By: Jessica Hoffman
Photos by Justin Mayer, Veracity Studios ||
JPG Photo & Video and Chloe Elmer JPG Photo & Video
Whether you’re looking to get moving, find a new running or walking buddy, or simply enjoy the outdoors, Manayunk is the perfect destination. With easy trail access to for short or marathon-length runs, challenging elevation, and scenic canal paths that provide plenty of chances to enjoy local wildlife, Manayunk offers something for every pace and person.
Liz Pagonis, CMO of Philadelphia Runner, beautifully captured the uniqueness of the neighborhood when she said: “Manayunk has this rare mix of urban neighborhood charm and easy access to work car free, uninterrupted places to run like the Schuylkill River Trail, Cynwyd Trail and Wissahickon. You can start a run in a busy area like Main Street and within minutes be on a quiet path along the canal or river. It feels tucked away from the city without ever really leaving it. Another big difference: the hills.”
Little Time, Big Elevation
What really sets Manayunk apart as a destination for walkers and runners alike is our quick and extreme elevation change. Many runners and walkers take advantage of the neighborhood’s topography to enhance their workout or just get a new perspective.
There is a reason Manayunk became the go-to destination to watch the famous Manayunk bike race. There is no better place to watch racers put forth their best effort and climb the 0.5 mile section of the race known as The Wall. As we anticipate the return of the iconic bike race this August, walkers and runners can experience just how tortuous this section of the race is by walking or running it themselves.
If you decide you’d like to take on the iconic hill known as “The Wall”, begin your journey at Main and Levering Streets. Make a right on Cresson under the train tracks, then a left onto Levering Street. Continue up Levering for about 0.2 miles until it becomes Lyceum Avenue. This is where you’ll hit the steepest section. Keep climbing for another 0.3 miles until you reach Petchin Street. Congrats, you’ve completed the Wall!
From trails and running groups to race and endurance training, Manayunk has you covered!
Here are just a few more of our favorite routes and groups, though there’s an endless amount of starting and ending locations, variations, and destinations to explore from Manayunk.
Local Running Trails
Schuylkill River Trail North towards Conshohocken
Enter this trail from Lock Street via the Manayunk Canal. Parking is available in the Venice Island parking lot. The trail is mostly flat and scenic with some parts unpaved and bumpy. The following routes are out and back along the trail making it ideal for those looking to log a few easy miles or test their marathon endurance.
Suggested Beginner-Friendly Routes:
Lock St to Green St
(1 Mile Round Trip)
Turn around at the 0.5-mile mark at the Green Lane Bridge
Take the steps up to Main Street.
Walk back through the commercial corridor and stop for coffee or a bite!
Lock Street to Nixon Street
(4 Miles Round Trip)
Continue past Levering Street and Fountain Street bridges
Enjoy a quieter, wooded stretch of trail with views of the Schuylkill River
Two-mile turnaround point at the railroad crossing just before Nixon Street
Limited seating available for a quick break before heading back
Suggested Marathon-Training Routes:
If you’re training for the Philadelphia Marathon, Manayunk is a perfect starting point. As Liz Pagonis shares, “The variety of places to be active… makes Manayunk an incredible place to train. The hills build strength, while the trail system allows for uninterrupted long runs.” The Schuylkill River Trail towards Conshohocken offers miles of running with minimal traffic interruptions.
Lock Street to Conshohocken
(11 Miles Round Trip)
Rest area and turn around at the Spring Mill Trailhead
Lock Street to Riverfront Park, Norristown (20 Miles Round Trip)
Rest area and turnaround point at Riverfront Park
☞ Pro tip:
Stop in at one of our local restaurants, bars, or coffee shops after your walk or run to refuel!
Schuylkill River Trail
Toward Center City
Suggested routes:
Manayunk to the Philadelphia Art Museum (9 Miles Round Trip)
Access the trail off Ridge Avenue
Paved trail shared by walkers, runners, and bikers
Enjoy scenic views of the river along the route.
Plenty of rest areas and scattered water bottle fill stations along the trail.
