The 20 Cities with the Fastest Runners

Written by
Kolby Paxton
Ever wonder where the runners in your city rank alongside the rest of the world? Well, thanks to Strava, we now know the answer.

The social network for endurance athletes recently released data it gathered from over 5.6 million runners, showing the best average mile splits for the 20 fastest cities in the world.

Globally, the U.S. ranked 18th with an average mile pace of 8:31, but the fastest U.S. city clocked in at 7:54—good for fourth-best in the world. Where'd your stomping grounds check in? Have a look.
20. Berlin
8:11 per mile
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Berlin has more museums than rainy days, which bodes well for runners—or for folks who enjoy a little cultural enrichment.
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19. Flagstaff, Ariz.
8:10 per mile
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Otherwise known as the only Arizona city featuring spring, fall and winter, Flagstaff is home to the ninth-fastest runners in the U.S.
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18. Washington, D.C.
8:09 per mile
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No word on whether or not Frank and Claire Underwood are keeping up with the average pace in our nation's capital, but D.C. runners are fast—so who could blame them if they weren't?
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17. New York, N.Y.
8:09 per mile
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In a New York minute ... the average runner is a little over 12 percent into their first mile, apparently.
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16. Seattle, Wash.
8:09 per mile
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One of the true global meccas of the sport, runners in Seattle live up to their reputation, clocking in just ahead of New Yorkers as the sixth-fastest city in the U.S.
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15. Hamburg
8:07 per mile
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Hamburg is home to the first zoo without cages. So maybe the collective speed of its residents is just a little Darwinism at work.
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14. Madison, Wisc.
8:06 per mile
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Madison's official city bird is a plastic pink flamingo. That, of course, has nothing to do with running—but it still seemed worth mentioning for educational purposes.
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13. Minneapolis, Minn.
8:05 per mile
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Minneapolis is home to 22 lakes, which means (fast) shoreline running for days for its residents.
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12. Amsterdam
8:04 per mile
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The capital of the Netherlands is known for its artistic heritage, canal system and cycling, but it's also home to some of the quickest milers in the world.
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11. San Francisco, Calif.
8:04 per mile
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Mark Twain may (or may not) have once said, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." Either way, the notoriously chilly temperatures in the Bay Area provide welcoming elements for the speedy runners who live there.
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10. London
8:02 per mile
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Home to Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and a bunch of really fast runners, the capital of England cracks the Top 10 fastest cities in the world.
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9. Edinburgh
8:01 per mile
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With 112 parks from which to choose, runners in Edinburgh have plenty of options when in search of a place to shoot for a sub-eight-minute mile.
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8. Munich
8:01 per mile
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Many runners insist that the best part of a race is the beer that awaits them beyond the finish. In a city known for its beer halls, an ice cold brew is never far from reach.
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7. Portland, Maine
8:00 per mile
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There may be American cities more charming than Portland, but not many. With waterfront running paths and endless endearment, it's no wonder that Portland's runners are some of the best in the world. Who wouldn't want to be outside?
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6. Barcelona
7:59 per mile
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The host of the 1992 Summer Olympics is the first of six cities to crack the eight-minute mile threshold.
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5. Madrid
7:54 per mile
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The capital of Spain is the home of one of the world's most famous football clubs, Real Madrid, and a city full of some of the fastest runners on the globe.
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4. Boston, Mass.
7:54 per mile
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The fastest city in the U.S. is no surprise. Bostonians are exposed to arguably the world's most renowned marathon every spring--which provides enough inspiration to push them to the fourth-fastest mile split in the world.
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3. Marseille
7:44 per mile
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The third-fastest city in the world is also just the third-fastest city in its own country. Who are their pesky neighbors?
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2. Paris
7:39 per mile
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The City of Lights has a lot going for it—not the least of which is an impressive running scene, full of the second-fastest milers in both France and the world.
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1. Lyon
7:25 per mile
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France's capital city makes it a clean sweep of the top 3 with a blistering mile-split a full 14 seconds faster than its nearest rival.
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