Australian Capital Territory
From CoolRunning Australia
Despite being a widely derided place, full of politicians and public servants, the Nation's capital is a really great place for running, with a thriving running scene, many runners, many bike tracks, flat sections, hilly sections, wide empty streets, close to bush tracks and all in a very compact area.
Contents |
Key Races
Places to run
There are so many places to run in Canberra it really depends on where you are. Unfortunately Stromlo (the pinnacle of running forests) was lost in the bush fires in Jan 2003, although there are still many great places to run.
Each section of Canberra is linked by Nature reserves and some of the best nature reserves on the North side of Canberra are Mount Ainslie, Majura and Black Mountain. There are miles and miles of single track and fire trails to run on.
- Lake Burley Griffin
- Canberra North of Lake
- Canberra South of Lake
- Canberra is truly blessed with many bike paths, which is great for runners - the bikely website has a list of some routes in Canberra
Running Tracks
By running tracks, we mean athletics tracks, ovals etc.
- There is a synthetic track at the AIS which is great for training. It is rarely busy and you can spot many of Australia's Canberra based track and field stars in training.
- Enclosed oval behind Woden town centre. This is in good condition and has lights but you have to hire it.
- Macquarie oval - believed to have lights.
- The ovals opposite the Jamison centre are in pretty good consition and some nights the lights
- Dickson oval is in really bad shape. There are holes all over the track especially on the inside lane, it is a fair bit worse than normal. Plus the lights are only on the soccer fields.
- Amaroo oval is still pretty good, I think it's a measured 400 meter track - maybe not exactly. It has lights too, usually on Thursday nights when they do footy training on the neighbouring ovals. They hold some Little Aths meets.
Running Clubs & Groups
There are a number of clubs in this small area, but certainly the Canberra Runner website dominates the running scene. Lots of good runners hang out on the ACTRUN email list, there is also a Canberra Runner email list - ACTRUN bills itself as the politicially incorrect version.
Places to buy Running gear incl. shoes
The best store for purchasing running shoes in Canberra is The Runners Shop. It is located in 76 Dundas Court Phillip ACT 2606, not far from Woden plaza (ph: (02) 6285 3508). It has a fantastic range of shoes and is owned by Brian Wenn, a very enthusiastic runner. Brian supports many running events in the Canberra district.
Medical & Doctors
- If you are on the look out for a good sports physio in Civic then Karl Ackermann is very knowledge and actually cares about you as a patient. He has helped me deal with several minor injuries before they have become major ones. The name of his clinic is Capital Physiotherapy and the phone number is 62578900.
- If a sports doctor is what you need, then try Judith May. She works from a clinic in Turner and has been an international mountain runner and cyclist. She is very knowledgable and loves her sport. You can get her on 62477222.
- If looking for a soft tissue therapist in Canberra, you cannot go past Clinic 88 in Belconnen. The place is packed full of the most knowledgable therapist you could imagine. You will get great treatment and also great follow up. If you are sick of getting 15 minutes of treatment from a physio, give these guys a go, you will get a full hour of hands on treatment for the same price as a physio appointment. The phone number is 62532388.
