#28 – Beat the Tan Track – Sunday, May 26 2013
One of my good intentions when coming to Melbourne was to exercise more regularly. Being close to the beach helped and getting the excellent tip to “get a good rub down” for my calves did wonders to my injury problems. With this re-discovered love for running, it was clear that I had to put Melbourne’s prime location for jogging on the list, the Tan Track.
The Tan (yes, Australians abbreviate everything, even the MCG is just the G – more about that in another blog post about cricket or footy) is a 3.8-km running track around the Royal Botanic Gardens. Its name comes from the surface of tan-coloured stone aggregate. Other theories claim that it is named Tan because it goes around the boTANic gardens or it once was covered bv TAN bark. It originally served as a horse track for Melbourne’s well-heeled. It is still common to get a stiff whiff of natural fertiliser from a horse when you are in the middle of your finishing sprint and going for the deep breaths. Despite this natural goodness it is now one of Melbourne’s most frequented locations for joggers.
According to Wikipedia, the quickest lap around the Tan is held by Craig Mottram, who in 2004 managed to go round in 10 minutes and 12 seconds. It took me more than double the time. Officially, since I was still recovering from Saturday’s flat-warming party and the winner’s beer after Bayern’s Champions League victory. Unofficially, I have never been a fast runner and most likely never will be.
The Tan is so nice not only because it surrounds the Royal Botanic Gardens, but you also see a bit of Melbourne, like the Spire of the Arts Centre or the lights of Rod Laver arena. It also has some minor elevation, which provides a welcome opportunity to grind your teeth, retreat to your power song and give your extra 10%. If that is not enough, it has two massive LED clocks that will motivate even the least ambitious of runners to give just a bit more.
The track is lit till midnight according to signage there, so there is enough opportunity to go jogging even in winter. I can highly recommend it and anybody who brought jogging shoes to Melbourne should go for a run on the Tan.
