Trail guide · 27 September 2026
Trail Running In Porirua Guide
A locals guide to Trail Running in Porirua
Trail Running Porirua
Porirua AKA "P Town" is home to New Zealand’s best chocolate, Whittaker’s, and Wellington’s favourite Knob, Colonial.
Between Colonial Knob AKA Rangituhi, Spicer Forest, Bothamley Park, Battle Hill and the Porirua side of Belmont Regional Park, there is a ridiculous amount of trail packed into a relatively small corner of the Wellington region.
The Te Araroa Trail runs straight through the city, climbing over Rangituhi before continuing south, while the Escarpment Track begins at Pukerua Bay at Porirua’s northern edge.
It punches well above its weight as both a great place to run and a great place to train. Whether you want a gentle gravel cruise, a grunty undulating long run or a short sharp hill to go to town on hitting some hill repeats, Porirua has you covered.
Why Run in Porirua?
What makes this place special isn’t one iconic mountain or famous trail. It’s the range of options packed into such a small area. Each is a great place to run on its own. Link a few together, and you’ve got yourself a proper 5-course meal.
Porirua is also one of the easiest places in the region to train consistently. Nothing is far away, traffic is as good as it gets for Wellington and parking is rarely an issue. The Escarpment Track at Pukerua Bay is the furthest away at around a 15-minute drive from the city centre. Most other trails are less than 5 minutes away, or a 10–15 minute warm-up run from home.
Porirua doesn’t have the alpine scenery of the Tararuas or the postcard harbour views of Wellington City. What it does have is an incredible concentration of bloody good, runnable trails. Locals don’t need to head into town to get their trail fix.
Porirua at a Glance
🌤 Weather
Classic Wellington: changeable, windy and frequently taking the piss. Horrible in a southerly, slightly better in a northerly.
Conditions on the exposed tops of Colonial Knob, Battle Hill and Belmont can feel dramatically different from the sheltered trails below. The summits can cop winds of up to 120 km/h. Summer is generally dry and runnable, while winter brings mud, slippery roots and wind chill that feels like half the temperature your stupid little smartwatch is telling you.
🌿 Trails
Expect steep stairs, flowing mountain-bike trails, gravel pathways, soft pine forest trails, regenerating native bush, exposed farmland and steep rocky 4WD tracks.
🏃 Best For
Undulating workouts with runnable hills
Short, steep hill sessions
Quick after-work runs (quick access)
Ultra training without driving into the mountains
⚠️ Expect
Wind on every exposed ridgeline
Shared trails and mountain bikers around Colonial Knob and Spicer Forest
Mud and slippery roots in winter
Farm animals around farmland in Battle Hill, Belmont and Colonial Knob.
Occasional trail closures after storms for tree fall or forestry work
Patchy signage in some areas, so download the route before you go
Different dog restrictions across parks, farmland and conservation areas, so check before bringing one
🚗 Accessibility
Most of Porirua’s main trailheads are within 5–20 minutes of the city centre. Porirua, Paremata, Plimmerton and Pukerua Bay are all connected by train, while you can reach Bothamley Park and Colonial Knob from central Porirua without a car.
You can easily build long runs linking Colonial Knob with Whitireia Park or heading east towards Belmont. Embrace a bit of tarmac and follow the cycle path roughly 10 km out to Pukerua Bay, join the Escarpment Track, then catch the train home. Or turn around and run back if your training plan requires something a bit looooonger.
📈 Difficulty
⭐⭐⭐☆☆
The highest point is only 468 metres, but Porirua specialises in uppies and downies. Most trails aren’t especially remote or extreme, but the steep gradients and constant climbing can turn a modest-looking route into a proper workout.
👟 Recommended Shoes
A mixed-terrain trail shoe will handle most Porirua routes. You’ll want something with better grip for Colonial Knob and Battle Hill during winter, but you can get away with road shoes on most trails during summer.
🥤 Water
Carry your own. Most carparks don’t have water facilities, and you don’t want to drink from anything you find along the way. It’s either been shat in by a cow, had a landfill leach into it or got a body decomposing somewhere upstream.
