wellness
Runners Discover Cincinnati's Top 5 Routes Through Eden Park
Cincinnati's best running climbs Eden Park's hilly loop past the Cincinnati Art Museum, crosses the historic Purple People Bridge, first opened in 1872 as a railroad crossing, and follows the Ohio River past Sawyer Point.
How we reported this
Cincinnati offers genuine hill training in Eden Park and a real piece of 19th-century railroad history now open only to pedestrians. Here are the best running routes in Cincinnati for 2026.
Eden Park
Eden Park's loop runs about 4.6 miles on paved park roads with rolling hills, circling Mirror Lake and climbing through Mount Adams and Walnut Hills, passing the Cincinnati Art Museum, Krohn Conservatory and Seasongood Pavilion, a favourite for hill-repeat training, with panoramic Ohio River valley views from the Twin Lakes overlook.
The Ohio River Trail and Purple People Bridge
A flat, paved riverwalk connects Smale Riverfront Park, Sawyer Point and Theodore Berry International Friendship Park. From here, runners cross the Purple People Bridge, a 2,670 foot pedestrian span, into Newport, Kentucky. The bridge opened in 1872 as the Newport and Cincinnati Bridge, the first railroad bridge across the Ohio River between Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, carried rail traffic until 1987, and was restored as a pedestrian crossing in 2003, officially renamed Purple People Bridge in 2022.
Lunken Airport and Otto Armleder Park
The Lunken Airport Playfield Loop runs 5.5 miles atop the levee encircling Lunken Municipal Airport, flat and fast, popular for tempo runs, connecting via a 1.5 mile link to Otto Armleder Park's 2 mile paved trail along the Little Miami River for a combined route of nearly 9 miles.
Devou Park and Mount Airy Forest
Across the river in Covington, Kentucky, Devou Park offers mixed paved and dirt trails with real elevation and the best skyline views of downtown Cincinnati. Mount Airy Forest, the city's largest park, offers a wooded trail network with stone steps for hill training, a shadier alternative to the riverfront routes.
Running the Flying Pig Marathon Route
The Flying Pig Marathon, first run in 1999 on the first Sunday in May, takes its name from Cincinnati's old nickname Porkopolis, drawn from its 19th-century pork-packing industry, with its mascot tied to the winged-pig sculptures at Bicentennial Commons created for the city's 1988 bicentennial.
Practical Guide to Running in Cincinnati
The riverfront trail is the most reliable choice for a flat run; Eden Park and Devou Park are worth the climb for anyone wanting genuine hill training and skyline views.
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