Roller Coaster Run

The Roller Coaster Run is Melbourne’s mountain run and is all about the zig-zag tracks, the gnarly loops, and the trails that never flatten out in the lush wilderness of the Dandenong Ranges National Park. It’s just an hour from Melbourne’s CBD, a Melbourne trail run like no other.

Visitors looking to participate in the Roller Coaster Run should check the course map before enrolling, as the map will often change from year to year due to changes in the terrain.

Come and experience a trail run that delivers what it says on the box: a Roller Coaster of a weekend! It’s fun, there are ups and downs, both literally and figuratively, and by the end, you feel giddy with excitement and a longing for more!

46k Double Loop Ultra

Commencing at the Event Village at Kalorama Memorial Reserve, runners depart along Hands Road, then Jasper Road, and continue to Old Coach Road. These low-traffic roads will be marshalled for clear direction.

A right turn onto Old Mountain Rd brings runners to a very fast downhill along a dirt road, which comes to a split, and runners veer left onto Fireline Track. This is a nice trail that undulates slowly uphill until you reach the left turn onto Observatory Track. This is perhaps the steepest climb of the race, and it lasts for a good 130m of Vert.

At the top, right turn onto Kyeema track, runners follow this trail across the hillside, catching a great view as they go by Burkes Lookout. Bomb the descent down the zig-zag track through tall Mountain Ash and Rainforest Ferns before emerging at Doongalla Picnic Area, a serene opening and the home of Checkpoint 1.

Runners then proceed out of the access road of Doongalla and take a hard left onto Dodds Track, where the challenge really begins with this second very steep climb, part of the Roller Coaster Folklore.

Runners then cross the Basin-Olinda Road and continue up Range Road before gradually curving around, running a bit of a Roller Coaster and making their way back to Doongalla for some much-earned refreshments.

Leaving Doongalla for the second time, runners head north, making their way along Camelia Track and Singleton Terrace to the back of the village of Kalorama with more stunning views as a backdrop.

Runners then return along Old Coach Rd, Jasper Rd and Hands Rd to the Event Village at Kalorama Reserve.

From the Event Village, runners turn around and do it all again – in reverse! It’s incredible how much different the loop becomes once it is tackled in the opposite direction on tired legs. Most runners admit that the focus changes and the course comes to life.

23k Single Loop

Commencing at the Event Village at Kalorama Memorial Reserve, runners depart along Hands Road, then Jasper Road, and continue to Old Coach Road. These low-traffic roads will be marshalled for clear direction.

A right turn onto Old Mountain Rd brings runners to a very fast downhill along a dirt road, which comes to a split, and runners veer left onto Fireline Track. This is a nice trail that undulates slowly uphill until you reach the left turn onto Observatory Track. This is perhaps the steepest climb of the race, and it lasts for a good 130m of Vert.

At the top, right turn onto the Kyeema track, runners follow this trail across the hillside, catching a great view as they go by Burkes Lookout. Bomb the descent down the zig-zag track through tall Mountain Ash and Rainforest Ferns before emerging at Doongalla Picnic Area, a serene opening and the home of Checkpoint 1.

Runners then proceed out of the access road of Doongalla and take a hard left onto Dodds Track, where the challenge really begins with this second very steep climb, part of the Roller Coaster Folklore.

Runners then cross the Basin-Olinda Road and continue up Range Road before gradually curving around, running a bit of a Roller Coaster and making their way back to Doongalla for some much-earned refreshments.

Leaving Doongalla for the second time, runners head north, making their way along Camelia Track and Singleton Terrace to the back of the village of Kalorama with more stunning views as a backdrop.

Runners then return along Old Coach Rd, Jasper Rd and Hands Rd to the Event Village at Kalorama Reserve.

12k Twilight Mad Mouse

Commencing at the Start/Finish Event Village at Kalorama Memorial Reserve, runners depart the reserve along Hands Road, then Jasper Road, and continue to Old Coach Road. These low-traffic roads will be marshalled for clear direction.

Turn right onto Old Mountain Road and then left onto Fireline Track until you reach Observatory Track. Turn Left and commence the steep climb to the top of the Mountain!

A right turn onto Kyeema track, runners follow this trail across the hills, catching a great view as they go at Burkes Lookout, before a fun descent down the zig zags through tall Mountain Ash and Rainforest Ferns.

Before reaching Doongalla, 12k runners turn right onto the Dacite Track and then onto Fireline Track and Singleton Terrace, rejoining the longer course. Runners then gradually climb toward Kalorama Park.

Runners then return along Old Coach Rd, Jasper Rd and Hands Rd to the Event Village at Kalorama Reserve.

This course is true to its name: Mad!

1.23k Kids Carousel

Start line and finish line at the Kalorama Memorial Oval. Two loops of the oval, and near the car parking area. Please note that the course is weather-dependent and may be modified for safety. We will have a friendly person in a fun outfit for the kids to chase around the course!.

Maximum age of 12 years old. Parents are welcome to accompany their children at no charge (but sorry, no medals for you!)

Mandatory Gear

For the 46K and 23K races, mandatory gear checks will be performed at the Registration/Bib Collection area. Please bring all the required gear to registration.