🗓 Best Time to Visit
Late summer through autumn generally offers the driest trails and most settled weather. Winter remains completely runnable, provided you don’t mind a bit of mud and horizontal rain.
The Porirua Bucket List
If you only run 3 trails in Porirua, make it these. Together, they cover steep bush climbs, exposed coastal trails and one of the region’s most spectacular point-to-point runs.
Spicy Knob Loop
10km | 450 m vert
This classic Colonial Knob loop starts at Spicer Forest, runs up the Doctor, up the 4wd track to the summit before heading down through the farm and the pine forest, down past the tip and finishing where you started.
A mix of native undulating trail, steep gravel 4WD, 360-degree views, farm, flowy downhill pine-needle surfing, the stench of the Tip, and fun downhill mountain-bike switchbacks to finish. This 10km loop has everything you need for the best knob experience.
Whitireia and Tītahi Bay Cliffs
10 km | 380 m vert
Titahi Bay has some of the best coastal running in the region, with the Whitireia circuit running along the coast and linking up with single-track trails up and over the clifftops back to the main beach. Hard to beat on a still summer's day, but also equally as spectacular on a moody shitter of a day if you come prepared.
Escarpment Track
16 km | Plenty of stairs
One of Wellington's gems, shared by Porirua and Kapiti. If single-track cut into the hills running along the coast is your thing, this one is for you. If you have a fear of steps and swing bridges, I'd give it a miss.
Take Your Pick
Got more time to explore Porirua?
Take your pick from these tried-and-tested routes, whether you’re after a quick spin, a long day out or enough vert to kill a Jack Russell.
Best Short Runs: Under 10 km
Short on time, just starting out or keen to give it the full jandal? Try one of these.
Onepoto Loop Track
6.5 km | 70 m vert
Perfect for an easy cruise or a social run with a mate. It can get busy with dog walkers on weekends and summer evenings, but it’s a nice coastal change when you’re sick of running up Colonial Knob. There’s one climb, but it’s over before you know it.
Check which way the wind is blowing before you go. It’s pretty horrendous in a northerly, but also a decent place to test whether your jacket is still waterproof.
Colonial Knob Stairs Of Doom
6.7 km | 330 m vert
Run this clockwise for a short, sharp stair session, climbing all 330 m in around 1.7 km. At the top, take the short detour to the lookout on your left for views across Porirua and the coast. On a clear day, you can see the Tararua Range.
Then enjoy 5 km of perfectly graded MTB track "Te Utiwai" on the way down.
Keep an eye out for bikers coming up, but it’s an uphill-only trail for bikes, so you won’t get taken from behind.
The descent has a tonne of switchbacks, making it perfect for a cruisey social run or a proper net-downhill workout.
Battle Hill–Puketiro Loop
8.5 km | 470 m vert
Another great route if you're looking for a good amount of runnable non-technical climbing. Note it's a working farm and forest so it's not the most inspiring loop with pine forest and farmland but it has some great views over the inlet and coast.
Best Medium Runs: 10–20 km
The sweet spot. Enough time for a decent hit out but still back in time to attack the day and fulfil your adult duties.
Spicer Forest Loop
12 km | 500 m vert
This is a great option when it’s pissing down, but you still need to get out for a run. The exception is when the wind is also blowing your face off, as plenty of trees are keen to play whack-a-mole. Note: you’re the mole in this situation.
Wellington’s best trails involve a tip, and this is no exception. The loop packs in about as much climbing as a trip to the summit without actually making you go there. As far as pine forests go, this is about as good as it gets: soft underfoot, free-flowing and generally well-draining, although it can still get muddy in places.
Pāuatahanui Trio
16 km | 190 m vert
This is about as good as it gets for a flat trail run in Porirua. Essentially a tour of the pathways around Pāuatahanui Inlet, perfect for when your legs need a break from Colonial Knob.