Cynwyd Heritage Trail
Enter the trail from High Street and Dupont Street via the Manayunk Bridge. Limited parking is available at the bridge entrance and fills quickly in the spring and summer months. With several different paths branching off from the Cynwyd Heritage Trail after you cross the Manayunk Bridge, this trail seems to be a real favorite among Manayunk locals. Runners and walkers can explore the historic cemeteries and choose a distance that works best for them. Craig Polak, a member of the Manayunk Running Club, notes “Going over the new bridge and onto the Cynwyd Heritage Trail is definitely a favorite route. And then we also will sometimes run through Laurel Hill Cemetery.” Once you cross the bridge, you’re greeted by two trail options: a paved path or a soft-surface path—giving cyclists, walkers, strollers, and runners their choice of terrain
Suggested Routes:
Manayunk Bridge to Cynwyd Heritage Trail Access (1 Mile Round Trip)
Walk across the 0.5-mile bridge spanning the Schuylkill River.
Enjoy scenic views of Main Street, Manayunk, and Center City in the distance.
Turn around after reaching the Heritage trail access
Manayunk Bridge to Barmouth Trail-head (2 Miles Round Trip)
After crossing the bridge, follow the trail access point onto the paved Cynwyd Heritage Trail.
Offshoot paths lead into historic cemeteries allowing for much longer walks meandering through the cemetery’s numerous paths.
Manayunk Bridge to Cynwyd Heritage Trail South Parking (3.5 Miles Round Trip)
Continue south along the Cynwyd Heritage Trail.
Turn around point at the south parking lot.
Rest areas with seating and open space available for a quick break before heading back.
Wissahickon Trail
Enter the trail across from the Wissahickon Train Station. Head under the Wissahickon Creek Crossing Viaduct Bridge and onto the paved trail. Portions of the trail are paved, while others are gravel or soft-surface. This is just one of many trail access points.
The Wissahickon Trail is one of the most unique aspects of the neighborhood. Just a few miles in, runners and walkers have completely left the city behind and are fully immersed in the outdoors. With plenty of natural trails that meander through the hills and valleys of the park, it is the perfect destination to explore time and time again.
Suggested Routes:
Manayunk to Andorra Road Trailhead
(13 Miles Round Trip)
Follow the trail for up to 6.6 miles through the Wissahickon, alongside the creek. Plenty of offshoot trails lead to more rugged paths that wind through the park.
Make this trip as long or as short as you’d like, with ample opportunities to pause and enjoy scenery that feels more like the Poconos than a trail just minutes from Center City.
Local Running Groups
If you’re feeling a bit intimidated to get out there and hit the trail on your own, consider joining one of the many running or walking clubs in the neighborhood. Running and walking clubs are a great way to safely explore the trails, make new friends, and help hold one another accountable. Two clubs we spoke with recently were Manayunk Running Club and Manayunk Beer Runners. Groups meet most days of the week, especially in the warmer months, making it easy to find a walk or run that fits your schedule.
Manayunk Beer Runners
Manayunk Beer Runners meet weekly to hit the trails and grab a beer at a local bar afterward. MBR is a chapter of the Fishtown Beer Runners, a club famously founded on a Spanish professor’s study suggesting that having a beer after a run could be just as effective as rehydrating with water, one member joked: “Who are we to argue with science?”
The group gathers every Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Canal View Park and runs a 3 to 5-mile route that concludes with a toast at a local bar.
Members often talk about how the club has helped them build community. MBR Captain, Everett Locker shared that when he first moved to Philadelphia, he joined knowing almost no one in the city. He remembers that on his very first run with the beer runners, other members made a point to introduce themselves, helped him find a pace group, and made sure he wasn’t running alone.
“It’s hard to make friends as an adult,” he said. But the run club gives people a built-in community. “You show up on Monday, get a workout in, grab a drink, and suddenly you have friends.”
The Beer Runners welcome all people and all paces. Captain Noah Volain joked that they don’t care if you show up and walk straight to the bar. “We have people training for marathons, and we have people who’ve never run a 5K. We even have walkers. If you don’t want to run, that’s fine. We’ll still see you at the bar,” he said. It really is all about showing up.
Each run concludes with anywhere from 15 to 60 runners, depending on the season, raising a glass and reciting the following toast:
“We want to thank [the bar] for hosting us tonight! Please tip your bartenders and servers very well!
Welcome all the new runners! We are the Manayunk Beer Runners!
To responsible running and drinking in the interest of… SCIENCE!
TO THE PROFESSOR!”
