Just touched down in Sydney or San Fran? Let these insiders share their mind-clearing routes.

Whichever metropolis you may find yourself in, your running shoes are the key to the city. They give you the freedom to roam, experience its iconic sights and explore its intimate corners. They allow you an exclusive viewing of its most private self-portraits, whether that’s a soft sketch of early morning hues or a pixelated profile of the night sky. There’s only so much of the city you can see out of the back window of a taxi – and the view from the A train is even worse. But if you arrive with your favourite sneakers you can stride past the traffic (the average rush-hour speed in Manhattan, for example, is a feeble 4.5mph) and become fully immersed in your surroundings. A good city run can also help to calm you down: recent University of Kentucky research backs what many runners already know from experience, that a run can help reset body rhythms or lessen jet lag if you’ve travelled across time zones. 

This is all well and good, but how to plan the most rewarding route in an unfamiliar city? We’ve all made the same mistake of running out of the hotel door only to return by taxi because of a route gone awry. A good route is not something easily found in the guidebooks, and while sometimes the beauty of urban running is in the surprise discoveries you make, when time is tight it’s best to get an introduction from a tracker who knows these urban jungles well. To that end, MR PORTER called on eight urban runners from around the globe to share their favourite local routes.

Listen to our running playlist over on Spotify.

Mr Lamacraft, a director of M&C Saatchi’s sport and entertainment arm in Sydney, runs his city for many reasons: it has radically transformed his physique, it gets him up to speed for three-hour marathons and it helps him escape life’s stresses. But it’s not just the physical and spiritual rewards that get him out there. He also has a particular soft spot for sportswear and running shoes. “I really love testing out the latest technology and innovation,” he says.

Of course, running in Sydney also offers some serious eye candy. “Sydney is all about water so the best run needs to offer views over it,” he says. Following Mr Lamacraft’s favourite route is a perfect way to experience the twists and turns of Sydney’s magnificent coastline, with its buzzing culture. It winds for 15km from his home in the market-filled district of Paddington (referred to by locals as “Paddo”) to the iconic sweep of Bondi Beach, then hugs the craggy cliffs which line the ocean coast to Coogee, taking you up and down beaches and past a clifftop lawn bowls club at Clovelly, before heading home through the fine historical architecture of Randwick. “It’s an iconic Sydney tourist walk and it just made sense to start running it,” he says. “Just head out early (around 6.30am) before it gets too crowded.” instagram.com/jacklamacraft

**Mr Lamacraft’s pit-stop: **Wolf Cafe in Paddington, where he orders an English breakfast tea.

**Mr Lamacraft’s playlist: **“I mix it up depending on the mood. Favourites over the past few months would be Lost in the Dream by War on Drugs and AM by Arctic Monkeys.”

Though born in Sweden, Mr Lindorff has spent the past two decades living in Paris, where he juggles the roles of advertising agency director and co-founder of a sportswear brand. Running offers him sanctuary from his hectic schedule. “It clears my mind and gives me a moment away from the world when I don’t think of anything,” he says. Such moments come about on what he believes to be one of the world’s most beautiful city running routes, which he runs a few times a week, starting around 8.00am – “when the streets are still deserted”.

From his home on Rue Saint-Honoré near the Louvre, it winds for 9km through the green space of the Tuileries, alongside Rue de Rivoli, up to Place de la Concorde (home of the legendary Hôtel Crillon), then down the Seine, across the Pont des Arts to the artsy Left Bank, passing in front of Musée d’Orsay. Crossing Paris’ oldest bridge, Pont Neuf, he pauses on the Île de la Cité. “Here I enjoy the impressive perspective along the Seine up to the Grand Palais,” he says. “Paris never ceases to amaze me.”

Returning along the Right Bank brings him back to the Louvre, through its beautiful inner courtyard – La Cour Carrée – to the glass pyramid and finally into luxury shopping Mecca Rue Saint-Honoré. instagram.com/rondorff

**Mr Lindorff’s pit-stop: **Maison Verlet, Rue Saint-Honoré, where he orders an espresso based on the El Cafétal bean from the Galápagos Islands.

