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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 Wellington Three Peaks series comprises three events, in late May, June and July. 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 2008 Three Peaks events

Event One, 18 May: “Karori Circuit” – The Wind Turbine, Makara Hill (South Karori), Johnstons Hill. More below | Results

Event Two, 29 June: “South Coast Special” – Truby King Memorial (Melrose), Oku Street Reserve Lookout (Island Bay), Wind Turbine (Polhill). More below | Results

Event Three, 27 July: “William Bannister Memorial Run” – Mt Victoria, Odell's Reserve reservoir, Wrights Hill. More below

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 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 $6 on the day. Entrants participate at their own risk.

Maps of each of event are linked below. 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: Bivouac Outdoors, Lifestyle Sports (Tawa), and Lake Auto Services (in association with Petone Repco). Support them if you can!

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

More detail

Event One, 18 May: “Karori Circuit” – The Wind Turbine, Makara Hill (South Karori), Johnstons Hill

Click here to see a map. This run gives you a chance to take in part of the Skyline Walkway, although if it is very windy you will not lose a lot by dropping down to the road. The main navigational challenge will probably be working out the quickest route between the Wind Turbine and Makara Hill – down the northern side of the sanctuary to the road? Or making your way around the other side and down through the tracks to south Karori? – but you can easily get a bit lost on those tracks. Here also is a map of the Makara Mountain Bike Park trails, some of which might provide the odd shortcut at that end of the course. We estimate the quickest overall route will be about 27k.

Event Two, 29 June: “South Coast Special” – Truby King Memorial (Melrose), Oku Street Reserve Lookout (Island Bay),  Hawkins Hill radar station (Changed to the Wind Turbine on Polhill because of the lousy weather)

Map. Traditionally this is always a bit shorter and easier than the others, because the Wellington marathon/half marathon is the weekend beforehand. It does include the highest hill of the series (Hawkins Hill), however, although the Truby King Memorial and Mt Albert are rather lower. The estimated quickest route is about 22k. 

Event Three, 27 July: “William Bannister Memorial Run” – Mt Victoria, Odell's Reserve reservoir, Wrights Hill

Map. This one is named after the winner of what could almost be called New Zealand’s first mountain race (even it was all downhill). It was on Wellington Anniversary Day in 1845, and Bannister easily won a “footrace” from the top of Mt Victoria to a pub on Manners St. Here is a link to the story in Papers Past. Many will be running part of his route on the way between Mt Victoria and Odell’s Reserve. The estimated quickest way is about 28k.

Previous results since 2000

2007
Event One, “Te Rauparaha’s revenge” – Mt Alfred, Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata Memorial, Hawkins Hill, 20 May Results
Event Two, “Southeast special" – Mt Crawford, Ataturk Memorial, View Road, 17 June Results
Event Three, “Northern special” – Mt Victoria, Mt Kaukau, Tinakori Hill radio mast, 29 July Results

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

2005
Event One, Mt Victoria/ Mt Kaukau/ Polhill (Windmill), 29 May Results
Event Two, Mt Albert/ Hawkins Hill (Radar Station)/ Tinakori Hill, 19 June Results
Event Three, Odell Reservoir/ The Crows Nest/ Wrights Hill, 31 July Results

2004
Event One, Hawkins Hill/ Mt Albert/ Mt Victoria, 30 May Results
Event Two, Mt Victoria/ Mt Kaukau/ Polhill, 20 June Results
Event Three,  Wrights Hill/ Rangoon Heights/ The Crows Nest, 25 July Results

2003
Event One, Mt Victoria/ Mt Kaukau/ Polhill, 18 May Results
Event Two, Makara Peak/ Polhill/ Tinakori Hill, 22 June Results
Event Three, Mt Albert/ Te Kopahou/ Wrights Hill, 27 July Results

2002
Event One, Tinakori Hill/ Top of Chartwell/ Johnston Hill, 26 May Results
Event Two, Mt Victoria/ Mt Kaukau/ Polhill, 30 June Results
Event Three, Wrights Hill/ Te Kopahou/ Mt Albert, 28 July Results

2001
Event One, Wrights Hill/ Makara Peak/ Johnston Hill, 27 May Results
Event Two, Mt Victoria/ Mt Kaukau/ Polhill, 24 June Results
Event Three, Mt Crawford/ Tinakori Hill/ Hawkins Hill, 29 July Results

2000
Event One, Wrights Hill/ Makara Peak/ Johnston Hill, 28 May Results
Event Two, Mt Albert/ Mt Crawford/ Ataturk Memorial, 25 June Results
Event Three, Mt Victoria/ Mt Kaukau/ Polehill, 30 July Results