Two Sussex towns are among the best in England for running, according to a new study.

Whether you are chasing a personal best or simply getting out for a gentle jog, nearby routes, green spaces and people to run with can make a difference to your routine.

A ranking by FLBR Motorsport compared 60 towns, cities and council areas across England to reveal the best places for running, with Crawley taking the top spot.

The study assessed mapped running trails, air quality, parks and play areas, rainfall, sunshine, parkrun locations and running-club listings.

Crawley and Worthing are among the best towns in England for running, according to a new study. Picture by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images

placeholder image — Crawley and Worthing are among the best towns in England for running, according to a new study. Picture by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images

Crawley ranks first, recording 11.13 mapped running trails per 10,000 residents and 90.42 parks and play areas per 100,000 people.

The West Sussex town also has two mapped 5km parkrun locations, giving runners opportunities to join a regular timed event.

Bath takes second place, with figures covering Bath and North East Somerset.

The area offers 7.59 mapped running trails per 10,000 residents, alongside 110.60 parks and play areas per 100,000 people and four mapped parkrun locations.

Worcester ranks third, with 9.54 mapped running trails per 10,000 residents.

Its average annual rainfall of 647mm is 187mm lower than Crawley’s, helping its position alongside comparatively lower PM2.5 levels.

Guildford follows in fourth place, boasting the highest rate of mapped running trails in the study at 16.43 per 10,000 residents.

For runners tired of repeating the same loop, route variety is its standout result.

Worthing completes the top five, combining 10.89 mapped running trails per 10,000 people with 1,919 annual sunshine hours, the highest figure in the study.

Norwich ranks sixth, followed by Lancaster in seventh and Canterbury in eighth.

Cheltenham and Telford complete the top 10.

Birmingham finishes bottom of the ranking. Birmingham places 60th, recording 1.13 mapped running trails per 10,000 residents and 32.16 parks and play areas per 100,000 people.

Liverpool ranks 59th, while Blackpool finishes 58th. These positions reflect the selected measures rather than the quality of every local route.

Josh Felber, spokesperson for FLBR Motorsport, said: “Having a choice of routes gives runners more ways to fit training around their lives, whether that means a short weekday loop or a longer weekend run. Clubs and parkrun events can also provide a reason to keep turning up.

“Runners should look beyond distance when planning a route. Surfaces, road crossings and lighting can change how suitable it is, particularly during winter when familiar paths may be muddy or poorly lit.”

The analysis combined population-adjusted route and facility counts with air quality and long-term weather figures. Each metric was normalised and weighted to produce the ranking. Running-club listings reflect directory addresses rather than individually verified training venues.