The best running routes in Antwerp (by level and goal)

Antwerp is a surprisingly good running city. Between the quays, the parks, and the green Left Bank you will find routes for every level and every goal, from your very first loop to the long steady run in the build-up to a marathon. The main question is: where do you run what?

Below are the best running routes in Antwerp, sorted by goal, so you know exactly where to head.

For beginners: flat, safe, and easy to reach

Just starting out? Then pick places where you do not have to think about traffic or elevation, and where you can build your distance up calmly.

• Park Spoor Noord — a large, open city park right by the Eilandje. Flat, car-free, and perfect for running loops or practising short intervals.
• Stadspark — central and compact, ideal for a quick run in between.
• Scheldt quays (the quiet stretch) — along the water, flat and wide. You decide how far you go and simply turn back whenever you like.

The biggest mistake beginners make is wanting to go too fast and too far. Keep your pace low and your distance short, and build up gradually. A guided programme like Start2Run takes you from zero to a solid base in ten weeks, with coaches who keep an eye on your pace.

For long steady runs: putting in kilometres along the Scheldt

Training for a 10K, a half, or a full marathon? Then you want long, uninterrupted stretches without many crossings.

• The Scheldt quays and dikes — the classic. Long, flat, and open, with the water beside you. You can string long distances together effortlessly.
• Rivierenhof (Deurne) — a sprawling provincial estate with wide paths and greenery. Great for easy volume runs, and there is an athletics track nearby too.

For long steady runs the rule is: start soft, run evenly, and get your fuelling and drinking dialled in. Want to know which zones to run those long kilometres in? That starts with working out your training zones.

For nature and trails: the Left Bank and the southern parks

Had enough of tarmac, or want to train your ankles and calves on softer ground?

• Left Bank — Sint-Annabos and the Galgenweel — woods, paths, and water right by the city. Wonderfully green and soft underfoot.
• Middelheimpark, Nachtegalenpark, and Den Brandt — the green lung in the south of Antwerp, with winding paths through parkland.

Soft ground is gentle on your joints, but it does ask for a bit more stability. That is exactly where targeted strength training for runners helps: stronger ankles and a more stable core make trail running safer and more efficient.

For speed and intervals: the track and park loops

Want to get faster? Then you need controlled, repeatable stretches.

• Athletics track — the purest place for intervals: exact distances, flat ground, no traffic. HYTX runs a weekly track session.
• Fixed park loops in Park Spoor Noord or Rivierenhof — pick a loop you know and repeat it at pace.

Intervals are valuable, but only when they land in the right zone and are well dosed across your week. That is exactly what we build in our running coaching in Antwerp: the right training, at the right moment, around your goal.

Would you rather not run alone?

The best route is even better in good company, and running together keeps you motivated, especially when it gets dark early. At HYTX you join an active running community in Antwerp: group sessions, track training, and social runs, with beginners welcome via Start2Run.

Lace up your running shoes, pick your route, and the city does the rest.