Running routes in Delhi [Part 1]

Dec 21, 2022

"Having a tough time deciding a beautiful track with essential requirements to have a run over this weekend?" Say no more, BhaagoIndia got you covered!

Through research and experiences of runners around the capital, we bring you 3 of the most under-rated running routes in our national capital!

These three routes are listed as:

Nehru Park/ Embassy area, Chanakya Puri
Sanjay Van, South Delhi
Qila Rai Pithora, Sainik Farms

You’re into your stride settling into a long run and then at one point you gradually tend to notice your energy levels dipping a wee bit. That. At that very moment you are possibly passed by a fellow runner who waves at you, greets you, raises a thumbs up, or simply passes a smile – all this to egg on a fellow runner. Not entirely possible that this happens all the time but a relatively small and tight-knit runner’s community has people who end up wishing each other more often than not.

Now, you can encounter a situation like this in an area or on a route conducive to running long distances. That is precisely what we shall talk about as we go further and look at some of the pleasant running environs for runners in the national capital.

Nehru Park/Embassy area, Chanakyapuri –

Rectangular gardens adjacent to long straight roads, and embassy offices running parallel to these gardens followed by fountain-laden roundabouts. If a long weekend road run in the peaceful and surreal surroundings is what you’re looking forward to, then go no further than Chanakyapuri. With tons of runners, cyclists, and skaters moving around the embassy area, this is a hotspot for serious road runners and beginners alike. There are numerous by-lanes that run around the periphery of a lot of embassies which can be used for interval training as well. Public washrooms outside Nehru Park near Ashoka Hotel make it all the more convenient for runners to attend nature’s call and considering its proximity to Lutyens’ Delhi, it is perfectly safe to run here during the mornings and evenings.

Suitable for:

Long road runs
Interval training/pace runs
Progressive tempo runs

Google map location- Click here

Picture credits: Nakul Butta, AIR

Sanjay Van, South Delhi –

Surrounded by Mehrauli on one side and JNU on the other, this is another quiet yet beautiful route in the midst of nature that attracts a lot of morning walkers, runners, and cyclists. Sprawling over a fairly large area, this forest garden has a loop forming a figure of 8 that covers a distance of roughly 3.8km. It is ideal for those who are beginning their trail running journeys since it offers a few climbs along the way and certain patches of undulating surfaces. Sanjay Van also has smaller parks and gardens inside along with public lavatories which the visitors can make use of. As the name suggests, this place has a forest cover so it would be ideal to run here in the mornings.

Suitable for:

Trail running/soft surface runs

Google map location- Click here

Picture credits: Capital Trails

Qila Rai Pithora, Sainik Farms –

Not too far away from Sanjay Van is Qila Rai Pithora which is a fort from the yesteryears. A lot of running groups even begin their runs from Sanjay Van passing by Qutub Minar to cross over to Qila Rai Pithora. It has areas of dense forest cover for trail runners as well as a garden area along the fort walls which is ideal for road runners who want a softer surface to run on. One can enter from the side of Mehrauli Badarpur road and exit on the Anuvrat Marg to follow the road towards Lado Sarai and complete the loop preferably during the mornings or even during the day if you’re running in peak Delhi winters.

Suitable for: