During your stay at The Chilworth Hotel Paddington we encourage you to prioritise your fitness and wellbeing. After all, staying healthy whilst travelling can be a challenge!
But, by opting to stay in a hotel that values wellness whilst you are on holiday or travelling for business, you can help yourself get in the right frame of mind in terms of maintaining your fitness regimes as well as eating healthy.
While hotels with gyms are great, there are other ways to stay fit while away from home. This is especially the case in a city such as London, where you can easily combine your sightseeing with your cardio and enjoy a scenic run.
Embark on a solo run following the urban waterways or weaving your way through huge woodlands and open parks, using our suggestions below as a guide. Alternatively, you are welcome to join in with yoga in Paddington London, organised in-house. Click here for more information!
Four Royal Parks
Four of London’s eight Royal Parks are conveniently situated next door to one another, making tourists’ lives much easier! A run spanning the highlights of Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Green Park and St James’s Park will amount to 6.5 miles, so give yourself the time to take a scenic running tour of all four in one go.
In these spaces you will encounter beautiful, blooming flower gardens, peaceful duck ponds and even pelicans, at St James’s Park. You will have the opportunity to spot Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace, as well the Horse Guards Parade and the Mall. The parks are sprinkled with various works of art to watch out for, such as the Peter Pan sculpture in Kensington Gardens and Greek hero Achilles in Hyde Park, which is a memorial to Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington.
If you prefer shorter runs, you can reduce the route and stick to one or two parks. Spread a few different routes over the course of a couple of days if you have a longer stay in London – particularly if you stay at our own Chilworth Hotel Spa, where these parks are literally on your doorstep.
Nocturnal runners, please note that Kensington Gardens is closed after dark.
Regent’s Park
The former hunting ground of Henry VIII, Regent’s Park is now home to luscious gardens, an open-air theatre, ZSL London Zoo and paved tracks well-suited for running. Regent’s Park is spread over 395 acres, making it one of the largest of the Royal Parks. This is a relatively flat option for your jog, although you can nip over the Regent’s Canal and add some hill repeats on Primrose Hill into the mix to boost your heartbeat.
Regent’s Park is only a 20-minute walk from the hotel, so use the journey for a pre-run power walk to get your blood flowing.
Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath is a playground for experienced cross-country runners who love a challenging route, with varying gradients and terrains across its 709 acres. Let yourself get merrily lost amongst the Heath’s woodland paths and sprinting up grassy knolls.
Head up Parliament Hill for a panoramic view across London as you stretch out your muscles or do some squats. If you pack your swimming costume, you can even take a cooling dip in the Hampstead swimming ponds after your run and embrace nature.
Thames Path
If you’re a long-distance runner and want a challenge, follow the Thames Path from central London as far as Kew in the west, or head east to Greenwich. Launching in a central spot such as the London Eye by Waterloo gives you chance to take in views of skyscrapers, bridges and attractions as you begin your warm-up, collecting speed as you follow the path in the direction of your choice.
Running to Kew from the London Eye you’re covering just under 12 miles of running, through pretty landscapes of trees and Thameside parks such as Battersea, perfect for taking breaks in.
Heading east, you will pass through the old mills, warehouses and quaint cobbled streets of Shad Thames, and through the maritime-history rich settlement of Rotherhithe. 7.3 miles later, you will culminate at the Cutty Sark from where you can visit the Royal Observatory and Old Naval College in Greenwich Park.
Richmond Park
Richmond Park is a dream running route for landscape lovers, as well as wildlife watchers – over 600 deer roam free in the heart of this park. Follow the 7.2 miles perimeter track over hills and amongst trees, or deviate with one of the many other tracks on offer and cut through the centre (where you’re more likely to find deer).
It’s not as central, but Richmond Park is easily accessible by London Underground and National Rail and you can reward yourself afterwards with a hearty meal by the river and then relax back at The Chilworth Hotel Paddington.
Victoria Park and East London Canals
Begin this run at the east London gem Victoria Park, where you can warm up with a lap around the southeastern boating lake and pause to take in the scenic highlight of this park, the Chinese Pagoda. Victoria Park doesn’t get as crowded as some of the central parks, and your fellow runners will predominantly be locals who live in the area.
From here you can follow the Hertford Union Canal towpath over to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which was built for the 2012 Olympic Games. Dip into the grounds and check out the Copper Box, Aquatics Centre and ArcelorMittal Orbit, then follow the River Lea south for two miles before turning off to run along the Limehouse Cut for one mile.
This run culminates by following the Regent’s Canal back to where you began, where you can hop on the tube at Bethnal Green. This route is a brilliant way to explore arty east London following the towpaths that fringe the canals. It maintains a flat terrain with no uphills. You could make a whole day of it.
Phew! After all that running, you deserve a massage or facial at The Chilworth Hotel Spa.
55 Westbourne Terrace, Paddington, London W2 3UY
