Bay Run

This is a marked 7 km run around a scenic river with sealed roads, plenty of room even at peak hour (weekends and afternoons on weekdays) and clearly planned tracks for both runners and cyclists.
There’s lots of parking all around the track if you plan on driving. Unilocal tip is to snap up one of the spots near the UTS Rowing Club and that way you can finish up your workout with a delicious meal or ice cold beverage (well deserved of course!).
I would recommend going late in the evening if you want to avoid peak hour (it’s well lit enough and there are enough runners at all hours so you won’t have to worry about it being completely deserted or dark).
Related to this, if you wanted to make a full day out of being in the area, the Birkenhead Point outlet factory is very close by as well. Head there to shop until you drop with retail prices slashed up to 80%!

It would be awesome if the path was clearly signed asking joggers to keep to the jogging path! And cyclists keep to the cycle path and ride single file! And dogs MUST be lashed! I have lost count of how many times I’ve had to come to a complete halt when I’m riding my bike around the path to the Drummoyne Rowing Club! Because joggers or people just walking 3 abreast taking up almost the full width of the cycle path! Making it extremely difficult to pass them! And when there is NO clearly defined cycle or jogging paths, painted signs on the path, advising people to keep to the left and in single file! Let’s share the paths! I mean just how hard is that?

Great running route close to the Sydney CBD! I love the fact that you can start anywhere (so can park anywhere), it’s scenic running around the bay the whole way, and that there’s minimal hills. If 7 km is a bit short for you, such as if you’re training for the City to Surf or a Half Marathon, do 2 loops back-​to-​back (I usually alternate on direction) to create a good 14 km route. The downside is it can be quite busy, with walkers, cyclists and pram pushers. Make sure you keep switched on to the environment around you, and don’t get too absorbed listening to music.

Another cracker sunny winter’s day in Sydney, and a friend and I walked her dog along here in lieu of the bushwalk we were too dusty to go on. The last time I was here (2013?) I was on my bike, and in my opinion it’s not an ideal bike ride ’cause you have to accommodate the many pedestrians and runners plus it kinda dumps you dangerously out on the road at one point. (I actually prefer riding in traffic, so your mileage may vary.) They’ve added in some new bike lanes and I think (?) are maybe fixing the dodgy corner and I mean, the scenery is really very pretty so why not bike along here? if you’re not a hater like me. And otherwise you can stroll along, or jog along, and take it all in anyhow (as the name suggests it follows the bay), and even refuel with a coffee at the dog café (Café Bones). It’s nice and flat and paved, there’s sunny stretches and shady stretches, and there’s an outdoor gym thing where the equipment even has moveable bits. Today may have been the happiest day of my life because I came across a couple of pull-​up bars hidden in the trees and actually did two dang unassisted chin-​ups #humblebrag. So clearly the Bay Run has magical pull-​up bars also.

This is one of the best running courses in Sydney. A pretty flat, 7 km course just outside the heart of the city.
There’s also exercise stations along the course, and an open air gym at King George Park in Rozelle.
If you’re in the mood for something more leisurely, there’s a few coffee shops along the way too — one at UTS Rowers and Drummoyne pool.

I religiously ran the 7 km stretch of the Bay Run with faithful furry friend Fergus, several times a week for a solid year.
On the very first run we did, back before the new cycleway and second bridge, he got scared coming up onto the Iron Cove bridge pedestrian walkway and baulked on the lead. He was only a pup at that stage, and even though I was buggered, I ended up carrying him the full extent of the bridge — and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise (best pickup move ever!)
To every girl that we passed I said: He’s all tuckered out, and the responses they cooed could be summed up by «Awwwww he’s soooo cute!» and out would come the smiles (and the numbers… ha!)
To every guy that we passed I muttered gruffly: Hurt his leg, which produced knowing nods in response. The staffy breed is tough as nails after all they don’t give up!
This run is amazing for people-​watching but also for spiritual awakening. I used it as a weightloss weapon to assist in shredding 17 kilos in 3 months.
The reason it is so effective is because :
— You can pace yourself with other walkers/​runners fore and aft
— You get an inspiring view the whole way around (water, sunshine, greenery, boats, grass, beautiful people)
— You can start wherever you want
— You can go in either direction
When I was living in Drummoyne, my street backed out onto the 2 km marker, so I started there. My run back from the gym in Five Dock would spit me out at Nield Park (between 2^nd and 3^rd km mark) and I would shuttle back home in the opposite direction.
Favourite starting point is the Drummoyne Rowers opposite Brett Park and heading away from Iron Cove bridge. You’ll fly by Nield Park, Rodd Point, UTS Rowers, Le Montage Restaurant, the Psych hospital, Leichardt Park and King George Park, before rocking back onto the Iron Cove Bridge, then peeling off to jet past The Cove café, Drummoyne Swimming Centre and back to Brett Park. Wowsers it’s good.

