Sport
Running routes in Berlin: 8 loops with measured distances
If you look for a running loop in Berlin, you will find claims like "about 5 kilometers" everywhere. We measured eight loops around lakes and in parks ourselves, on the paths in OpenStreetMap, and noted what you run on, where there is light in the evening, where the toilets and drinking fountains are and which station is closest.
5.3 km Schlachtensee
2.5 km Krumme Lanke
2.3 km Lietzensee
5.2 km Volkspark Wilmersdorf
8.2 km Großer Tiergarten
7.1 km Tempelhofer Feld
3.7 km Volkspark Friedrichshain
4.5 km Treptower Park
The classic
Großer Tiergarten
Right in the city, big enough for a long loop, with Tiergarten S-Bahn station right on the route.
Kieznah tip
Volkspark Wilmersdorf
The best-lit of our loops, with a calisthenics area on the way for exercises afterwards.
How we measured
For each loop we set waypoints along the shore or the edge of the park and had the route between them calculated along the footpaths in OpenStreetMap. The distance is the sum of those paths; dead-end detours to a waypoint and back are removed. Surface and lighting come from the attributes of the OpenStreetMap paths the loop follows, toilets and drinking fountains from entries no more than 60 meters away. The walking time from the station is also measured along footpaths. If you take a different turn, you will of course run a different distance.
01 Schlachtensee · Steglitz-Zehlendorf
about 4 minutes on foot from Schlachtensee S-Bahn station to the loop
5.3 km · 51% dirt paths, 48% compacted gravel · practically unlit
Once around the shore, almost the whole way on dirt and gravel paths. There are practically no street lights, so this is not a loop for winter evenings after work. According to OpenStreetMap, one of the two toilets along the way is closed from October to April. According to OpenStreetMap there are 2 toilets within 60 meters of the loop.
02 Krumme Lanke · Steglitz-Zehlendorf
about 14 minutes on foot from Krumme Lanke U-Bahn station to the loop
2.5 km · 49% dirt paths, 48% compacted gravel · unlit on 49% according to OpenStreetMap, no data for 51%
The smaller neighbor south-east of the Schlachtensee, also once around the shore and almost entirely on dirt and compacted gravel. If you want to run longer, add this loop to the Schlachtensee. One of the two drinking fountains is marked in OpenStreetMap as possibly out of service. According to OpenStreetMap there are 2 drinking fountains within 60 meters of the loop.
03 Lietzensee · Charlottenburg
about 7 minutes on foot from Sophie-Charlotte-Platz U-Bahn station to the loop
2.3 km · 47% paving, 43% compacted gravel · lit on 46% of the route
A short loop around both parts of the lake, which Neue Kantstraße divides. Almost half of it is lit, and two or three laps add up to a decent run in the middle of the neighborhood. OpenStreetMap lists no toilet and no drinking fountain right on the loop.
04 Volkspark Wilmersdorf · Wilmersdorf
about 5 minutes on foot from Blissestraße U-Bahn station to the loop
5.2 km · 62% paving, 21% compacted gravel · lit on 75% of the route
The park is long and narrow; the loop runs out along one side and back along the other, crossing the streets that divide the park. Most of it is lit, and the calisthenics area from our outdoor gym article is right on the way. According to OpenStreetMap there are 3 toilets (2 of them paid) and 2 drinking fountains within 60 meters of the loop.
05 Großer Tiergarten · Tiergarten
Tiergarten S-Bahn station is right on the loop
8.2 km · 57% paving, 36% compacted gravel · lit on 47% of the route
The big loop around the edge of the Großer Tiergarten, with plenty of ways to cut it short. Roughly half of it is lit; the rest is dark in the evening. According to OpenStreetMap there are 1 toilet and 1 drinking fountain within 60 meters of the loop.
06 Tempelhofer Feld · Tempelhof/Neukölln
about 2 minutes on foot from Tempelhof S-Bahn station to the loop
7.1 km · 81% asphalt or concrete, 9% paving · lit on 5% of the route
Along the edge of the former airport, almost entirely on asphalt and without shade. According to visitBerlin the field is open from sunrise to sunset, and there is hardly any lighting on the loop. OpenStreetMap lists several drinking fountains and toilets along the way. According to OpenStreetMap there are 10 toilets and 6 drinking fountains within 60 meters of the loop.
07 Volkspark Friedrichshain · Friedrichshain
about 10 minutes on foot from Strausberger Platz U-Bahn station to the loop
3.7 km · 74% paving, 15% dirt paths · lit on 57% of the route
A loop around the edge of the park, much of it paved and more than half of it lit. According to OpenStreetMap there are 4 toilets (3 of them paid) and 1 drinking fountain within 60 meters of the loop.
08 Treptower Park · Alt-Treptow
Treptower Park S-Bahn station is right on the loop
4.5 km · 55% asphalt or concrete, 26% paving · lit on 55% of the route, no data for 16%
From Treptower Park S-Bahn station once around the park, along the Spree on one side. Lots of asphalt, more than half of it lit, and several toilets along the way. According to OpenStreetMap there are 6 toilets (1 of them paid) within 60 meters of the loop.
Running together and more
If you want to do strength exercises after your run, public outdoor gyms are listed in Calisthenics and outdoor fitness in Berlin, which also explains how the free "Sport im Park" programme works. Dates for races from the New Year's Run to the marathon are in Running in Berlin 2027. If you want a swim after running at the Schlachtensee, the water quality of the lakes is in Swimming in Berlin.