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The Wellington Three Peaks series is a great way to combine some good running with exploring new ways to the tops of the hills around central Wellington.

The series comprises three events. This year they are a bit earlier than previously, in April, May and June. Each is over three hills. It is up to you how many peaks you climb, and in what order and what route. Marshals at the top of each peak check off your time and number.  

The 2009 Three Peaks Events

Event 1, 26 April: “City Circuit” – Mt Victoria, Tinakori Hill, Johnston's Hill. More below | Results

Event 2, 17 May: “Eastern Watertowers” – Maupuia, Seatoun Heights, Beacon Hill. More below | Results

Event 3, 14 June: “Southern Special” – Mt Albert, Oku Street Lookout, Hawkins Hill. More below | Results

Each event starts and finishes at the Scottish clubrooms (south end of Prince of Wales Park, Salisbury Terrace, Mt Cook).

You can start any time between 8am and 9am on the day, but the clock stops at noon.

Refreshments (free), showers and good company are available afterwards at the Scottish clubrooms.

Race it, or treat it as a Sunday training run with a difference. Use your navigation skills (pre-race research could see you finishing before faster runners). For many the main challenge is simply finding new routes through roads and tracks around the hills of Wellington, taking in the great views from the tops, and meeting people with a similar penchant for grinding up hills (and then swanning down the other side).

Runners doing all three peaks need to be fit, and used to distance running. But the event is just as much for people who enjoy the challenge of one or two peaks. Many walkers do it too, although for most recreational walkers there is only time to walk one or two peaks within the 8am-12pm time limit.

There are good spot prizes, and merit prizes to the fastest men and women who complete all three peaks in all three events (that is, the fastest aggregate times over all nine peaks).

Entry fee is $8 on the day. Entrants participate at their own risk.

Maps of each of event are linked below (to come). There will be more detailed handout maps available on the day, but a bit of pre-race research is recommended. Particularly useful is the “map my run” website (http://www.mapmyrun.com). But a few trial runs over some of the possible shortcuts is probably the best research.

We would very much like to thank our sponsors (details to come – and new sponsors welcome)

David Colquhoun is the event organiser. His phone is 04-385-2254 and his home email is here.

More detail

Event 1, 26 April (map) The debates in this one will probably be about the quickest way across town between Mt Vic and the Tinakori Radio mast – there are a number of roads and tracks to choose from. Others will no doubt argue over whether it will be quicker to stick to the roads up to Johnston’s Hill track, or to get there by cutting through the cemetery and the bush trails. We haven’t worked that one out ourselves yet.

Event 2, 17 May (map) The Beacon Hill watertower is the little driveway between 3 and 7 Signaller’s Grove. The Seatoun Heights watertower is a bit more hidden. You can get to it either up the overgrown path between 65 and 67 Seatoun Heights Road, of the lane that goes up from no 85.

Event 3, 14 June (map) Note from David Colquhoun, added on Saturday 13 June:  The main debate is probably still whether the Bata Street track is quicker than the Tip track. Note that there is a locked gate across the Bata Street track, but you can climb over the fence (at your own risk entirely, of course, and don’t mention me if anyone stops you). My reckoning is the Bata St track is shorter, but that you probably lose most of that in the effort you need to climb the additional 30+ metres of hill before you drop back down to the main track. It will probably pay to make sure you know the quickest way down the various winding roads between Mt Albert and Island Bay, and if you don’t know how to get to Oku from Island Bay you could get lost there too. I ran the whole thing at an easy pace (ie fairly slow) in 2.12 last weekend, so good runners should be able to easily knock in out in under 2 hours.

Here's the 2009 pamphlet.

Previous results since 2000

2008
Event 1, “Karori Circuit” – The Wind Turbine, Makara Hill, Johnstons Hill, 18 May Results
Event 2, "South Coast Special” – Truby King Memorial, Oku Street Reserve Lookout, Wind Turbine, 29 June Results
Event 3, “William Bannister Memorial Run” – Mt Victoria, Odell's Reserve reservoir, Wrights Hill, 27 July Results

2007
Event 1, “Te Rauparaha’s Revenge” – Mt Alfred, Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata Memorial, Hawkins Hill, 20 May Results
Event 2, “Southeast Special" – Mt Crawford, Ataturk Memorial, View Road, 17 June Results
Event 3,“Northern Special” – Mt Victoria, Mt Kaukau, Tinakori Hill radio mast, 29 July Results

2006
Event 1, “The Taster” – Wrights Hill, Makara Hill, Johnston Hill, 21 May  Results
Event 2, “Three Memorials” – Byrd Memorial, Brooklyn War Memorial, Ataturk Memorial, 18 June Results
Event 3, “The Tester” – Mt Albert, Hawkins Hill, Tinakori Hill, 30 July Results

2005
Event 1 – Mt Victoria, Mt Kaukau, Polhill (Windmill), 29 May Results
Event 2 – Mt Albert, Hawkins Hill (Radar Station), Tinakori Hill, 19 June Results
Event 3 – Odell Reservoir, The Crows Nest, Wrights Hill, 31 July Results

2004
Event 1 – Hawkins Hill, Mt Albert, Mt Victoria, 30 May Results
Event 2 – Mt Victoria, Mt Kaukau, Polhill, 20 June Results
Event 3 – Wrights Hill, Rangoon Heights, The Crows Nest, 25 July Results

2003
Event 1 – Mt Victoria, Mt Kaukau, Polhill, 18 May Results
Event 2 – Makara Peak, Polhill, Tinakori Hill, 22 June Results
Event 3 – Mt Albert, Te Kopahou, Wrights Hill, 27 July Results

2002
Event 1 – Tinakori Hill, Top of Chartwell, Johnston Hill, 26 May Results
Event 2 – Mt Victoria, Mt Kaukau, Polhill, 30 June Results
Event 3 – Wrights Hill, Te Kopahou, Mt Albert, 28 July Results

2001
Event 1 – Wrights Hill, Makara Peak, Johnston Hill, 27 May Results
Event 2 – Mt Victoria, Mt Kaukau, Polhill, 24 June Results
Event 3 – Mt Crawford, Tinakori Hill, Hawkins Hill, 29 July Results

2000
Event 1 – Wrights Hill, Makara Peak, Johnston Hill, 28 May Results
Event 2 – Mt Albert, Mt Crawford, Ataturk Memorial, 25 June Results
Event 3 – Mt Victoria, Mt Kaukau, Polehill, 30 July Results