wellness
Discover Lagos's 4 Best Running Routes for 2026
Lagos running centres on the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, the gated Banana Island loop and the firm-sand beaches of Lekki, with the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon's newly redesigned route now finishing at Eko Atlantic City.
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Lagos rewards runners who plan around its islands and beaches rather than its traffic-heavy mainland roads. Here are the best running routes in Lagos for 2026.
The Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge
The Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, a 1.4 kilometre cable-stayed bridge between Ikoyi and Lekki, has a dedicated pedestrian and cyclist path separated from traffic, giving a roughly 3 kilometre out-and-back workout. It offers a genuine gradient, rare in flat Lagos, along with lagoon and Atlantic Ocean views, and is a popular early-morning gathering spot for Island runners before traffic builds.
Banana Island
A road loop around the gated Banana Island estate in Ikoyi runs about 7 kilometres on paved, flat, low-traffic roads with the security of a private estate. It is popular with the Island chapter of the Eko Runners Club, one of several active local running communities in the city.
Muri Okunola Park
Muri Okunola Park, a small enclosed park on Victoria Island near the Nigerian Law School, has a dedicated, well-maintained jogging track and manicured, shaded grounds. It is free to enter and considered safe for solo or family running.
Lekki's Beaches
The stretch of firm sand from Alpha Beach to Atican Beach in Lekki offers proper beach running with ocean views and the natural resistance training that comes with sand underfoot, best attempted at low tide or in cooler morning hours given Lagos' heat and humidity. Further out, Elegushi and Eleko beaches offer more of the same for weekend long-distance runners.
Running the Lagos City Marathon Route
The Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, now in its eleventh year and held each February, redesigned its route for 2026: the 42 kilometre course starts at ORCA Mall on Ahmadu Bello Way in Victoria Island, runs sections of the new Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, and finishes at Eko Atlantic City, a newer planned waterfront district now increasingly popular with runners in its own right. More than 20,000 athletes registered for the 2026 edition.
Practical Guide to Running in Lagos
Heat, humidity and traffic make route and timing choice more important in Lagos than in most cities on this list. Island routes like Banana Island and the Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge are the most reliable for a straightforward, lower-traffic run.