Only if your styles off and usually by new people doing it for a short time. I have been running since I was 12 and according to a number of physios "you have some of the strongest knees/ankles I have ever seen!". Wear the right shoes, run on grass/running tracks/forest tracks most of the time and you will be fine.

Besides that, the definitive health benefits (cardiovascular, immune system, bones etc) far outweigh the possible drawbacks.

The route suggested by the OP is mostly pavement, no?

I think jogging CAN be ok for SOME people if done carefully. But i still think it's a high-risk activity, and some people may only feel the adverse effects on their joints later in life.

But I'm no expert.

I have a great place for running in Kunming.
Take Dianchi Lu to Guang Fu Lu. Turn right and go a few hundred meters to the river. You have pathways on either side of this river for running all the way to Dianchi Lake and beyond. I do 3km to Dianchi Lake and turn around. This is just a few blocks from where I live. It is all tree lined, no streets/cars. Just a long park on either side of a nice river. The pathway is the sidewalk tile stuff. BTW, at Guang Fu Lu start location, there is a small park with various exercise machines to get you warmed up and stretched.

The trick with running is actually to do it as much as you can on uneven ground.

Flat concrete is the worst. Concrete with lots of twists and turns is much better (imagine the nice tree areas along rivers) as you are using lots of different parts of your joints when you run around obstacles. Asphalt roads are better than concrete but road camber should be monitored - try to alternate 50/50.
Running tracks are good, they have curves and padded, but if you are running long distances on them you need to do the same number of laps in both directions or you can have problems.
Best is dirt/off road tracks, but you need to build up to them if you are new to them as you can easily twist an ankle if they aren't strong.

I have never heard jogging as being called "high risk". The risk to your health and premature death from avoiding exercise is much greater than the possible injuries from jogging. And as its one of the easiest, most accessible and best value exercises to get into, jogging is a very accessible exercise with incredible health benefits. Discouraging people by calling it "high risk" entertains the notion that people should be wrapped in bubble wrap their whole life fearful of everything.

I have been running both competitively and as a hobby for over 20 years having trained with and by professional runners and exercise physiologists. While I aren't an expert, I can definitely give experiential mixed with expert advice!

In Kunming, a great place to run now is along the rivers. The government has done a pretty good job of greening them and making long public spaces along them. If you live close to a river, explore!

I recommend people to upload their running routes on www.mapmyrun.com as well! Then we can all share the love! (I have about 4 uploaded on public setting, quite a few others from other runners in KM!)

I'm on mapmyrun too - hadn't seen any other Kunming runners there. Although I haven't posted any routes either. I usually run along the river from yi er yi or down around Cui Hu, trying to get out before 7am when the traffic and the resulting fumes get really bad.

Magnifico,
I'm sorry to say that but, yes, -you are no expert in sports, and a little bit of a running party pooper, -no offense.
Running doesn't ruin your knees or joints, quite contrary, if done right.
It stimulates the the growth of ligament in your knees after trauma or loss of it (ligament, not trauma,-that is).
As every sport you have to start easy and if possible stop it gently and slowly if you want to stop or change your favorite exercise.

Good shoes are crucial (and physicians recommend harder soles these days, or running socks, weird looking shoes with individual toes).
The running surface matters less it will train your feet and legs. Softer soles will ease the impact on your foot but increases the impact force on your knee.

But as everything some people swear on cushioned soles and some say the harder runners are better.

Same with pollution some doc's say running in pollution is still better than not running at all.
There was a nice article in TheBeijinger about sports in Beijing during the Olympics (might still be in their archive) and the overall tenor was; "Activity is better than no activity disregarding the pollution level."
Also if you want to argue against it (and please guys do) google the effects of Indoor pollution if you think that outdoor air pollution is an issue.

Or put a few unlit cigarettes in your mouth while running, then at least

the air will be filtered. [If you don't mind people staring at you]

Chris I only ran parts of the route you described, I can only agree, it's really nice, good air, not many people to stare or stand in the way, the surface is great, especially around the Dianchi Lake area. Also the Villa parks around the lake are nice to circle.

The jogging party-pooper is back, kids. I'm still backing up my claims, but I will soften my tone a little and change my assertion that jogging is "high-risk" to the following:

actilean.healthinformatics.net/docs/english/aha/running.sma.asp
Compared with other aerobic activities, running has a relatively high risk of injury. When you run, your foot hits the ground with a force that is more than 3 times your body weight.

1 - It has relatively higher risk than other activities.

2 - There are other ways to stay in shape.

3 - Jogging is boring anyway. I'd rather play sports. Not only is it an aerobic activity, but it requires agility, grace, and some thought to outmaneuver your opponents.

That's all I'm trying to say.

there are also articles like this out there though:
www.npr.org/[...]
www.runnersworld.com/[...]

and one of the benefits of barefoot running/running w/o cushioned shoes is to reduce the impact and change the stride so that the body naturally takes on or changes the stresses of the activity...
www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/
well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/are-we-built-to-run-barefoot/

although the running world certainly isn't in complete agreement on that yet. And what kind of exciting sports are you playing in which you're not running?

1 - it depends on how you're measuring risk - basically every exercise and/or sport brings with it some kind of risk of injury

2 - well... and?

3 - I used to agree with you, but that was before I'd done a lot of running on my own. There's a different kind of awareness of the body and its capabilities that comes with running, and a connected thrill. I enjoy playing other sports as well, and it's very possible there are sports you enjoy playing that I would find incredibly boring and/or annoying. Most sports couldn't live up to my favorite, but what does that have to do with the benefits of the others, or with a conversation on running routes? So jogging is boring for /you/... so I'm guessing a good suggestion would be you probably won't want to put a lot of time into going jogging, unless you want to join a group of friends in the activity. Or maybe try it for a month and see if you change your mind. :)

This thread is kind of a strange place to pick up the topic of 'running is boring.' Definitely a 'choose your audience' moment.

The Dudeson's re: pollution
I find if I end up running during rush hour that I notice a difference in the running itself and after I come back, I'm coughing for a while. Activity is better than sitting still, but I can't help wondering if I'm doing permanent damage to my lungs. Can almost taste the difference in the air along the river, or just outside the city, or even in the city early in the morning before traffic starts flowing.

anyone know if there are trails not too far from the Wen Hua Xiang area? There's one tiny park near Minzu Da Xue, but not really 'trail'. keep hoping there's a faster/closer way out of the city to some good places for running that I'm unaware of.