As the Managing Director of T2, Christelle Young knows a thing or two about the perfect cup of tea. But outside the office, her favourite ritual starts with a run through Sydney and a stop at her favourite cafes.

Whether it’s the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk at sunrise to leafy laps around Centennial Park, Christelle has spent years pairing some of the city’s best running routes with the cafés worth crossing the finish line for. For this edition of The Local List, Christelle shares her five favourite running cafés in Sydney, where to run, what to order, and the post-run spots she returns to time and time again.

Bondi to Coogee – Harry’s

The coastal path from Bondi to Coogee is the postcard run – ocean on one side, sandstone cliffs on the other, and enough dog walkers and rockpool swimmers to keep you honest about your pace. I usually turn back at Tamarama or push on to Bronte depending on how the legs feel, then head back into North Bondi, where a matcha at Harry’s has become part of the routine. It’s one block back from the sand on Wairoa Avenue, unassuming from the outside, but the locals have known for years. Order the matcha, find a seat in the sun, and watch the rest of Bondi wake up around you. Turns out I’m not the only runner who thinks so – Harry’s Friday morning run club finishes here for a reason.

The Centennial Park loop –  The Greenhouse

Centennial Park is where I go when I want green instead of blue – the full loop past the Duck Pond, under the Moreton Bay figs, and out towards the polo fields. The Greenhouse sits right in the middle of it all, and it’s become an unofficial finish line for half of Sydney’s park runners and cyclists. My order never changes: matcha, extra ice if it’s warm, and five minutes on the grass before I talk myself into going home.

Sydney Park – The Grounds of Alexandria

This is the loop I do when I want a proper training run rather than a scenic one. Sydney Park has the best of both worlds for a runner – a few sharp climbs, wetlands to loop around, and the old brick kiln chimneys still standing at the far end, a reminder of what the site used to be before it became a park. It sits right on the doorstep of The Grounds of Alexandria, which makes the finish easy: past the resident farm animals, into the garden, matcha in hand, before getting on with the rest of the day.

Hyde Park to the Botanic Garden – Sydney Fog at T2 Westfield Sydney

This one starts at T2 Pitt Street, in the heart of Westfield Sydney. I run through Hyde Park and down into the Royal Botanic Garden, where the path opens up along the harbour and the Opera House does its thing in the background – it’s a short, easy loop, and one I try to save for a slower morning. I finish back at T2 Westfield Sydney on Pitt Street with a Sydney Fog from our new T2Go Brew Bar, our take on a classic tea latte; Earl Grey, warm milk, a touch of vanilla, and as good a reason as any to stop, catch up with the team, and see how the new store is settling in.

Petersham Park – Ard

Stanmore isn’t really a running suburb – just leafy streets and a handful of pocket sized greens – so I keep it simple. A few laps of the oval at Petersham Park, the local track at this end of the inner west. Ten minutes later I’m at Ard on Stafford Street, tucked into what used to be Stanmore’s old battery shop and is now one of the prettiest, most romantic little bakeries in the inner west. I’ll order a matcha alongside something from Christiana Daaboul’s kitchen – her menu changes week to week, but it leans into her Lebanese heritage, with things like an olive oil and citrus cake, a chocolate and pistachio baklava, or a shortbread with a fruity, jammy filling. You never quite know what will be on the counter, and that’s part of the fun of going back.