Where to Run in Montclair, New Jersey

By Mary Spink, Purchasing Director & Training Program Coach at Fleet Feet Montclair

Montclair is referred to by locals as the urban suburb. In addition to having a vibrant and diverse art scene,  we’re home to some of the best restaurants in the state. Come for a run and plan to hang around for a while after your miles!

Montclair is unique for runners because of its wide streets, ample group runs, and a full calendar of local races.  Plus, you can choose from routes with hills, flat roads, trails and beyond to suit your training. Montclair is full of historic homes, beautiful landscaping and 23 parks that keep your runs fun and interesting. The NYC overlook, once you make it to the top of the biggest hills in town, is an added bonus!

Because it's New Jersey, everything can be extreme. Be prepared for extreme cold, extreme hot and even extreme drivers. Be sure to check the weather before heading out, and be careful when crossing busy roads and intersections. Always make sure you’re wearing proper visibility gear when running in the early morning or late evening. 

Fleet Feet 3-Mile Loop

• Location: Montclair, NJ
• Length of route: 3 miles
• Route start and end point: Fleet Feet Montclair, 603 Bloomfield Ave. 
• Route surface: Paved road

This route starts at Fleet Feet Montclair and takes you down Midland Avenue, a mostly flat, tree-lined street that is flocked with beautiful Colonial, Victorian and Queen Anne style homes. Hang a left on Holland Terrace, cross Valley Road and use the metal bridge, crossing Toney’s Brook to head into Edgemont Park. Do one full loop of the park, running past the pond and World War I memorial statue, before exiting the park and returning to the store the way you came. 

This is a classic route used weekly for Fleet Feet’s Thursday Night Fun Runs. The three-mile distance is a great building block for runners of all levels. Plus, Edgemont Park is fun year round. In the spring there are tulips blooming and goslings following their parents. In the winter you might catch a glimpse of the skaters on the pond! Watch out for the geese in the spring and summer, as they can be aggressive if they have babies. Nevertheless, running on this route feels like a comfortable, reliable home base.

Brookdale Park & Tom Fleming Athletic Complex 

• Location: Bloomfield/ Montclair, NJ
• Length of route: 5+ Miles
• Route start and end point: Brookdale Park 
• Route surface: track or paved park path

Brookdale Park and Track is hands down the best place for a speed workout. The track is situated within Brookdale Park, one of the largest parks in the Montclair area. Brookdale Park has a variety of loops and terrain that make it perfect for warm ups, hill repeats, intervals, fartleks and tempo runs. The park’s longer, 1.6-mile loop takes you up a gradual hill past an archery field, tennis courts, rose garden and dog park, through a shady path, past soccer fields and to the track. The shorter, 1-mile loop is flatter and takes you past playgrounds and large open fields, often full of soccer games and practices.

Once you’re warmed up, hit the Tom Fleming Athletic Complex track, a memorial to local legend and two-time NYC Marathon winner, Tom Fleming. The inspiration of Tom lives on with bustling and consistent energy to keep you entertained (or distracted) during a workout.

Our 5-Mile Loop

• Location: Montclair
• Length of route: 5+ miles
• Route start and end point: Fleet Feet Montclair (or Anderson Park for alternative start/end point)
• Route surface: Paved

Fleet Feet Montclair developed a 5-mile loop when the store first opened 36 years ago, and it’s remained a favorite long run route for the community. A few extensions can be added to the 5-mile base to ramp up your mileage. There are bathrooms and water fountains along the route, making it perfect for long runs. 

The 5-mile loop takes you along Midland Avenue, a picturesque street with flowers, foliage and beautiful homes to look at no matter the season. Head through a train trestle overpass toward Watchung Plaza shops, passing the activity at Local Coffee Shop. The route continues left on Park Street, hanging another left on Inwood Avenue past a beautiful 115-year old stone church. Veer left on to Duryea Road, the church being the landmark fork in the road. A right on Lorraine Avenue runs through the Upper Montclair shopping district and eventually leads you to North Mountain Avenue, taking you alongside Anderson Park, a perfect spot to use the bathroom or grab some water. Anderson Park was designed by the Olmsted Brothers, also known for the landscape architecture of Central Park. Further down North Mountain, you pass Van Vleck House and Gardens, a 12-acre garden with deep history dating back to the late 1800s. 

