Best places for coastal running

A runner jogging along a coastal path with their dog, with a view to the coast and sea below in the background. — A runner and their dog along a coastal path in Cornwall | © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

For an invigorating run, leave the treadmill behind and embrace the fresh coastal air on these seaside trails. Whether you run for fitness, inspiration or to get away from it all, there are miles of coastline waiting to be explored with wildlife around every corner.

Baggy Point, Devon: Take a run along one of Devon's most scenic headlands at Baggy Point. With views of 40 kilometres of coastline, this route is a popular spot for walkers, runners and wildlife.Visit Baggy Point
Brean Down, Somerset: Run along Brean’s 1.5-mile peninsula and take in far-reaching views across the Bristol Channel to the Holm islands, South Wales and beyond. If you get there early enough, you’ll see the sun rise over the Mendip Hills and fill the downs with sunlight.Visit Brean Down
Heddon Valley, Devon: Hidden on the West Exmoor coast, Heddon Valley lies between the cliffs of Hangman Hills and the tree-lined cove of Woody Bay. Dart through open moorland, pause for breath by woodland waterfalls and take in the views over Combe Martin.Visit Heddon Valley
Jurassic Coast, Devon and Dorset: From the clifftop paths around Burton Bradstock and Exmouth to the long beaches of Branscombe and Ringstead Bay, there are some great running routes along this 95-mile stretch of World Heritage coastline.Visit Burton Bradstock by the Jurassic Coast

Jogger on Branscombe Beach, Devon | © National Trust/Chris Mason

The Leas, Tyne and Wear: Find yourself surrounded by many different types of birds as you run from Souter Lighthouse over the grassy clifftops. Watch kittiwakes, fulmars, cormorants, shags and guillemots diving into the sea, nesting in the limestone cliffs and soaring across the sky.Visit Souter Lighthouse and the Leas
Murlough National Nature Reserve, County Down: Put on your running shoes to explore Murlough National Nature Reserve, a fragile 6000-year-old sand dune system overlooked by the Mourne Mountains. Take this 3-mile route along the beach before turning back to the nature reserve, home to colonies of the endangered marsh fritillary butterfly.Visit Murlough National Nature Reserve
Sheringham Park, Norfolk: With 1,000 acres of landscaped park and woodland gardens to discover, Sheringham Park has a variety of running trails to choose from. Follow the path through the estate, down past the World War Two pillboxes and up to the coast, where skylarks and sand martins make their home.Visit Sheringham Park
Stackpole, Pembrokeshire: Race along Stackpole’s 8 miles of coast to discover a landscape that alternates between cliffs and coves, rolling dunes and hidden bays. Head inland around the Bosherston Lakes to spot the resident otters or see birds gliding across the water.Visit Stackpole
Tennyson Down, Isle of Wight: Take a break from the treadmill and run across Tennyson Down, which has wide-reaching, dramatic views across the sea. It's where Poet Laureate Alfred Lord Tennyson took his daily walk, and once remarked on how fresh the air is here.Visit Tennyson Down
Whitehaven, Cumbria: Once a hive of coal-mining activity for over 250 years, Whitehaven has now been reclaimed by nature. Run along the clifftops towards St Bees Head and you might spot some of the guillemots and razorbills that live here. You could also take a detour to one of the secluded beaches along the way.Visit the Whitehaven Coast