Running has never been more connected.
Every day, people around the world run out their front door in cities, towns, mountains, and coastlines. We train at different times, speak different languages, and pursue different goals, yet we are connected by the same motivation: becoming a better runner than we were yesterday.
We've compiled expert running guides to four cities around the world, each under the guidance of a local run club.
This guide covers Shanghai, and our host crew is DarkRunners — founded in 2009 by Zhou Yuan as one of the pioneers of China's night-running movement, blending creativity, design, and music into what had been a fairly traditional road-running scene. Since 2012, they've hosted RUNHAI, bringing running crews from around the world to Shanghai to take on the Shanghai Marathon together.
Here's how to experience the city like a runner: the routes, the food, and the spots worth knowing, whether you live here or you're just passing through.W
Where They Run
Suzhou Creek — a waterway route through the city's older industrial districts, now one of Shanghai's main running corridors.
Wutong District — the plane-tree-lined streets of the old French Concession, named for the wutong (plane) trees overhead.
North Bund — waterfront running with skyline views across the Huangpu.
Huangpu Riverside — the river route that anchors most of the city's organized races, including the Shanghai Marathon itself.
Coffee Shops & Running Stores
Coffee:
- Nice Rice Cafe
- Area31 Coffee
Post-Run Breakfast:
- Xiao Yang Sheng Jian — Shanghai's best-known pan-fried pork bun chain, a breakfast staple across the city.
- Lai Lai Xiao Long — a Shanghai institution for soup dumplings, especially the crab roe version.
Running Stores:
The Race Calendar
Shanghai Half Marathon — March — Launches from the Oriental Pearl Tower and runs through Pudong; a strong finish here can qualify runners for direct entry into the Shanghai Marathon.
Shanghai Marathon — December — A Platinum Label race starting at the Bund and finishing at Shanghai Stadium, and the race DarkRunners built RUNHAI around.
