Best Running Routes in Singapore: Where to Run, From Marina Bay to MacRitchie

Running the same park connector loop every week gets old fast. The good news: for a small island, Singapore gives runners a huge amount of choice. In one week you could run a loop of the bay in the middle of the city, forest trails around MacRitchie Reservoir, a flat stretch of a 13km coastal park in the east, two marked tracks on Sentosa, and a long one on the park connectors that join it all up.

Here is your complete guide to the best running routes in Singapore: where each one starts, how far it goes, what is underfoot, and where to find water and a toilet. Every distance, opening hour and facility comes from whoever runs the place—NParks, Sport Singapore's ActiveSG Circle, URA, PUB, Gardens by the Bay, Sentosa and the Meteorological Service Singapore—checked on 17 October 2026 and listed at the end. Where an official source does not give something, such as a set running loop in the Botanic Gardens, we say so instead of guessing. Parks post closures and works on their own pages, so check before you head out.

Singapore Running Routes at a Glance

Route	Distance (official)	Where to start	Underfoot
Marina Bay waterfront	3.5km promenade around the bay; 11.7km route around Marina Reservoir	Helix Bridge, Bayfront or Gardens by the Bay MRT	Waterfront promenade and bridges
MacRitchie Reservoir	3km to 11km (NParks Routes 1 to 4)	MacRitchie Reservoir Park, Lornie Road	Boardwalks and natural trail; undulating, with steep slopes in places
Singapore Botanic Gardens	No official loop; 82 hectares	Tanglin Entrance (Napier MRT) or Bukit Timah Entrance (Botanic Gardens MRT)	Garden grounds with natural trails and boardwalks
East Coast Park	Over 13km long; about 10km out and back from Marine Cove	Marine Cove	Flat, smooth pathways
Sentosa	West Track 2.3km; East Track 4.4km	Beach Station (walk in free via the Sentosa Boardwalk)	Beachfront and coastal trail
Park connectors	Coastal Park Connector 15km; Rail Corridor over 21km continuous; Southern Ridges 10km	Changi Beach Park or East Coast Park; any Rail Corridor access point; Henderson Waves	Shared park connector paths; gravel, crushed stone and grass on the Rail Corridor; walkways and stairs on the Southern Ridges

1. Marina Bay: The City Loop

Ask someone for a Marina Bay running route and they will usually point you to the waterfront promenade around the bay. It is 3.5km, built in 2010 for easy access around the bay, and it is continuous, with the Helix Bridge joining Bayfront to Marina Centre. URA's Master Plan names jogging among the things people use it for, so you will not be the only one out there.

Two bridges shape the loop: the 280m Helix Bridge, and the 220m Jubilee Bridge, which links Merlion Park to the promenade in front of the Esplanade. Want more? The promenade is part of an 11.7km waterfront route around Marina Reservoir that takes in Gardens by the Bay, Marina Barrage and the Singapore Sports Hub.

Getting There: Bayfront MRT (CE1/DT16) and Gardens by the Bay MRT (TE22) are closest to the Gardens by the Bay side.

Know Before You Go:

• It is shared space. URA takes event applications for runs and walkathons around the bay, and food and event trucks may operate along the promenade. On event days you will be weaving through crowds.

• Bay East has changed. Cyclists have had no access to the Waterfront Promenade at Bay East since 4 May 2026. Pedestrians can still use it, with a slight diversion. Bay East Garden itself is temporarily closed for development, but the promenade and the area beneath Benjamin Sheares Bridge stay open.

• Water: you can refill at the bottle-filling stations inside Bay South Garden, including at Supertree Grove, the Golden Garden and the Active Garden. Bicycles, skates and scooters are not allowed inside the Gardens.

• Marina Barrage: its public areas and Green Roof are open 24 hours, though competitive sport is not allowed on the Green Roof.

