wellness
Bogota Runners Flock to 120km Weekly Ciclovia and Monserrate Climb
Bogota's best running is anchored by the Ciclovia, a Sunday tradition since 1974 that closes 120 kilometres of roads to cars and draws two million people weekly, alongside a genuine altitude climb up Monserrate to a 17th-century sanctuary.
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Bogota offers one of the world's original open-streets traditions alongside a genuine high-altitude climb that doubles as a pilgrimage route. Here are the best running routes in Bogota for 2026.
The Ciclovia
Every Sunday and public holiday from 7am to 2pm, more than 120 kilometres of Bogota's major roads close entirely to cars under the Ciclovia program, open to runners, cyclists and walkers on paved city streets. It began on 15 December 1974 as a grassroots experiment closing just 5 kilometres, became official city policy in 1976, and expanded hugely in the 1990s under mayors Antanas Mockus and Enrique Peñalosa. It now draws roughly two million people, about a fifth of the city's population, every week, and has been managed since 1995 by the Instituto Distrital de Recreación y Deporte, making it one of the original models for the global open-streets movement.
Parque Simon Bolivar
The city's flagship park offers a paved perimeter loop of about 3.8 kilometres and a dedicated brick-dust athletic track loop of roughly 3.3 kilometres, flat and green, with a lake and wide-open recreational space popular for both long runs and intervals.
Parque El Virrey
Built along the Quebrada El Virrey creek in the Chapinero district, Parque El Virrey links three segments totalling roughly 3.4 kilometres of loop or out-and-back running, entirely tree-lined despite sitting in the middle of the city.
Cerro de Monserrate
The Pilgrims' Way trail up Cerro de Monserrate runs about 2.4 to 3.7 kilometres one way with roughly 600 metres of elevation gain, topping out near 3,152 metres above sea level, a serious challenge given Bogota's altitude. At the summit stands the Monserrate sanctuary, its current building completed in 1920, home to the shrine of El Señor Caído and a major pilgrimage site, with a cable car alternative for those who prefer not to run it.
Running the Bogota Half Marathon Route
The Media Maratón de Bogotá, Colombia's largest race, first held in 2000 and run annually in late July or early August, starts near Parque Simón Bolívar, passes Torre Colpatria, runs north through Parque Nacional and past Parque El Virrey, and returns to Simón Bolívar, a genuine high-altitude test at 2,640 metres that strings together several of the routes above.
Practical Guide to Running in Bogota
Parque Simon Bolivar and Parque El Virrey are the most reliable choices for a flat run at any time; Sunday mornings are worth planning specifically around the Ciclovia for a genuinely different experience.