Central Park Running Tour: 4.6 Miles Past the Park's Landmarks

A guided run through the lower half of Central Park: 4.6 miles (about 7.4 km) in roughly 75 minutes, at an easy average pace of 9:30 to 10 minutes per mile. It is not a race. The group stops often for photos and for the guide to tell the story of each place, and the pace is set so that runners of different levels can keep together. The route leaves from Central Park South and takes in the Dairy, the Literary Walk, Bethesda Terrace and Strawberry Fields, then heads up through the Ramble to the site of Seneca Village. There is a stop at Belvedere Castle for the view across the park, another at the Alice in Wonderland statue, a run along the southern part of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir on the track that circles it, and a loop back down past the Zoo. You finish with your miles done for the day and a head full of stories about the places you ran past, which is a fair trade for a morning on a treadmill. The tour runs daily. Runners must be at least 14 years old and have a moderate level of fitness. Arrive at least 10 minutes early, and bring as little as possible: there is nowhere to leave bags. One booking takes up to 15 people. The guide leads in English, and the price covers the guide only, not transport to or from the park.