The cooler days are here and the city is ready to help you get in shape, so whether it’s a quick lunchtime jog you’re after or an epic race along the waterfront, behold a round-up of the best runs in the CBD, commencing at the Auckland Domain. So dust off your running shoes and leave the excuses at home. You’ll thank us in the long run.

The lunch break quickie
Duration: approximately 30 minutes | Distance: 4.5km
Ideal for inner city professionals who need to let off a little steam, this run takes you through two of Auckland’s most popular parks – Auckland Domain and Albert Park. Starting at the War Memorial Museum in the Auckland Domain, from here, you’ll head along Grafton Bridge past the Symonds Street Cemetery and along a short section of Karangahape Road to St Kevin’s Arcade. Then it’s a quick sprint down Myers Park towards the Town Hall and Aotea Square and onward to Albert Park along Mayoral Drive. The run continues up Centennial Walk – a footpath alongside a wide grass verge, originally intended to be the main road into Auckland Domain, ending back where you began.

The three-park run
Duration: approximately 50 minutes | Distance: 10km
Not a bad way to start or end the work day, from the corner of Lovers Lane and Domain Drive, by the pond in the Auckland Domain, you’ll head west along Karangahape and Ponsonby Road. After a jog through Western Park (one of Auckland’s oldest), make your way towards Victoria Park and then along the promenade at the Viaduct. The seafront leg along Tamaki Drive takes you to a footbridge that passes over Tamaki Drive to the Parnell Baths (Auckland’s only outdoor saltwater pool). The path then winds up the side of a cliff – the top of which offers an ideal place for a breather overlooking the beautiful Waitemata Harbour. After running through Point Resolution Park and along tree-lined streets dotted with historic houses and churches, your run concludes back at the Auckland Domain.

The scenic waterfront route
Duration: approximately 50 minutes | Distance: 9.5km
Passing by unique historical, coastal and geological features, this run kicks off near the George Street exit of the Auckland Domain before heading down Ayr Street, passing Kinder House and Ewelme Cottage. Continue along Shore Road, Orakei Road and over the Purewa Bridge which crosses between the Orakei Basin on the right-hand side, an ancient volcanic crater, and Hobson Bay on the left. Follow Ngapipi Road along the shores of Hobson Bay and Whakatakataka Bay and along Tamaki Drive. Make your way through the Parnell Rose Gardens at Dove-Myer Robinson Park, up the hill to the Holy Trinity Cathedral. This is the perfect place for a rest, before walking back to Auckland Domain to cool down.