Brisbane 2032: An Olympic City Sightrunning Tour
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About the Tour
About the Tour
Brisbane is gearing up to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, a milestone that will reshape Australia's low-ego civic-centred capital city. On this sightrunning tour, you'll explore Brisbane's Olympic journey while discovering the sporting culture, infrastructure debates, and Indigenous heritage that define this river city's identity.
The tour starts at The Landing, on the bank of the Brisbane River. You'll run along the riverside path through the Queensland University of Technology campus, past the historic Parliament House, and through the lush City Botanic Gardens. Crossing the striking Kangaroo Point Bridge - built with Olympic access in mind - you'll follow winding paths beneath our iconic volcanic cliffs where climbers might be spotted, then continue through South Bank, the vibrant riverside precinct born from the legacy of hosting World Expo 88.
Along the way, you'll hear about the controversial stadium decision at Victoria Park and learn how Brisbane's Olympic bid emerged victorious during the pandemic. You'll discover Australian sporting values like mateship
and the fair go
attitude, run past the Queensland Academy of Sport where Olympic legends emerged, and learn about events making their official Olympic debuts. The tour ends at the Neville Bonner Bridge viewing platform, named after Australia's first Aboriginal federal parliamentarian, where you'll imagine the cityscape transformed for the 2032 Games.
On this 45-minute running tour, you'll have a chance to:
- Peek through glass walls at QUT's hidden underground pool where Olympic swimmers train
- Run through the City Botanic Gardens' Weeping Fig Avenue, a tunnel of massive fig trees
- Pass the iconic Kangaroo Point Cliffs, Brisbane's famous inner-city climbing destination
- Explore South Bank's Clem Jones Promenade, which will host Olympic fan zones and celebrations in 2032
- Navigate Fish Lane's vibrant street art and discover Brisbane's creative side
- Learn about Cathy Freeman's legendary 400m gold medal run at Sydney 2000 that unified a nation
- Hear the quirky mascot debate: should Brisbane choose a bin chicken, magpie, or dugong?
- Tackle interval training on the Brisbane Convention Centre stairs, just like Olympic athletes
Experience Brisbane's Olympic transformation firsthand through this unique running tour that combines exercise, education, and entertainment.
Tour Producer
Tour Producer
ReRunMe
Your guide is ReRunMe owner and operator Michael Jackson — a well-travelled educator and masters distance runner from Queensland. He has worked in primary education across Queensland, in hospital-based rehabilitation physiotherapy in northern Colorado, and now in disability advocacy as a clinical educator across Australia.
Michael has a long-standing love of exploring cities on foot. In 2018–2019, he travelled to 25 countries with his family, taking in countless places and guided tours along the way. Back in 2001, he solo-cycled the lower half of Australia’s Bicentennial National Trail from Melbourne to Brisbane. Whenever he spends a few days in a new or old city, he heads out for a run or two - to explore and to develop a sense of what makes that city unique.
He’d love to show you around Brisbane — sharing the stories, character and hidden details that make this city his home. Pack your running shoes and head out the door to tour!
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Preview Location
Preview Location
Location 21
Maritime Museum and QAS Impact
On your right is our Maritime Museum. The dry dock now holding a naval frigate was also our competitive swimming venue for many years. A world record was actually set in this 'pool' in 1903. It will definitely NOT be our pool in 2032!
The grey... Read More
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Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
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QUT Gardens Point P Block
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Queensland Parliament
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City Botanic Gardens
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Kangaroo Point Bridge
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Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park (River Terrace Park)
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Streets Beach
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Brisbane Convention Centre
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Fish Lane
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Brisbane Sign
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Neville Bonner Bridge
Getting There
Getting There
Route Overview
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Start locationLvl 5/33 William St, Brisbane City QLD 4000, Australia
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Total distance7km
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Final locationNeville Bonner Brg, South Brisbane QLD 4101, Australia
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Distance back to start location142.6m
Directions to Starting Point
This tour starts at The Landing - the semicircular riverbank lawn area beneath the high end of the Neville Bonner Bridge.
From the city grid: Head to the top of the Queen Street Mall, then on the east/left side of the Victoria Bridge take the stairs or Queens Wharf Road down past the historic Commissariat Store, to the base of the huge STAR Complex. Then walk straight at the river.
From South Bank: If on foot, cross either the Neville Bonner or Victoria Bridge to the city/north side of the river. Then, from Victoria Bridge, descend to the river level using the stairs or Queens Wharf Road past the historic Commissariat Store, and to the base of the huge STAR Complex; or from the top of the Neville Bonner Bridge, work your way down the escalators. Then walk straight at the river.
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Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
On Sundays, the Riverside Sunday Market takes place between the first turn in the City Botanic Gardens to the Pavilion. There are many additional paths in the gardens to explore and loop around.
On Saturday mornings at 7am, a free community Parkrun starts on the river's edge near the Piazza at South Bank. Register via Parkrun website for a barcode/result, or just join in for fun.
There are three high vantage points from which to take photos (the second being the noted detour to the cliffs' stone rotunda), and many sculptures and public artworks to observe along the route.
Near the end of the tour there is the Queensland Museum and Art Gallery (both free), and the Wheel of Brisbane (tickets for purchase).
Best time of day
Dawn to dusk is the best time to do this tour. During peak commuter hours (7-9am and 4-6pm), take more care with street and bridge crossings. Starting or ending in twilight will give more stunning views of the bridges and buildings, and will help you avoid the heat in summer.
Precautions
On public safety indexes Brisbane is similar to Sydney, Wellington, Shanghai, Osaka, Pune, Oslo, Calgary, and Munich.
Important Local Safety Information:
a) STOP and USE the designated road crossings on the tour. These crossings have dashed while lines on the road, crossing signs and traffic signals. Push the circular crossing buttons on the posts, then wait for the green person symbol and rapid clicking sound, before WALKING across the road.
b) KEEPING to the LEFT is the rule for pedestrians on paths and vehicles on roads in Australia. There are some exceptions along the cliffs area - follow the signage and markings on those paths.
c) OTHER USERS of the tour path must be considered - maintain a smooth constant path and avoid quick changes in direction. Consider that there are other pedestrians, runners, cyclists, and scooter users on these public paths. Gesturing your intended path to others can also be helpful.
d) The VOLUME of the AUDIO should be at a level where you can still hear ambient noise (i.e. deactivate noise cancelling on your headphones). You might also wear only one earbud or earphone as you do the tour. This will allow you to hear what is going on around you, and to react to other path users.
e) HYDRATE your body in the hours before starting this tour - local heat and humidity in any season can easily cause dehydration. Many drinking water fountains and toilets are found along this route.
ROUTE CONSIDERATION: During the lead-in to Brisbane 2032 there will likely be periods of infrastructure work in the South Bank area. Notably, Clem Jones Promenade may have upgrades, in which case: from the Ship Inn at the Goodwill Bridge base, follow the pink bouganvillea-lined Arbour Walkway as it weaves to the Piazza, manually starting the audio segments.
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