This article is for those who can’t spend, not even a day, without running or exercising, even when they are on vacations!
Below is a list with some beautiful and not so crowded places where you can do your gymnastics...
Along the Bosphorus
Start after the first bridge and head up to Bebek or to the second bridge crossing the Bosphorus shores and then turn around. If you go all the way to the second bridge it will be about an 11km run (total both ways), otherwise we’re looking at anywhere between 5/6 km (total both ways). The path is very beautiful, always running next to the water and passing by the most expensive houses in Istanbul. Don’t try this on weekends from 11am to 7pm if you don’t want to have all Istanbul walking next to you
Buyukada
The biggest of the Princes’ Islands offers the perfect scenery for a long and relaxing run. There, motorized vehicles are not allowed and the only way of seeing the island is by walking, biking or taking a horse carriage. The whole island is covered with pine trees. There also many beautiful old Ottoman houses. It is both a great place for sports and for enjoying the nature
Macka Park
This is the option with the easiest access for your workout. With its unpaved running path, Macka Park is a nice option for those runners seeking to avoid hard surfaces. Beginning in Taksim, head down past Gümüşsuyu to İnönü Stadium. As you climb the hill leading to Nisantasi, you will pass the Swissôtel on your right. From here you are presented with a couple of options: either enter the lower end of Maçka Park (across the street from the Swissôtel), or for a more rigorous uphill workout, follow the road to the top of the hill and enter the upper end of the park at Harbiye
Belgrade Forest
Located about 15 km outside the city. It is a very popular weekend destination and a great place for a nature workout. It is one of the most visited recreational areas in Istanbul with over 5,500 hectars of forest. There is a 7km running track around a lake, but don’t feel like you have to constrict yourself to that. Enjoy the plants, fauna and awe-inspiring beauty that is the ultimate contrast to a city of over 16 million people