Saturday 2 November 2013

Melbourne Tan Track Running Route

Click here for route map  
Length 5.1 km (3.2 miles), terrain: mainly flat, one hill

Melbourne Running Routes:
Best Melbourne Running Routes Overview
Fitzroy Gardens
Yarra River at CBD
Tan Track
Carlton/Fitzroy 
Yarra Bend Trail
Albert Park Lake / St. Kilda Beach
Williamstown 
For more running routes, see Route List.

The Tan Track is definitely Melbourne, Australia's most popular running route. Located right across the river from the Central Business District (CBD), it's central and easy to get to, and it winds its way past some of the city's most inspiring sights.
Tan Track runners
The Tan Track circles two adjacent parks: the King's Domain and the Botanical Gardens. These are located right on the Yarra River, and they touch upon further parks and sights, including the old observatory, the Shrine of Remembrance veterans' memorial and Government House, home to the governor of Victoria.

NOTE: see the Destinations Tips page for tips about spending your free time in this great town!
 
The run is fairly short, but includes the challenge of a hill, and the large number of runners will keep you running your fastest.

At first, I thought "Tan Track" referred to the color of the sandy path: it certainly does LOOK tan. But then someone told me that "tan" is really just a short term for the Bo-TAN-ical Gardens, as in "Let's run around the tan". Australians have a knack for shortening anything annoyingly long.
Federation Square, looking towards Flinders Street Station
Most Melbourne visitors stay in hotels in the CBD, so I lengthened the route a bit by having it start at Federation Square, right across from Flinders Street Station, the liveliest spot in downtown. It's just across the river from the Tan Track. So the normal 3.5-km distance was lengthened to 5.1-km.

So, if you're ready, "Let's run around the tan!"

At Federation Square, face the old train station, then turn left and run over the bridge, to the south bank of the Yarra. You are on St. Kilda Road. After the bridge, you'll see the parkland opening up to your left side. But don't run down into the park quite yet. First, cross the highway, Route 2, that goes under St. Kilda Road.
Run between those busts towards the King's Domain!
After you pass the highway going into the tunnel below you, turn left at the first entrance into the park. This is Victoria Gardens. You'll see two white busts flanking either side of a sidewalk heading southeast into the park. Take that sidewalk.
The pavilion: Just across the street you join the Tan Track
You'll go past a Victoria memorial on a mound to the the left and head to a street with a small classical pavilion. Cross that street here, and you'll find yourself on the Tan Track. Just turn left and follow this gravel path as it circles the King's Domain to the right side, along Alexandra Avenue. Most people run the track in this direction, clockwise.
First section of Tan Track along river
The path soon comes closer to the Yarra River, and lines the riverfront road to your left. This park is unfenced, and is mainly a rolling lawn with some trees, a music amphitheater and the governor's mansion on the hilltop.

After awhile, an iron fence will line the park along the right. This is the Botanical Garden, a paradise on earth, and well worth spending some quality time in. There is no admission charge.
View into the Botanical Garden from track
When you get to the end of the Botanical Garden, after about the 2-km mark, turn right on Anderson Street, running uphill. The tan is still to your right side. This is the hard part of the run, going uphill for about 400 meters. This part is not a gravel path, but a paved sidewalk.
Heading uphill along Anderson Street
At the top of the hill, you'll reach the southern end of the tan, where you turn right and continue running with the fence to your right side. The street here is Birdwood Avenue. The Tan Track turns "tan" again (packed sand instead of asphalt), and curves to the right, so that you are basically running northwest now.
Back downhill along Birdwook
After awhile, you will pass the old observatory buildings to the right and the Shrine of Remembrance to the left, a flat-topped pyramid as a veterans' memorial. After this, you're back in the King's Domain again.
The old observatory

And the Shrine of Remembrance
Just continue along the gravel path until you get back to the little pavilion where you originally joined the Tan Track. Now, cross the street again and follow your original path back northwest to St. Kilda Road and then cross the river to Federation Square.
Getting back to the pavilion: now head back to Federation Square

Sunday 27 October 2013

Melbourne Fitzroy Gardens Running Route

Click here for route map
Length 2.7 km (1.7 miles), terrain: light hills
Melbourne Running Routes:
Best Melbourne Running Routes Overview
Fitzroy Gardens
Yarra River at CBD
Tan Track
Carlton/Fitzroy 
Yarra Bend Trail
Albert Park Lake / St. Kilda Beach
Williamstown 
For more running routes, see Route List.

Here's a nice little run if you're staying in Melbourne's Central Business District. Fitzroy Gardens and the adjacent Treasury Gardens and Parliament Reserve are a varied and green contrast to the urban downtown directly south of the parks. 
Fitzroy Gardens paths
Fitzroy Gardens is a nice little park, full of huge trees and jungles. Looking at GoogleMaps, it looks like a really boring park: a rectangular lawn with a few criss-crossing paths. But it's actually a bit hilly, and full of little surprises.

NOTE: see the Destinations Tips page for tips about spending your free time in this great town!
 
There are massive fig trees, lines of English elms, huge cedars, and the beds around the trees are covered with aromatic cedar chips, giant cedars, bamboo jungles, a miniature Tudor village, Captain Cook's childhood home...

We'll start the run at the corner of Bourke St. and Spring St., right in front of the Victorian Parliament.
The Victoria State Parliament
Face Parliament, turn left and run north along Spring Street until you come to a gate in the fence along the right side, leading into Parliament Gardens reserve. This is a small park, with just one path heading northeast to Albert Street.

You'll run by some squawky parrots overhead in the trees, and there is a big fountain that looks like the shower room for a sports team. If your hotel showers aren't that good, you might want to try these.
In Parliament Gardens
When you come to Albert Street, keep running east to the 3-towered Catholic cathedral, St. Patrick's.

Turn right at the cathedral, onto Gisborne Street, to run along the cathedral fence, with its big rose bushes.
Cathedral entrance
When you get to the main entrance of the cathedral, turn left along Cathedral Place and run along the church's quiet south side. You'll go by the church gardens and a fountain.

You will now run straight into a side entrance of Fitzroy Gardens. Take the path curving along to the left, along the park's north side. It will go by a Neptune fountain, then curve to the right towards a second fountain at the east edge of the park.
Fitzroy: follow that paved path!
You'll see a Greek-style pavilion there. Just before the pavilion, take the path to the right to run back westwards across the park again, crossing the main path in the middle. You'll see a pond coming up on the left, and a mound behind it.
Fitzroy pond, from the mound
Turn left onto the mound and run south, past the pond. When the mound almost flattens out to the general ground level, turn left across the grass to the little wooden bridge. The bridge covers a little stream lined by bamboo.

At the other side of the bridge, immediately turn right to follow the little path along the stream, with the stream to your right. You're running south.
Along the stream: a small jungle
When you come back onto the paved path, turn left to cross the stream and now turn right follow it on your right side, continuing southwards.

The path will then come to a formally landscaped pond. Run by the pond and continue past the little brick house. This is Captain James Cook's childhood home (moved here from England).

Now turn your back to the cottage and run westwards. You'll go past the park's Mediterranean-style conservatory, where they have a greenhouse for flowers, and cross Lansdowne Street, entering the Treasury Gardens. 
The conservatory
Keep running straight west through this small park, running uphill. You'll see another pond to the right, nicely landscaped, with a John F. Kennedy memorial.
JFK memorial in Treasury Gardens
When you have crossed Treasury Gardens, you'll hit busy Spring Street, where you turn right and run north path the old treasury building, heading straight back to the starting place in front of Parliament.