HOKA Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB
HOKA Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB – UTAMiler
Govetts Leap Carpark, Blackheath
Race guide
Updated 18 July 2026
The HOKA Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB UTAMiler is the festival's 100-mile monster: 161 km with 6,349 m of vertical gain, run point-to-point-to-plateau through the heart of the Blue Mountains. Despite a high point of only 1,074 m, this is a savage race, its difficulty built entirely from relentless undulation, long valley descents, and a course that keeps climbing right up to the final staircase. Starting from Govetts Leap Carpark in Blackheath (975 m) and finishing at 959 m back at the Scenic World escarpment, the UTAMiler laces together the extended northern reaches of the range with the classic UTA100 valleys around Six Foot Track and Katoomba. Fifteen checkpoints, most with tight cut-offs, punctuate a course that runs deep into two nights. It is a test of durability, quad resilience and disciplined pacing over a full day and a half on your feet.
The Course: Blackheath to the Escarpment via Six Foot Track
The UTAMiler starts at Govetts Leap Carpark (975 m) and opens with a rolling northern section along the clifftops: Govetts Leap Picnic Area at 12.4 km (981 m), Perrys Lookdown at 19.3 km (921 m) and Fortress Ridge Trail Head at 29.9 km (898 m). The route then swings toward Hydro Majestic Hotel at 47.4 km (1,053 m) and Narrow Neck Lookout at 55.2 km (975 m), staying high on the plateau through the first phase. Beyond Narrow Neck the course joins the familiar UTA100 terrain, dropping through Tarros at 67.6 km (950 m) and plunging to Foggy Knob at 77.6 km (603 m) before reaching the Six Foot Track corridor. The Six Foot Track is run as an out-and-back low point, outbound at 91.2 km (584 m) and inbound at 107.1 km (573 m), before the route climbs back to Katoomba Aquatic Centre at 117.5 km (978 m). From there it rolls the escarpment through Fairmont Resort (129.8 km, 916 m) and Queen Victoria Hospital (140.8 km, 838 m) to the finish.
Where the Race Is Won or Lost: Six Foot Track and the Final Wall
The UTAMiler has two decisive zones. The first is the Six Foot Track section in the middle of the race: the long descent from Tarros (67.6 km, 950 m) down to Foggy Knob (603 m) and into the valley, then the out-and-back to the 573-584 m low points around 91-107 km, followed by the climb back to Katoomba at 978 m. This deep dip comes at the worst possible time, into the first night and around 100 km in, and it is where quads accumulate the damage that decides the back half. The second crux is the same one every UTA race shares. After Queen Victoria Hospital (140.8 km) the course descends to the Emergency Aid Station at 154 km (404 m), the lowest point of the finale, then climbs roughly 555 m over the final 7 km to the 959 m finish and its staircase. After 154 km of running, that closing wall is where the race is truly won or lost. Runners who protected their legs through the Six Foot Track valley can still climb it; those who did not will crawl.
Pacing and Fuel: Surviving a Wall of Cut-offs
The UTAMiler is governed by a dense sequence of cut-offs and you must stay ahead of them from the very start. Early gates come at Perrys Lookdown (19.3 km, Fri 10:00), Fortress Ridge (29.9 km, Fri 13:20), Hydro Majestic (47.4 km, Fri 18:00) and Narrow Neck (55.2 km, Fri 20:00). Through the night the pressure continues: Tarros (67.6 km) Fri 23:00, Foggy Knob (77.6 km) Sat 01:10, Six Foot Track outbound (91.2 km) Sat 05:00 and inbound (107.1 km) Sat 09:00, then Katoomba (117.5 km) Sat 11:50, Fairmont (129.8 km) Sat 15:35, Queen Victoria Hospital (140.8 km) Sat 19:10 and the finish Sun 01:35. Crew can reach Hydro Majestic, Narrow Neck, both Six Foot Track points, Katoomba, Fairmont and QV Hospital, giving you regular support hubs across the course. Build your fuelling around them and watch the long, committing gaps: Narrow Neck (55.2 km) to Tarros (67.6 km) crosses into the first night, and QV Hospital (140.8 km) to the Emergency Aid Station (154 km) is 13.2 km ending right before the final climb. Fuel heavily at QV Hospital, and manage the middle valleys conservatively so the cut-offs stay comfortably behind you rather than breathing down your neck.
Conditions to Expect
The UTAMiler stays below 1,074 m throughout, so altitude is never the issue, but a 161 km course spanning two nights guarantees a wide range of conditions. The high clifftop sections in the north around Perrys Lookdown, Hydro Majestic and Narrow Neck are exposed to wind and cold, while the deep descents to the Six Foot Track valley (around 573-603 m) and the Emergency Aid Station (404 m) drop into warmer, more sheltered forest. Expect large temperature swings each time the course changes altitude. With the field out for well over a full day and finishing as late as Sun 01:35, night running is unavoidable and for many runners spans two darkness periods. Carry robust night kit and warm layers for the exposed plateau hours, and plan for slick sandstone steps and rocky trails if it rains. Foot care matters enormously over this distance, given the repeated long descents, and the final staircase to Scenic World will be climbed in the dark by all but the fastest, so keep a working headtorch and reserves of energy for the very end.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 975 m · —
12.4 km · 981 m · —
19.3 km · 921 m · Fri 10:00
29.9 km · 898 m · Fri 13:20
47.4 km · 1053 m · Fri 18:00
55.2 km · 975 m · Fri 20:00
67.6 km · 950 m · Fri 23:00
77.6 km · 603 m · Sat 01:10
91.2 km · 584 m · Sat 05:00
107.1 km · 573 m · Sat 09:00
117.5 km · 978 m · Sat 11:50
129.8 km · 916 m · Sat 15:35
140.8 km · 838 m · Sat 19:10
154 km · 404 m · —
161.1 km · 959 m · Sun 01:35
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