In 2021 the Australian athletics community decided Australia’s Favourite Track and Australia’s Favourite Grass Track.
In 2022 the focus was not on favourites, but beauty.
As they say, it’s something that is in the eye of the beholder.
Is it the beautiful background or stunning sunset that sets the most scenic track apart from others? Or is it crisply marked lines amongst the built environment?
After multiple rounds of voting Morrison Reserve in Melbourne’s Yarra Ranges was voted most scenic. Here’s all of the placegetters and finalists.
Winner
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The Morrison Reserve Regional Athletics Facility is located at Mt Evelyn in the Yarra Ranges in the outer north-eastern suburbs of Melbourne. The venue was opened in 2012 and is managed by the Yarra Ranges Council. The surface is Spurtan BV, with the track holding a World Athletics Class 2 rating. The track is still in excellent condition as it Read more…
2nd
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The Domain Athletic Centre opened in 1977 and hosted the Australian Championships that year. The track is the main athletics venue is Tasmania and has previously hosted high performance meets as part of the domestic season. The track is managed by the City of Hobart. The track is a Spurtan BV surface and is a World Athletics Class 2 Certified Read more…
3rd
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The Townsville Sports Reserve played host to the 2019 Oceania Championships. The track has a picturesque background dominated by Townsville’s Castle Hill. The venue is managed by the Queensland government. The track is a Spurtan BV and is a World Athletics Class 2 Certified Facility. Read more…
4th
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The Mackay Aquatic & Recreation Complex was opened in March 2019 and features a Rekortan track. The venue is managed by Belgravia Leisure. The venue hosted the 2022 Oceania Championships. The track is a Spurtan BV surface and is a World Athletics Class 2 Certified Facility. Read more…
5th
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The Jindabyne Sport and Recreation Centre track is made of synthetic grass. The venue is managed by the NSW Office of Sport and Recreation. Read more…
6th
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Central Park Stawell is the home of the Stawell Gift, run annually each Easter. Stawell is located in the Northern Grampians region of Victoria, 237km north-north-west of Melbourne. The Stawell Gift dates back to 1878 and has been conducted at Central Park since 1898. It is regarded as Australia’s richest footrace, with the 120m Gift the main events on the Read more…
7th
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The Ridge Athletics Track is located in southern Sydney. The venue was constructed in 2004 and is a Rekortan surface. It is currently closed (as of 10 January 2023) for resurfacing. The track is located within a sporting facility at Lucas Heights and is rather exposed to the elements. As such, it can have favourable tailwinds for sprinters but can Read more…
8th
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The Geelong Grammar Main Oval is marked with a seasonal grass athletics track. Geelong Grammar School is an independent Anglican co-educational boarding and day school located in Corio on the northern outskirts of Geelong. There are synthetic long jump runways and a scoria shot put landing area external to the track. The school has a strong sporting tradition, with notable Read more…
9th – 16th place
The following tracks were eliminated in the first round.
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The Brian Johnston Athletics Track is located in Ashmore on the Gold Coast. The venue features a well maintained grass track, with black Mondo long jump runways. The venue was named in 2010 in memory of Brian Johnston, who was a founding member of the local Little Athletics centre and dedicated over three decades of voluntary work to the sport. Read more…
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King George’s Oval is located in Rozelle in Sydney’s inner west. The venue is a seasonal grass track, which is located in a foreshore park adjacent to Iron Cove Bay. The ‘Bay Run’, a 7km circuit, is a popular running location. Four synthetic long jump pits are located at the western end of the track, while the throwing circles are Read more…
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The Sydney Academy of Sport and Recreation at Narrabeen was built in 1971 and contains sporting facilities, accommodation and athlete services across a range of sports. The location is surrounded by natural bush lands. The original track was rubberised bitumen, before being converted to a Chevron surface. The track was last resurfaced in 2018. It is open for training from Read more…
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The Glennie School Athletics Track is located at a private girls’ school in Toowoomba. The track is a non-standard distance, which appears to be approximately 354m per lap. The starting line for the 400m in lane six is located just past the finishing line. The length of the straights appear to be relatively standard, with the bends being tighter than Read more…
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Sandringham Athletics Track is a synthetic track located in the affluent Melbourne beachside suburb of Sandringham. The venue was officially opened in 1962 as a grass track. It was replaced by rubberised bitumen in 1973, which was resurfaced in 1975 and 1988, before being converted to a polyurethane surface in 1997. It was most recently resurfaced in 2022. The venue Read more…
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The Peter Hannan Athletics Oval within Pizzey Park is a beautiful grass track located on the Gold Coast. The track is part of the larger park complex which is just a short drive (or longer run) from the beach. The venue features synthetic long jump runways. The track is named after Peter Hannan, a longtime track and field coach, who Read more…
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Chatswood Rotary War Memorial Athletics Field, more commonly known as Rotary Field, is one of Sydney’s premier grass athletics tracks. In 1961 the Rotary Club of Chatswood instigated the development of the field for athletics. The Club contributed $27,000 over five years to the development and the field was opened in 1967 by the Governor of NSW, Sir Roden Cutler. Read more…
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Albert Park is located in Gympie in Queensland, approximately 170km north of Brisbane. The venue features a grass athletics track, and is used for rugby league in winter. The venue is managed by Gympie Regional Council. Read more…