Chicago is a serious running city with a serious catch: the winter. For half the year it's cold, windy, and dark early, which pushes runners onto indoor field-house tracks and sends everyone back to the outdoor park-district and school ovals the moment it warms up. The upside is a deep bench of both — plenty of tracks across the city and suburbs, if you pick by which side of town you're on.
4.6 ★★★★★ 7,622 reviews
540-plus-acre city park featuring a beach, gardens & indoor/outdoor fitness facilities.
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,211 reviews
This 2.7-mile elevated former rail track is open to both cyclists & walkers.
4.6 ★★★★★ 889 reviews
Park with a water playground, pool & sports facilities plus fishing, wildlife & a canoe launch.
4.5 ★★★★★ 817 reviews
State-of-the-art family center featuring a hydraulically banked indoor track, plus basketball and volleyball courts.
4.2 ★★★★☆ 789 reviews
This 22-acre park offers sports fields, tennis courts & a skate park, plus a year-round domed pool.
4.5 ★★★★★ 446 reviews
Indoor/outdoor recreation center with a pool, running track, numerous sports areas & a playground.
The ones anyone can run on, no membership and no sign-up: Jackson Park, Bloomingdale Trail Park, River Park, Chase Park, Kilbourn Park, Wrightwood Park, and 19 more. 25 of Chicago's tracks are flagged free. See all public tracks in Illinois.
Outdoor (400m ovals): Jackson Park, Bloomingdale Trail Park, River Park, Piotrowski (Lillian) Park, Chase Park, Kilbourn Park. The everyday pick in decent weather. See all outdoor tracks.
Indoor (winter & rain): Jackson Park, River Park, Dr. Conrad Worrill Track & Field Center, Piotrowski (Lillian) Park, Chase Park, Kilbourn Park. Field-house ovals for when the weather won't cooperate. See all indoor tracks.
New to the difference? Our indoor vs outdoor guide breaks down lap distance, banking, weather, and access.
Absolutely love to walk the track here. Always a nice breeze to enjoy being so close to the beach. Parking can be a hassle.
…There is a soft track Walkers and runners.
…They have all the amenities you’d expect, like 7 tennis courts, 2 baseball fields, playgrounds, a field house but also includes a canoe launch, swimming pool, an interactive water playground, artificial turf soccer field, running track, a soft-surface playground, and a community garden.
