One Tree Hill and Cornwall Park

And now for one of my favourite, most accessible off-road runs in Auckland. I’ve been saving this run up for a hectic week because it’s so central – and so good for the soul. Running here yesterday made me remember why I love Auckland (even on a week where we are fighting to keep an off-license liquor store – to be open 9am-11pm 7 days a week – from opening up on our residential street).

One Tree Hill and Cornwall Park

Together these two parks make up the largest parkland in central Auckland. It’s like being in a stately home in England (or what I imagine one would look like, having never been there). I can imagine ladies from Jane Austen novels walking in their voluminous dresses and holding parasols, walking beside the hedgerows or under the massive oak trees. And I love features like the rock staircases and walls made with volcanic scoria from One Tree Hill. There’s plenty of livestock - sheep and cattle – too. And plenty of space for off-road running!

Dick Quax's 4.5 mile loop

I was introduced to this run by my running friend Stephen Duxfield, who lives nearby and has run this route many times. It’s well known by local athletics clubs who do the route for cross-country training. According to the Athletics New Zealand newsletter, Dick Quax (a former Olympian and who has just missed out on being Councillor for Howick on the new Auckland Council) made this run popular and used to do it two or three times on his training runs. But one lap at 7.2km is usually enough for me!

The run covers the park in a sort of star shape, heading out to Greenlane West (twice), Manukau and Campbell Roads before heading back inwards, towards the mountain. It doesn’t actually go up to the summit.

Maps

Athletics New Zealand featured this run in their September 2010 newsletter – ‘Athletics in Action’ as part of their ‘Great Training Runs in NZ’ series.

Here is a mapometer.com version of the above run – approximately as Stephen and I run it. You can add bits on as you choose – there’s plenty extra to explore in this park that this run doesn’t cover.

Evaluation:

• Distance: approx 7km
• Terrain: A bit hilly
• Shade: The great thing about this run, in the afternoon at least, is that a large part of it is under shade. In summer that's such a relief for someone like me who burns in 2 seconds
  
• Track type and condition: grass
  
• Mud: Winter: yes. Summer, no.
  
• Views: nearly 360 degree views all around Auckland, even from this run which doesn't go up to the summit
  
• Novelty: Not novel for me and this track is reasonably well known, but I love it every time
  
• Remoteness: Even though it's in the middle of the city, this park is so spacious that some areas feel like they are out of the city
  
• Toilets: There are 3 opportunities for toilet stops on this run. And a couple of water fountains too
  
• Crowd factor: You'll usually see a few other people on this route, but it's never crowded. The roads around One Tree Hill are more crowded so this is a nice alternative
  
• Watch out for: Weird guys cycling past and trying to hand you things (drugs? love letters?) concealed in an envelope - this seriously happened to me earlier this year. It was getting near dusk and I was running through the Twin Oak Drive area. Best not to run here at night.
  
• Extra for experts: Cross Greenlane West and head through the park alongside Puriri Drive until Market Rd. It's nearly an exact 1k between the two roads, so you can use it as a time trial.
  

Verdict

This run is just as great as ever. And always will be. Thanks Sir Logan Campbell for gifting this park to Auckland those many years ago, and thanks Dick Quax for the great track.