Running in Baltimore

Patterson Park sits in East Baltimore and is one of the city's oldest and most historic parks, anchored by the distinctive Chinese style Pagoda observatory built in 1891 atop Hampstead Hill. A paved path loops the park's perimeter for roughly 1.5 miles, and the rolling terrain inside the park, including the hill the Pagoda sits on, gives East Baltimore runners a hill option without leaving the neighborhood.

The park connects to the surrounding Patterson Park, Canton, and Highlandtown neighborhoods, and its central location on the east side makes it a common meeting spot for informal group runs that want to avoid the crowds of the Inner Harbor promenade. Remnants of the War of 1812 era Rodgers Bastion earthworks, part of Baltimore's defenses during the 1814 Battle of Baltimore, are still visible as small rises in the park's northwest lawn.

The Baltimore Running Festival marathon route includes a stretch through the mid teens miles that runners often compare to Boston's Heartbreak Hill, before the course loops around Lake Montebello, where the terrain flattens out again. The final several miles trend downhill back toward downtown, which rewards runners who pace conservatively through the tougher middle section.

All of the festival's races, from the 5K up through the marathon, finish together near Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium, so the Inner Harbor and stadium district fill with finishers and spectators throughout the morning. Because the marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K, and relay all share start and finish areas downtown, race weekend brings significant road closures across South Baltimore, and locals typically plan their own training runs on the Jones Falls Trail or in Druid Hill Park to avoid the congestion.