Good spot for a walk/​jog or run if you feel so inclined.
A regular catch up joint with friends where we can feel like we’re exercising and spend a good 50mins-​1 hour catching up.
It is an easy 7 km with minimal inclines so even those starting out walking or jogging would be able to give it a go.
Numerous water stations along the walk so you don’t need your water-​bottle and even a couple of free body weight areas if you wanted to work some muscles.
Also if you don’t feel like a drive up to Rozelle for a coffee there are now a number of lil coffee haunts along the bay for a quick café latte.
When the weather is nice this is a beautiful and easy walk!

Fantastic 7k walk/​run/​ride. The only thing I can fault is the lack of forethought someone had in building the cycle-​ways which cross over in a couple of areas, and completely stop in others, making you get on the road. Would be good with a couple of other eating options along the way, though maybe that defeats the whole exercise purpose.

If you’re kicking off your running routine, this is a great place to start. The track is flat and smooth with plenty of room for dog walkers, cyclists and runners. There’s a good variety of scenery along streets, through the park and even an old psychiatric hospital!
If you want to step it up a bit, there’s 2 pretty rad workout areas with good cardio and strength training equipment.
The track is at its busiest first thing in the morning and around 6pm.

I’ve only completed the whole Bay Run on one, single, solitary occasion. I’m at once proud of finishing and at the same time ashamed of only doing it once. There’s one fundamental flaw with this long 7 or 8 km run or so: once you realise that you’re tired… you have to trek back all the way or keep going if you’ve reached halfway. Now I’m not saying that I am familiar with having to retreat like this, but it stands to reason and logic that this must be the case.
If you’re not up to the whole challenge, I’d recommend Google mapping it ahead of time to figure out your desired length and then halve it so you can double back. On the weekend, particularly in the morning, it packs out with Inner West athletes wearing their Lorna Jane and New Balance gear so stick to the weekdays on this one.

From a runner’s point of view this course is always a pleasure as there aren’t many roads that you need to stop and wait for traffic at. But here are a few tips and observations if you’re planning to run this 7 km course:
1. You can start anywhere on the course as its in suburbia despite the water’s edge location. Wherever is most convenient for you.
2. I usually run at night after work and there are heaps of people walking their dog, walking, cycling or running. As a woman running alone, I found this comforting, although take care — there are some isolated spots which you need to be careful. Past the Iron Cove bridge, the descent back onto the track is a bit isolated. Although I have never heard of anything bad happen here, its always good to be alert. When I first did this track at night, the quietness of this spot was a bit of a surprise.
3. During Autumn/​Winter and sometimes on cold days/​nights in Spring, the wind on this track is really bad. Which is really bad for your breathing if you’re a runner. I once got a cold from running this on a particularly windy afternoon.
4. There are a few small inclines but no hills on this course. The track is relatively flat.
5. Estimate 30−50min for the entire course. Speed walking takes around 75min.
6. You can always stop — just because its a 7 km circular track it doesn’t mean you have to do the whole thing! There have been many times I just couldn’t go on for whatever reason and turned back :)
Overall a great running track. Enjoy!

Circling Sydney’s Inner West, the Bay Run is one of Sydney’s most popular exercise tracks. I enjoy doing the Bay Run (although, what I do is more like a Bay Walk), especially during the week when it is a little quieter. Come Saturday morning, every man, woman, dog, cat and mouse is out doing the Bay Run. Dressed in their finest spandex and coolest headphones, a lot of these fitness fanatics are embarrassingly vain, with their main motivation not to loose wait or get fit, but to be seen doing so.
Having said that though, it is good fun to head out on a weekend and have a quiet chuckle to yourself at how seriously some people take themselves.
Popular amongst walkers, joggers and bike riders, the track is approximately seven kilometres around and passes through Rozelle, Lilyfield, Haberfield, Five Dock, Rodd Point, Russell Lea and Drummoyne.
The stunning views are (almost) enough to get you the whole way around. But if you’re not feeling up to doing the whole seven kilometres, you can jump on and off wherever you like.