Continue along North Mountain until you hit the busy thoroughfare of Bloomfield Avenue. Sticking to 5 miles, you can turn left and return to Fleet Feet Montclair. If you have more distance to cover, add on 2 to 4 miles by crossing Bloomfield Avenue, passing the Montclair Art Museum and entering the estate section of Montclair with beautiful 100-plus year-old mansions and history.

Eagle Rock Reservation Trails

• Location: The main entrance to the park, located on Eagle Rock Avenue
• Length of route: 1-4 miles
• Route surface: Trail

The Eagle Rock Reservation offers over 400 acres of park along the Watchung Mountains ridge line, located between West Orange, Montclair and Verona. The 40-mile Lenape Trail (marked by yellow blazes) skirts the eastern edge of the park. The trails and footpaths that crisscross the woodland, and sometimes boggy areas of the park, are friendly for runners and hikers of all ages and abilities. 

The main entrance to the park, located on Eagle Rock Avenue, is home to a large green, as well as the Essex County 9/11 Memorial and Overlook to the East, offering extraordinary views of the New York City Skyline. Some of the trails within the Reservation even allow you to catch a glimpse of the city skyline from the woods!

This park contains a segment of the 36-mile Lenape Trail, a unique urban/suburban trail connecting 18 parks and 11 municipalities in Essex County. If you’re into an ultra challenge, that would be a fun one!

Downtown Routes

Montclair is a funky town that has 3 main shopping areas: Montclair Center (where Fleet Feet is situated), Watchung Plaza and Upper Montclair. If you want to stick to the flatter road in town, we recommend running North to South as most routes pass through at least one of these “downtown” areas.

Starting at Fleet Feet, Paper Plane Coffee Shop is a local favorite within walking distance. They roast their own beans and craft specialty coffees that are cocktail-esque. Their newly expanded space is full of artwork, fun music, and even airplane seats for enjoying your coffee. If you are feeling adventurous, try one of the “science drinks” like a Mayan Latte (cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, brown sugar, espresso and steamed milk). We also love Raymonds and Cafe Giotto if you want a full blown brunch.

Prefer an evening run? Pineapple Express is down the street from Fleet Feet. They have an array of craft beers, frozen cocktails, BBQ and activities like live music, trivia and watching sports on their large TVs. It's a family-friendly, crowd-pleaser casual spot, perfect for a post-run treat. We also love Porta for family-style pizza, Egans for a burger and beer, Montclair Brewery for craft beers and Brick x Dough for fancy pizzas. 

If you’re running from Upper Montclair, we highly recommend coffee at Java Love, a queer, woman-owned cafe in town. They roast their own beans and have delicious and reliable classic coffees. A lot of runners hang out here, so you’ll feel right at home. 

New Jersey is known for our bagels. It’s worth going off our typical running routes to hit up Hot Bagels Abroad on Valley Road. A second option is a new Montclair business, Harvey’s Hand Rolled Bagels. It has a cute vibe and delicious food. The owner got his start with a DIY approach during the pandemic and turned it into a full blown business!

Branch Brook Park Cherry Blossom 10K

• Length of route: 10K
• Route start and end point: Branch Brook Park
• Route surface: Paved

Essex County Branch Brook Park, which runs through Belleville and Newark, has the largest and most varied collection of Japanese Flowering Cherry Blossom trees within the United States—18 varieties and 5,200 trees, to be exact. The cherry blossoms burst into full bloom in early-mid April every year. 

During the blooming season, the park hosts a Cherry Blossom Festival with live music, family fun, crafters, Japanese cultural demonstrations, a bike race and, best of all, a 10K and 1-mile race!The 10K race course starts near the Branch Brook Park Visitor Center and winds through rolling hills on Park Road. The turnaround point is the highest peak of Newark, where the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart sits. You’ll be running through a beautiful oasis in the heart of a very urban area. 

Locations

Montclair

603 Bloomfield Ave.
Montclair, NJ 07042

973-509-9707

M-W: 10am - 6pm
Th: 10am - 7pm
F-S: 10am - 6pm
Su: 12pm - 4pm

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