Going ahead this Saturday
No cancellation listed for Saturday 31 October.
Parkrun
Blue Gum Hills parkrun
A free, fun, and friendly weekly 5k community event. Walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate – it's up to you!
-
Australia
-
New South Wales
- 5 kilometres
- Blue Gum Hills Regional Park
Meeting point: -32.88413, 151.62021. The interactive map loads with JavaScript. Open the same point in OpenStreetMap.
Coordinates -32.88413, 151.62021.
The course
Course description
This is essentially an out-and-back course. It starts at Blue Gum Hills Regional Park on the sloping section of the field immediately below the Back Creek shelter picnic table (approximately 100m to the right of the maze when you are looking at it from the amenities block). It progresses around the perimeter of the large sloping field, heading along paths and a boardwalk towards the beginning of the Loop Trail (to the left) and Bluegum Road (to the right). A Marshal is present at the sign and provides direction to follow the Blue Gum Rd turn-off to the right and continues several hundred metres along the stone and pebble track.
The course takes in stunning views of the Minmi Back Creek on the left hand side of the trail, passes the historic air vent on the right hand side of the trail and turns left onto the Loop Trail. This is a bumpy, hilly, undulating track that allows parkrunners to take in bushland views and listen to multiple bird choruses. The occasional wallaby can be seen in the bushland. After several hundred metres, the course loops back on itself at the Marshal and sign and back to the T-intersection where the Loop Trail meets Blue Gum Rd. The course takes a left hand turn onto Blue Gum Rd for about 150 metres turning around at the course markings and back down Blue Gum Rd, with the historic air vent now on the left-hand side, re-tracing your steps back to the start.
Parts of the course may be difficult for participants with buggies etc. Please contact the team beforehand for further information.
On the course
The course is 5k long. The course is at Blue Gum Hills Regional Park, Minmi Road, Minmi. The course is run on a mixture of trail paths and grass. Some sections of the course may accumulate mud, leaves and puddles after rain. Dependent on availability, marshals will be at key sections of the course, or signs will be in place.
Please remember that the parkrun uses shared paths. For the continued success of the event, please give way to other park users. This won't hurt your time, it won't stop you from getting a PB and it will make sure everyone continues to enjoy the event.
Please, wherever possible walk, jog, cycle or use public transport when attending the event. If you do have to drive, please consider car-sharing to reduce our impact on both the environment and other park users. Please also watch out for other park users when arriving and leaving. Parking may be limited so try to arrive early.
Facilities
There is limited free car parking for approximately 80 vehicles across two car parks at Blue Gum Hills Regional Park and the Minmi cemetery. We can overflow into WildNets car park, though please be mindful this is for participants expecting to leave the park before 9am. Toilets are located close to the start of the parkrun, adjacent to the car park.
While visiting Blue Gum Hills Regional Park, why not stay for a picnic breakfast, allow the kids to roam in the lovely kids play area, kick a ball or get lost in the maze? Blue Gum Hills Regional Park is also the home to WildNets Adventure Park. Check out what they have to offer or maybe book in for your next visit!
More details
Public transport
Hunter Valley Buses offers a 260 service leaving Bunn Street, Wallsend at 7:36am. However, this is the earliest Saturday morning bus from Wallsend and does not arrive at Minmi shops until right on 8:00am.
The closest train station is at Cardiff. There are no buses from Cardiff station that would allow commuters to arrive in time for Blue Gum Hills parkrun.
Hence, transport by car (or on foot from Minmi) are the best options for getting to Blue Gum Hills Regional Park.
On foot
Running/walking along Minmi Road is unsealed grass for 200m and not recommended as the pedestrian paths only go as far as The Outlook Estate.
As an alternative to attend on foot, visitors could park on Bell Street in Minmi and walk 200m down the pedestrian path to the Minmi cemetery entrance to Blue Gum Hills Regional Park.
