Best Total Sport runs (near Central Auckland)

Where are the best off-road / trail runs within an hour's drive of Central Auckland? Has anyone got any favourites they could recommend me?

In the Waitakeres, any of the tracks from the Cascade car park, Whatipu, Piha and Karekare areas are good and runnable all year. 

Hunua is good but you'll get muddy if there's been rain.

Stillwater is good too.

In the city you can run around the paths in the domain, around Orakei basin and there is a 10km grass track along a stream starting in Mt Roskil that ends near Unitec that is quite good. You can add short forays onto the Volcanoes from that run too get a good mix off cross country, paths, road and reasonable hills.

Yep, Waitaks are great, tough but after you've nailed a good one you know you'll feel stronger a few days later.

For good off-road runs a little closer, Stillwater to Haigh Access Rd (or vice versa) is a classic. You can do the tracks on the way out and at low tide return with a good section around the coast, then pop back onto the tracks to finish.

Long Bay has a good low tide loop too - run from the car park along the beach heading north along the track along the headland (which ducks down to seal level 3 - 4 times along the way), then head back along the coat to Long Bay - great Coastal Challenge training!

TotalSport's run out in Whitford forest introduced me to a nice close off road run with a mix of loose-metal and off-road training loops.  Travel from Botany along Whitford-Maraetai Rd as though you were on the way to Beachlands, and the forest is on your right hand side about 3-4 km out of Whitford.  Need to park on the road, and there's a good 2km walk to the Archery Club there.  Just before the Archery club is a lillte shelter with a basic map inside which will give you an idea of the off road and loose metal jaunts you can take - a few mountain bikers on the weekends, but all very friendly. Good terrain, mix of hills, water, clay and pine

I stumbled upon a flat track near Auckland Airport, called Puhinui Reserve.  Just drive down Prices Road off Puhinui Rd, and you'll come to it.  Got a show-jumping bit to it, and a few fences to cross, but well catered for via crossing sections.  Not much of a challange really, but a nice place for a scenic coastal jog.  Watch out for youngsters, I think its a bit of a nookie spot...just pretend you didn't see the foggy car windows...  There is a section fenced off as a bird sanctuary, so need to stay out of that.  A little alluring is McLaughlin's Mountain, which overlooks a scoria quarry and the edge of the reserve - actually a little harder than it looks...