I’m continuing my summer write-ups, this time with one of the places where I train in the south of Gran Canaria: Parque Urbano del Sur, also known as the Maspalomas Sports City Park.
This post is part practical guide and part trip down memory lane, because this is where I took my first steps as a runner. I don’t remember the exact day I decided to start running. Back then, I didn’t even know people logged their training; the data-geek obsession came later. It was August 2008—five years ago now. I was on holiday and had gone a while without exercising because of work and travel, so I went for a run to see if it would wake me up a little.
I managed one and a quarter laps of the outer loop, which is roughly 1,120 metres long. By the time I finished, I felt ready for someone to put me out of my misery. Who would have thought that, not long afterwards, I would have quite a list of crazy challenges behind me—and even a blog?
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| Elevation profile of one lap on the dirt path |
Training on the 1,120-metre loop
I still come here for interval and tempo sessions when I’m working in Maspalomas. It isn’t the easiest circuit for that kind of workout because there is a small open-air amphitheatre at the upper end of the park, and the route climbs to the level of its terraces. You lose a little pace, but the short climb and descent both provide a useful strength workout.
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| The start of the amphitheatre climb |
Surface and direction
You can follow either a dirt path or a parallel concrete path just inside it. Most people run on the dirt. It is uneven in places, but generally comfortable because the surface is neither too hard nor too soft. You are more likely to see walkers, skaters and cyclists on the concrete path.
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| Plenty of greenery. The concrete path is on the left and the dirt path on the right. |
I always run anticlockwise, although people use the loop in both directions. After the amphitheatre, a gentle downhill section leads to the other end of the park. I have occasionally crossed paths here with members of foreign athletics clubs who spend the winter on the island—and those runners can really fly.
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| The start of the descent |
Take a little care halfway down. There is a picnic-table area that people often use for birthday parties, and children naturally prefer crossing the path to reach the larger lawn on the other side rather than staying beside their parents. Keep your eyes open so you don’t collide with one of the little ones.
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| Keep your eyes open here |
I like this park because, although the loop is not especially long, the path twists and turns like a trail in several places, which keeps it from becoming monotonous.
At the lowest point of the park is the only section where you cannot stay on dirt. There is a short stretch of concrete with a slight rise and fall that can really sap your legs during interval sessions.
Finally, there is a false flat that takes you back to the foot of the amphitheatre climb. This section also feels surprisingly tough: you move from asphalt back onto dirt and, almost without noticing, begin climbing gradually.
Sun and lighting
As usual in Maspalomas, the sun can be fierce. You can run in this park a little earlier than you might expect, though, because the neighbouring hillside often blocks the sun before nightfall.
If I had to mention one drawback, the lighting along the dirt path used to be rather poor. Because the surface is a little uneven, running there after dark could put your ankles at risk. I don’t know what the lighting is like now, as I haven’t run here at night for some time.
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| In the distance is the area where I train for trail running |
A family-friendly place to train
Many people run here while they are on holiday. Tell the family you are heading out for a run during one of your rest days. Luckily, the park is great for children: it has playgrounds, a duck pond and plenty of grass to roll around on, so you can train while knowing that the little ones are entertained.
One final warning: beware the illegal, high-speed races staged by some of the island’s finest sprinters. By chance, on the day I took these photos—and completed a suffocating 6 × 800-metre session—I managed to capture one of those races on my phone. I probably don’t need to tell you that the little guy wins…
Originally published in Spanish on 29 August 2013. Read the original article. English translation prepared on 6 September 2026.
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