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.
