HOKA Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMBKatoomba, Australia🇦🇺

• •Start 05:00, sunrise 06:41: the first 1 hour 41 minutes are run in the dark. The headtorch goes on your head at the start, not in your pack.
• •Sunset is 17:08 and the finish cut-off is 01:35. A runner using the full time allowance spends the final 13 hours 33 minutes in darkness.
• •Get the headtorch out before sunset and keep spare batteries or a power bank dry and immediately accessible. A spare buried at the bottom of the pack is not an emergency spare.
• •Check reflective course markers regularly in the dark. If the markings disappear, stop moving forward, return to the last marker and confirm the route against the GPX or organiser app.
• •At cut-off pace you run into a second night. Plan the sleep question before race day: an hour gained on the first night costs two on the second.
• •Poles are strongly recommended for this profile. The course averages 44 m of gain per km and the longest climb averaging over 5% runs 14 km; if you have trained with them and the organiser allows them, use them on the climbs and stow them on runnable ground.
• •Point to point: the finish sits 11.2 km from the start as the crow flies. Sort the shuttle and your drop bag before race day.

Aid stations

• •The longest stretch between official aid stations runs from Fortress Ridge Trail Head (km 30) to Hydro Majestic Hotel (km 47): 18 km, with 602 m of climbing in between. Top up at Fortress Ridge Trail Head and size what you carry to the expected duration and your own drinking rate.
• •Drinks only, no food, at Emergency Aid Station (km 154). Loosen the flask caps on approach; with no queue, refill and leave in 20-30 seconds. Carry the food you will need from the previous station.
• •Evans Lookout (km 9) is a timing point only, with nothing on the table.
• •Hot food is served at Narrow Neck Lookout (km 55) and Tarros (km 68) and 6 more. If your stomach and race plan call for it, make this a deliberate 3-5 minute stop; do not sit down simply because hot food is available. Restart gently and let your stomach settle before lifting the effort.
• •Food is available at Govetts Leap Picnic Area (km 12) and Perrys Lookdown (km 19) and 2 more. Decide what you need before reaching the table; without a planned special task, collect food and fluids and leave within 60-90 seconds. Finish eating on the next calm, suitable section.
• •Drop bags at Hydro Majestic Hotel (km 47), Narrow Neck Lookout (km 55), Six Foot Track Outbound (km 91), Six Foot Track Inbound (km 107), Katoomba Aquatic Centre (km 118), and Queen Victoria Hospital (km 141). Write down the equipment and food you expect to replace before the race so the decision is already made when you arrive.
• •Crew support is permitted only at Start (km 0), Govetts Leap Picnic Area (km 12), Perrys Lookdown (km 19), Hydro Majestic Hotel (km 47), Narrow Neck Lookout (km 55), Six Foot Track Outbound (km 91), Six Foot Track Inbound (km 107), Katoomba Aquatic Centre (km 118), Fairmont Resort (km 130), Queen Victoria Hospital (km 141), and Finish (km 163). This is not the same as a drop bag: plan equipment and food hand-offs around these stations, then verify wristband, bag and transport rules with the organiser.
• •The last aid station is Emergency Aid Station (km 154), leaving 7 km to the finish. After that you are on what you carry.
• •The heaviest leg runs from Katoomba Aquatic Centre (km 118) to Fairmont Resort (km 130): 12 km with 755 m of climbing. Treat it as the slowest part of your day and get your food out before it.
• •Medical support is available at Start (km 0), Govetts Leap Picnic Area (km 12), Perrys Lookdown (km 19), Fortress Ridge Trail Head (km 30), Hydro Majestic Hotel (km 47), Narrow Neck Lookout (km 55), Tarros (km 68), Foggy Knob (km 78), Six Foot Track Outbound (km 91), Six Foot Track Inbound (km 107), Katoomba Aquatic Centre (km 118), Fairmont Resort (km 130), Queen Victoria Hospital (km 141), Emergency Aid Station (km 154), and Finish (km 163). If something is wrong with your feet or your stomach, deal with it there rather than pushing on.
• •About 0.8 km after Foggy Knob (km 78), a roughly 250 m section averaging 26% begins. Choose food you know you digest easily and fill the bottles, then enter the climb at a controlled effort.
• •The overall cut-off is 44h 35m, including all checkpoint stops. Build the plan around the official leg budgets below, not a flat-course average pace.
• •Relative to distance and climbing, the tightest official time budget runs from Tarros (km 68) to Foggy Knob (km 78): the official time budget is 2h 10m for 10 km and 299 m of climbing. Station stops come out of that same budget, so do not enter the leg already behind schedule.

