After the 14-plus hour flight, your plane has touched down at Sydney Airport. The excitement of visiting Australia is racing through your body or maybe it is exhaustion knowing you have many business meetings to conquer during your visit. It is 7 a.m. You need to unwind, so you ask yourself “what should I do now?” Suggestion: Slip into your running shoes and take off on a run Mate!

Maybe it is the sparkle reflecting off the emerald waters or the gentle breeze pushing off the waves that makes Sydney a perfect running destination to unwind after your long flight. You definitely should take advantage of running in this incredible city, because the climate and the scenery allows the runner to enjoy the outdoors to its fullest potential. And, don’t let the big city scare you. Sydney is one of the world’s safest cities. We all know running in big cities can be a struggle to maintain a good pace due to traffic light waiting and car and pedestrian dodging, but this doesn’t have to be the case if you know what direction to take off towards.

Once in the Sydney CBD, a great starting point for many runs is the Sydney Opera House. The Opera House stands alone on Bennelong Point. The outline of the white roof resembles sails against the harbour and makes it truly one of the most beautiful places to visit. The Opera House was designed by the Danish architect Jorn Utzon and opened in 1973. As a starting point, a runner can run for miles and miles without a break in pace. Your run will be an amazing way to experience the most spectacular sights of Sydney.

Three Best Runs covering all distances

Royal Botanic Gardens and the Domain Run: Starting at the Sydney Opera house, this run is breath-taking in many ways. It is here that you can run any distance you desire, but is probably best for those runners who want to run 5-10 kilometers. You have trails galore to explore, so take your pick. Established in 1816, the Royal Botanic Gardens is a 30 hectare oasis wrapped around Farm Cove.

The Gardens range from a Rare and Threatened Plants Garden to the Indigenous Cadi jam Ora and show diverse beauty of nature. They are a significant cultural and botanical icon, with numerous historic and heritage listed specimens that are of enormous cultural, scientific, horticultural and educational value. It is also home to a camp of Grey-headed Flying-foxes. So look above you as you run by. Unfortunately, these cute creatures are causing damage to the gardens, so a relocation effort has been started. Also, be on the lookout for some of Australia’s interesting birds. Their songs can be startling.

Many runners aren’t sure where the Gardens end and the Domain starts, but that is little concern to the majority of the runners. It is more about the running anyway. Adding the Domain to your run makes for a longer run that is equally pleasing to the eye. The Domain is adjoins the Gardens and is 34 hectares of open space. It includes the famous Mrs Macquarie’s Chair. If you want to rest or just want to stop for a nice view, then definitely run by Mrs Macquarie’s Chair. It was carved out of a rock ledge for Governor Macquarie’s wife, so she could sit and enjoy the panoramic view and passing ships. It provides one of the best vantage points in the city with views across the harbour to the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

Opera House to Darling Harbour Run: This run starts at the Sydney Opera House and is a 10km out-and-back run. Although it is out-and-back the scenery is never boring and runs completely along the water’s edge. This run also allows you to explore history. Leaving the Opera House follow the water’s edge, run through Circular Quay where you can watch the ferries come and go. If you are lucky, you will experience the sounds of an Aborigine playing a didgeridoo. Indigenous people have lived in the area for more than 45,000 years. European settlement began in 1770 with Captain Cooks landing. You can experience the early European settlements as you run through the Rocks. The transportation of convicts which followed Cook’s landing resulted in colourful history; the Rocks is where convict tents were erected in 1788. On this run, you’ll pass by the city’s oldest building, Cadman’s Cottage (circa1816).

Next head under the Harbour Bridge towards Walsh Bay. The Walsh Bay wharves are a testament to the rich Maritime history and bustling wool exports Sydney once had. The landscape here was dramatically changed when the wharves were renewed in the early 1900’s and Hickson Road was carved out of the side of the hill. The rich wool industry was certainly capitalized upon for many decades but in later times toward the end of the last century, the wharves fell into disuse and became the eyesore of the inner city.

Thankfully by the early eighties Pier One was revamped into an all-in-one boutique shopping centre, eatery and amusement complex. Later, Piers 4 and 5 were taken over by the Sydney Theatre Company and this was the stimulus needed to bring the whole section back to being an integral part of the cityscape today.

It is up to you to run along the piers or opt for the shorter route along Hickson Road. At the end of Hickson, you will enter Barangaroo. Barangaroo is the last harbour side location in Sydney CBD to be redeveloped. Barangaroo will return more than three hectares to one of the world’s most famous harbours. Although completion of this project won’t be until 2014, the harbour foreshore walk opened officially in 2010 and completed the harbour foreshore walk from Woolloomooloo to Anzac Bridge for the first time in over a century.

You have now arrived at Darling Harbour, where you can choose from a variety of restaurants or shops to stop for a drink or snack, then turn around and head back to the Opera House. Darling Harbour is a fantastic place to explore and discover at any time. It is one of the world’s great waterfront destinations and one of Australia’s major attractions and home to the Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife World, the Australian National Maritime Museum, and many other fun places.

Harbour Circle or Seven Bridges Run: This 26km run is a must-do run for all endurance runners visiting Sydney. Travelling west of the Harbour Bridge to Hunters Hill and around the harbour, this run is truly magnificent focusing on the spectacular beauty of the Harbour. The expanse of the water, crossing of seven bridges, trekking over islands, through urban bushland makes this run most memorable. The route winds along parts of the foreshore, into bays and on to headlands, through busy, along historic streets and over bridges.

If you put this in your running itinerary, then you will need some careful planning and additional research to successfully follow the course. It would be best to pick up a free copy of the Sharing Sydney Harbour: A Harbour Circle Walk brochure from the Sydney Visitor Centre or Sydney Coastal Councils Group, local councils, National Parks, Harbour Trust and tourism offices. You can also download the brochure and map from http://www.walkingcoastalsydney.com.au. Please remember to carry water with you or bring along some cash to purchase water along the route.

Races

Scenic beauty makes Sydney a natural environment and draw for racing. The City 2 Surf is the city’s biggest race and happens in August covering 14kms. As the name implies the race runs from the Hyde Park to Bondi Beach. Draws over 60,000 participants and is considered the world’s largest fun run as well as a competitive event. The Sydney Morning Herald sponsors this event as well as the Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon held on the third Sunday in May. This is Australia’s largest and most prestigious half marathon attracting over 10,000 participants. The course weaves its way around major Sydney landmarks with a finish in Hyde Park. The next big event is the Blackmore’s Sydney Running Festival held in September, which consists of many events to choose from ranging from 4km to a full marathon.

With the sparkling waters and interesting history, you can’t fail to have an amazing run in Sydney. And the cosmopolitan cafes and English-style pubs are a terrific reward for you after the run, so take note while running. Now it is time to get off the plane, check in to your hotel, slip into your running clothes and run yourself in a new direction. Running is the perfect way to move around and enjoy the sights of Australia’s oldest, largest and most diverse city. And, starting and ending at the most incredible landmark, Sydney Opera House, couldn’t be more spectacular. Continued views of the harbour will never dull your eyes. And the weather along year-long is golden. Running allows you to experience the city in the most special ways, so strike out by foot and take it all in..of course you won’t want to leave, but you can always come back for a run.

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