Warm up for Sydney Half Marathon on public transport
Thousands of Sydneysiders will lace up their shoes on Sunday 5 May for the Runaway Half Marathon and catching public transport is the perfect way to warm up and stretch your legs before pounding the pavement.
With wet weather forecast and more than 19,000 people expected to take part in the 21.1km and 10km course around the Sydney CBD and Pyrmont, runners are urged to plan their journey to the starting line early and to take care getting to and from the event.
Transport for NSW Coordinator General Howard Collins said major roads will be closed along and surrounding the course from 4am, with some other roads closing as early as 2am.
“For a few hours, the streets of Sydney become yours, showcasing the best views our city has to offer,” Mr Collins said.
“But the start line is not just the beginning, your journey to the city is just as important and we encourage all runners and supporters to leave the car at home and catch public transport.
“Many roads will be closed, however trains, buses and light rail services run regularly to the city and will get runners within walking distance of the start line on the Cahill Expressway at Bridge Street and Macquarie Street near Circular Quay.
It’s important for participants to note, because of planned weekend trackwork trains will not run on the City Circle. That means trains from the West, South West and Northern Line (via Strathfield) trains will end at Central and trains from the North Shore will end at Wynyard. T4 Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra Line trains will continue to run to Martin Place, while buses will also replace some T2 Inner West Line trains, T3 Bankstown Line trains and Metro North West services over the weekend.
Participants affected by the City Circle trackwork can change at Central for T4 line trains to Martin Place or for L2/L3 Light rail services from Central Chalmers Street to Circular Quay to get within close walking distance of the start line.
L2 and L3 Light rail services will be running an uplifted weekday timetable from 7am to 7pm on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 May while the Sydney Trains City Circle trackwork closure is in place.
The Cahill Expressway over Circular Quay will close from 4am to 11.30am while the Western Distributor will close from 5am to 9.30am. During this time there will be no direct access from the Anzac Bridge to the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Other roads in the city and around the harbour foreshore in Circular Quay, The Rocks, Walsh Bay, Barangaroo and Pyrmont will also be closed. Some roads will begin to reopen from 9.30am with all road closures lifted by midday.
Special event clearway parking restrictions will also be in effect on roads along and surrounding the course at various times between midnight and 2pm. Drivers are urged to check signs carefully before parking to avoid being towed.
All other motorists are encouraged to avoid non-essential travel in the CBD and Pyrmont areas during the event or allow plenty of extra travel time, with diversions in place and delays expected.
Anyone travelling on public transport will need to use an Opal card or contactless payment option when travelling to and from the event.
To plan your trip visit transportnsw.info and for more detailed road closure and clearway information visit livetraffic.com.