Some key Baltimore Area Running Routes
(Since this page was originally developed, a website called mapmyrun.com has been established.  The problem is that a Baltimore search will generate thousands of neighborhood runs input by individuals.  Some of them follow the same course, just start and end at a different house.  If you are new to Baltimore, or visiting, the courses on this page start at about the same place relative to a hotel or other landmark.)

Inner Harbor Runs - Start at Light and Pratt Streets
Light and Pratt to Fort McHenry -  About 6 miles Light to Key Highway to Lawrence to Fort Avenue to Fort McHenry and return.  Subtract 1.1 miles if you do not run through the Fort. (Click Here for course map)
Light and Pratt to Korean War Memorial-   About 5 miles.Take the Promenade east staying by the water and crossing the bridges bearing to the right until running parallel to the water and Lancaster..  At Caroline continue straight on Lancaster (out of towners can turn right on Caroline to Thames, run through historic Fells Point, left on Wolfe and resume) left on Wolfe, right on Aliceanna, right on Boston and turn-around at Clinton and return. ( Click here for course map )
Downtown to JHU Homewood Field -   About 5 miles. Take Light (St Paul) north to left on 29th to left on Charles back to Pratt. ( Click here for course map ) To add the two-mile campus loop for 7 miles go all the way to left on University to left on San Martin bearing left on Art Museum Drive to right on Charles and return. ( Click here for course map )
Downtown to Druid Hill Park - This course will get you to Druid Hill Park.  See the Druid Hill courses below if you want to tack on extra miles once you get here. Course map

Downtown Gywnns Falls Trail Run - Here it is from Light Street, all 23 miles of out-and-back from Carroll Park, plus the trip over and the trip back through Westport.  For shorter runs, well, study the course and adapt to fit your mileage.  No water or rest stops here, unless the bathrooms are open at Winans Meadows Trailhead.  Course map

Inner Harbor to Patterson Park - From Light Street to Eastern to Patterson Park and running each loop and return, about five miles.  Course map

Patterson Park - Outer Perimeter is 1.6 miles - Linwood to Baltimore to Patterson Pk Blvd to Eastern.Adding the perimeter of the eastern small park brings it to 2.3 miles. Click here   The inside loops form a figure eight and are each about 1 mile around (one is a little over, the other a little under) Click Here

Federal Hill Runners Courses - Monday night runs at 6:30 PM from Federal Hill Fitness at Cross Street Market (south side)
Summer Fort McHenry - About 6 miles with options
Winter Base Route - Turn Around at Power Plant, about 4 1/4, or go to the Marriott for extra miles.
Gwynns Falls Trail Route - About 6 1/2 miles, run this with a group and someone who knows the way.

Mid-Town - Courses with a (C) start or run by the Inn at the Colonnade at Hopkins
(C) Hopkins Two-Miler - Run the perimeter of the JHU Homewood campus - University to San Martin to Art Museum Drive to Charles to University. Course map

(C) Homewood Field to Lake Ave  - About six miles. From Johns Hopkins University run west on University Parkway until it bears north and becomes Roland Avenue.  Keep heading north until the T-intersection at Lake Avenue, and return.  Major road crossings at Cold Spring Lane and Northern Parkway, but well lit, well traveled, and a popular mid-town running route.  Round trip is about six miles, depending where you start.  This map starts from the fieldhouse.

(C) Homewood Field to Druid Hill Park - From Johns Hopkins University, run west on University, right onto San Martin Drive, right on Wyman Park Drive, cross Keswick, and enter Druid Hill Park.  From Homewood Field to the tennis courts at Druid Hill is about two miles, plus however many miles you want to tack on inside Druid Hill, plus the return two miles.  Here is a 9 1/2 mile course map.

(C) JHU Homewood Field to Downtown -   About 5 miles. This is the same as the downtown course in reverse.  Take University East to Charles, right on Charles all the way to the Inner Harbor, and return up St Paul north to left on University. ( Click here  for course map but start at the turnaround instead of downtown.) To add the two-mile campus loop for 7 miles go all the way to left on University to left on San Martin bearing left on Art Museum Drive to right on Charles and return. ( Click here for course map )

(C) Montebello 13 Miler -  This is the training loop from the 2000 Baltimore Marathon Course.  Very hilly.  Starting at Lake Montebello run east on the south side of the lake, exit and left turn onto Harford Road, then bear right at the split onto Walther Boulevard.  Walther to Northern Parkway, left on Northern Parkway, left on Roland to University, left on 33rd to Lake Montebello. Course map

(C) Hopkins to Gilman Trail Run - A nice trail run along Stoney Run up to Gilman School.  The faculty at Gilman can sometimes be restrictive about using the track, so respect any directions from anyone regarding the use. Coming back, you need to jump across the stream just before it goes under the University Parkway overpass to continue on the Wyman Park Trails. Course map

Gilman Track Loops -  The short loop that extends from the gravel to the asphalt path along the track backstretch fence is 0.53 mile (2800 feet, which exceeds a half mile by 53 yards).  The long loop that extends from the gravel to the asphalt path parallel to the track homestretch -- between the track and the gym -- is 0.67 mile (3520 feet, or 2/3 mile). 

The longest flat loop is the middle one, which passes through the 2 gates at the track and uses the homestretch.  It's 0.64 mile (3400 feet). You can get a flat 5 km by running the middle loop 4 times + 2 laps on the track + 110 meters (begin at the track start line and go to the end of the first exchange zone after crossing the start line the 7th and final time).  This will induce a mild but reversible case of boredom. 
- John Roemer

Druid Hill Park Courses - If coming from the Colannade, run around San Martin Drive to Wyman Park Drive.  Cross Keswick to pick the courses.  If from downtown, take the Charles to Falls Road course and access Wyman Park Drive via the bike path.

Celtic Solstice Five-Mile Course - Fairly easy jaunt on the front portion of the park.  Course map
Dreaded Druid Hills Course - Easy 5K at first, followed by a hellacious hill section.  Course map
Druid Hill Loop - Six miles around the lake loop, mansion house loop, & back hills  Course map


Baltimore County
Goucher College features a mile-and-a-half rolling loop around the campus, and as an added bonus, has a series of wooded trails for the more adventurous.  Well lighted and patrolled by security, the campus is a very safe area to run.

Loch Raven Reservoir is used by many training groups for long runs.  Very hilly, the course stretches between Peerce's Plantation on Dulaney Valley Road to Sander's Corner on Cromwell Bridge Road.  The round trip from Peerce's to Sander's and back is a little under nine miles. For added excitement take Providence Road up to the firehouse!  Map here

The Northern Central Railroad Trail extends from Hunt Valley to York.  Check out my NCR trail page for tips on how to run the southern end, but suffice it for now to say that the Trail may be best accessed from Baltimore at Paper Mill Road, Phoenix Road, Sparks, Monkton Station, or White Hall.

Anne Arundel County
B & A Trail - About 13 Miles.  From Severna Park it is the home of the B&A Trail Marathon in March.  This is just a general info link


BWI Trail - 11 Miles around the airport.  It links to the B & A Trail.  Map

More Routes:  Since I started this page, USATF put up their own page where runners can submit routes.  There are a number of Baltimore area submissions on this page