Fancy a timed run? Bay East Garden parkrun is a free 5k every Saturday at 7:30am. The course is flat: a double out and back from under Sheares Bridge, by the Passion Wave car park, towards Marina Barrage, all on permanent shared paths. There are toilets at the start and water fountains near Passion Wave, and the nearest MRT stations are Stadium and Tanjong Rhu. You will need to register with parkrun once before your first run.

2. MacRitchie Reservoir: Trails and the TreeTop Walk

MacRitchie is where you go for forest trails without leaving the city. There is a 20km network of trails and boardwalks winding through more than 2,000 hectares of forest around the reservoir, inside the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. NParks calls the area ideal for joggers, and PUB says the reservoir is still popular for jogging and cross country.

NParks publishes four MacRitchie running routes. All four start and finish at MacRitchie Reservoir Park:

• Route 1 (Prunus Trail), 3km, easy: the boardwalks along the Prunus and Petai trails.

• Route 2, 4.8km, easy: along the water's edge on the Chemperai and Jering boardwalks, then back via Lornie Trail.

• Route 3, 10.3km, moderate to difficult: a loop that takes in the TreeTop Walk and brings you back to the start.

• Route 4, 11km, moderate: circles the whole reserve, passing Jelutong Tower instead of the TreeTop Walk.

Then there is the loop runners commonly use, which ActiveSG Circle describes. It starts at the MacRitchie Reservoir Visitor Centre (Carpark A) and runs counter-clockwise through the forest to the TreeTop Walk, then comes back to the Visitor Centre via the boardwalk. It comes to about 11 to 12km, depending on the trails you take. ActiveSG rates it moderate to difficult because of the undulating ground, tree roots and narrow paths, and says it suits intermediate and experienced runners. New to trails? It suggests going with company in case you get lost.

Timing Matters More Here Than Anywhere Else on This List:

• The reserve shuts at 7pm. It is open from 7am to 7pm daily, and NParks strictly prohibits entering or staying after 7pm. So it is not one for an after-work run once it is dark.

• The TreeTop Walk keeps its own hours. It is closed on Mondays (except public holidays), and open 9am to 5pm from Tuesday to Friday and 8:30am to 5pm on weekends and public holidays, with last entry at 4:45pm. Start early and you will reach the bridge before it opens, so plan your loop around those hours, or take Route 4, which skips it.

Water and Toilets: carry what you need. NParks' TreeTop Walk guide says the Ranger Station is the only rest stop inside the reserve with restrooms and a water cooler. PUB lists an amenities centre at the reservoir park.

Rules: no bicycles or other vehicles in the reserve, no pets, and stay on the designated trails. Leave small or plastic bags at home: NParks advises against carrying them, because the monkeys have learnt to associate them with food. During and immediately after bad weather, shelter and stay out of forested areas.

Getting There: from Caldecott MRT, walk 850m along Toa Payoh Rise and turn right onto Thomson Road. Buses stop at MacRitchie Reservoir (51071) and opposite it (51079). Driving? The MacRitchie Reservoir Park car park is on Lornie Road.

Rather run it with a group? Our running clubs directory lists MacRitchie Runners 25, which meets here on weekend mornings.

3. Singapore Botanic Gardens: Early Starts, Open Till Midnight

The Botanic Gardens covers 82 hectares. It is free to enter and open from 5am to midnight every day, so you can fit a run in before work or long after it.

Just do not go looking for an official Botanic Gardens running route. NParks does not publish a jogging loop or distance for the Gardens, and we have not invented one. Make your own loop between the entrances and let your watch do the measuring.

• Where to Start: Tanglin Entrance, served by Napier MRT (Thomson-East Coast Line), or Bukit Timah Entrance, by Botanic Gardens MRT (Circle and Downtown lines). There are also entrances at Nassim, Tyersall and Gallop.

• Best Time: the Gardens says early mornings between 6am and 8am are especially pleasant, with cooler air and more birds about.