Aid station details come from the list published by the organiser; confirm them at the official source before race day.

• •Start 05:00, sunrise 06:42: the first 1 hour 42 minutes are run in the dark. The headtorch goes on your head at the start, not in your pack.
• •Sunset is 17:08 and the finish cut-off is 12:30. A runner using the full time allowance spends the final 13 hours 34 minutes in darkness.
• •Get the headtorch out before sunset and keep spare batteries or a power bank dry and immediately accessible. A spare buried at the bottom of the pack is not an emergency spare.
• •Check reflective course markers regularly in the dark. If the markings disappear, stop moving forward, return to the last marker and confirm the route against the GPX or organiser app.
• •Poles are strongly recommended for this profile. The course averages 42 m of gain per km and the longest climb averaging over 5% runs 14 km; if you have trained with them and the organiser allows them, use them on the climbs and stow them on runnable ground.
• •Most of the climbing waits in the second half. Feeling good early is a trap here.
• •The route passes the start area 2 times, but the loops differ; the later section is ground you have not seen.

Aid stations

• •The longest stretch between official aid stations runs from Start (km 0) to Tarros (km 14): 14 km, with 462 m of climbing in between. Top up at Start and size what you carry to the expected duration and your own drinking rate.
• •Drinks only, no food, at Tarros (km 14) and Six Foot Track (Return) Water Point (km 46) and 1 more. Loosen the flask caps on approach; with no queue, refill and leave in 20-30 seconds. Carry the food you will need from the previous station.
• •Ironpot Turn Around (km 26) is a timing point only, with nothing on the table. Load up as you leave Foggy Knob.
• •Hot food is served at Katoomba Aquatic Centre (km 56) and Fairmont Resort (km 68) and 1 more. If your stomach and race plan call for it, make this a deliberate 3-5 minute stop; do not sit down simply because hot food is available. Restart gently and let your stomach settle before lifting the effort.
• •Food is available at Foggy Knob (km 24) and Six Foot Track (km 37). Decide what you need before reaching the table; without a planned special task, collect food and fluids and leave within 60-90 seconds. Finish eating on the next calm, suitable section.
• •Drop bags at Six Foot Track (km 37), Katoomba Aquatic Centre (km 56), and Queen Victoria Hospital (km 79). Write down the equipment and food you expect to replace before the race so the decision is already made when you arrive.
• •Crew support is permitted only at Start (km 0), Six Foot Track (km 37), Six Foot Track (Return) Water Point (km 46), Katoomba Aquatic Centre (km 56), Fairmont Resort (km 68), Queen Victoria Hospital (km 79), and Finish (km 101). This is not the same as a drop bag: plan equipment and food hand-offs around these stations, then verify wristband, bag and transport rules with the organiser.
• •The last aid station is Emergency Aid Station (km 93), leaving 8 km to the finish. After that you are on what you carry.
• •The heaviest leg runs from Katoomba Aquatic Centre (km 56) to Fairmont Resort (km 68): 12 km with 669 m of climbing. Treat it as the slowest part of your day and get your food out before it.
• •Medical support is available at Start (km 0), Tarros (km 14), Foggy Knob (km 24), Six Foot Track (km 37), Katoomba Aquatic Centre (km 56), Fairmont Resort (km 68), Queen Victoria Hospital (km 79), Emergency Aid Station (km 93), and Finish (km 101). If something is wrong with your feet or your stomach, deal with it there rather than pushing on.
• •About 1 km after Foggy Knob (km 24), a roughly 250 m section averaging 25% begins. Choose food you know you digest easily and fill the bottles, then enter the climb at a controlled effort.
• •The overall cut-off is 31h 30m, including all checkpoint stops. Build the plan around the official leg budgets below, not a flat-course average pace.
• •Relative to distance and climbing, the tightest official time budget runs from Foggy Knob (km 24) to Six Foot Track (km 37): the official time budget is 2h 50m for 14 km and 494 m of climbing. Station stops come out of that same budget, so do not enter the leg already behind schedule.