**Mr Lindorff’s playlist: **“Right now I’m into Jill Scott but there are days where the little Swede comes out in me and the playlist is all built around good old ABBA songs from the early albums.”

Mr Wish, who is originally from Wrocław, Poland, began working for Nike in Berlin three years ago and now hangs his hat in the Mitte/ Prenzlauer Berg area. “I find inspiration through running,” he says. “The keeping fit is not exactly what drives me – it’s more about chasing the high and meeting the challenge.”

Whether you prefer city tracks or running closer to nature, Berlin offers endless opportunities all serving up their own blend of wide avenues, iconic architecture and rich history. “There are several lakes and woods lining the city from the east (around Köpenick) and west (Grunewald, Wannsee), and the vast Tiergarten park in the city centre.” But Mr Wish has a special route he chooses again and again. He starts this 10km run in the evening, around 9.00pm, taking him from the heart of the city at Hackescher Markt to beautiful Charlottenburg in former West Berlin. “On this urban track you truly experience the city’s vibrant energy,” he says. Most of the route follows the river Spree, crossing a total of 12 bridges and affording views of key sights including Museum Island, the Reichstag and Bellevue Palace along the way. instagram.com/peter_wish

Mr Wish’s pit-stop: Kleine Orangerie, Charlottenburg, where he treats himself to a hot chocolate (but only if his time was good enough).

Mr Wish’s playlist: “A mix of indie tracks and up-tempo electronic beats. My power song for that extra mile is ‘Sweet Disposition’ by The Temper Trap.”

Mr Riley, a photographer, director and native Californian, runs to keep his creative juices flowing. It gives him the time to process ideas and the confidence to create them. “I think it’s when those endorphins kick in – it makes me feel as if I can tackle anything,” he says. More often than not this internal alchemy occurs in Golden Gate Park – the perfect spot for those who visit San Francisco with their running shoes as travelling companions. “It’s the most amazing place in San Francisco – it has so many running trails and routes,” says Mr Riley. His favourite among them is the wonderfully scenic 12km that he starts at around 7.00am, starting a mere block from his home at the park’s Arguello Gate. Offering his preferred surface of a natural single-track dirt trail most of the way, it weaves westwards through trees, tall grass and across walkways, past Rose Garden, Rainbow Falls and Lloyd Lake before nudging the shore of the Pacific. Returning to the park’s Lincoln Avenue south side, the trail passes lakes, ponds and windmills before it hits Kezar Stadium and turns north to cross back where it began. instagram.com/chadriley

Mr Riley’s pit-stop: Velo Rouge Café, Arguello Boulevard, where he orders a chai latte and the McAllister Scramble sandwich.

Mr Riley’s playlist: “I prefer to listen to the band Metric. They give you energy and constant flow, with melodic lyrics that let me zone out and think.”

Mr Weisman, manager of development for Condé Nast Entertainment, runs both to stay in shape and raise money for Every Mother Counts, a charity that supports maternal health programmes around the world. And he does it in style: “A running friend told me that the more serious the runner, the more ugly the clothes. I try to prove an exception.”

New York squeezes its wealth of cinematic vistas into such a compact space that the rewards for running it can be irresistible. Such is the case when following Mr Weisman’s favoured route, which he runs at 7.00am each morning to beat the busy streets. It starts on the West Side Highway near his West Village home, then heads north on the Hudson River Greenway, passing the High Line and the distinctive architecture of the Meatpacking District. Turning east on 57th Street takes him through Hell’s Kitchen to start the “Central Park loop” at Columbus Circle. “Running parallel to 5th avenue, I pass all my favourite museums and old mansions,” he says. After the incline of Harlem Hill at the top of the park, he returns south along Central Park West, passing imposing residences such as The San Remo, The Beresford and The Dakota. “It’s a great architectural tour of NYC – just make sure you keep looking up!” he says of the approximately 16km route, which finishes back at Columbus Circle. instagram.com/jedweisman

Mr Weisman’s pit-stop: O Cafe, 6th Avenue, where he orders an espresso and a Finnish sandwich.