By road
From Newcastle, travel towards Wallsend, past Maryland and Fletcher, following Minmi Road. The car parking entries are the main park entry and the Minmi Cemetery, both on your left directly after Fletcher Green estate.
To access the park from the M1, take the Newcastle exit and turn left onto Woodford Street. Turn right onto Bell Street for parking or Minmi Road at the lights and you'll see the cemetery car park or park entry gates on the right about 500m along Minmi Road. Please note there is limited parking in the park.
Minmi residents are encouraged to take the pedestrian path from Bell Street to the Blue Gum Hills Regional Park, entering through the cemetery car park.
Coffee
Every week we grab a post-parkrun coffee: The Coffee Hub at Fletcher Village, Shop 6/221 Minmi Rd, Fletcher, NSW, 2287. Please come and join us!
We're friendly
Every week we grab a post parkrun coffee at The Coffee Hub at Fletcher Village, Shop 6/221 Minmi Rd, Fletcher, NSW, 2287 - please come and join us!
Course safety
Blue Gum Hills parkrun is a fun, free event organised by volunteers for the benefit of everyone. We wish to make the event as safe as possible, so participants, spectators and helpers are asked to take care about the following:
- Please be considerate to the park and other park users at all times.
- Children under the age of eleven must be accompanied (within arm's reach) throughout the event by a parent, guardian or appropriate adult of the parent's choice.
- Please arrive by foot, by pedal-power or by public transport if you can - your efforts help to reduce our impact on the park and the planet.
- We invite everyone to consider volunteering at parkrun. Your support helps your parkrun events remain sustainable and free for all in your community, and it’s also a wonderful way to improve your own health and happiness. Please visit the volunteer page for more information.
- Take care near roads and car parks – some vehicles drive very quickly. Please congregate away from the cars and be careful in particular if you have children. If you’re driving to the event, please drive carefully.
- Take care on uneven surfaces – whether on grass or on tarmac. Watch out for cyclists, other participants, pedestrians, children, dogs, wildlife, park animals, vehicles, park maintenance work, falling branches, bollards, posts and other obstacles around the course.
- Please ensure that you are fit enough to walk, jog, run 5k (3.1 miles) with us.
- If you see someone with a serious problem, please stop to help them out and get help as soon as possible.
- If you’re watching, keep clear of participants on the course, and look after any children and dogs you may have with you.
- You are welcome to take part with one dog by your side, within reach at all times, on a short, handheld, non-extendable lead. The use of waist harnesses is prohibited. Please also see this Support Site entry for further details about parkrunning with dogs.
- A sturdy cross-country style pram would be suitable for walking this course but not for running it, but please take extreme care of other runners around you. If possible start from the back of the field and try to keep to one side of the main body of runners.
We hope these tips help to ensure that Blue Gum Hills parkrun is fun and safe for everyone.
Age grading
All parkrun events use Age Grading to help parkrunners compare results.
parkrun events use Age Grading to help parkrunners see progress and compare results.
For more information, please see our Support page.
Volunteering
All parkrun events are organised by volunteers - email bluegumhills@parkrun.com to help.
Safeguarding
parkrun is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk. For our full safeguarding processes and policies please see our Safeguarding Hub.
To report a safeguarding concern please email safeguarding@parkrun.com.
Event stats
- 564
- Events
- 6,892
- Finishers
- 43,120
- Finishes
- 953
- Volunteers
- 5,582
- Personal bests
- 302
- Groups
- 00:35:51
- Average finish time
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- Stockton parkrun Stockton · 16 km
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- The Terrace parkrun Riverside Park · 18 km
- Maitland parkrun Walka Recreation & Wildlife Reserve · 20 km
Challenges this parkrun helps with
- Alphabeteer Challenge Starts with B
- Stayin' Alive Starts with B (needed for Stayin' Alive)
- Periodic Table Matches symbols: Be, B, Br, Ba, Bi, Bk, …
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High quality prints
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Check out our awardsPark5K is not affiliated with parkrun. - last updated 26 October 2026