SATURDAY RUN – 19 October

Meet: 7.30am – Black Mountain Peninsula, car park on Garry Owen Drive, Acton

Run: Black Mountain Peninsula to Scrivener Dam (10.15km)

Breakfast: Xchange on London, 7 London Circuit, Acton

Details:

  • Flat run along bike path to Scrivener Dam and back via the peninsula (10.15 km); for a longer run continue to do an anticlockwise loop of the West Basin (15.2km).
  • Starting at Garry Owen drive car park cross the road to the east side of the peninsula and follow bike path south, west, then north around the peninsula.
  • At t-intersection, turn left and continue on bike path past rowing car park, toilet block, Lindsay Prior Arboretum/ National Rock Garden car park, cork plantation and up a hill and down the other side to Scrivener Dam.
  • Turn after crossing the dam and retrace your steps. At the t-intersection go straight ahead and re-join Garry Owen Drive and the starting point.

SATURDAY RUN – 12 October

MEET: 7.30am at EQ Cafe, 70 Kent Street, Deakin

RUN: Out and back along the base of Red Hill (11.2km)

BREAKFAST: EQ Cafe, 70 Kent Street, Deakin

RUN DETAILS:

  • Cross Kent St and head south on Kent St.
  • At footpath on left (200m or so from start), turn left and enter bush area through gap in fence on your right.
  • Follow dirt track which becomes more distinct as a fire trail and head up hill.
  • Follow the trail, crossing Gowrie Drive, along the north-east side of Red Hill to Hindmarsh Drive for an out and back run

SATURDAY RUN – 5 October

MEET: 7.30am Debacle, 24 Lonsdale Street, Braddon (best parking off Girrahween Street near Mandalay bus)

RUN: O’Connor Ridge to Belconnen (Out and back along the bike path through O’Connor and over O’Connor Ridge to Hayden Drive)

BREAKFAST: Debacle, 24 Lonsdale Street, Braddon

Run details:

  • Head north to Haig Park and follow footpath to cross Northbourne Ave at lights (look out for trams!).
  • Cross Northborne Avenue and pick up dirt path through Haig Park to meet the bike path. Turn right onto bike path.
  • Continue on this path. At Macarthur Street, where there is a white bridge over the drain, turn left and pass a school and church on the left.
  • Cross Hovea St and pass scout hall on left, cross Miller St and cross Dryandra Street turning left along the bike path.
  • Continue up the hill and veer left before tunnel.
  • Gunghalin Drive is on your right.
  • Go under tunnel and follow path to Hayden Drive turning to retrace steps (13.2km).
  • For a longer run continue across Hayden Drive and follow the bike path down to Eastern Valley Way

SATURDAY RUN – 28 September

Meet: 7.30am, Antill Street, Hackett (at the bus stop at the top, near the last houses)

Run: Majura to Ainslie, (12km with a 14.6km option)

Breakfast: Knox Made in Watson, 1/13-15 Watson Place, Watson

  • Undulating run along the base of Mt Majura and Mt Ainslie to the War Memorial.
  • Head up the hill towards Mt Majura, turn right and continue past water reservoir.
  • Do a dog leg left then right on reaching a car park and gravel road.
  • At T-intersection turn right downhill and go past metal gate on right and large telecom tower on left.
  • At fork in the road take the left uphill fork and continue past a water reservoir and ACTEW building.
  • At the War Memorial turn around and retrace your steps, taking the middle fork of three just before the ACTEW building (12 km).
  • For a longer run do a loop of Mt Ainslie (14.6km)

WTTP Scholarship Testimonials

The Women’s Triathlon Training Program (WTTP) is the flagship novice training program for Females in Training (FIT). It encourages women to try triathlon for the first time; and to return to triathlon after a period away from the sport. The WTTP is an exciting opportunity for women to enjoy the sport of triathlon in a supportive, female-only environment.

WTTP Scholarship 2018

In 2018, for the first time, FIT offered two scholarships to extend this opportunity to women who otherwise would not have been able to participate. In addition, two partial scholarships, covering the 12 months of FIT membership fees, were also awarded. We asked three of last year’s recipients, Kate, Caitlin and Taisa, what the scholarship meant to them, and how they have benefitted from the program.

What did they say about the program and the scholarship?

A common factor in joining WTTP was the desire to do a triathlon, while lacking the confidence and know-how to go about it. For Taisa, another key reason for joining the WTTP was that she had only recently moved to Canberra from Brazil, so found it a great way to get out and meet new people; while the routine of regular group exercise has been integral to Kate’s recovery from postnatal depression. This camaraderie and community are key to FIT and to the WTTP, with experienced coaches and helpers on hand for each discipline every step of the way. Kate summed it up, saying, “We are so lucky to have these wonderful women help motivate and teach us”; while Caitlin was struck by how “supportive and welcoming” everyone was.

For everyone who completes the WTTP, the benefits will be as varied as their reasons for signing up. For this year’s scholarship recipients, those benefits were wide-ranging. While all three said that their physical fitness improved, they also gained valuable knowledge and skills that they weren’t expecting. Caitlin gained a range of fitness and general skills, from learning to swim, to how to change a bike tyre!

Sounds great – what next?

Triathlon is a challenging but rewarding sport and the Women’s Triathlon Training Program aims to introduce women to the sport in a supportive and friendly environment, providing them with the skills to compete at a range of levels. If you’d like to ‘tri it out’ but think the cost of the program could be prohibitive, why not apply for the FIT WTTP Scholarship 2019 and see what benefits you can get from the program.