Manayunk Running Club
Manayunk Running Club has been running in the Manayunk area for over 20 years. They meet every Thursday outside Philadelphia Runner Manayunk at 6:30 PM and on Tuesdays at the Roxborough High School track. On their Thursday runs, they typically cover anywhere from 3 to 5 miles. With the tagline “We put the hilly in Philly,” the run club really captures the essence of Manayunk.
The run club welcomes experienced runners and those who are just getting started in their running journey. Colin Polak, a member of the run club, notes that while they may seem intimidating at first, the Tuesday track runs are a great introduction to the group for new runners, since everyone stays together on the track regardless of pace or distance.
One of the signature routes of the Manayunk Running Club is what they call the Manayunk Loop, running down Main Street, up Ridge Avenue, over toward Lyceum, and then back down to make a big circle around Manayunk. Craig from the club says, “Everyone likes that one. It’s a good way to get the hills in.”
Bonus Route: Manayunk Running Club Loop (3.5 miles)
Start at Philly Runner and follow Main Street down until it reaches Ridge Avenue, then head up the hill. Follow Ridge Avenue until you reach Lyceum, then head back down toward Main Street. The entire loop is about 3.5 miles, and Colin points out that you always have the option to cut it short. As he explains, “If you’re running a loop around Manayunk, at any point you can just cut down the hill and you’re back on Main Street.”
If you are interested in joining the run club, you can reach out to them on Facebook or simply show up for a run on Tuesdays or Thursdays!
Group Fitness Outdoors with Goals Fit
Looking to get moving in Manayunk but want a bit more structure and accountability? Look no further than GoalsFit, located at 110 Levering St. GoalsFit offers a variety of outdoor workout classes that take full advantage of the neighborhood’s landscape.
Owner of Goals Fit, Kasey Manwaring, is a coach, trainer, and counselor, offering a well-rounded approach to health and fitness. Kasey shared that GoalsFit offers early morning boot camp classes starting at 5:45 a.m., and many of the workouts are designed around Manayunk’s trails and hills. The landscape of Manayunk makes it easy to “get a quick, effective workout in a short amount of time,” says Kasey.
GoalsFit also incorporates stairs to enhance their outdoor workouts, with one class starting with a run down Main Street before heading into Wissahickon Valley Park to tackle the famous 100 steps. As Kasey explains, they will “run a mile down, go into the Wissahickon, start with the 100-set of stairs, then come back and do the stairs by the movie theater before making our way back.”
Stairs and hills not your thing? GoalsFit also offers personal training, race training, and more, with options for every fitness level.
On Mondays at 10:30 a.m., a group of seniors and retired neighbors meets at GoalsFit to get outdoors and enjoy a group walk. As Kasey shares, “That group is really great. Each week we try to switch up the route. We’ll either do the Manayunk Bridge or the churches of Manayunk. I try to make a theme for the route each week.”
In addition to her fitness coaching, Kasey is also a therapist and offers walk-and-talk therapy sessions, combining movement with counseling. As she explains, “I do personal training, and I’m also a therapist, so I offer sessions that blend exercise and therapy.”
To get involved with GoalsFit, check out their website or sign up for a group class. Kasey is always excited to meet new neighbors who are looking to add more activity to their lifestyle.
Get Ready to Run
If you’re feeling inspired to get out there and experience all the trails Manayunk has to offer but aren’t quite prepared with all the gear, look no further than Philadelphia Runner’s Manayunk location. Located at 4358 Main St., Philadelphia Runner has great options for runners and walkers alike. Having the right shoes can truly make or break your workout, and Philly Runner offers a complimentary shoe fitting.
One customer noted, “I thought I had good shoes but kept having pain after my runs. After getting a shoe fitting at Philly Runner, I was able to find a pair that worked for my running needs!” Their experienced staff will analyze your gait, foot shape, and goals to help you find the perfect pair. They also carry a wide range of gear to set you up for success. Stop in next time you’re on Main Street, or swing by before the Thursday night run with the Manayunk Running Club.
Whether you’re looking to meet new friends, enjoy the outdoors, or train for your next marathon, Manayunk has an option for you. We’ve only mentioned a few of the routes you can take from Main Street, and with miles of trails extending in every direction, you’re sure to never get bored exploring all that Manayunk has to offer. No matter your destination, Manayunk is the perfect starting spot. We hope to see you out there.