Six Awesome Auckland Trail Runs
Posted by Ed on November 12, 2019
Auckland, Tāmaki Makaurau, the City of Sails – call it what you will, New Zealand’s largest city is often its most unlovely.
With its under-planned, tacky CBD, traffic frequently at a standstill, and mish-mash of architectural styles – none particularly attractive – Auckland is drenched in a feeling of general ‘clutteredness’. It’s easy to see why Kiwis from the country’s greener provinces refer to Aucklanders as JAFAs – ‘Just Another F*cking Aucklander’.
But despite its occasional (or frequent) ugliness, there is still much to be said for Auckland. I’ve spent the best part of a year living right in the heart of the city, and whilst it’s not somewhere I’d necessarily choose to live again, I have refused to give in to pessimism and consistently sought out lovely places within running distance of my CBD flat.
And would you believe it? There’s plenty of great spots to run in this hodge podge of a town, even for avowed trail nerds like myself.
So whether you’re just passing through, or you’re coming to terms with being in this divisive city for a while, here are seven awesome trail runs within the heart of Auckland. Rather than just suggesting places in which to run, I’ve provided links to downloadable GPX files of specific routes. If, like me, you’re a stickler for getting the most out of your runs, these routes should help satisfy your cravings, as they are designed to take in as much trail as possible.
All the routes are designed to be easily accessible to visitors, being within walking distance or a single public bus/train ride from the city centre. They range from less than half a mile to over 21 miles long, and are designed to cater to the needs of any trail runner, from beginners to seasoned ultrarunners. Hopefully they help you see some of the good in a difficult-to-love city; they have certainly helped me.
Symonds Street Cemetery
Start / Finish: Symonds Street Cemetery
Distance: Short
Elevation: Sharp
Okay, I know running in a cemetery isn’t everyone’s idea of fun. But, hear me out.
If you’re in a pinch, looking for a quick ‘pick me up’ trail that is easy to access and full of character, look no further than the hidden gem that lies beneath Symonds Street Cemetery. (As in, downhill from it, not actually underneath it. Brrr.)
I stumbled upon this micro trail network following a path out of pure curiosity, and I was immediately charmed by it. The trail passes directly underneath Grafton Bridge at two separate points, providing a dramatic and quite mesmerising juxtaposition between the natural and the man-made.
It is possible to run a 0.6km / 0.4 mile loop on this trail (link here), and whilst it might get mind-numbing for longer than 10 or 15 minutes, it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for a quick shakeout and you’re in the area. Or perhaps link it up with the Auckland Domain route (see below), for a double bill of central city trails.
Auckland Domain
Distance: 3.3km / 2 miles
Elevation: 75m / 245 feet
Many tourists head to the Domain for one thing and one thing only – the Auckland Museum. Whilst the museum is definitely worth a visit, there is a lot more to this central city park than meets the eye. Being one of the few flat parts of Auckland, you can spot joggers all morning, day, and night running one-mile loops around the main road in the park.
But it’s also home to one of the city’s best-kept secrets: gnarly trails.
The Domain trails showcase some of the only authentic New Zealand ‘bush’ (forest) available in the city centre. This out-and-back makes use of as much of the Domain’s trails as possible whilst remaining nice and flowy. Though not long, these are not your typical ‘park paths’ that many city-dwelling trail runners must make do with. These are real trails: surprisingly technical, with plenty of good elevation change.
Three Peaks
Start/Finish: Grafton Station / Wherever you like
Distance: 9.25km / 5.7 miles
Elevation: 225m / 740 feet
Ok, so this isn’t strictly a ‘trail run’. But where else in the world can you link up three dormant volcanoes in under 10km, whilst climbing over 700 feet?
As a loop, this route can start and finish at any point on the course, but I would highly encourage running the peaks in clockwise fashion, with Mount Hobson first, followed by Mount St. John and Mount Eden. (Grafton Station is also an easily accessible starting point from the CBD, with trains running regularly to and from Britomart, ten minutes each way.)
The reason being is that this order saves the best for last! Mount Hobson and Mount St John both have a certain secluded charm to them, but Mount Eden is one of Auckland’s ‘must-see’ places. I summited it almost every day in October and without fail it was constantly full of tourists, even at night!
And it’s popular for a reason – it offers stunning 360 views of the city, with Rangitoto and the Waitematā harbour glistening in the distance.
Mount Eden is also home to an entire inner-city trail network in and of itself. The route I’ve designed makes the best of this, winding its way up the peak via its southern and western faces, before dropping down some very steep, technical trails on the northern slopes.
If you’re pressed for time, here is a great short loop around just Mt Eden starting in the Tahaki Reserve (closest to the CBD) that takes in the best trails on the volcano. With 137m / 450 feet of climbing in just 3.2km / 2 miles, it’s a short sharp run that’ll be sure to get your blood pumping and your stoke levels raised.
Tamaki Drive/Orakei
Start: Britomart Station
Finish: Newmarket Station
Distance: 12.6km / 7.8 miles
Elevation: 238m / 780 feet (195m / 640 feet if run Newmarket – Britomart)
I had to sneak this one in here!
Tamaki Drive is a pedestrian-friendly road running along Auckland’s Waitematā harbour. The site of many iconic races, including the Auckland Marathon and Round the Bays, it’s one of the few flat roads in the city. As such, it’s full of runners – a weekend morning jog along Tamaki Drive can often feel like you’re participating in a small organised race!
