Nashville has quietly built one of the better greenway networks in the American South.
Paved paths run out along the Cumberland in both directions, connect through Shelby
Bottoms to the Stones River, and pick up Richland Creek on the west side. Add Percy
Warner Park — nine square kilometres of wooded hill fifteen minutes from downtown — and
the range is wider than the city's size suggests.
The river is flat and everything away from it is not. Measured against terrain
data across the nine routes below, the greenway routes carry five to ten metres of climb
per kilometre and the park routes carry twenty or more. Nashville sits where the
Cumberland has cut through the Highland Rim, and you feel the difference the moment you
leave the water.
17 named features9 examples belowCumberland valley, Tennessee
Nine routes in Nashville, nine different requests
Nine, drawn on demand
Asked for“an easy 5K by the water”
Cumberland Park and the pedestrian bridge
Cumberland Park and the pedestrian bridge is a 5.4 km loop on the east bank of the river in Nashville, over the Shelby Street bridge and back. The bridge is closed to traffic and the downtown skyline sits right in front of you on the way across.
Distance5.4 km
Ascent33 m
Steepest3.2%
On path0%
Cumberland RiverShelby Street BridgeCumberland Park
Why this one
There is barely any climb to place: 33 m across 5.4 km, and never steeper than 3.2%. Only 0% of it leaves tarmac, less than any of the other eight — it is the one to run when you do not want to pick your feet up.
The Stones River Greenway is an 8.3 km loop east of Nashville on the paved path that runs the river up from its mouth. The greenway carries no road crossing on this stretch, which is the whole of the ask; the connection back does.
Distance8.3 km
Ascent89 m
Steepest3.2%
On path5%
Stones RiverGreenwayTraffic-free
Why this one
The climbing is spread evenly — no third of the route carries more than 36% of it. 2% of it doubles back on ground already covered, and it stays within 1.1 km of the start.
Percy Warner Park is an 8.3 km loop in the wooded hills west of Nashville, and the most off-road of the nine at 32% off tarmac. It carries 176 m of climb on the Mossy Ridge trail and the old boulevard, and it is a genuine hill run rather than a park path.
Distance8.3 km
Ascent176 m
Steepest7.9%
On path32%
TrailPercy Warner ParkMossy RidgeHilly
Why this one
The climbing is front-loaded: 45% of it inside the first third, so the run flattens out as it goes. 32% of it is off tarmac, more than any of the other eight.
Asked for“something short, right through downtown”
The Capitol and Broadway
The Capitol and Broadway is a 6.1 km loop through the middle of Nashville, down the Bicentennial Mall, past the Ryman and along lower Broadway before climbing back up to the Capitol. The climb back up is where the 49 m is.
Distance6.1 km
Ascent49 m
Steepest5.3%
On path0%
State CapitolBroadwayRyman Auditorium
Why this one
57% of the climbing sits in the middle third — you start flat and you finish flat. Only 0% of it leaves tarmac, less than any of the other eight — it is the one to run when you do not want to pick your feet up.
Centennial Park and Vanderbilt is a 10.0 km loop west of downtown Nashville, round the full-size replica of the Parthenon and out through the Vanderbilt campus. It passes within 75 m of a public toilet, which is what was asked for.
Distance10.0 km
Ascent105 m
Steepest3.1%
On path0%
Centennial ParkThe ParthenonRestrooms
Why this one
The climbing is spread evenly — no third of the route carries more than 44% of it. Only 0% of it leaves tarmac, less than any of the other eight — it is the one to run when you do not want to pick your feet up.
The Cumberland River Greenway is a 12.8 km loop out of Nashville following the river east, on the paved path that eventually links the whole system together. Flat river plain most of the way, with 130 m of climb where it leaves the bank.
Distance12.8 km
Ascent130 m
Steepest3.9%
On path0%
Cumberland RiverGreenwayEast Nashville
Why this one
The climbing is front-loaded: 66% of it inside the first third, so the run flattens out as it goes. Only 0% of it leaves tarmac, less than any of the other eight — it is the one to run when you do not want to pick your feet up.
