Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB
Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB – Kosci30
Perisher Ski Resort
Race guide
Updated 18 July 2026
The Kosci30 is the 32 km short-course option at Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB, starting high at Perisher Ski Resort in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains. With just 539 m of climbing and a high point of 1820 m, it is the most accessible way into this alpine event - a fast, largely descending point-to-loop that still delivers genuine high-country scenery. What defines the Kosci30 is its shape: it starts at altitude, drops a long way to the valley, then asks for a climb back up to the finish. It rewards runners who can descend efficiently early without trashing their legs, because the closing kilometres tilt uphill just when the day's biggest cut-off pressure eases off.
The course: down to the valley, back to the finish
From the start at 1723 m the route heads decisively downhill to Bullocks Flat at 15 km, the low point at 1132 m - a sustained descent of nearly 600 m over the opening half. That makes the first section genuinely fast, but also the part most likely to leave under-prepared quads sore before the work begins. After Bullocks Flat the profile reverses. The course climbs and rolls to Ngarigo Campground at 22.7 km (1229 m) and continues up to the finish at 1371 m by 32 km. With only 539 m of total ascent across the whole distance, there is no single brutal climb here; the challenge is simply that the back third is net uphill after a long descent, so the finish feels harder than the modest numbers suggest.
Where the effort concentrates: the run home
There is no high alpine wall on this course - the high point of 1820 m sits near the start rather than in a climb - so the decisive stretch is the gradual re-ascent from Bullocks Flat (1132 m at 15 km) to the finish (1371 m at 32 km). That is roughly 240 m of net gain spread across the final 17 km, layered onto rolling terrain, and it comes after you have already given away 600 m of height on the opening descent. The practical takeaway is to run the descent to Bullocks Flat under control. Braking hard for 15 km downhill will cost you far more on the climb to Ngarigo and the finish than any time you save going down. Runners who arrive at Bullocks Flat with fresh legs can steadily reel people in over the closing kilometres.
Pacing and fuelling to the cut-offs
The Kosci30 has three intermediate gates: Bullocks Flat closes Thursday 13:25 (15 km), Ngarigo Campground Thursday 15:15 (22.7 km) and the finish Thursday 18:00. The tightest relationship is early - you need to be moving well on the opening descent to clear Bullocks Flat comfortably - after which the schedule loosens for the climb home. Build your plan around a solid, unhurried arrival at Bullocks Flat rather than sprinting the downhill. On fuelling, this is a short enough race that a single well-stocked carry can cover it, but respect the spacing: it is 15 km from the start to the first checkpoint at Bullocks Flat, so leave the line with enough fluid and calories for that whole descent. Top up at Bullocks Flat and Ngarigo for the uphill finish, and you will not need to carry heavy.
Conditions to expect
Even at 32 km this is an alpine course. It starts at 1723 m and reaches 1820 m, so the early kilometres are exposed high country where mountain weather can shift quickly - wind, cold and sun are all in play despite the short distance. The descent to Bullocks Flat drops you into more sheltered, lower terrain before the climb back up returns you to open ground near the finish. Because it is a shorter event, the temptation is to under-pack, but the Snowy Mountains high country warrants a proper wind and waterproof layer regardless of the forecast. Dress for the exposed start and finish rather than the sheltered valley in between, run the long descent within yourself, and save enough for the uphill grind home to the line at 1371 m.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 1723 m · —
15 km · 1132 m · Thu 13:25
22.7 km · 1229 m · Thu 15:15
32 km · 1371 m · Thu 18:00
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