Aid station details come from the list published by the organiser; confirm them at the official source before race day.

• •Start 05:05, sunrise 06:42: the first 1 hour 37 minutes are run in the dark. The headtorch goes on your head at the start, not in your pack.
• •Sunset is 17:08 and the finish cut-off is 22:30. A runner using the full time allowance spends the final 5 hours 22 minutes in darkness.
• •Get the headtorch out before sunset and keep spare batteries or a power bank dry and immediately accessible. A spare buried at the bottom of the pack is not an emergency spare.
• •Check reflective course markers regularly in the dark. If the markings disappear, stop moving forward, return to the last marker and confirm the route against the GPX or organiser app.
• •Poles are strongly recommended for this profile. The course averages 49 m of gain per km and the longest climb averaging over 5% runs 14 km; if you have trained with them and the organiser allows them, use them on the climbs and stow them on runnable ground.
• •At km 6 you pass right by the finish area with 44.7 km still to go; the noise there breaks more races than the climbs do.

Aid stations

• •The longest stretch between official aid stations runs from Turn Around Point (km 4) to Fairmont Resort (km 18): 15 km, with 735 m of climbing in between. Top up at Turn Around Point and size what you carry to the expected duration and your own drinking rate.
• •Drinks only, no food, at Emergency Aid Station (km 43). Loosen the flask caps on approach; with no queue, refill and leave in 20-30 seconds. Carry the food you will need from the previous station.
• •Turn Around Point (km 4) is a timing point only, with nothing on the table.
• •Food is available at Fairmont Resort (km 18) and Queen Victoria Hospital (km 29). Decide what you need before reaching the table; without a planned special task, collect food and fluids and leave within 60-90 seconds. Finish eating on the next calm, suitable section.
• •Crew support is permitted only at Start (km 0), Fairmont Resort (km 18), Queen Victoria Hospital (km 29), and Finish (km 51). This is not the same as a drop bag: plan equipment and food hand-offs around these stations, then verify wristband, bag and transport rules with the organiser.
• •The last aid station is Emergency Aid Station (km 43), leaving 8 km to the finish. After that you are on what you carry.
• •Another heavy leg runs from Emergency Aid Station (km 43) to Base of Furber Steps (km 50): 8 km with 614 m of climbing. Treat it as the slowest part of your day and get your food out before it.
• •Medical support is available at Start (km 0), Fairmont Resort (km 18), Queen Victoria Hospital (km 29), Emergency Aid Station (km 43), and Finish (km 51). If something is wrong with your feet or your stomach, deal with it there rather than pushing on.
• •About 0.5 km after Emergency Aid Station (km 43), a roughly 250 m section averaging 20% begins. Only drinks are served here, so fill the bottles and carry your own food in, then enter the climb at a controlled effort.
• •The overall cut-off is 17h 25m, including all checkpoint stops. Build the plan around the official leg budgets below, not a flat-course average pace.
• •Relative to distance and climbing, the tightest official time budget runs from Queen Victoria Hospital (km 29) to Finish (km 51): the official time budget is 6h 40m for 22 km and 1202 m of climbing. Station stops come out of that same budget, so do not enter the leg already behind schedule.

Aid station details come from the list published by the organiser; confirm them at the official source before race day.

• •Sunset is 17:07 and the finish cut-off is 16:40. A runner using the full time allowance spends the final 13 hours 34 minutes in darkness.
• •Get the headtorch out before sunset and keep spare batteries or a power bank dry and immediately accessible. A spare buried at the bottom of the pack is not an emergency spare.
• •Check reflective course markers regularly in the dark. If the markings disappear, stop moving forward, return to the last marker and confirm the route against the GPX or organiser app.
• •At cut-off pace you run into a second night. Plan the sleep question before race day: an hour gained on the first night costs two on the second.
• •Poles are strongly recommended for this profile. The course averages 56 m of gain per km and the longest climb averaging over 5% runs 14 km; if you have trained with them and the organiser allows them, use them on the climbs and stow them on runnable ground.
• •Most of the climbing waits in the second half. Feeling good early is a trap here.
• •Point to point: the finish sits 7.7 km from the start as the crow flies. Sort the shuttle and your drop bag before race day.