Sevier Park is a 7.6 km loop south of downtown Nashville, round the park and out through the residential streets either side of the Twelfth Avenue strip. Quiet ground, and short enough to fit in the hour before it goes dark.
Distance7.6 km
Ascent72 m
Steepest2.7%
On path1%
Sevier Park12SouthSunnyside
Why this one
The climbing is spread evenly — no third of the route carries more than 38% of it. No part of it is run twice — the loop never comes back on itself.
Radnor Lake and the ridge is a 10.6 km loop at the state natural area south of Nashville, with 209 m of climb and 6.4% at its sharpest pitch. Round the lake and up onto the ridge above it, on ground that does not let up.
Distance10.6 km
Ascent209 m
Steepest6.4%
On path8%
Radnor LakeRadnor LakeHilly
Why this one
54% of the climbing sits in the middle third — you start flat and you finish flat. It doubles back on itself more than the others do, though that is still only 66% of its length.
The Nashville half marathon loop is a 21.7 km run from Centennial Park, and the only one of the nine that gets you race distance without repeating a mile. Out through the west side, down to the river and back along the greenway, with 234 m of climb.
Distance21.7 km
Ascent234 m
Steepest5.3%
On path0%
Half marathonCentennial ParkCumberland River
Why this one
49% of the climbing sits in the middle third — you start flat and you finish flat. Only 0% of it leaves tarmac, less than any of the other eight — it is the one to run when you do not want to pick your feet up.
Each of those nine started as one sentence. Tell RunFlex the distance, the surface and when you need to be back, and it draws one from your front door — not from the middle of Nashville, and not from a list of runs other people have already done. If it isn’t right, say what is wrong and it draws another.
You describe it, it draws itA sentence in, a route on real streets out. Say “make it flatter” and it redrafts from what you already have.
It shows its workingEvery route above opens on the measurements it was judged against — where the climb sits, how much of it you run twice, what it never gets further than.
Then it goes to your wristOne tap sends it to the watch, which navigates turn by turn on its own GPS.
What you get here that you don't get from a route list
Side by side
Other route sites
RunFlex
What you get
Routes other people ran, in a fixed order
A route drafted for the run you asked for, tonight
Where it starts
Wherever that person started
Your front door
Why this route
No reason given
The scoring is on screen while it drafts
If it is wrong
Scroll to the next one
Say what is wrong and it redrafts
On the run
Your phone, in your hand
Turn by turn on your watch, phone left at home
Who has run it
Thousands of people, and the mud and the closed gate are in the comments
Nobody. It is drawn fresh, so you are the one finding out
That last row is the real trade. A library of routes has been tested by other runners
and a drafted route has not. RunFlex bets that being able to say what you want tonight
is worth more than that.
Leave the phone at home
Send any route above to an Apple Watch and it navigates on its own GPS, turn by
turn, with a tap before each one. The run syncs back when you are home. None of
the other sites on this search can do that, because none of them are an app you
run with.
What you can run to from downtown
All inside 12 km of the State Capitol
Water
Cumberland RiverRadnor LakeRichland CreekStones River
Parks
Centennial ParkPercy Warner ParkShelby ParkSevier ParkBicentennial Capitol Mall
Traffic-free
Shelby Bottoms GreenwayStones River GreenwayCumberland River GreenwayRichland Creek Greenway
Landmarks
The ParthenonRyman AuditoriumTennessee State CapitolShelby Street Bridge
Daylight in Nashville, month by month
Sunrise to sunset
The other thing that shapes a run here is how much light there is. The sun sets at
4:33 PM in mid-December and 8:06 PM in
mid-June, so the same after-work hour is a summer evening or a
night run depending on the month.
Computed for Nashville at 36.1630°N 86.7810°W, on the 15th of each month in 2026.
Times are local — daylight saving time where it applies — and the clocks
go back on November 1, 2026, after which sunset on the Monday is
4:49 PM. First and last light are civil twilight.
