In Taipei, you can practice running in the Riverside Park and Daan Forest Park. In Taichung, there is also the renowned "Lung of Taichung," the Taichung ShuiNan Central Park, where you can practice running. When running in Taichung, be sure to visit the Central Park several times. Each run will bring about new discoveries. Feel the vastness of the Central Park's greenery as you run, experiencing a sense of openness. In recent years, Central Park has become the preferred venue for various running events. Events such as the Robinson BanCheng Road Run, the 4117 Central Park Marathon, and this year's 112th Uniform Invoice Cup have all been held here.
It's no wonder Central Park is the most popular running spot in Taichung. Now, we recommend four running routes for everyone. These routes can be useful for your regular running routine in Central Park, and you can also create your own running routes!
(Image Source: Taichung City Government)
Highly Recommended Running Spot in Taichung: Taichung Central Park
Taichung is a city abundant in greenery. Before Central Park was established, Taichung residents mainly ran in places like Wenxin Forest Park, Metropolitan Park, and Tan Ya Shen Green Bikeway. For urban runs, they would explore routes around cultural landmarks like the National Museum of Natural Science, the Greenway at the National Taichung Theater, and the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts.
However, with the city's evolution, Taichung has become increasingly vibrant. The population has grown, leading to heavier traffic and more dust near Wenxin Forest Park. Tan Ya Shen Green Bikeway also sees competition with bicycles for road space. Since its opening in 2020, the ShuiNan Central Park has become a popular running spot for Taichung residents. Let's explore every running route together!
Highly Recommended Running Spot in Taichung: Taichung Central Park
The current fourth largest park in Taiwan, Taichung Central Park, is located in the popular Xitun ShuiNan Economic and Trade Park in Taichung. It covers an area of about 67.34 hectares and is known as the "lungs of Taichung" and the "urban forest." The park's predecessor was the ShuiNan Airport, so it retains some historical relics. It is designed as a super large park that combines the modern trends of "wisdom," "low carbon," and "innovation."
The entire park has a total of 106 species of trees, with a number exceeding 11,938, including about 83% of native species, and even includes precious Taiwanese broad-leaved hardwoods. The park also has five detention ponds, perfectly demonstrating the water retention and flood control characteristics of urban oases. Central Park excels in using multiple green plantings to present different landscape styles, allowing biodiversity to thrive. It also features three different leisure trails (blue, red, black) tailored to different sporting needs, complementing the undulating terrain, making it easier for everyone to start exercising in the morning.
Central Park area plan, Image source: @joeinwoo Bruce Lee
Runner's Recommendation! Four Popular Relaxing Running Routes in Taichung Central Park
Whether you want a leisurely weekend exercise trip or a fun family exercise session, Taichung's most recommended place for killing time and nourishing the body and mind is the "Taichung Central Park". Four recommended running routes, each of which can be completed in just one hour, are introduced, especially the blue sports trail and the red leisure trail planned in the park, as well as the additional figure-eight route created using these two trails. Run however you like! Let's try these four routes together~
#1 Blue - Exercise Trail
∎ Route Distance: 2,621m (one way), approximately 5.2 kilometers round trip.
∎ Route Features: Constructed from knee-friendly blue PU material, the trail is 1.8 meters wide. Along the way, you will pass through seven experience areas, three restrooms, and two slopes. This trail passes through the most experience areas, making it suitable for those who enjoy taking photos or resting while running. It is also highly recommended for family runs, as the flexible PU track design is child-friendly.
∎ Route Design: Starting from the southern end near the visual experience area of Dapeng Road's Stagnant Six Zone → Crossing Dapeng Road → Passing through the olfactory experience area → Then passing by the Visitor Center (with restrooms) → Crossing Zhongke Road → Passing smoothly through the temperature experience area and life experience area (via restrooms) → Heading towards a slightly sloped small hill balance experience area → Downhill through the atrium of Section 2, Dunhua Road → Crossing the bridge of Section 2, Dunhua Road → Circling around the reed area → Arriving at Stagnant Four Dry Zone → Passing through the self-experience area → Challenging another small slope → Hearing experience area → Turning right and gradually circling down to the side of JengTao 5th Road → Running along the tactile experience area towards → The nearby Green Beautiful Picture is the endpoint (with restrooms).
#2 Red - Resting Trail
∎ Route Distance: 2,694m (one way), approximately 5.5 kilometers round trip.
∎ Route Features: The trail is paved with red concrete, with a width of 3 meters. It passes through two experience areas and three restrooms, traversing several cooler park environments. You can run around more wet stagnant areas while enjoying the scenery.