Colonial Knob: All the Hills
18.5 km | 740 m vert
If you want to get a feel of the Knob and everything it stands for, this is the one. Spicer Forest, farmland, the summit and, if you’re lucky, views across Porirua and the Kāpiti Coast to the Tararua Range, Wellington and the South Island.
Best Long Runs: 20 km+
There aren’t really any natural 20 km+ routes, but stitch a few areas together, hop a border or 2 and accept a dash of pavement bashing, and you can build yourself one hell of a long run.
Extended Skyline
29 km | 1,100 m vert
A point-to-point mission connecting Colonial Knob with Mt Kaukau and the Wellington Skyline. You'll either need a pickup on the other end, or turn it into an Ultra!
Ptown Figure 8
30 km | 700 m vert
This run links the Whitireia and Tītahi Bay Cliffs run with a big Colonial Knob loop. The linked route starts at my house, but you can park at Spicer or Tītahi Bay and run much the same course. I live pretty much on the route.
It’s a good one if you’re training for a race with both runnable vert and stretches of actual flat running. Either order works: sting the legs on the hills and fight to hold your speed on the flat, or drain them on the flat first and practise climbing on tired legs.
Colonial Kau's Bellend
45-50km km | 1,800-2000 m vert
This is a great ultra training run with a simple goal: tick off the trigs on Colonial Knob, Mt Kaukau and Belmont. There’s a bit of choose-your-own-adventure along the way, with shorter, steeper trails or gentler switchbacks in a few places.
Start at Camp Elsdon or the Spicer car park and climb to the Colonial Knob trig. Drop through the farm and Spicer Forest, then cross into northern Wellington for a stretch of pavement along Ohariu Valley Road. Climb the back of Mt Kaukau to the trig, descend into Johnsonville, and head through Grenada North into Belmont Regional Park.
Once you’ve ticked off the Belmont trig, head through the farmland to the back of Cannons Creek, then through Porirua and back to the car.
A few shops along the way let you top up your liquids, plus 2 McDonald’s if you’re extra keen.
Local Intel
Te Utiwai is a bad-weather staple. This one-way MTB trail climbs from the Camp Elsdon car park to the first lookout via the switchbacks. It’s sheltered from a southerly and largely sheltered from a northerly. It also runs through regenerating native bush, so there’s less risk of being bonked on the head like Spicer Forest.
Take sun protection on the Escarpment Track in summer. It’s very exposed, with no water along the trail. Bring enough to drink, plus a hat, sunnies and lotion for the skin.
Finish at Tītahi Bay Beach if you fancy a dip. It’s an easy place to swim after a run, and the water is about as cold as you’d expect in Wellington.
Training for something like Ultra-Trail Straya, with a tonne of stairs? The Camp Elsdon stairs and 7 Pines are good places to get your reps in. The Escarpment Track has plenty of stairs too.
It can be glass on the harbour and arse on the summit. The weather in central Porirua tells you very little about what’s happening on top of Colonial Knob or Battle Hill.
Best Nearby Post-Run Refreshments
These are not necessarily the best cafés, restaurants or bars in Porirua. They are the best handy options near the trails, because nobody wants to finish a run and then drive 20 minutes across town looking for a car park.
🍔 ☕ 🍺 Kai Tahi
Handy to: Colonial Knob, Bothamley Park, Titahi Bay
Kai Tahi has enough different food options to satisfy even the fussiest prick of the run group. From burgers to green smoothies, coffee and beer.
🍔 ☕ Elemental Eats
Handy to: Colonial Knob
Sitting on Kenepuru Drive, Elemental Eats is an easy post-run stop when you've had your fill of the knob. Good coffee, food off the grill and premade sandwiches, pies and salads if you're in a rush.
Note: not open Sundays and generally closes at 3 PM.
🍔 ☕Paekakariki Village
Handy to: Escarpment
3 options to choose from with The Perching Parrot, Beach Side Deli & Olde Beach Bakery. Lots of food options and plenty of good coffee. You can't really go wrong with either option.
