Ballina Athletics Club Courses
The 1K course
Very simple. As quick as you can (or as slow as you like) you run, walk, crawl or in the case of some of our youngest competitors, are carried from the start line to the North end of the beach where you must touch one of the large rocks. Then you turn round and come back to the start/finish line where your time is noted and you are given a finishing token.
We have a range of abilities within our membership.
Last season’s records:
Fastest 1K – 3 mins 57 secs. Slowest 34 mins 44 secs.
The 3K course
Hard to describe on paper but be assured there are little signs all around the course. Little bluey green signs with 3K and an arrow painted on them.
Basically you run from the start to the North end of Shelly Beach. Up the steps and left along the road for about 30M where a sign points you across the grass to a path leading left up the slope towards the tarmac path at the top. Turning right on the path you keep going until you see the Heritage pathway which goes down and to the right under a wooden archway. Down the steps and bear left at the bottom. Along the path through the trees you eventually come to a car park. There you will see a 3K sign pointing down to the beach. Down that path and turn right on the beach. You are on Angels beach and just before the end of it there is another sign pointing back up the hill. This is heartbreak hill. At the top of the hill you reach a tarmac path and turn left. Following the path you emerge at the pavement beside Shelly beach road. Down the path until you see a beach car park on the left which has a cross country sign pointing to the beach. Down to the beach and turn right where you will see the finish line.
Don’t worry, there will be heaps of people also on the course for you to follow if you lose your way.
The 6K course
Following the little bluey green signs all the way you go from the start to the North end of Shelly Beach and up the steps. Left along the road for about 30M where a sign points you across the grass and around to the right. Up a grassy path and some steps you will get to another set of steps up quite a steep slope to the left. At the top of those steps you can have a breather as you head left down the hill where you will come to a tarmac path. Turn right on the path and keep going until you see the Heritage pathway which goes down and to the right under a wooden archway. Down the steps and bear left at the bottom. Along the path through the trees you eventually come to a car park. Don’t follow the 3K runners down to the beach but keep heading North along the path for some distance. You will come to some white chequered boards which take you through the trees and then back on to the tarmac path. Keep following the path about another half Km where another car park indicates you are near the turn around. Painted on the path there is a turn around sign at about the end of the car park (don’t miss it or you’ll end up in Lennox Head). Turn around there and head back. Back past the car park where the 3K runners turn to the beach and head back in to the bush path. Where the path goes around to the right and up the steps there is a sign which turns you down toward the beach. Head for the beach and turn right. About 100M along the beach a sign points you up “heartbreak hill”. Run like the wind up the hill and at the top of the hill you reach a tarmac path and turn left. Following the path you emerge at the pavement beside Shelly beach road. Down the path until you see a beach car park on the left which has a cross country sign pointing to the beach. Down to the beach and turn right where you will see the finish line.