Running has never been more connected.
Every day, people around the world run out their front door in cities, towns, mountains, and coastlines. We train at different times, speak different languages, and pursue different goals, yet we are connected by the same motivation: becoming a better runner than we were yesterday.
We've compiled expert running guides to four cities around the world, each under the guidance of a local run club.
This guide covers New York City, and our host club is Black Distance — a team built specifically for competitive Black distance runners in a city that had plenty of run clubs, but not one made for them. They started as a handful of runners who trained together for years before formally becoming a club in early 2026.
Here's how to experience the city like a runner: the routes, the food, and the spots worth knowing, whether you live here or you're just passing through.
Where They Run
Brooklyn
- Prospect Park — The borough's default long-run loop.
- Ridgewood Reservoir — A decommissioned 19th-century reservoir sitting on the Brooklyn-Queens border inside Highland Park, part of the Brooklyn-Queens Greenway.
- Ocean Parkway Pedestrian Path — The club's signature route: start at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch at Grand Army Plaza, up Eastern Parkway, then the full length of Ocean Parkway to the Coney Island Boardwalk.
- Shirley Chisholm State Park — 10 miles of trail on Jamaica Bay, named for the Brooklyn-born congresswoman who was the first Black woman elected to Congress.
Queens
- Astoria Park — East River views of the Hell Gate and Triborough bridges.
- Forest Park
- Alley Pond Park
Manhattan
- Central Park — Black Distance runs here on Saturdays.
- Hudson River Greenway
The Bronx
- Putnam Greenway, Van Cortlandt Park — One of the city's oldest running grounds.
Coffee Shops & Running Stores
Coffee:
- BKLYN Blend (Bed-Stuy)
- Dolly's Coffee Shop (Bed-Stuy)
- Cafecito Social (Gowanus)
- Devoción (Williamsburg)
- Sweetleaf Coffee Roasters (Greenpoint / Long Island City)
Post-Run Breakfast:
BKLYN Blend and Dolly's (above) do double duty as breakfast spots. Beyond those:
- Cousin John's — Park Slope bakery-café, steps from Prospect Park, since 1986.
- Sailor — Fort Greene bistro, weekend brunch worth the wait.
- Walter's — Fort Greene, all-day American diner fare.
- Clark's Diner — Brooklyn Heights, classic Greek diner breakfast.
- Between the Bagel — Astoria, home of the Seoul Meets Bagel (bulgogi, egg, kimchi, gochujang mayo).
- Curley's Bagels — Sunnyside, small-batch sourdough bagels.
Running Stores:
- Brooklyn Running Company (Park Slope & Williamsburg)
- Bandit Running (Greenpoint & West Village)
- Fleet Feet (multiple Manhattan locations)
The Race Calendar
RBC Brooklyn Half — May — One of the largest half marathons in the country, finishing at Coney Island.
Bandit Grand Prix — May — Heats of 5Ks feeding a nighttime 3K Super Final at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, with music and an afterparty built in.
BKLYN Mile — August — A USATF-certified point-to-point mile along Kent Avenue in Williamsburg.
Fifth Avenue Mile — September — NYRR's iconic straight shot down Fifth Avenue, dating to 1981.
New York City Marathon — First Sunday in November — The five-borough standard.
