The best free running stadiums and parks in St. Petersburg 2024

Jogging in the fresh air is an opportunity to keep your body and mind vigorous without much effort. Not everyone knows that running is also a great way to cope with stress and neutralize the negative effects of the hormone cortisol on the body, which is released into the bloodstream during nervous overexcitation. So, just 40 minutes of running or 2 hours of intense walking will help maintain health and extend life.

There are many parks in St. Petersburg where you can simultaneously improve your well-being and enjoy the surrounding beauty. There are also stadiums that can be visited for free, unless there are some special events taking place there.

Perhaps there is not a single area of ​​the city or region where there would be no park or stadium. Peterhof, Pavlovsk, Oranienbaum, Sestroretsk, Kronstadt - in 2024, each of these cities has magnificent park ensembles.

Where to start training

Before you start jogging, you need to contact a specialist and find out if you have any contraindications for training.

As a rule, contraindications are heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and visual impairment. This is a generalized list, so you should still consult a doctor for advice, even if you did not see your problem in it.

If there are no contraindications, you can proceed to choosing a place for morning jogging. It is better to pick it up not far from home so as not to tire yourself on a long journey and be able to take a contrast shower soon after a run. It is better if the relief of the chosen place is even, without drops.

You shouldn't set global goals and start small right away.

It is advisable to run regularly, at least 1-2 times a week. You can start with 10 minutes and gradually increase the time and distance. The first workouts will be hard, the body will take time to get used to the load.

Tips for beginner athletes

Not every run is good for your health. In order for it to benefit the body, you must follow a number of tips:

• The start and end of your run should be smooth. Do not make sudden accelerations from the start or sit down on a bench after a long intense run. It is better if the run is even, without acceleration;
• It is important to take the correct position. The back should be straight and tilted slightly forward. The arms are bent at the elbows, pressed against the body and do not fall during movement. The foot should be on the toe and not hit the heel on the ground;
• When running, you should try to breathe through your nose. If this fails, and you move on to breathing through the mouth, you should reduce the pace of movement and normalize breathing;
• For clothing, you should choose specialized lungs sneakers and clothes in which it will be convenient and comfortable to perform physical activities.

The best free running stadiums and parks in St. Petersburg

So, let's take a look at a number of stadiums and parks in the Northern capital and the region where you can go jogging for free.

"Red triangle"

Located 10 minutes walk from the Narvskaya metro station. The path to it runs through Yekateringof Park, divided by Liflyandskaya Street.

The Red Triangle stadium once belonged to the rubber goods factory of the same name, established in the middle of the 19th century. In the early 2000s, the plant was declared bankrupt and became the property of the city. In 2008, the sports committee of St. Petersburg renovated the stadium. Now competitions, trainings of sports sections, football clubs, mass sports events of the city level are held here.

Both the park and the stadium are suitable for both amateurs and professionals.

You can run both on a football field with a soft and comfortable artificial turf, and on track and field tracks.

• The presence of tracks with a special coating;
• Convenient location in the middle of the park;
• You can run in the rain.

• In the daytime and in the evening, football training takes place, during which it is impossible to enter the stadium.

"Park Ekateringof"

The park is a 3-minute walk from Narvskaya. It has a long history and was founded in the days of Peter I and Catherine in 1711, earlier it housed the Empress's palace. Now there are no historical buildings in the park, and it is intended exclusively for recreation of residents and guests of the city.

Yekateringof occupies a fairly large area - 34 hectares. It is distinguished by its well-groomed, cleanliness, the presence, in addition to the central alleys, of many unpaved paths and paths, which allow you to run in peace and quiet even on a weekend or a holiday.
Unfortunately, due to problems with drainage, in the spring and summer, during the period of prolonged rains for which St. Petersburg is famous, the paths are washed out and many deep puddles and mud are formed.

Here, residents of nearby houses do morning and evening jogging, exercise and do Scandinavian walking.
There are several lakes in the park, there are both shady alleys where you can hide from the sun on a hot summer day, and open sunny areas.

• Fresh air;
• Lots of routes;
• Safety;
• Beautiful landscapes.

• Do not run in bad weather.

"Park of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg"

The park is located right on the shore of the bay, which allows you to run along the shady alleys and breathe in the fresh sea air. The park is very well maintained and tidy. Every day hundreds of Petersburgers flock here to admire the opening view of the recently erected Zenit Arena stadium, which with evening illumination resembles a spaceship, to Lakhta Center and the Western High-Speed ​​Diameter.