I’m usually much more a fan of running on a treadmill (boring I know), but there is something so satisfying as the machine counts the kilometers for you. Since being introduced to the Bay Run by a friend, I have not looked back. The scenic route is both inspiring and beautiful. The good thing about the Bay Run is that it’s flexible. You can start and end anywhere you like. It stretches for a decent length of 7 km, enough to exert you and get a good fitness dose for the day (or week!).

I’m always looking for new places to run and get out into the open air. I had stumbled upon the Bay Run pathway by scoping out Google Maps, looking out for any patches of green that would imply a park or trail. I had no idea that the Bay Run was quite popular for people living in the Inner West. And I can completely understand why. It encircles Iron Cove, from Birkenhead Point to the East to Timbrell Park in the West. I completed the run on foot, however there were also many cyclists and dog walkers sharing the path. It’s very pleasant, as your adjacent to the water for the entirety of the route.
The path is around 7 kilometres long (4. 35 miles according to MapMyRun!). You pass through the many villages of the Inner West (going counter-​clockwise: Rozelle Lilyfield, Haberfield, Five Dock, Rodd Point, Russell Lea, and Drummoyne). The path is clearly marked the whole way and it’s safe to have your earphones plugged in the whole time, even if you’re on a pushbike. There are also straight sections suitable for sprinting.
Every year, there’s also a community Bay Run that promotes awareness of health and exercise through fundraising. I can’t wait to participate in next year’s Run!

My last two years in Sydney (before re-​locating to Melbourne earlier this year) meant that living in the inner west had its great arm for exercise and walking/​running enjoyment living right near a seven kilometre bay. Depending on where you live it can start anywhere. And was also the home to those high school walkathons.
There was a little bit of organised chaos late last year as the second Iron Cove bridge was under construction; however it is all worth it now. The walkway on the second Iron Cove Bridge is spectacular, and cuts about five minutes off the exercise in total. We are talking about Rozelle; Drummoyne; Five Dock/​Rodd Point/​Russell Lea (all the same area); bits of Haberfield and Ashfield as well as Leichhardt and Lilyfield (same areas again).
A beautiful walkway. Great for any time during the weekday. On weekdays (as expected, especially on a beautiful day) it gets crowded: every man and their dog is out enjoying it all. There are even Sydneysiders outside of the inner west enjoying the bay run. it is great to soak in the beautiful parks and water views. Also a great locale for cyclists. I miss the bay run.

I go through spurts of wanting to get fit. I call them fitness spurts. Every so often I’ll have a mad hunkering for a jog and a hunkering like this will continue for anywhere up to a few months.
And I’m fortunate, I live just moments away from a pretty incredible running track. It is called the Bay Run, what it is and bear with me, it might take some explaining, but it’s a run that you do and it happens to go around a bay.
It’s 7 km in distance if you do the entire thing, which goes over the iron cove bridge towards Drummoyne, it goes past the old Rozelle Mental Hospital, through Haberfield and all the way it’s along the water. You couldn’t ask for a nicer run. You could, but that would be greedy. You could say, give me a run where half of it isn’t right next to the road, but then you’d forget about civilisation and worry about getting lost.
Of course you don’t have to run it, the water views and the serene parkland that scatter themselves along the track make for nice walking areas, children playing on the various play equipment, dog walkers with their Cocker-​spaniels and Great Danes. Picnics in the summer time. Soccer in the winter. Serious runners and hilarious ones.
They always seem to be doing improvements along the track, a new walkway to keep people from having to run on the footpath along the Iron Cove Bridge. A new path leading up to it. New play equipment for children near Callan Park.
So head out there and maybe see what’s new today. The bay starts anywhere you like, but for things like the Bay Run, a fun run run each year, the official starting place is Leichhardt Oval 3, right next to Glover Street.