The saying goes that 'slow and steady wins the race' – but Melbourne has always been a frontrunner on the world stage, and our city only continues to gain speed, and accolades. Melbourne consistently makes strides in the arenas of food and drink, and it's well-known that it has a thriving arts and culture scene. But the latest feature our city is being praised for is being one of the best cities for runners in the whole wide world.
Running had a real moment in 2024, with every second Aussie lacing up for a half marathon or joining a run club. Inspired by the trend, the health insurance experts at Compare The Market set out to uncover the best running cities in the world. They ranked 50 hotspots based on eight factors, ranging from the number of running events, run clubs, parks and trails to the air quality and average rainfall.
Melbourne crossed the finish line as the fourth best city for running worldwide. According to the rankings, our city having the second best air quality and 542 running trails were the top contributing factors to landing the top five spot on the list. Melbourne was also praised for its high number of parks that make for picturesque running settings. Of course, the Tan got a mention, as the most popular track for runners in our city, as well as the St Kilda Foreshore Trail.
While London and New York led the pack as the highest-ranking cities for running worldwide, Australia broke the record as the country with the most cities in the top ten. We had four cities included in the ranking, with Sydney in the third spot, Perth in sixth and Canberra in ninth place.
So if you're not one of the many Melburnians who has taken up running yet – perhaps this is your sign to start, so you can enjoy the world-class setting of our very own city.
The top 10 cities for running in the world:
- London, UK
- New York City, USA
- Sydney, Australia
- Melbourne, Australia
- Los Angeles, USA
- Perth, Australia
- Madrid, Spain
- Valencia, Spain
- Canberra, Australia
- Stockholm, Sweden
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