Best running trails in KL

It’s a run in a picturesque park: think tree-lined 9-foot-wide jogging and walking paths with loops ranging from 1km to 2.3km anchored by a stunning central lake, and plenty of benches to pause and take in the scenery (especially if you time your run as the sun is setting). Two other parks — The East Park and The West Park — are also in the 473-acre freehold township of Desa ParkCity.

Distance: 2.3km per loop

Level of difficulty: Easy breezy, but it is a pet-friendly public park so you may be tempted to stop every now and then to say hi to a good boy. Who’s a good boy? Who’s a good boooy? 

You will see: Dogs (and sometimes cats) on walks. Also families with young kids; couples with picnic spreads on trimmed lawns; and pockets of trees and shrubs.

Perdana Botanical Garden, previously known as Lake Gardens, is the city’s oldest and most popular public park, dating back to the 1880s. The garden, covering an area of over 170 acres, has a forest tree collection, along with hundred-year-old heritage trees, a bird park, a butterfly park, a deer park, a herb garden, waterfalls, and more. For running, there are tracks but feel free to design your own route to include hills and stairs to get the heart rate up.

Distance: 3.1km per loop around the conservatory, but you can certainly plan your own route 

Level of difficulty: Moderate

You will see: Flora, including over 800 species of orchid; fauna, if you enter the bird or butterfly or deer park. Families. Free community yoga sessions. Maybe a pre-wedding photoshoot, a cultural or musical performance at the panggung, or if you’re really lucky, you might spot otters swimming in the lake.

We’ve covered the running track at Bukit Jalil’s Majlis Sukan Negara elsewhere on this list, but aside from the national stadium, there’s also a neighbouring 80-acre park managed by the city hall. Bukit Jalil Recreational Park is the ideal ground for many due to its gently-sloped terrains as well as some steeper trails and stairs for those looking for a challenge. Also find fitness circuits like balance beams and body curl stations set up all around the park. Parking is free, but rest rooms are not. 

Distance: 2.9km per loop 

Level of difficulty: Easy to moderate; there are plenty of pathways guiding you through the park sections, some featuring smaller loops and others with hills and stairs. Choose your own adventure! 

You will see: Flamingos at the ponds, plus monitor lizards, monkeys, tortoises and more. Word of advice: Don’t feed the monkeys. It gets crowded in the evenings with serious runners sporting marathon jerseys.

The 95-hectare park in Kepong is a runner’s delight. It’s one of the bigger parks in the city featuring a 3.5km loop with a dedicated track (mostly flat with the exception of a small steep ascent approximately 300 meters), and plenty of minor sights along the route including a lake, a boathouse and a tree-free area for kite-flying. Go early in the morning or later in the evening; it’s an open space so it gets really hot once the sun is up. 

Distance: 3.5km per loop 

Level of difficulty: It’s a flat route with a dedicated track for running. File under easy.

You will see: A gorgeous lake with a boathouse. Families with kids, and play facilities. Kite enthusiasts (and kite sellers).

At Bukit Kiara Park, the city’s urban roar is replaced by chirping birdlife and the clicks of insects. If you’re a beginner or a bird-watcher, you may want to stick to the park area by the Taman Tun Dr Ismail entrance; its grounds are level and paved with a river running through. But if you’re up for it, there are challenging trails through the hills and forest reserve; the blue-marked trail, for instance, is about 4.4km in length. It’s possible to go on a self-guided run (tip: download the AllTrails app), but if it’s your first time, it’s best to go at peak hours when there are regulars around. Follow their lead.

Distance: The hill trail is a steep 5km loop with elevation gain of 480 feet along a paved pedestrian road (and some dirt path) with multiple off-road trails; the Keladi trail leads to the waterfalls while the Pakis trail leads to a lush greenery of ferns and a stream.

Level of difficulty: Challenging. Wear good shoes. 

You will see: Bikers, hikers, trail runners. Wildlife and waterfalls. At the highest point of the hill, be rewarded with a view of the city skyline.

If you’re looking for a simple and scenic run, Taman Tasik Permaisuri is the park for you. The running track stretches over 1.8km per loop surrounding a lake with pink lotusses and lilies. For families and youths, there are picnic spots and recreational amenities including a children’s playground and bicycle rental facilities, plus a football pitch, a futsal court and a swimming pool in the eastern section of the park.

Distance: 1.8km per loop.

Level of difficulty: Easy. 

You will see: Horses. Really, guards riding horses patrol the park. Aside from the lake, there’s also a seven-terraced flower garden planted with colourful tropical species. Spot small-to-medium animals, such as herons and squirrels.

After independence, the 66-acre Taman Tugu site was once home to Malaysian government officials including our longest-serving finance minister Tun Tan Siew Sin. Today, it is a not-for-profit public green space initiative led by Khazanah Nasional with clean, lovely, and mostly-flat forest trails. It’s so well-kept with markers through the trails that you’ll never have to guess if you’re on the right path. There are washrooms. The washrooms are dry! There are even shower stalls, for goodness’ sake! Is this… gritty enough for serious trail runners who want to flirt with a little dirt? Drinks, snacks and essentials such as insect repellent are sold at the Taman Tugu Booth. Parking is available within the Taman Tugu Nursery, free of charge within operational hours. 

