The Tan

Your visit to Melbourne is incomplete without trying out Melbourne’s most popular walking and running track known simply as “the Tan”.

Aussies abbreviate everything and the Tan is no exception. It is Melbournian’s shorthand way of saying the Bo(tan)ical Gardens.

The Tan Running & Walking Track Melbourne, Distance Map & Parking

The Tan covers 3. 8kms around the beautiful Botanic Gardens in the Melbourne CBD and the path mostly consists of sandy, compacted gravel. The fastest time the Tan has been completed is 10 minutes and 12 seconds by an AFL footballer during a training session. Most people take around 20-30 minutes to run the track and 35-45 minutes to walk it.

The Tan has a relatively flat gradient, with the exception of a small hill known as Heart Break Hill which starts at Anderson Street if travelling clockwise around the course.

You are permitted to walk your dog along the Tan as well as cycle on your bike. The track is also suitable for prams. There are distance markers along the Tan every 250 metres and there are also water fountains dotted along the route. The track is wide and can accommodate a number of runners at once, however if you are slower please make sure to keep to the left so that faster runners and walkers can overtake.

So next time you need a workout in Melbourne, put on your runners and go for a walk, jog or run around the Tan and enjoy the beautiful Melbourne scenery. If driving your car, there are plenty of metered car parking spaces around the Royal Botanic Gardens.