Sports and fitness in Townsville: your complete guideUpdated

Townsville's fitness culture is shaped by the military community's culture of physical readiness, the dry-season climate that is exceptional for outdoor activity, and the NRL's North Queensland Cowboys that provide the city with one of the strongest regional sporting identities in Australia.

Castle Hill morning walk — the Castle Hill walking track is Townsville's most used fitness resource by a margin, with hundreds of walkers and runners ascending the granite monolith each morning before the heat builds. The hill provides 286 metres of elevation and 360-degree views as the physical reward for the climb.

North Queensland Cowboys at Queensland Country Bank Stadium — the Cowboys' 2015 NRL premiership and the subsequent community investment in the stadium and the facilities have created a sporting culture in Townsville that transcends the results of any particular season. Home games during the NRL season (March to September) are essential Townsville social events.

Reef diving and snorkelling — Magnetic Island — the Magnetic Island ferry delivers the snorkelling at Florence Bay, the dive sites at the island's south, and the guided dive tours operated from the island's small dive operators that give Townsville a coral reef diving access point that most coastal cities do not have within ferry range.

The Strand Park Run and beach circuit — the 5km Park Run along The Strand (every Saturday, 7am, free) and the informal beach running circuit create the community running culture that draws several hundred participants each week and contributes to Townsville's active outdoor lifestyle reputation.

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