Toronto Runners Love These 3 Trails: 56km Lakeside Route

Toronto has quietly built one of North America's better urban running networks, with a genuine variety of waterfront, ravine and repurposed rail-line trails. Here are the best running routes in Toronto for 2026.

The Martin Goodman Trail

The Martin Goodman Trail runs the full lake shore, 56 kilometres of paved multi-use path from the Humber Bay Arch Bridge in the west to the Rouge River in the east, with a fully connected central stretch of over 20 kilometres completed in 2019. It is flat with reliable Lake Ontario views, passing Ontario Place, Harbourfront and the Beaches, and is extremely popular with locals for long runs.

High Park

High Park's outer perimeter loop runs roughly 5 kilometres on mixed paved road and packed trail, with about 55 metres of elevation gain. As Toronto's largest park, it includes cherry blossoms, a zoo and Grenadier Pond, and is home to the local run club High Park Rogue Runners.

The Beltline Trail

The Beltline Trail runs 9 kilometres on crushed gravel and packed trail, built on the former Toronto Belt Line Railway, a commuter rail line opened in 1892 that operated for only two years before failing. It threads through Rosedale, Moore Park, Forest Hill, Chaplin Estates and Fairbank, largely flat and shaded, good for tempo work away from traffic.

The Lower Don Trail and Tommy Thompson Park

The Lower Don Trail runs 13.5 kilometres of paved path from E.T. Seton Park down to Corktown Common, passing Evergreen Brick Works, a former industrial quarry now a park, and Riverdale Park, with river views and public art along the way. Tommy Thompson Park, on the Leslie Street Spit, is an 18 kilometre man-made peninsula trail system jutting 5 kilometres into Lake Ontario, built from lakefill and construction debris and now a bird sanctuary; a popular out-and-back to the lighthouse runs about 10 kilometres round trip, with full loop options up to 23 kilometres.

Running the Toronto Waterfront Marathon Route

The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, held 17 and 18 October 2026, starts near Yonge and Elm and finishes at Bay and Queen near Nathan Phillips Square, including a long out-and-back along the Lake Ontario waterfront on a flat, fast course popular for personal bests.

Practical Guide to Running in Toronto

The Martin Goodman Trail and High Park are the most reliable choices for a straightforward run; Tommy Thompson Park is worth the trip for anyone wanting a genuinely unusual, wildlife-rich route with skyline views back toward downtown.