The numbers behind the chart
Month
First light
Sunrise
Sunset
Last light
Daylight
January
6:29 AM
6:57 AM
4:56 PM
5:24 PM
9h 59m
February
6:08 AM
6:34 AM
5:28 PM
5:54 PM
10h 54m
March
6:32 AM
6:57 AM
6:54 PM
7:20 PM
11h 57m
April
5:47 AM
6:13 AM
7:21 PM
7:47 PM
13h 07m
May
5:12 AM
5:40 AM
7:46 PM
8:15 PM
14h 06m
June
4:59 AM
5:29 AM
8:06 PM
8:36 PM
14h 37m
July
5:12 AM
5:41 AM
8:04 PM
8:33 PM
14h 23m
August
5:38 AM
6:05 AM
7:37 PM
8:04 PM
13h 32m
September
6:03 AM
6:29 AM
6:54 PM
7:19 PM
12h 25m
October
6:28 AM
6:54 AM
6:10 PM
6:36 PM
11h 17m
November
5:56 AM
6:24 AM
4:39 PM
5:06 PM
10h 15m
December
6:22 AM
6:50 AM
4:33 PM
5:02 PM
9h 43m
Try it on your own run. Say the distance and the surface, and RunFlex drafts it from your front door — not from the town centre, and not from a list.
Shelby Bottoms Greenway is the obvious start: flat, paved and traffic-free along the Cumberland River, with trail alongside if you want it. Centennial Park sits closer to the centre, and Percy Warner Park gives you the hills — steep, wooded and the hardest running in the city. The Cumberland River Greenway links several of them. All nine routes above start inside Nashville, and RunFlex will redraw any of them from your own front door.
Where can I run 5K in Nashville?
Shelby Bottoms is the obvious 5K in Nashville: flat, paved, traffic-free, and a mile and a half out and back along the river needs no navigation. Centennial Park is the alternative closer to the centre, though its loop is short enough that 5K means repeating it.
Is there a traffic-free running route in Nashville?
Shelby Bottoms Greenway. It runs five miles along the Cumberland River on a sealed surface with no road crossings, and connects on to the Stones River Greenway for considerably more, so it works as an out-and-back at any distance you choose.
Where can I run with other people in Nashville?
East Nasty is the one to know — a free weekly group run out of East Nashville that has been going for years and takes every pace. The Nashville Striders organise races and group runs across the city, and Fleet Feet hosts free weekly runs. Any of the routes above works as a solo run the rest of the week, and RunFlex will redraw them from your own front door.
What is the flattest run in Nashville?
The flattest run in Nashville of the nine on this page is Cumberland Park and the pedestrian bridge, at 33 m of climb over 5.4 km and never steeper than 3.2%. The Capitol and Broadway is next, at 49 m over 6.1 km. Both figures are measured off the drawn line rather than estimated from the map.
How hilly is Nashville?
Nashville is rolling rather than hilly. Measured across the nine routes on this page, the flattest carries 6.1 metres of climb per kilometre and the hilliest 21.2, and the steepest single pitch on any of them is 7.9%. The climbing sits in the valley sides rather than in any one hill.
When does it get dark in Nashville?
In Nashville the sun sets at 4:33 PM in mid-December and 8:06 PM in mid-June. The clocks go back on November 1, 2026, and sunset on the Monday after is 4:49 PM, so from early November most weekday running here happens after dark. The month-by-month figures are in the table above.
Nine of an unlimited number. Yours is not drawn yet.
Say the distance and the surface. RunFlex drafts it from your door and sends the one you pick to your watch. Ask again tomorrow and you get a different one. Free early access while it is being built — no card, and no price to pay yet.
RunFlex is built by Rob Gotlieb, who runs. The nine routes above were
drafted by RunFlex from the Nashville street and path network, measured by the same
services the app uses, and read by a person before this page went up. Nobody has run
them end to end — that is the trade in the table above.
If something here is wrong, and on a page of nine drafted routes something
eventually will be, tell us and it is fixed on the next build rather than sitting in a
comment thread.