UTA Wrap: Five-Star rating for a memorable event

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I’m back in Brisbane after my UTA trip to the Blue Mountains and as I reflect, I’m struggling to come up with anything negative to write about. It’s an event I would highly recommend.

To begin with, the setting is magnificent. I’d never been to Katoomba and surrounds before, but I knew it was a World Heritage listed area of natural beauty so expected it to be stunning.

What I didn’t expect was the diversity the landscape, and therefore the course, had to offer. I’m sure many Australians are familiar with the general geology of the area, largely due to the much photographed Three Sisters.

It’s dominated by sandstone cliffs with multiple deep, narrow “slot” canyons. It’s called the Blue Mountains, but it’s more a tablelands. The races start at the top and essentially head downhill, then uphill, then downhill, and so on until the finish line.

It’s largely temperate eucalyptus forest, and as you’d expect there are some towering examples. But you also run through pockets of what looked more to me like temperate rainforest.

On the first two days of the event, when an impenetrable, swirling fog blanketed the course, it looked like something out of Jurassic Park. It wasn’t a huge leap to imagine a posse of velociraptors emerging from the murk in search of a runner-shaped meal. Thankfully, that was not a feature of the race!

There was also a lot of water. Multiple creek crossings and lots of absolutely stunning waterfalls of varying heights. It really was a feast for the eyes.

The races were also demanding, but within reach of the average runner. I found the 50k tough, but I’m a genuine back-of-the-pack runner and I went into the race after a very disrupted build-up. If I can run it, then so can you.

I was also really impressed with how well organised the event was. It’s massive affair, with around 7,000 competitors, but it ran like clockwork. This was in part because it’s a UTMB race, so benefits from that international circuit’s infrastructure, but also because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers.

Being part of the UTMB, in particular this year given the race was elevated to “major” status, also meant there was great media coverage, including a live online stream for those following along from home. Sadly for my friends and family, the live stream ended about 30 minutes before I crossed the line. I’ll just have to be a bit quicker next time.

The live tracker also means if you’re at the event you can see the estimated finishing time of people you know who are also running so you can be there to cheer them across the line. This is brilliant - as a runner it’s such a boost to see familiar faces as you finish and on the other side of the line it’s a real joy to share that sense of achievement with someone who’s just pushed themselves to their limits.

Which brings me neatly to another big plus for this event - the vibe. While there are relatively few areas on the actual course for supporters to gather, this is probably the most atmospheric trail race I’ve run.

Where they can get out and support you, the locals are out in force. And there was no shortage of people at the two official checkpoints for the UTA50, boosting spirits.

Because Katoomba is a relatively small place, everywhere you go you are surrounded by other runners. Given that the strong sense of “community” is one of the great attractions of trail running for me, the feeling that I was “among my people” was a bit like a life-giving force.

And if that’s not enough, just watching the miler and UTA100 competitors push themselves - whether at the front, the middle or the back of the pack - is pure inspiration.

So all in all, I would heartily recommend Ultra-Trail Australia for your itinerary in 2026. It’s relatively easy to reach - a two-hour train ride from Sydney. If this does sound like your kind of race, don’t leave it too late to commit. This year’s event was sold out across the board, and the accommodation options in Katoomba are not limitless.

My race

I reflected on my race at length in an earlier post, but I’ve had another couple of days to let the experience settle. And on the whole, I’m really satisfied with what I achieved.

Going into this race, I found it very difficult to nail down a target time. The two comparable 50k races I’ve run were two editions of the Guzzler Glass Half Full. Both times I finished in the 8 hour 20 minute range, but it’s a very different course to UTA50.

In the end, 10 hours + was slower than I’d have liked. But given my heart issues meant my longest run in the lead up was only 23k, and the fact I was ready to give up at the 29k mark, I’m really happy that I pushed on to finish.

Once again, I learned a lot about my running and a lot about myself. And for me, that’s one of the great attractions of the sport - it takes you places few others can… both literally and metaphorically.

I was also unsure what it would be like staying in a dorm, but the camaraderie was great and staying a five-minute stroll from the start line was brilliant.

I haven’t figured out exactly what I’ll be running next year, but having another crack at UTA is certainly not off the agenda.

In the interests of transparency, I competed at UTA on a complimentary ticket. I paid all other expenses involved with the event - travel, accommodation and so on - out of my own pocket.

Event Results

Below are the top three women’s and men’s finishers for each event, plus times, but you can find full results on the UTA website.

UTAMiler

Distance: 161.5k Elevation: 7,290m+ Starters: 374 DNF: 70 Finishers: 304

UTA100

Distance: 101k Elevation: 4,500m+ Starters: 1,588 DNF: 308 Finishers: 1,280

UTA50

Distance: 51k Elevation: 2,480m+ Starters: 2,306 DNF: 82 Finishers: 2,224

UTA22

Distance: 22k Elevation: 1,177m+ Starters: 2,278 DNF: 7 Finishers: 2,271

UTA11

Distance: 12k Elevation: 718m+ Starters: 909 DNF: 3 Finishers: 906