Australia & New Zealand

Sydney, Australia

A Comprehensive Guide to Running in Sydney, Australia

State capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Oceania, the Australian east coast city of Sydney provides a spectacular setting for running. Sydney surrounds the world’s largest natural harbor, and sprawls towards the Blue Mountains to the west. The city’s countless coves, good weather, and numerous beaches along the coast provide great running opportunities. Additionally, between the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, the Central Business District skyscrapers, lighthouses and ferries, there is no shortage of places to explore!  We’ve researched more than 20 routes for running in Sydney, incorporating the city’s spectacular geography, numerous parks, and extensive system of trails and paths. If you’d like to have an in-person guided running experience in Sydney, we highly recommend our friends at Go! Running Tours.

Our guide to the best places to run in Sydney is divided into three areas. In central Sydney, highlights include our ‘runseeing‘ tour and numerous routes around Darling Harbor, Lavender Bay, numerous bays and quays. Just west of the CBD, we love Iron Cove Bay and some great running in the Olympic Park area. In North Sydney, there are great routes in Manly and the northern beaches. A highlight of Sydney running is the Eastern Beaches area, which includes the famous Bondi Beach to Coogee Trail and additional trails around Watson’s Bay. Centennial Park, and the Victoria Park/university area are also nearby. Just a bit outside the city, we recommend the Cooks River Trail, and paths around the Chipping Norton Lake. In the southern suburb of Cronulla, there’s nice running on the Esplanade and paths through heritage sand dunes. For some scenic trail running, head to Botany Bay National Park on La Perouse & Kurnell peninsulas.

Most of the best places to run in Sydney are centrally located or accessible via transport. There’s a good bus and train system in Sydney, plus an extensive ferry network. A car is needed to access some routes. Note: If you’d like to have a guided running experience in Sydney, we highly recommend our affiliate partner Go! Running Tours

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Some of our favorite runs in Sydney, Australia

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  • Weather & Climate
  • Where To Stay
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Sydney has a humid subtropical climate with warm summers, mild winters and uniform rainfall throughout the year. Average winter (June through August) temperatures have highs in the 60s °F (16–17 °C) and lows in the upper 40s °F (8–9 °C). Summer months (December through March) have temperatures in the 80s with warm nights. The weather is moderated by proximity to the ocean, and more extreme temperatures are recorded in the inland western suburbs. Sydney experiences an urban heat island effect. This makes certain parts of the city more vulnerable to extreme heat. Overall, Sydney’s weather is ideal for running, so take advantage while you are visiting.sydney-climate

The Central Business District extends about 2 miles (3 km) south from Sydney Cove and houses the majority of hotels. From these hotels, Sydney Sites route is accessible right out your front door while Heartbreak Hill, Manly, Bondi Beach and Centennial Park Routes are all easily accessible on public transportation. Sydney Olympic Stadium, Land Cove National Park and Iron Cove are within a 20–30 minutr drive and easily accessible by public transport.sydney-stay

Running Science Rozelle. Service orientated running retail store established by two of Sydney`s leading sports podiatrists. Hosts weekly run club happens from our shop at 5.55am.

The Running Company Bondi Beach. Specialty running store with digital gait analysis.

The Running Hub Potts Point. Independent running speciality store with digital gait analysis.

The Sydney Running Centre Edgecliff.

The Athlete’s Foot Broadway.

Fivemore Paddington. Activewear and lifestyle store for women.

Sydney Striders A group run every Sunday morning rotating through 30 different 10K courses covering the most scenic areas of Sydney’s North Shore, Eastern Suburbs, and Inner West.

Kings Cross Track Club Running group meeting up at the Kings Cross Coke sign every Tuesday (7pm) and Thursday (6.45am) and some Sundays (8.30am).

Sydney has a very active running community and lots of events to be involved in.
Events Calendars #1. Events Calendar #2

Some of the major events are:

Blackmores Sydney Marathon September. Marathon, half marathon, 9K and 4K.

Sydney Trail Series Spring (September — November) and Summer (January — March). 8km, 11km, 20km, 30km.

Husky Half Marathon August. Half Marathon, Relay, 2K and 5K.

Western Sydney Marathon October. Held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre. Marathon, half marathon, 10K, and 5K.

The Carcoar Cup Running Festival November. 60km ultramarathon, 42.2km marathon, 21.1km half marathon, 10km walk, 6km, 1.8kms kids run. The full marathon can be run solo or as part of a team relay.

Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon May. Australia’s largest and most prestigious half marathon, incorporates a relay option as well.

Manly Soft Sand Classic June. Half marathon, 9K and 1.6km Golden Mile.

City2Surf August. 14km distance featuring Heartbreak Hill.