Aid stations

• •The longest stretch between official aid stations runs from Start (km 0) to Emergency Aid Station (km 13): 13 km, with 391 m of climbing in between. Top up at Start and size what you carry to the expected duration and your own drinking rate.
• •Base of Furber Steps (km 21) is a timing point only, with nothing on the table. Load up as you leave Emergency Aid Station.
• •Food is available at Emergency Aid Station (km 13). Decide what you need before reaching the table; without a planned special task, collect food and fluids and leave within 60-90 seconds. Finish eating on the next calm, suitable section.
• •Crew support is permitted only at Finish (km 22). This is not the same as a drop bag: plan equipment and food hand-offs around these stations, then verify wristband, bag and transport rules with the organiser.
• •The last aid station is Emergency Aid Station (km 13), leaving 9 km to the finish. After that you are on what you carry.
• •The heaviest leg runs from Emergency Aid Station (km 13) to Base of Furber Steps (km 21): 8 km with 611 m of climbing. Treat it as the slowest part of your day and get your food out before it.
• •Medical support is available at Start (km 0), Emergency Aid Station (km 13), and Finish (km 22). If something is wrong with your feet or your stomach, deal with it there rather than pushing on.
• •The climbing starts the moment you leave Base of Furber Steps (km 21): the steepest roughly 250 m section averages 33%. Nothing is served at this point, so arrive already stocked from the previous aid station, then begin the climb under control.
• •The overall cut-off is 154h, including all checkpoint stops. Build the plan around the official leg budgets below, not a flat-course average pace.
• •Relative to distance and climbing, the tightest official time budget runs from Base of Furber Steps (km 21) to Finish (km 22): the official time budget is 0h 40m for 1 km and 155 m of climbing. Station stops come out of that same budget, so do not enter the leg already behind schedule.

Aid station details come from the list published by the organiser; confirm them at the official source before race day.

• •Sunset is 17:08 and the finish cut-off is 18:00. A runner using the full time allowance spends the final 52 minutes in darkness.
• •Get the torch out before sunset; digging through a pack in the dark is the most expensive minute of the day.
• •Check reflective course markers regularly in the dark. If the markings disappear, stop moving forward, return to the last marker and confirm the route against the GPX or organiser app.
• •Consider bringing poles. The course averages 66 m of gain per km and the longest climb averaging over 5% runs 4.1 km; if you have trained with them and the organiser allows them, use them on the climbs and stow them on runnable ground.
• •Most of the climbing waits in the second half. Feeling good early is a trap here.
• •18% of the course is steep descent. Increase your cadence instead of braking, or your quads go early.

Aid stations

• •The longest stretch between official aid stations runs from Start (km 0) to Base of Furber Steps (km 11): 11 km, with 568 m of climbing in between. Top up at Start and size what you carry to the expected duration and your own drinking rate.
• •Base of Furber Steps (km 11) is a timing point only, with nothing on the table.
• •Crew support is permitted only at Start (km 0) and Finish (km 12). This is not the same as a drop bag: plan equipment and food hand-offs around these stations, then verify wristband, bag and transport rules with the organiser.
• •Medical support is available at Start (km 0) and Finish (km 12). If something is wrong with your feet or your stomach, deal with it there rather than pushing on.
• •The climbing starts the moment you leave Base of Furber Steps (km 11): the steepest roughly 250 m section averages 29%. Nothing is served at this point, so arrive already stocked from the previous aid station, then begin the climb under control.
• •The overall cut-off is 5h, including all checkpoint stops. Build the plan around the official leg budgets below, not a flat-course average pace.
• •Relative to distance and climbing, the tightest official time budget runs from Start to Base of Furber Steps (km 11): the official time budget is 4h 15m for 11 km and 622 m of climbing. Station stops come out of that same budget, so do not enter the leg already behind schedule.

Aid station details come from the list published by the organiser; confirm them at the official source before race day.

• •Sunset is 17:08, 7 hours 38 minutes after the gun. If your target time is longer than that, carry a headtorch whether or not the rules demand one.

Aid stations

• •Crew support is permitted only at Start (km 0) and Finish (km 0.9). This is not the same as a drop bag: plan equipment and food hand-offs around these stations, then verify wristband, bag and transport rules with the organiser.
• •Medical support is available at Start (km 0) and Finish (km 0.9). If something is wrong with your feet or your stomach, deal with it there rather than pushing on.

Aid station details come from the list published by the organiser; confirm them at the official source before race day.