This is what the ‘mysterious’ blue lines on some roads across New South Wales really mean

A Sydney driver was confused by a blue line running along a road in Stanwell Park – before the reason behind it was revealed. 

Many shared their guesses as to what the line could mean with many thinking it was a marker of the Olympic marathon track from 2000. 

However the line was actually painted in 2022 to mark the cycling race route for the UCI Road World Championships which is one of the world’s top five annual sporting events.

‘Does anyone know what a solid blue line means?’ the Sydneysider asked in a post to Reddit.

They said the line was painted on the road near her mum’s house in the small coastal town of Stanwell Park near Wollongong.   

Lots of people were quick to suggest the line was painted for the Sydney Olympics 23 years ago. 

‘The old 2000 Olympic marathon track mate,’ one user said and another replied: ‘I get the feeling in some places they repaint it occasionally for nostalgia.’

‘I remember the blue lines during the 2000 Olympics. It was sad to see them go. Some lasted close to 10 years. This one is a little too fresh though,’ a third commented. 

‘It’s usually a race line. I just ran the Berlin marathon and followed their blue line all across the city,’ someone added.  

Others put forward more humorous answers with one saying: ‘Dropbear incursion zone’. 

The line ran through Wollongong for racers to stay on track. The UCI Road World Championships is an annual road cycling race event with more than 1,000 riders

‘Lizards have been licking the road. Pretty sure it’s those blue tongues,’ joked another.

Eventually people came through with the correct answer saying it is the route of the road race from the 2022 UCI World Championships in Wollongong. 

‘Transport for NSW started marking the route in blue this week in commemoration of the event,’ someone explained. 

The event is the annual world championships for bicycle road racing and takes place in a different location around the world each year. It was in Glasgow, Scotland this year. 

Transport for NSW said the championships ‘put Wollongong on the map for bicycle enthusiasts’ and that the line will be not be maintained after the event so will eventually fade over the years. 

The poster was thankful to those explained the purpose of the line and said she will tell her mum what it is for.  

‘She will be very happy now she knows what it is!!’ they said.