Living in Canada gives way to some of the most beautiful outdoor views one can hope to find. Being an avid runner in Montreal, you start to learn some of the best routes to take depending on the time of year. Thankfully, Montreal has a vast amount of places to visit on your runs and will make anyone who currently resides there or just visiting, fall in love with the city. We are going to take a look at a few of some of the best and most beautiful routes to take on your run in Montreal.
Parc Jean Drapeau Loops
Parc Jean Drapeau offers routes either 5 km or 10 km depending on how long you want to run. It is also a hot spot in Montreal for many marathons which lends itself to the already planned out routes and falls in the hub of the city. This served as a regular Sunday run for me. It was exactly the distance of a half marathon from my home to the top of Mont Royale and back. To experience Montreal, this is a must! Especially on Sunday when you get to experience the Tamtams and Larpers. The mountain offers entertainment that will break up your run and let you enjoy a longer distance than what you set off to accomplish.
Lachine Canal
The Lachine Canal serves as one of the best places to go for a run at any time of the day. The beautiful sunset will take your mind off of the fact that you are indeed running, which makes it that much more enjoyable. It is a local hot spot for runners in Montreal. Lachine Canal happened to be my daily route which I ran 6 of 7 days a week. You have the opportunity to experience local music, beautiful scenery, not to mention a number of water fountains which are a must for any avid runner.
Parc Jarry and LaSalle Rapids
The views at Parc Jarry are what draw runners to this spot. All pathways are asphalt which makes for a perfect running surface and the loop is 2.24 km once around. Most runners will do a few based on how long and how far they want to run, but also to have such a beautiful surrounding of the park.
LaSalle Rapids are further outside of the city and island itself but is one of the best places to go when looking for a long distance run. Many people come here to white water raft, so it makes for a fun atmosphere and gives you something to look at while running by the breathtaking water rapids.
Depending on where you are in the city these add an extra level of exploration. When marathon training you can add any one of these to your route to achieve a full 26.2 distance. I often rotated between the 3 on my long run Sundays. If you are looking for a solitary run I suggest the rapids, otherwise check out Parc Jarry, Maisonneuve, or even Lafontaine for great scenery and even better people watching!
Although you may love to run, sometimes it can take a toll depending on the time of year and how you are feeling that day. You may not always want to get up a moving, but having a planned out route through Montreal will take some of that focus away. Take my advice and try one of these picturesque views on your next run.