Best Places to Run | Kansas City

Kansas City, with its many suburbs and smaller communities, has a thriving running community with many great places to run. Spread throughout the metroplex is a series of urban paths, crushed gravel trails and technical trails that would take you months to do if you attempted to run them all. Plus, you can sync up with runners and walkers of all ages and paces at almost any time of day.

Kansas City hosts races all year long—everything from track meets to marathons, ultramarathons and trail running events. Post race, check out one of the many coffee shops and breweries throughout the area. And don’t forget to fuel up with Kansas City’s world class barbecue.

Weather is generally mild most of the year, although August can get blistering hot (so summer’s a good time to run early in the day). Winters are mostly mild, too, though you can bet on a few cold days with biting wind. If you plan ahead and layer up, you can still enjoy the best running the city has to offer.

Running clubs abound. Join one of our group runs if you’re looking for company, need some motivation or want to access to even more Kansas City running secrets. Check out the clubs below:

But if you're looking to get in some miles now, check out our picks for the best places to run in Kansas City:

Trolly Trail

Best for: Short to medium runs and walks
Surface type: road, crushed gravel
Starting Point: South Plaza, Kansas City, MO 64112
Distance: Up to 6.8 miles

Route Description: This is a point to point, urban route well traveled by other runners and walkers. It's perfect for a short shake-out run or something onger with plenty of access points along the way. It is mostly flat with some gradual uphill and downhill. A really cool urban trail that is well traveled by other runners and walkers.