• After Dark: some parts close. The Learning Forest is open from 7am to 7pm, and the SPH Walk of Giants, Keppel Discovery Wetlands, Botanist Boardwalk and Pulai Marsh Trail close from 7pm to 7am.

• Rules: no cycling, scooters, skates or skateboards. Shelters cannot be used exclusively for exercise, and pets must be on a leash.

• Facilities: there are washrooms, and staffed information desks from 8am to 5:30pm daily can help with first aid.

4. East Coast Park: Long, Flat and by the Sea

If you want distance without hills, East Coast Park is hard to beat. NParks puts it at 180 hectares, stretching over 13km. It is open 24 hours, and it sits on both the Eastern Coastal Loop and the Round Island Route of the Park Connector Network, so you can keep going well past the park.

ActiveSG Circle suggests starting at Marine Cove, which has toilets, cafés and water points. From there, head east along the coastal path towards Bedok Jetty and turn back, for about 10km in total. ActiveSG rates it easy and says the flat, even terrain suits all fitness levels. It also suggests beginners might prefer East Coast Park's flat coastal paths over hillier routes.

• Shade: there is some. NParks says coconut palms, ketapangs and casuarinas line the coast and give some shade from the sun.

• Getting There: NParks lists Bedok MRT as the nearest station. The Bedok, Coastal and Siglap park connectors are close by, and the Siglap Park Connector starts from Area C4.

• Tides: NParks says not to enter areas that may be flooded by high tides or bad weather.

• Works: as of October 2026, NParks lists several footpath closures for upgrading, including a section of footpath at Area D (until 30 November 2026) and the path to car park C4 (until 21 November 2026). Site investigation works for the Long Island project run into the first quarter of 2027, but the park and beach stay open.

5. Sentosa: Two Marked Tracks and a Free Way In

Yes, you can run onto Sentosa. Entry is free if you come in on foot over the Sentosa Boardwalk from VivoCity, which starts at Lobby F, Level 1, by HarbourFront MRT. The Boardwalk is for people on foot: cyclists cannot ride on it, and personal mobility devices are not allowed.

Once you are over, Sentosa has two jogging tracks of its own, both starting from Beach Station:

• West Track, 2.3km: Siloso Beach, around Siloso Point and through the Coastal Trail.

• East Track, 4.4km: the longer and harder of the two. It runs along Palawan and Tanjong beaches, Allanbrooke Road, Woolrich Road and Mount Serapong, and around Sentosa Cove.

Sentosa says water coolers are placed along its walking routes. There are restrooms along Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong beaches, with lockers available from 7am to 8pm. Expect some detours near Resorts World Sentosa while development works go on, and follow the signs.

6. Park Connectors: Go Long

For a really long run, the Park Connector Network joins parks into long, continuous routes. You are sharing them, though: on shared paths the speed limit for every user is 25km/h, and separate cycling and walking paths exist only in some places. Three are worth knowing.

Eastern Coastal Loop and the Coastal Park Connector

The Eastern Coastal Loop links Pasir Ris to East Coast Park, and NParks says it is popular with runners as well as cyclists and rollerbladers. Its coastal stretch, the 15km Coastal Park Connector from Changi Beach Park to East Coast Park, is open 24 hours and lit from 7pm to 7am. That makes it the only route here with published lighting hours, which is handy if you run after dark.

Rail Corridor

The old railway line is planned as a 24km route from Woodlands to Tanjong Pagar, and more than 21km of it is already continuous. The surface is natural: gravel and crushed stone on the southern stretch from Rifle Range Road to Tanjong Pagar, and grass and gravel from Rifle Range Road to Kranji. It is open 24/7 but deliberately unlit at night, because it is an ecological corridor, so it is a daylight run for most of us. The section between Henderson Road and Spooner Road has been closed for trail improvement works since 9 March 2026, and NParks expects that phase to finish on 31 July 2027.