☕ Aloha Friday
Handy to: Whitireia Park and Titahi Bay
Right down at the end of the Main Beach. Great coffee, great spot for a post-run debrief or pre-run procrastination. Open 7 days from 7am.
Last-Minute Supplies
Forgot your gels? Left your water bottle on the kitchen bench?
These are the handy places to rescue your run before it starts.
🛒 New World Porirua
Handy to: Colonial Knob, Bothamley Park, Whitireia Park
Probably the easiest all-round stop before a run. Water, snacks, bananas, sunscreen, electrolyte drinks or even some emergency socks. On the outskirts of the CBD, so you don't have to go around the 10 Porirua roundabout to get to it.
💊 Bargain Chemist
Handy to: Colonial Knob, Bothamley Park, Whitireia Park
If you've forgotten something trail-running specific, this is probably where you'll find it. They stock Pure Sports Nutrition and Peak Fuel products, electrolyte mixes, sports tape, blister gear, pain relief and plenty of other bits that suddenly become important five minutes before a long run. A bit of an "insert your genitalia here" ache, as it's right in town, but they will have what you need.
🛒 Four Square Titahi Bay
Handy to: Whitireia and Titahi Bay
Perfect if you're already out on the coast and just need the basics. Water, sports drinks and emergency pre-run sugar.
🛒 Paekākāriki Village Grocery Store
Handy to: Escarpment Track
Ideal if you're tackling the Escarpment and realise halfway there that your nutrition is still sitting on the kitchen bench.
🚽Toilets
Camp Elsdon, Spicer Forest are a BYO shituation.
Whitireia Park and Titahi Bay have public toilets, and there are toilets close by halfway around the Onepoto Loop.
If you're running the escarpment, there are toilets in the Pukerua Bay shops and at the Paekak village.
Battle Hill there are toilets at the Ken Gray Education Centre and the main campground,
Remember McDonald's Porirua is usually good for a ghost poo; as it's busy, you can "slip in" and then slip out.
🚆 Public Transport
If you're wanting to get to Porirua from up Kapiti or Wellington, your best to catch the train. If you get off at Kenepuru Station, it's only a 2 km warm-up along the road to either Spicer Park or Camp Elsdon
Use the Kāpiti Line to turn the Escarpment Track into a one-way run.
Get off at Pukerua Bay, run to Paekākāriki and catch the train home. Or train out to Paekākāriki and run all the way back to Porirua.
Local Trail Running Races
Porirua Grand Traverse
Porirua’s signature trail-running and multisport event, linking the city’s harbour, hills, bush and coastline.
The standalone mountain run goes up and over Colonial Knob, but instead of heading back down the farm towards Spicer Forest, you get to finally jump the fence and head down towards the coast through the farm, which is usually off limits as it's private property. It's literally a once-a-year opportunity.
Porirua parkrun
If you don't know what Parkrun is, it's a free 5km running event that has spread around the globe. Porirua's runs through Bothamley Park every Saturday morning. The course is a gentle out-and-back on a wide gravel trail and one of the easiest introductions to off-road running in Porirua.
Faultline Ultra
The Faultline Ultra is the Wellington Region's biggest ultra event, which runs right through the heart of Porirua on the 100-mile and 100 km courses. You'll come over Belmont from Lower Hutt and run down past the Takapu substation, out through Cannons Creek and Bothamley Park into the Bishop Viard College, which is one of the major hubs, before setting up Te Utiwai over the summit of Rangituhi before continuing off through Spicer Forest towards Mt. Kaukau.
Check Out Wellington Region Races →
Related Guides
Wellington City
Ridgelines, harbour views, technical singletrack and surprisingly big climbs right on the city’s doorstep.
Coming soon ...
Hutt Valley
Native bush, flowing singletrack, farmland and massive trail networks stretching from Belmont to the Remutakas.
Coming soon ...
Kāpiti
Coastal escarpments, lush native bush and flowing trails, where every run finishes with the beach just down the road.
Coming soon ...
Wairarapa
The gateway to the Tararuas, Wellington’s biggest mountain adventures and the lesser-known Aorangi Range.
Coming soon ...