Mr Weisman’s playlist: “I weirdly get very motivated by songs I can imagine myself singing at karaoke. A lot of 1970s rock including Fleetwood Mac; 1990s R & B; and Michael Jackson from every era.”

Mr Bisgaard, the editorial director of production company United TV, runs for the cardiovascular payback and is committedly nocturnal. “I hardly ever run in the daytime because the dark helps me block everything out,” he says. “Rain and snow have the same effect – I’m not shy about running when it’s wet out.”

His favoured route serves up a 5km smorgasbord of the city’s green spaces and its culture. From his home in Vesterbro, known for its cafés, bars and underground art galleries, it heads up past the old Carlsberg breweries and into Søndermarken – a hilltop park much loved by runners – and then by the city’s zoo. “I always make sure I pass the elephant enclosure,” he says. “How could you pass up that opportunity?” Once out of the park, the route traverses Frederiksberg Runddel, “an especially fulfilling sight in winter with all the ice skaters on view”, he says. Then it’s past Frederiksberg Allé’s theatres, cafés and restaurants before finishing the loop at Enghaveparken. instagram.com/kenbis

Pit-stop: Kaffé Kaffeslabberasen, Enghave Plads, where he orders an organic green juice.

Mr Bisgaard’s playlist: “My best running is done with a frown and gritted teeth, so I need tempo and a bit of anger. We’re talking Slipknot, Fall Out Boy, Japandroids, The Menzingers, Disturbed… but also hip-hop such as Drake, Rick Ross and Kanye.”

A south Londoner born-and-bred, Mr Russell, UK membership director at private members’ club Soho House, runs to keep fit, clear his mind and escape the gym. At about 7.00am on weekdays he heads out from his Kennington home, hitting the Thames at nearby Lambeth Bridge, then runs east along the vibrant Southbank all the way to London Bridge. The highlight of his route is passing “all the scenes and buildings that make up what the world sees as London – the Palace of Westminster, Big Ben, Tate Modern, the Eye and the Globe Theatre” for a total of 6km. London brings its A-game to its riverside and Mr Russell’s chosen route unfolds like a montage of the city’s finest sights, a speed-date with the evolving skyline that juxtaposes history and modernity. “No matter how many times you see them, you can’t take the views for granted.” twitter.com/thisreallyistom

Mr Russell’s pit-stop: Amici, Kennington, where he orders an espresso and a tricolore salad.

Mr Russell’s playlist: “It depends on the mood I’m in. Jessie Ware’s latest offering is doing me well, and I’m loving FKA twigs. Spotify playlists are always a failsafe when I can’t find what I’m after.”

Mr Ting, the director and co-founder of advertising and marketing agency Collaboration Group, has been running in his home city of Hong Kong for just under a decade. Prime motivation for lacing up his Nike Lunars comes from reaping the health benefits.

Hong Kong conjures images of a dense, sky-scraping metropolis, but there’s natural beauty close by for those ready to don their running shoes. Mr Ting’s route reflects his own love of running outdoors and on hillside tracks. Starting at his home at Hong Kong Parkview between 8.00 and 10.00am, the 12km route goes through Wong Nai Chung Gap Road to Bowen Road, and then on to Magazine Gap Road and Central, before heading home. “I like this route because it follows a track specifically for runners. It’s quite natural and surrounded by a lot of trees and hills,” he says. “Some of my runner friends introduced me to Bowen Road and I fell in love with it. You can see all of Hong Kong. The view is very beautiful.” instagram.com/real_ting

Mr Ting’s pit-stop: Classifed, Happy Valley, where he orders an orange and carrot juice.

Mr Ting’s playlist: “My most recent favourite album is the Begin Again soundtrack. I also use the app KKBOX to listen to music such as Katy Perry, Rihanna and Big Bang/ Taeyang.”