Southern Ridges

This is the hilly one. The Southern Ridges are 10km of green, open space linking Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park, HortPark and Kent Ridge Park. ActiveSG suggests starting at Henderson Waves, which it calls Singapore's highest pedestrian bridge. From there, run through Forest Walk and Canopy Walk towards Telok Blangah Hill Park and back, for about 9 to 10km. Extend to HortPark and you will pass 15km. Expect elevated walkways, stairs and frequent climbs; NParks grades the Southern Ridges walk moderate to challenging. Two things to know as of October 2026: some sections of Forest Walk are unlit from 7pm to 7am until 30 November 2026, and a footpath section of the Mount Faber Loop has been closed since January 2025 after a slope failure.

Running in Singapore's Heat: When to Go and What to Check

Whichever route you pick, the weather will have a say. The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) says temperatures usually stay above 23 to 25°C at night and below 31 to 33°C in the day. Relative humidity runs above 90% just before sunrise and falls to around 60% on afternoons without rain.

• Go early or late. HealthHub advises trying to avoid going outdoors between 10:30am and 3:30pm, when the sun is strongest, and getting active early in the morning or in the evening. MSS says moderate to high heat stress usually occurs in the late morning and afternoon, and high levels are more common in April and May.

• Check the Heat Stress Advisory. NEA and MSS publish heat stress levels based on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), which combines air temperature, humidity, wind speed and sun. The levels are updated every 15 minutes on the myENV app and weather.gov.sg, and MSS says you can use them to adjust outdoor activities such as jogging:

  • Low (WBGT under 31°C): continue normal activities and hydrate normally.
  • Moderate (31°C to under 33°C): reduce outdoor activities, take regular breaks in the shade or indoors, and drink more fluids.
  • High (33°C and above): minimise outdoor activities, stay in the shade where possible, take more frequent or longer breaks, and cool yourself actively during them, for example by pouring water over your arms and legs.

• Night is not automatically safe. MSS advises caution with high-intensity exercise even at night in a tropical climate like Singapore's.

• Drink to a plan. Sport Singapore's general guidance is about 500ml of water 30 minutes before exercise, 250 to 500ml every half hour during it, and 1,000ml afterwards. It also recommends isotonic or sports drinks for anything lasting more than an hour. Everyone sweats differently, so work out your own sweat rate for numbers that fit you.

• Know the warning signs. MSS lists the signs of heat-related illness, which include weakness, dizziness, intense thirst, nausea, headache, muscle cramps and breathlessness. It says recovery comes with rest in a cool place and a cool drink, and that untreated symptoms can progress to heat stroke, the most serious heat-related illness. The signs of heat stroke include disorientation, loss of consciousness and seizures. There is more on the two hydration risks endurance athletes face.

• Visiting from somewhere cooler? Take it easy at first. MSS lists people who have recently travelled from cooler climates among those more vulnerable to heat stress, and Singapore's physical activity guidelines advise making sure you are heat acclimatised and pacing accordingly.

• Lightning. Singapore has about 167 thunderstorm days a year. They come all year round but are most frequent in the inter-monsoon months of April to May and October to November. In a storm, MSS advises sheltering in a building or car, not under tall trees or in small structures, and staying away from the sea. Wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before you head back out. The myENV and Lightning@SG apps show lightning information.

• Haze. When there is haze, check NEA's 1-hour PM2.5 readings and health advisory at haze.gov.sg before you go. For healthy people, the advice runs from carrying on as normal at Band 1, to reducing strenuous outdoor activity at Band 2 and avoiding it at Band 3, to minimising all outdoor activity at Band 4.

Gear Up for Singapore's Routes with ATHLO+

The heat and the distances call for a little kit:

• Sunglasses for Open Routes: On the open waterfront and coastal routes, you will be glad of sunglasses. Our guide to running sunglasses that won't slip or bounce covers fit.
• A Lens for Dawn-to-Daylight Runs: If you start at first light and finish in full sun, a photochromic lens such as Aura Shades 67 Shades of Grey adjusts as the light changes, from near-clear to a Category 3 tint.
• Fuel for the Long Routes: On the longer routes, such as the MacRitchie loops, East Coast Park end to end or the park connectors, carry fuel as well as water. We stock ANS Superfood Energy Gels, which their maker says are easy to take without water.

