Hanoi, my first time moving out of Europe, my last semester as a student, and one of the weirdest but best experience I had, in the middle of the covid pandemic. Hanoi, also probably the least running-friendly city I ever lived in, bustling, sometimes extremely hot, and highly polluted. This article will be relatively short then, as there wasn’t a ton of possible running spots, but here is an overview to give you inspiration on where to run in the Vietnamese capital.
City Profile
Geography: Capital of Vietnam, North-East of the country, on the borders of the Red River
Population: more than 5 million inhabitants
Climate: relatively cold in Winter (around 15-20°C), foggy with regularly light rain. Very hot in Summer (sometimes more than 40°C) with sparse but heavy rains. In general, very high rate of humidity. Air pollution tends to be lower in Summer.
What it’s famous for: Contrary to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi is still a very authentic Vietnamese city. The city centre is packed with historical sites (temples and pagodas, “36 corporations’ district”), traditional markets and small cafés and restaurants on the pavements.
Running friendliness: ✴️
How I ended-up in Hanoi
I had the choice between plenty of partner universities for my last semester. To decide, I made up a complicated table with different selection criteria, and Hanoi stood out at the top of my wish list. Returning from Madrid in December and after a short interval in France, I flew off to Vietnam in February 2020, right at the beginning of the covid crisis.
First run
As I landed in Hanoi without having a place to stay, I spent a few days in a hostel in the old city center while searching for a flat share. I went for my first run a couple of days after recovering from the jetlag, around Hoan Kiem lake, which was very close to the hostel I was staying and which I knew was one of the (only) potential running spot to consider. I remember that first run was particularly hard since I decided to go with a pollution mask (especially since I didn’t have my Respro mask at that time, only a bad mask I had bought a few days earlier) and I was not used to such a humid climate.
Where to run in Hanoi? The few running spots to consider
Hoan Kiem lake, for short runs
The iconic park in Hanoi’s old town, with its temple and its small pagoda in the middle, surrounded by beautiful flamboyant trees. Usually crowded by tourists, but it’s also were locals gather at night and for any kind of celebrations. Hoan Kiem lake was my usual walking and running spot for short sessions.
Why run there:
- One of the only places where you can stay (somehow) away from the cars in Hanoi and that could be assimilated to a park in the city centre. There is a large pavement surrounding the lake, and some greenery too (which is quite seldom in Hanoi)
- It’s very beautiful, perfect for a touristic run
- Quite central
…and why not:
- One loop is almost exactly one mile, so you need to take many loops for a long run
- As said earlier, it can get very crowdy. Like the Vietnamese, go early (EARLY) morning to avoid both tourists and the heat
- With the chaotic traffic, street vendors and small restaurants on the pavements, reaching there can be quite an adventure (but that’s the beauty of it right?)
West lake, for long runs
West lake and Truc Bach (a small part of West lake) was my favourite route (actually the only one I could find) for long runs. I was mostly going there late afternoon or in the evening/at night. You can run on the pavement or directly on the road all around the lake (the traffic is… okay). It’s even possible to make an entire loop around the lake (something like 16km), but I haven’t tried.
Why run there:
- The only possibility I see to have a long run, avoiding traffic at the same time by taking the small roads following the banks.
- It’s also a beautiful running spot, especially at the end of the day when the sun reflects on the lake, with Hanoi’s skyline in the background. And of course, there’s also a pagoda between West Lake and Truc Bach.
- As an expat you are likely to live in this area (Tay Ho)
…and why not:
There’s no real alternative for long runs anyway (except Banana island maybe) so… The same drawbacks apply everywhere when running in Hanoi: too polluted (often ranked in the most polluted city worldwide), too hot in Summer, hard to navigate with the traffic and with all the mess in general 🤯.
Thong Nhat Park, for some greenery at last
The only real proper park in Hanoi. As it was both far from where I lived and you had to pay to enter, I never tried running there.
Why run there:
- Green, quiet, with no cars (I guess the only place where you could do interval training)
- Quite big for long runs. Most runners are doing loops around the small lakes.
…and why not:
- It’s pretty far in the South of the city
- You have to pay to enter 😒
Under the bridge, to take a run on the wild side
Hanoi is bordered by the Red River, which splits there into several branches before finishing into the South China Sea. The bridge in question is the “Long Bien” bridge, which crosses two branches of the river in the North East of Hanoi. It’s quite famous for its metallic structure, the train passing in the middle and the view you have on the river and the city. Under the bridge is the “Banana island”, which, as its name says, is an island between two branches of the Red river that is mostly covered with banana trees and other kind of plantations. I remember getting down from the bridge into the plantations, but never ran there though. Banana island is also accessible from different parts of Tay Ho (top of West lake).
Good to know, there is an Island Run organised by a local NGO every year.
Why run there:
- Quiet, green, away from the cars
- The only place to run on dirt tracks
- Not far if you live in Tay Ho
…and why not:
- It’s far and quite a mess to get there if you come from the city center
Here and there in the city streets
It’s quite possible to run in some streets in the city center (or at least it’s a good idea to take them on the way to West Lake), mostly:
- Around the citadel where you have large pavements on both sides of the road. Many locals take advantage of the space to play badminton.
- Around the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh (aka uncle Ho). There is a large square in front of the mausoleum where many Vietnamese go running in circles (not so exciting though).
Other runs in Vietnam
As far as I remember, I ran twice outside of Ha Noi, while traveling. The first time was in Hué along the “Perfume River” (I really love Vietnamese names), in the evening after a day of visit. The second time was early morning in the backyards of Hoi An (quite randomly).
And you, what are your favourite running routes in Hanoi and in Vietnam?