Note: There may be spot checks on the course or finish line for any TWO (2) items on the mandatory gear list for any event. There will be a 30-minute time penalty for missing one piece of gear and disqualification for runners who have neither piece of gear.

For the 12km, 23km and 46km courses, the following items are mandatory to carry:

• A fully charged smartphone that is switched on.
• GPS on watch or AVENZA Map on phone (details provided closer to race)
• Snake Bite Bandage with indicators (not less than 10cm x 2m). We recommend the SMART bandage
• 500ml of liquid storage capacity
• (WET WEATHER ONLY) Waterproof Jacket with a hood. It must be made with a waterproof and breathable membrane. The hood must be attached to the jacket by the original manufacturer’s design and must be seam sealed. Must be suitable for protection in bad weather in the Mountains.

The courses will be super well-marked, but fatigued runners tend to develop tunnel vision. Keep your wits about you and watch for orange markings/ribbons/cones. Maps will be provided to participants, but familiarising yourself with the course beforehand could save you a lot of time on the day. Bring a mobile phone on the Telstra network to stay connected with others. (Telstra appears to have the best coverage). The map provided to participants will have mobile phone numbers for the organisers and volunteers.

Participants are required to register online. Several categories are open for registration, allowing participants to choose the one that best suits their abilities. The cost of participation varies between categories.

Aid Stations

Please note cups will NOT be provided. It will be necessary for all participants to have a hydration device to carry water with them.

Toilets
There will be toilets available at the Event Village at Kalorama and at Doongalla Aid Station.

ALL AID STATIONS STOCKED WITH:

• PURE Sports Nutrition Lemon + Superfruits Electrolyte Hydration
• PURE Sports Nutrition Fluid Gels (4 flavours)
• Water
• Coca Cola and Bundaberg Ginger Beer
• Lollies and Chips
• Sunscreen
• Salt, sugar
• Banana, Watermelon and Oranges
• Fun-size Snickers and Mars
• Ice and Sunscreen

Age Limits

Our Age limits are set in accordance with guidance from Athletics Victoria and the challenges relating to the elevation and terrain.

• 2k Kids Carousel – Maximum age limit of 12 years on event day.
  (Parents are welcome to accompany their child on the course!)
• 12k Twilight Mad Mouse – Minimum age of 13 years on event day.
• 23k Single Loop – Minimum age of 16 years on event day.
• 46k Double Loop Ultra – Minimum of 16 years on event day.

Race Rules

• Entrants must not leave rubbish on the course. Carry it with you to the next aid station and deposit it there if there is a bin. Otherwise, carry it in – carry it out. Any runner found littering will be penalised by the Race Director in time or disqualified.
• Poles are allowed to be used by runners in ANY event and do not have to be carried the whole time (ie, runners can feel free to pick them up or drop them off to their crew at any point in the race)
• The crew can assist their runners at any point along the course that they can reach.
• Mandatory gear must be carried at all times in the race. Any runner found without a piece of mandatory gear can be penalised by the Race Director in time or disqualified.
• Dogs are NOT permitted to join runners at ANY point in the Race
• Drones are NOT allowed to be used anywhere in and around the Roller Coaster Trail Run event, unless authorised by the Event Organisers.
• All athletes must agree to the event’s Terms and Conditions.

Parking & Transport

Public Transport
We encourage you to catch public transport to the event to reduce the number of cars. There is very limited parking on the mountain.

• From Croydon Station, you can catch the 688 bus line.
• Or catch the same 688 bus line from the Upper Ferntree Gully side.

Car Parking at Kalorama Memorial Reserve

Car parking at the Event Village will again be managed by the First Ferny Creek Scout Troop for $10 per car, per day.
NOTE: Cash preferred (it’s faster), though EFTPOS is available.

This incredible local community group retains all car parking funds raised.

All car parking is at the owner’s risk.

Car Parking at SkyHigh Dandenong for the 23k Runners

Address: 26 Observatory Rd, Mount Dandenong.

The car park opens at 7:30 am for the first shuttle departure around 7:45am

We have secured 200 parking spaces at SkyHigh for 23k runners only. We will be rotating 2 x 50-seat coaches between SkyHigh and the Event Village. The drive between the two locations is 6 minutes. There will be a shuttle leaving approximately every 15 minutes from SkyHigh from 7:45 am to 9:30 am. For the return journey, a rolling shuttle will be available to take finishers back to their cars at SkyHigh between 11am and 4pm.

Parking will cost $10 per car, payable at the gate to a SkyHigh staff member. This is the same price as the car park at Kalorama Reserve. The car park at Kalorama will fill up by around 8:30 am with all 46k runners who drive to the race, as well as the early 23k runners.

For peace of mind, skip Kalorama Oval and head straight to SkyHigh to park, then catch the Shuttle bus to the event village.

Note: 46k runners are not encouraged to park at SkyHigh, as we cannot shuttle them back to their cars unless they finish reliably before 3 pm.

The reason for this overflow parking is that we are now expecting 1400 runners. So, even with this new overflow parking for the 23k runners, please still carpool!

Car Pooling
Parking is EXTREMELY limited near the Event Village and, well, everywhere on the mountain. We encourage you to find a buddy (or four) and carpool to and from the event.

It’s cheaper in petrol, better for the environment, and you can share the pre-race nerves and the post-race runner’s high with someone else.