Find People to Run With, and Something to Train For

Plenty of these routes already have clubs on them. Our guide to running clubs in Singapore lists clubs and crews across the island with where and when they meet, including groups at Marina Bay, Marina Barrage and MacRitchie. And when you want something to train for, What's On lists races in Singapore you can enter.

Ready to lace up? Pick a route above, then read our guide to working out your sweat rate next so you carry the right amount of water.

Running Routes in Singapore: Quick Answers

What's the best running route in Singapore for beginners?

East Coast Park. It is flat, Marine Cove has toilets, water points and cafés, and ActiveSG rates the 10km out and back to Bedok Jetty easy enough for all fitness levels. And you can always turn around sooner.

Where can I run at night in Singapore?

East Coast Park and Marina Barrage's public areas are open 24 hours, and the Botanic Gardens is open until midnight. The Coastal Park Connector is lit from 7pm to 7am. MacRitchie's nature reserve closes at 7pm, and the Rail Corridor is open but unlit.

What's the best time of day to run in Singapore?

Early morning or evening. HealthHub advises avoiding 10:30am to 3:30pm, and MSS says heat stress is usually highest in the late morning and afternoon. Check the Heat Stress Advisory on myENV before a long run.

Sources

Checked on 17 October 2026. Hours, closures and works change, so the parks' own pages are the final word.

• Marina Bay: URA, Marina Bay; URA Master Plan 2025, Connecting our green and blue spaces; URA, Marina Bay event application; National Heritage Board, Helix Bridge; National Heritage Board, Jubilee Bridge; Gardens by the Bay, Bay East Garden; Gardens by the Bay, Getting here; Gardens by the Bay, Amenities; Gardens by the Bay, Visiting guidelines; PUB, Marina Barrage visitor information; PUB, Marina Barrage FAQs; parkrun, Bay East Garden course
• MacRitchie: NParks, Central Catchment Nature Reserve trails; NParks, Central Catchment Nature Reserve; NParks, TreeTop Walk guide (PDF); NParks, Hello MacRitchie; NParks, designated car parks (PDF); PUB, MacRitchie Reservoir; ActiveSG Circle, Running routes in Singapore
• Botanic Gardens: NParks, Singapore Botanic Gardens; Singapore Botanic Gardens, About; Singapore Botanic Gardens, General info; Singapore Botanic Gardens, Self-guided walks
• East Coast Park: NParks, East Coast Park; NParks, Siglap Park Connector; NParks, Long Island site investigation notice (PDF); ActiveSG Circle, Running routes in Singapore
• Sentosa: Sentosa, Where to run in Sentosa; Sentosa, Is Sentosa worth it; Sentosa, FAQs; Sentosa, Cycling guide; Sentosa, Sustainable tourism; Sentosa Discovery Guide, May 2026 (PDF)
• Park Connectors: NParks, Parks for fitness; NParks, Eastern Coastal Loop; NParks, Coastal Park Connector; NParks, Types of paths; NParks, Visit the Rail Corridor; NParks, Rail Corridor (North); NParks, Rail Corridor; NParks, Rail Corridor FAQ; NParks, Nature park networks; NParks, HortPark walks; NParks, Telok Blangah Hill Park; NParks, Mount Faber Park
• Heat, Weather and Haze: MSS, Climate of Singapore; MSS, Learn about heat stress; MSS, Manage heat stress (PDF); NEA, Heat Stress Advisory launch; MSS, Weather systems; MSS, Lightning safety (PDF); HealthHub, Reaching exercise goals safely; HealthHub, Get up and go; Singapore Physical Activity Guidelines (PDF); Sport Singapore, Sports safety and health check; NEA, Haze