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I have a severe case of FOMO as I write this week’s piece because Ultra-Trail Australia is underway in the beautiful Blue Mountains, and I won’t be there.

Last year I ran the 50k event and loved every minute of it. The course is stunning, Katoomba is a beautiful town for a mini-break and the event is extremely well run.

My decision to make the Dead Cow Gully backyard ultra my A-race for this year meant UTA was off the table for me, given they are only two weeks apart. Even so, I did think about perhaps running the 22k or 50k as a final “long run” before DCG. But in the end, I decided that would not be wise.

I do have plenty of running club mates who are going though. In some ways this makes the FOMO worse, because I know they’ll have a great time. But at least I’ll get to experience the race - or more accurately the races plural - vicariously through them.

UTA is much more than just a race. For a start, it’s five races - 11k, 22k, 50k, 100k plus the miler (100 miles which is 160k) - and six if you count the 1k dash for kids. It also features an expo, with dozens of exhibitors supplying all manner of trail running paraphernalia.

The race is part of the UTMB circuit, which comprises more than 50 events around the world. The biggest of these is Ultra-Trail Mont-Blanc, but the circuit also includes four “majors” - a bit like tennis grand slam events or golf majors - and as of 2025, UTA is one of them.

This has sprinkled a little magic dust on the race, attracting a higher calibre field than usually makes its way to events in Australia. Not that it’s lacking in numbers. Around 8,000 people are expected to take part in UTA races this year.

Being part of the UTMB circuit also means there’s a head-spinningly vast array of UTMB and UTA branded merch you can go home with. My advice - plan your purchases carefully!

There’s no doubt part of the attraction of UTA is the jaw-dropping natural beauty of the course. The Blue Mountains is a World Heritage listed area of natural beauty, and the course really shows this off.

The variety of terrain is surprising, and because the courses run along along ridge lines, then down into and back out of “slot” canyons, the views are stunning. There are sandstone cliffs all along the route, and if you’re on your toes you can catch a glimpse of the famous Three Sisters along the way.

There are waterfalls, towering eucalypts and pockets of temperate rainforest. Oh, and stairs. Lots and lots (and lots) of stairs. Much is made of the infamous 951 Furber Stairs which come right at the end of each of the races.

But that’s just the finishing flourish when it comes to stairs on this course. There’s the Giant Stairway (the clue is in the name) plus any number of steps fashioned into the landscape as you run down into the valley, then back up to the escarpment.

All that calf/quad punishment is worth it though, this is the most picturesque course I’ve ever run.

Humble beginnings

As trail running grows in popularity, events like UTA are getting bigger and bigger in scale. With that increase in scale comes an increase in what you could call “professionalism” - the big races and the hoopla that surrounds them are becoming more and more slick.

Thankfully there are still plenty of “grassroots” events which feature very few degrees of separation between the runners and the event organisers. There are some in the trail running community who prefer the authenticity of locally grounded events, and aren’t impressed with races that have become festivals.

UTA is certainly big - it claims to be the second biggest trail running event in the world behind Ultra-Trail Mont-Blanc. But as I’ve pondered it over the past 12 months, I’ve come to the conclusion that it offers the best of both worlds.

It’s a big event that grew from modest beginnings. And, perhaps because it remains firmly grounded in its local community, it still has the feel of a local event. Katoomba is a relatively small town, and wherever you go during race week you are surrounded by like-minded people.

The town really leans into the race, which is hardly surprising given how much money it brings into the local economy, estimated by race organisers to be $11m a year.

The first edition of the race was in 2008. It was a single distance - 100k - and it was called the “North Face 100”. There were 157 starters and of them a creditable 130 finished. Tom Landon-Smith and Alina McMaster founded the race. It became a UTMB event in the mid-2010s

Connection to country is a strong theme on race weekend. The race takes place on Gundungurra land and a welcome to country, featuring the didgerido, takes place at the start of the 100k event on Ironpot ridge. It’s an evocative way to start a magical event.

Another thing the UTMB team does well is produce video content after the fact that tells the story of the race. There is also a slickly produced live stream that people all over the world will be able to watch.

Sadly, this year I’ll be among them.

Upcoming Events

There are way too many events for me to list everything that’s happening around the country, but here is a selection of upcoming races (with a bias towards South East Queensland).

The Running Calendar website is a great source if you want a comprehensive understanding of what’s available around the country.