10km Series - Shelley Beach Course Description
This page last updated: Sunday December 25 2011
10km Series
Shelley Beach Course Description
Prepared and measured by Stephen Jackson
Overview
This course is definitely the flatest of the Striders 10k courses, and absolutely car free (except for the occasional garbage truck at the start / finish line!). It is 2 laps of a 5k out-and-back course running from
Shelley Beach, along Manly Beach, and using the Queenscliff Surf Life Saving Club as the turn mark (I was pretty confident that the Club would not move too soon). Once around the Club house, the course follows the
cycle path back next to the road until the Information Centre opposite The Corso is reached where the path next to the beach is rejoined. From there it is straight back to Shelley Beach, a U-turn at the start line, and the
course repeated, with the finish the same as the turn and the start. This course has the most pedestrian traffic on it of all the courses, so care is needed at all times.
There are toilets, showers, and even the opportunity for a dip after the race at this venue.
Course Description
The start is accessed by driving to the east end of Bower St at Shelley Beach and parking in the car park found there. Follow the service road down to the toilet block and cafe, where the service road stops and the
walkway to Manly starts. The Start (and 5k turn, and finish line) is located on the service road 4 metres before the start of the path. There is a green mark in the gutter marking it. The run proceeds along the path
towards Manly. The path here is narrow and the start hectic. Beware that there is always pedestrian traffic along this part - try not to knock them over. The only hill in the course (more of bump than a hill) is at the
600m mark. Continue past the Manly SLSC keeping to the path right next to the beach. The 1k mark is at the first lamp post on the left after you pass the stone steps down to the beach - around 50m past the Manly SLSC.
This is also the 4k, 6k, and 9k mark (makes marking the course dead easy!). Continue along the path keeping the beach on your immediate right. After passing the North Steyne SLSC (staying on the path next to the beach), the 2k (and 7k) mark comes up 12m past the "Cyclists Please Use Other Track", about 30m after the North Steyne SLSC.
Keep to the right of the Queenscliff SLSC, run behind it, jump up a 30cm wall (this is 2.5k / 7.5k), turn left and head back along the path that has the road on its right. The 3k mark (and 8k) is directly opposite the 2k/8k
mark. Continue along the road side path, and once reaching the Information Booth opposite the Corso veer to the left to rejoin the path back to Shelley Beach. The 4k mark is at the 1k mark.
Back to the start line (5k), and redo the course all over again. The 6k is at the 1k mark, 7k at the 2k, 8k at the 3k, 9k at the 1k, and the finish at the turn / start line.
Course Peculiarities
The turn and finish have sometimes been moved into the park because of the council garbage truck that seems to arrive sometime between 6:30am and 8:30am on Saturdays. The course is still accurate if this happens.
This course is only used during the winter months when there is the least amount of pedestrian traffic, however there are still a lot of people about even in winter, so care is needed.
Rather than parking in the car park at the east end of Bower St which can get quite crowded, real runners could always park at the south end of Manly beach and trot around as a warmup - it is about 1k from the Manly SLSC.