∎ Route Design: Starting from the intersection of Section 2, Gansu Road and Section 2, Henan Road (near the Water Resource Recycling Center and restrooms) at the southern end → Crossing the bridge on Henan Road → Stagnant 6 Stagnant Pool → Academic Green Corridor → Running along Zhongke Road for a stretch → Turning left at the hill slope → Heading towards the Contemplation Area → Then descending a stretch of road (past restrooms) → Running along the hillside next to Stagnant 5 → Crossing Section 2, Dunhua Road → Running around the side of Stagnant 4 Wet Pond in a U-shape → Crossing Stagnant 4 Wet Pond → Heading towards the Self-Experience Area → Climbing up the bridge over JengTao 5th Road → Crossing the reed area → Near the north end, adjacent to the airstrip (with restrooms).
#3 Red-Blue - Figure Eight Running Route
∎ Route Distance: Two loops of the small figure-eight circuit is approximately 1,850m.
∎ Route Features: Not confined to the park's planned blue, red, and black trails, this route creates a changeable running method. By running with both feet, an eight-shaped loop is formed. Starting from the intersection of the red and blue routes opposite the Zhongke Road Visitor Center, choose one color to run first. Whenever you encounter a fork in the blue and red routes, turn towards the other color and continue running! You can challenge a small figure-eight loop or even two double figure-eight loops together. This variation adds diversity to the running route, completing both the blue and red trails in one go, making the scenic views along the way more diverse.
∎ Route Design (Small Figure-Eight Circuit): Starting from the intersection of the red and blue lines opposite the Visitor Center near Zhongke Road → Starting from the blue line, smoothly pass through the Temperature Experience Area and the Life Experience Area (past restrooms) → When encountering the intersection of the red and blue lines, choose to turn left onto the red line → Run around the hillside next to Stagnant 5 → Cross Section 2, Dunhua Road → When encountering the intersection of the red and blue lines again, choose (for the small figure-eight) to turn right onto the blue line, heading uphill towards the Dunhua Road bridge → Dunhua Road Section 2 atrium → Pass through the slightly sloped small hillside Balance Experience Area → Descend for a stretch → Encounter the intersection of the red and blue lines again → Choose to turn left onto the red line, passing through the restroom and heading towards the small slope → After passing through the Contemplation Experience Area at the top of the slope → Descend to the starting and ending point of the intersection of the red and blue lines.
#4 Full Outer Loop Running Route
∎ Route Distance: Approximately 6,000m for one loop.
∎ Route Features: For runners accustomed to straight road routes, you can also try running on the sidewalks near the roads close to the park. This running route circles around the Central Park with a total length of six kilometers, suitable for a relaxed long-distance run on weekends while accumulating mileage.
∎ Route Design: Starting point is at the intersection of Kaixuan Road and Dapeng Road at the lower left corner of Central Park → Run north along the side of Kaixuan Road → Turn right after encountering Highway 74 → Huanzhong Road → Pass through Macha Lake → Along the Science Pond Love Bridge → Turn right onto Maqiao Road and run south → Continue south to Dapeng Road → Turn right onto Dapeng Road back to the starting point at the intersection with Kaixuan Road, completing one loop of the outer loop route.
The outer loop runs through the middle of Huanzhong Road, passes by the side of Macha Lake, and crosses under the Science Pond Love Bridge. Image Source: Taichung City Government
What to Prepare for Running in Central Park?
☀ Popular Running Hours: 05:00-10:00 am (Evenings are less crowded, but daytime is recommended for running).
☀ Location of Park Toilets: There are a total of 9 toilets distributed along the various trails.
☀ Refueling Locations: The Visitor Center has a parking lot and a FamilyMart convenience store.
The Visitor Center next to the Red and Blue Lines, with parking lot and FamilyMart nearby. Image Source: @joeinwoo Bruce Lee
Whether you're a occasional visitor to Taichung or looking for a leisurely weekend run, you can choose Central Park in Taichung for a relaxed green running experience. While running, enjoy the surrounding greenery and explore the various sensory experience areas in the park. Capture the natural changes in sunlight and scenery. Of course, don't forget to bring your phone for running!
Run Tie 2Run with your phone and capture wherever you go! Image Source: @joeinwoo Bruce Lee
The Bone running phone holder allows us to run more easily, freeing our hands from being bound by the phone. With it strapped to the armband, we can confidently embark on our running journey, ready to embrace the wonderful scenery that awaits us along the Red or Blue trails! One of the most convenient aspects of Central Park is the abundance of toilets. No matter which trail we run on, we will pass by at least three or four toilets. So, there's no need to worry about getting halfway through our run and needing to find a restroom, making it easier for us to explore the park while running. Why not try these running routes and enjoy a pleasant journey through Central Park!