The length of all tracks in the park, including the outer circle and inner paths, is 5 km. There are both asphalt alleys and unpaved paths. Nature lovers can run along the sand along the bay line.
There are many green pleasures in the park, so walking and jogging is extremely enjoyable.

• Nice view around;
• Clean and well maintained;
• Trails suitable for running.

• There are always a lot of people;
• Mass events are often held when there is literally no overcrowding in the park - for example, "VK fest";
• In winter, the place is heavily blown due to the proximity of the water. At this time, the athletes go to the track.

"Moscow Victory Park"

The park is located 10 minutes from the metro station of the same name. Local residents have organized an athletics club in the park, which trains here every Saturday morning. You can become a member of the club for free. Professionals advise beginners on running and suggest different exercises, depending on the person's goals. This is a great opportunity to make friends with the same interests.

The history of the park begins in 1945. Previously, there was a crematorium on this territory, and burials were made in the drained ponds during the years of the blockade.

Today the park covers 64 hectares.There are many alleys and paths where you can go in for sports.

• Works 24 hours;
• Large territory;
• Not too crowded;
• The presence of a sports club.

• The history of the park may not be conducive to sports, but this applies to especially sensitive people.

"TsPKiO"

The Gorky Central Park of Culture and Rest is located on the territory of Elagin Island. On weekdays, you can get into it for free, but on weekends the amount is purely symbolic - 30 or 100 rubles. In the evening, admission becomes free.
In short, there is an opportunity to find the right time and jog right in the city center for free. And it is actively used by many residents of the city, who can be found here at any time of the day.

The infrastructure of the park is high. If you get tired of running, you can sit on one of the benches by the lake and feed the squirrels in abundance. Or you can just breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the surrounding beauty - there are many green spaces, beautiful flower beds in the park, and in the summer there is even a garden with tulips from all over the world.

• Paved paths;
• Beautiful park ensemble;
• Great location.

• Paid on weekends and holidays;
• There are many people.

"Sosnovka"

The territory of the park is simply huge - 320 hectares. Sosnovka looks more like a forest within the city, more precisely, on its outskirts. Actually, in the 19th century, things were like that - writers Ivan Turgenev and critic Vissarion Belinsky loved to walk in a pine forest, not far from dachas. Mikhail Lermontov was here at a duel.

Today the park serves as a place of leisure for Petersburgers. Basically, people come here for barbecue and walks. However, there are also those who go in for sports in Sosnovka. Many shady alleys and dirt paths are conducive to this.

• Fresh air and pine forest;
• Large territory;
• Few people.

• The territory of the park is huge and not particularly safe. If you jog in a landscaped part of the park, along the main alleys, or at a time when there are a lot of people in the park, then there is no danger. However, Sosnovka at night and its forest is clearly not the place where it is safe to run, since there is a great chance of finding trouble.

"Kronstadt Stadium"

This is a free public stadium located near the center of Kronstadt. It is considered one of the best in the Leningrad Region.

The sports complex includes a jogging and tennis court, as well as volleyball and football fields with a lawn.
The coast of the Gulf of Finland is located nearby, so you can enjoy the fresh sea air while jogging on the high-quality artificial turf. True, in winter this factor will become a minus, since Kronstadt is heavily blown through due to the water in its surroundings.

• Suitable for winter jogging;
• A modern and affordable sports complex with a dedicated running area.

• Location - suitable only for residents of Kronstadt;
• During the competition and training of young athletes, the stadium becomes inaccessible.

"Tauride Gardens"

Another free place right in the center of St. Petersburg, where you can do morning and evening jogging. True, it should be borne in mind that, closer to the afternoon, a large number of people gather in the garden.

The garden was founded in the 18th century. Several years ago, a complete restoration was carried out, so that while jogging in the garden, you have the opportunity to receive true aesthetic satisfaction.

The alleys and lawns are extremely well-groomed, and swans live in the pond during the warm season. There are also alleys over which there are centuries-old trees - lindens, oaks, and larch trees.

• Very beautiful landscaping;
• Convenient paths for jogging.

• A lot of people on weekends and evenings on weekdays during warm hours of the day;
• Although no one will forbid running, the garden is intended more for leisurely walks;
• The garden is closed for the winter.

Let's summarize.In the northern capital, there are really many free locations available for sports training, which cannot be listed with all the desire. Even if among the listed you did not find a place near your home, then it probably exists and you know about it. Even if it is a small square, a garden, or a sports ground of a nearby school - then such places are already suitable, because the distance can be increased by the number of circles. The main thing is having a desire, understanding the benefits of such an event as jogging and adherence to the correct running technologies. Together, this will give a positive result for the body, which will be felt after the first weeks of training.