10km Series

Prepared and measured by Stephen Jackson

Rego is in the park just near Fullers Bridge. Parking is across the road or along Lady Game Drive.  Parking is difficult, so share if you can.  The start is between the stone bollards next to the path down to the causeway, about 100m from the entrance next to Fuller Bridge. The finish is next to the ranger pay station about 50m in.

Overview

Situated in the beautiful Lane Cove National Park, the Lane Cove 10k winds it way from near the Fuller's Bridge entrance to the park right up to the Ryde Road Entrance, visiting the Scribbly Gums Picnic area on the way out, and then comes all the way back again (without Scribbly on the way back - phew).

The course is traffic free (apart from the odd cyclist, walker, and sometimes a ranger vehicle), shaded and bushy all the way, a good bitumen surface, quite twisty, and, I am afraid to say, quite hilly. Every kilometre is marked with a cone along with the distance. A single out-and-back loop into the Scribbly Gums picnic area is required on the outward leg only, not on the inward leg. The turn is up past the stone columns (can't miss them).

Despite being an undulating course (read: hilly), the good thing is that the start (and finish) are at the low point of the course, and the high point a few hundred metres past the 5k mark at the turn point at the Ryde Road entrance. From there it is nearly all downhill back to the start (there are two short(ish) climbs on the return leg).

Course Description

Start. About 100m from the Fuller Bridge entrance the road curves to the left. There is a large stone bollard on either side. They mark the start line. Run up the hill following the road to left. Always use the best running line - all of the road was used when measuring the course.

The 1km mark is on right hand side of the road on the first downhill, at the big tree (in a national park? big tree? a bit vague...) just before the road takes a right hand bend. Continue along the road, the 2km mark is about 100m before the left up Scribbly. Yes, go up Scribbly and the turn is 10m past the two stone gateposts about 3/4 of the way up the hill. There is a drain on the left.  U-turn and down the hill, left onto the main road. This is the only time Scribbly Gums is visited.

The 3km mark is about 50m after rejoining the main road from Scribbly Gums. It is marked on the left hand side of the road. 4km is marked on the left hand side of the road as it tops a medium hill before dropping down to the stone bridge Continue along the road and enjoy the climb up to the rangers house. Don't take the road around the  rangers house, but continue out around the traffic island that has the pay booth on it. The Paybooth is the 5k mark.

Head up the hill to the Ryde Road entrance. The u-turn is at the Ryde Road entrance gate. It is exactly at the end of the double white lines which is in line with the telegraph pole on the right hand side as you come up the hill. Turn and head back down the hill passing the 5k mark. The course is now straight back to the start - no detour up Scribbly Gums.

6km is marked on the left hand side of the road 250m past the 5km mark halfway down the hill after the rangers hut. 7km is marked on the left hand side of the road 200m before reaching the over sized traffic island passed on the way out (and 264m past the 4km mark. The 8km is 100m past the the 2km mark, 9km is 100m past the 1km mark,  The finish is at the ranger pay hut.