Best Running Routes in Perth 2026

Perth pairs a vast inner-city bushland park with a river loop and a classic Indian Ocean beach run. Here are the best running routes in Perth for 2026.

Kings Park and Botanic Garden

Kings Park's Law Walk loop runs about 2.5 kilometres of concrete path, with a longer 5.6 kilometre perimeter loop, on urban bushland high above the Swan River with Perth skyline views, central Perth's marquee run. Kings Park is one of the world's largest inner-city parks at about 400.6 hectares, roughly 60 hectares larger than New York's Central Park, much of it protected native bushland, and home to the DNA Tower, a 15 metre white double-helix staircase built in 1966, and the State War Memorial standing since 1929.

The Bridges Loop

The Bridges, or Bridge-to-Bridge loop, is Perth's single most popular run, about 10 kilometres of flat paved multi-use trail between the Causeway and Narrows bridges, taking in the CBD skyline, Kings Park, the Swan River and the South Perth foreshore.

Elizabeth Quay to Matilda Bay

From Elizabeth Quay, a sealed shared path runs 5 to 6.5 kilometres one way west along the river toward the Royal Perth Yacht Club and Matilda Bay at Crawley, flat and fully paved. Lake Monger Reserve offers a flat 3.5 kilometre loop around a wetland known for its resident black swans, close to the CBD.

Cottesloe Beach and Reabold Hill

Marine Parade at Cottesloe offers about 7 kilometres of mostly flat sealed path along Perth's best-known Indian Ocean coastline, sunset-facing. For trail runners, the Zamia Trail over Reabold Hill in Bold Park at City Beach offers a roughly 5 kilometre bushland loop over Perth's highest coastal point.

Running the HBF Run for a Reason Route

The HBF Run for a Reason, Perth's biggest community run, is held on 24 May 2026, starting on William Street in the CBD and finishing at Gloucester Park in East Perth, with 3 kilometre, 12 kilometre and half marathon distances.

Practical Guide to Running in Perth

The Bridges loop and the Elizabeth Quay foreshore are the most reliable choices for a flat river run; Kings Park is worth the visit for bushland trails and skyline views, and Cottesloe for the classic beach run.

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