaces, with both proving to be hugely popular across the country.”
