Running Routes in Boston

Try this. Left out of the hotel to Mass Ave. Right on Mass Ave., go over the bridge. Left on Memorial Drive to BU Bridge. Turn around at BU Bridge and run to the Hall of Science Bridge. Go over this bridge back to Boston side. Right on Storrow. Go back to Mass Ave. Make left back to Stuart. Left on Stuart back to Hotel. Lots of grass. I do this when i stay at the Copley and estimate it's around 6.

Boston people?

Take the T blue line to revere beach. Run on the beach or along it following the coastline even into Lynn and Nahant. Not trails or anything but good clean running.

Boston's probably the best major city for running in the country. There's lots of places to go - Loop guy gave you the classic - flat, dirt path on the river, and that route is about 6 miles. You can make that pretty much any distance (up to ~18 miles) because there are so many bridges across the Charles.

If you wanted to make it more of a loop, you can actually cross at the BU bridge, then go down the stairs, then through the gate that leads to the BU campus. In about 300 meters, there's another opportunity to cross over Storrow Drive and get back on the asphalt/dirt path.

Or could run up Boylston until you see a large park on the left side (less than a mile). That's the Fens and it has a number of paths, and even a 400m dirt track. If you run the length of the park, you'll get to a huge intersection - on the far side of the intersection is the Muddy River (more like a creek, runs right next to the D line light rail), which has a very nice path leading towards Jamaica Pond (you won't get that far on a 6-mile run, but if you're looking for 10 miles or so, it's worth checking out).

For 3 days, just run the Chuck (Charles River). No need to make things complicated. That is the standard Boston run, and it can be any length.

go west on Boylston. across the street from Boston Conservatory there is a dirt path called the back bay Fens and muddy river. Its all trails and soft paths. It extends all the way to the arboretum and Franklin Park cross country course if you keep going. Its a lot better than the charles. when you go past simmons college for about 120 meters cross over on the otherside of the rotary which leads you to a dirt path. hope this helps

Well, yeah, but there's no harm in presenting a few other options...

Lazy L, I have determined your identity. I therefore trust your advice, as I know who you are. You know me, you just don't know my Letsrun alias, ha ha ha! Anyway, to the OP, the Charles River route is legit, as is the Emerald Necklace loop. From the Copley Marriott I'd probably just hit the river to do about 6 miles. That said, if you are in any kind of shape to do more than 6 in one shot it probably would be cool for you as a non-Bostonian to experience the Emerald Necklace. It's nothing like a national park or even a good state park, but it's really cool in the sense that you're in a huge city but it feels like you're in the middle of nowhere.

Okay, sorry for rambling. 6 miles from the Copley Marriott? Left on Boylston, right on Mass Ave, run on Charles River to you heart's desire and then head back.

loop guy and Boston dude have the best options.

Do you use a Garmin?

Easy way to know where you are going on foreign soil imo.

Isn't there a health club with treadmills at the Copley?

If you run trails check yourself for ticks afterwards, with all the snow and rain it will be a rough season for the little critters.

Thanks everyone for all of the route suggestions. It's appreciated.

"Take the T blue line to revere beach. Run on the beach or along it following the coastline even into Lynn and Nahant. Not trails or anything but good clean running."

Having run in Boston for decades, I gotta say that the area quoted above would be one of the last places I would choose to run. Revere Beach and Lynn?

There are dozens of better choices - Fresh Pond, Walden Pond, Charles River, Somerville/Arlington Bike Path, Mystic Valley Parkway Area are a few and far more pleasant.