But, this being a trail running blog and all, I’ve made sure to design a route that avoids pounding the pavement for too long. After a few gentle kilometres along the waterfront, this run heads inland to Orakei basin, yet another of Auckland’s 53 dormant volcanoes.
After looping around the tranquil waters, the route rejoins the pavement for a while before heading through a number of reserves (parks), with plenty of plush trail miles to be explored. The Ayr reserve, in particular, is a gem.
Finish up at Newmarket station, where you can jump on the train back to Britomart, or explore some of the great cafes and shops on offer (shoutout to my favourite outdoors store, Bivouac!)
Seven Summits
Start: Mt Albert Station
Finish: Mount Eden
Distance: 21km / 13 miles
Elevation: 546m / 1791 feet
If you’re looking for a serious run that will both challenge and inspire you, look no further than this tour of Auckland’s ‘central seven’ dormant volcanic peaks.
Starting at Mount Albert station (accessible from the CBD by train or by the Outer Link bus route) this run takes in Mount Albert, Mount Roskill, Big King, One Tree Hill, Mount St John, Mount Hobson, and Mount Eden.
There’s just nothing quite like bagging peaks, and it’s a rare city which affords you the opportunity to do so with the aid of easily accessible public transport.
Make no mistake, there’s plenty of pavement pounding on this route. But I can promise you it’s a real adventure, with each summit drawing tantalisingly closer to the ever-present hulk of Mount Eden, the final peak. In the last long climb up the road to Mount Eden’s peak you’re guaranteed to have a great big smile slapped across your sweaty, electrolyte-depleted face.
TRAVEL INFO: The Outer Link bus route also stops nearby Mount Eden, and can you take you back to the CBD in 10-15 minutes.
North Shore Trails
Start: Albany Bus Station
Finish: Smales Farm Bus Station
Distance: 34km / 21.1 miles
Elevation: 791m / 2600 feet
Auckland’s north shore is teeming with public domains and trail networks that were originally linked up in a 24km route by Auckland trail running legend Jenny Hirst of WildThings. Check out her route here!
As part of my final long run before the Rotorua Running Festival 50km, I lengthened Jenny’s route by incorporating a few more domains along Kauri Point, the southern tip of the north shore.
This is a truly spectacular run, an adventurous day out on urban trails that will leave you smiling (and maybe wincing) for days to come. Pack some water, electrolytes, and plenty of food, and enjoy this tour of all the north shore has to offer. Well, some of it, at least.
TRAVEL INFO: The NX1 bus goes to Albany bus station from Britomart regularly, whilst the NX2 and NX3 buses go to Albany from various parts of the city. Click here for more information. The same routes return via Smales Farm bus station.
WARNING: Auckland is in the midst of a Kauri dieback prevention scheme, to help preserve its native forest. A number of domains and tracks may be closed; it’s highly recommended you check for any track closures here, and adjust your route accordingly.
Honourable Mention: Rangitoto
I didn’t want to include Rangitoto in my main list, as it’s far from being a ‘central city run’, or even just a ‘city run’. But it simply has to be mentioned, as for trail runners visiting Auckland, there’s no better place to be.
Rangitoto is the largest and most recently active volcano in Auckland’s volcanic field. At 260m high, it offers panoramic views of the city, and miles of truly stunning trails to be explored.
The catch? You’ll have to swim to it. Or catch a ferry, if you’re a chicken.
Believe it or not, Rangitoto didn’t even exist when the first Māori settlers arrived in New Zealand. The island is barely 600 years old, and erupted out of the ocean over the span of a few years, which was presumably quite a shock for the Ngāi Tai iwi, or tribe, on neighbouring Motutapu island.
Ferries run regularly to and from the Downtown Ferry Terminal and take around 20 minutes. A return fare is just NZ$36 (US$23). Pack plenty of water and food as there are no taps or shops on the island, which is one large nature reserve, and be sure to scrub your shoes and gear before you travel in order to protect the island’s flora and fauna.
Here is a possible route that takes in some of the island’s main trails, but really, Rangitoto is a place to explore and go as far as you want to. Just make sure you take in the views from the summit!
Motutapu is also well worth checking out. The two islands are connected by a walkway, and Motutapu offers a greener, rolling counterpart to the jagged volcanic soil on Rangitoto.
If you’re in Auckland in March, the Partnerslife DUAL is a fantastic multi-sport event that takes place on Rangitoto and neighbouring Motutapu. I ran the marathon in 2019, and it was fantastic, but were I to take part again, I would just do the half marathon and avoid a lot of looping around that the marathon course was forced to take to make up the distance.
So there we have it! Six (or seven) routes within the heart of the city that have kept me more or less sane during my time in Auckland.
I think it’s important to always strive forwards and make the best of things. My time in Auckland has been invaluable in terms of my career, as well as my growth and maturation as both a runner and as an all-round individual human being. But it’s also been very taxing on my psyche, and on my other half, who I more or less coaxed into staying. We’re closer than we’ve ever been, but we’ve had to work for it.
I know in years to come I’ll be thankful for the experiences I’ve had this year, not least of which will be the innumerable amazing runs I’ve managed to achieve. Hopefully this post will help you to get out there and discover some magical trails during your time in New Zealand, and if that’s the case, it’s more than I could ask for.
Let me know if you run any of these routes; I’d love to hear from you!
