Overview

Margaret River Ultra Marathon will take place on 2nd May 2020. Please note details below relate to the 2019 event. Updates coming soon!

EVENT OVERVIEW – 4 MAY 2019

The Margaret River Ultra Marathon gives you 80 kilometres of magnificent trail running through one of the most breathtaking regions of Australia – the Cape to Cape coastline of south west Western Australia. Entries to the 2019 event will open in September.

Complete the whole course as an individual and you will fulfill an epic journey you will never forget; or gather your mates for a relay team of 2-5 runners and spend some quality time in this much loved part of the world.

“Absolutely incredible experience, great variety of trails, stunning scenery and perfectly supported.” Luke, 2018 Participant

“A beautiful and picturesque run, yet not for the faint hearted – a challenge that pushes the boundaries. Loved meeting like-minded people who supported eachother all the way.” Tricia, 2018 Participant

Located between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin, the region is renowned for its superb wineries, rolling country farmland, pristine beaches, world-class surf breaks, limestone caves and magnificent tall-timber forests. To run though this rich tapestry of natural wonders will be a joy for anyone who enjoys putting one foot in front of the other.

The full 80km end to end course, from the crisp white sands at Hamelin Bay in the south to our finish point at the Cheeky Monkey Brewery and Cidery in the north, is a sizable (but achievable) challenge for any athlete and caters for the growing population of ultra marathon runners the world over.

Relay Teams

The Margaret River Ultra Marathon can also be completed by relay teams of up to 5 runners doing one or more legs each. With legs varying in length between 10km and 20km, the relay team categories put this event within the grasp of just about any runner who wants to experience the thrill of fresh air and scenic trails in Australia’s South West.

Full Service

This is a ‘full service’ event with all the customer service considerations you’d expect from an industry leader; such as busses to the start for solo runners, well stocked checkpoints, a marked and marshalled course, and stop off points for spectators and support crews that allow them to take in the best of the landscape as well.

Terrain

Utilising large sections of the famous ‘Cape to Cape’ walking track, the terrain underfoot is not overly technical and includes a range of trail types, from hard packed clay trails to soft sandy beaches with plenty of weaving single track between. It is unfair to call the course ‘flat’ but with a total ascent / descent of ‘just’ 1,700m the course is far from mountainous with long runnable sections that are a sheer delight to pass along.

All in all this is ultra marathon running at its’ best with a spectacular course that caters for runners of all abilities in one of Australia’s most popular holiday destinations. We look forward to sharing the journey with you… 

THE COURSE BREAKDOWN – 80KM TOTAL

  • Leg 1: 10.5km Hamelin Bay to Boranup Campsite
  • Leg 2: 18km Boranup Campsite to Contos Campground. Total: 28.5km
  • Leg 3: 19.5km Contos Campground to White Elephant Café, Total: 48km
  • Leg 4: 20km White Elephant Café to Gracetown. Total: 68km
  • Cheeky Monkey Leg 5: 12km  Gracetown to Cheeky Monkey Brewery and Cidery. Total: 80km

*Note, Leg 4 and 5 leg distances have changed slightly for 2019. Checkpoint 4 is now at Gracetown.

For full course description including detailed legs and maps, CLICK HERE.

Race SOLO as an individual or form Relay teams of 2 to 5 runners:

The Margaret River Ultra Marathon can be completed by individual runners doing the whole thing, or by relay teams of up to 5 doing one or more legs each.

Relay teams have the opportunity to gather team members of varying abilities who can still race together, eg. less capable runners can do the shorter legs and more capable runners can do the longer legs, or do more than 2 legs.

 Eg, a team of 3 may split the course as follows:

  • Runner 1: Leg 1 and 5 (22.5km) | Runner 2: Leg 3 (19.5) |  Runner 3: Leg 2 and 4 (38km)

There are many different ways to divide the legs between a team – see our suggested leg groupings here.

ITRA pts  /  UTMB qualifying race

The Margaret River Ultra Marathon 80km individual race is registered with the International Trail Running Association (ITRA) and will provide successful runners with ITRA points (to help runners qualify for large international races), and UTMB points as an official qualifying race for this iconic event:

80km solo

  • ITRA rating: 3 Endurance Points, 2 Mountain Points and Finisher Rating of 260.
  • UTMB points: 3 Points (new system).

For further information on what the ITRA points mean click here and for more information on the UTMB (Ultra Trail Du Mont Blanc) click here.