Tactile distance markers
Kim Samuel

Tactile 1km markers along popular walking routes

I started running as a kid back in the 80s – long before GPS was widely available. Back then, if we wanted to know how far we were running, we looked for 1km markers along the road. These markers had been spray painted there by some kind soul who had probably spent hours trundling along the route with an old-school measuring wheel. Those 1km markers made all the difference during those long Saturday runs, helping us move from one goal to the next as we pushed our limits.

These days, most runners have GPS watches to measure the distance they have travelled, with a range of apps supporting us along the way. And so those helpful 1km painted markers – messy as they were – have all but disappeared from our public walkways.

Thousands of people walk along Sydney’s popular walking routes everyday – Centennial Park, Bondi to Bronte, the Bay Run, Barangaroo Foreshore and many more. But many walkers and amateur runners don’t have fancy GPS watches, and take their best guess at the distance they have covered