Central Park Reservoir Running Path

The Central Park Reservoir is ringed by a wired fence with an asphalt running path all the way around. All sorts of people come here to run in one of the most famous running places of the world, being a verdant enclave with a background vista of skyscrapers. Here, on some days, you may meet the rich and the famous (Madonna, etc.).

No large running races are held on this path due to the narrowness of the path. Each summer, the New York Road Runners Club organizes the Reservoir Run, where the proceeds go towards the maintenance and upkeep of this running path. Some multi-day ultra-distance races (e.g. 1,000 milers) have been held here because it is easy to count the laps.

The Reservoir path is a great training facility for people who need a measured course and who do not mind the monotony. Of course, that would mean Fritz Muller, who routinely spinned off a dozen of steady loops at a time.

On the side of the running path, the distances are marked off in bright paint (see the yellow marking to the left of the two runners in the picture above). These markers came from the pre-Metric System age, so that you will have to do your own metric conversions (Quick! What is 1320 yards? Would you believe a 3/4 mile?). It is an exact mile if you start from East 90th Street and run in the counter-clockwise direction until you come to the end of the west side straightway at the southwest corner of the Reservoir near West 86th Street.

Postscript: The above pictures were taken in the middle of winter, which means they look quite dreary.  Here is a different look:

Also, the night view with the lit-up skyscrapers is stunning.

Added on December 2003:  For many years, the Central Park reservoir was surrounded with a tall wire fence that unfortunately conveyed the feelings of imprisonment.  In 2003, a new project was undertaken to replace the tall wire fence with a iron fence that was less than 5 feet tall.  From now on, visitors will have an unobstructed view of the reservoir and its surroundings.  The following photos were taken during 2003, while construction was still in progress.  The first two were taken during the fall, and the next two were taken during winter.  Simply put, this is one of the treasures of New York City.