Distance: A full loop of the main trails (combining Green 1.5km, Yellow 1.5km, White 1.0km and Orange 1.0km) adds up to a total of 5km distance. The Nursery trail is 1.0km. Depending on one’s fitness level, you can choose to run just the Green trail or the Yellow trail or hey, do the full 5km trail twice.

Level of difficulty: The official website says the trails are “suitable for beginners and all age groups”. Take their word for it!

You will see: Indigenous trees, such as Jelutong and Tembusu, many measuring more than one meter in diameter and are possibly hundred-year-old. Footprints of old government quarters. But also: families with children participating in Taman Tugu’s nature education programs and treasure hunts within the trails. For students, there are also talks, workshops and guided walks. Beginner yogis and zumba dancers. Buskers. Taman Tugu really pops off on weekends. Follow them on Instagram to keep up to date.

We get it. Sometimes you just need a good ol’ sprint on a stadium track. Maybe speed work is a part of your training to become a stronger athlete. Maybe you’re preparing for Ironman (is that still a thing?). Maybe you simply need a space to run safely at night. Arena MBSJ in USJ 5 is open to the public until late (well, about 9pm) and has a 400m synthetic track. It’s also a 10-minute walk to Taipan with supper and yumcha options aplenty.  

Distance: 400m per loop

Level of difficulty: Easy, right? Uh. 

You will see: Sprinters and serious long-distrance runners.

Surrounded by tall trees, shrubs and manicured bushes, the quiet jogging trails at KLCC Park make you feel like you’ve somehow slipped out of the city. Pound the pavements layered with a special EPDM rubberised surface that gives you good grip and keeps your feet bouncing. The synthetic rubber strikes the perfect balance between a track that’s firm but not too hard for speedwork training. There are also markings on the track for every 100m, as well as drinking fountains to keep you hydrated.

Distance: 1.3km per loop

Level of difficulty: It’s a run in the park. However, runners who strike the ground with their forefoot instead of their heel may find the surface a tad too soft, which may cause injury.

You will see: Families with strollers, couples and fashion-conscious men in snug-fitting tank tops (guys, go ahead and flaunt those neon headbands).

Home to the annual BSN Putrajaya Night Marathon and the Ironman challenge, Putrajaya is a firm favourite among triathletes and cyclists. Here, you can still run on tar roads while staying close to nature – a meandering trail along the verdant lake offers a number of idyllic spots for spreading a picnic mat. Although it’s a permanent stomping ground for marathon runners on weekends, the roads are hardly crowded.

Distance: 10km per loop (Start from: Palace of Justice → Lingkaran Gemilang Satu roundabout → Seri Gemilang Bridge → Putrajaya International Convention Centre → Persiaran Selatan → back to the Palace of Justice)

Level of difficulty: It’s plain terrain with a bit of slope until you ascend the slightly steep 240m-long Seri Gemilang Bridge. This route is perfect for new runners who are building up for their first marathon.

You will see: Lycra-clad road warriors with their Cervélo R3s, and impressive Islamic-Palladian architecture.

So you’ve caught the sprinting bug. The best way to improve your running form and stimulate your muscles for quicker speed is to train on a proper track. The MSN track is a cutting-edge piece of technology, offering great traction and shock-absorption. Speed sessions usually include short bursts of timed reps measured over distances of a few hundred metres each. With a track surface this good, you can complete a 400m run quite easily.

Distance: 400m per loop

Level of difficulty: No sweat. You’ll be running on flat ground, but speed training is an intense workout. Follow with an easy run, or a recovery day.

You will see: National athletes with perfectly sculpted bodies in super short shorts.

Kick your training session into high gear with a strength-building routine around the hilly Padang Merbok and Bukit Tunku. The well-trodden paths require little navigational sense but some areas have very serious inclines. Just think like a cyclist – change gears when you go uphill. Shorten your stride and maintain the same effort level (breathing pace and heart rate) to maintain your running form. It’s all about energy management.

Distance: 15km per loop (Padang Merbok → Bank Negara/Sasana Kijang →Stadium Hoki Tun Razak → Jalan Tunku Putra → Changkat Tunku → back to Padang Merbok). The same route was used in the 2XU Compression Run.

Level of difficulty: Tough. The routes with a total elevation of 116.16m are challenging but the hill repeats provide some excellent exercise for those calf muscles.

You will see: Sprawling parks, squirrels, the glass-dominated Sasana Kijang and of course, more thigh-numbing hills.

Ready to earn your bragging rights? Now conquer the infamous Ammah Hill – the long and treacherous upward climb that’ll work your legs and heart like never before. The shadeless, rolling slopes along the route are killer, putting both your momentum and your endurance to the test. But that also means you’ll get a refreshing jog downhill later.

Distance: 20km per loop (Bandar Kinrara 5 → Kelab Golf Kinrara → Bandar Kinrara 6 → Persiaran Puncak Jalil → Bandar Putra Permai → Taman Lestari Perdana → back to Bandar Kinrara 5). The Newton Challenge follows almost the same route.

Level of difficulty: Is this a form of punishment? In total, 70 percent of what you’ll be tackling is hilly terrain. If you want to build strength, this is the best – if not the most gruelling – way to do it.

You will see: A panoramic bird’s-eye view of Puchong from the peak of Ammah Hill and lush forest. There are at least four petrol station shops along the route where you can refill your bottles or get a quick drink.