Early-bird registrations are now open for the Lonely Mountain Ultra as they prepare to repeat the success of their inaugural race in 2022.

The trail running event will return to the wooded slopes of Mount Canobolas on October 14-15, 2023. All events begin and end at the event site located at the foot of the mountain.

Distances on offer will include; Kids 2k and 4k, and for the adults; 11k, 22k, 32k, 50k, 50 miles, 104k relay and the 104k. The race will take them through different terrain, and elevation levels.

Not for the faint of heart, but a fun and rewarding challenge the 104k ultra trail race will potentially see racers run through the night.

“The fastest runners could potentially do the 104k run in 10 to 11 hours – possibly even faster, but we’ve got a very generous cut-off time – we’re allowing over 24 hours to complete the 104k race,” President of the Lonely Mountain Ultra committee, Sam Collins said.

“It’s pretty gruelling to take on 100ks out at Mount Canobolas – there’s so much elevation, they’re challenging trails and they’ve got to get their nutrition and hydration right too so they’ve got all that to think about and prepare for.”

Fortunately for race participants, there’s a large number of volunteers who dedicate their time to ensure all participants reach the finish line safely. 

“Last year we had over 130 volunteers, which we were extremely grateful for,” Sam said.

The committee also hires the help of ESS (Event Safety Services) to be able to provide first aid if needed. “It’s a really safe way of giving it a go.”

The event is sure to bring in visitors from all over, but Sam believes that locals could even learn a few new things about what our region has to offer during the event.

“It’s a really good opportunity to just explore the trails and what we have on offer. There’s a ton of people who, even locally, have no idea how beautiful these trails are that we have right on our doorstep.”

Sam encourages anyone interested in trail running to sign up, whatever the distance.

“We’ve had a lot of runners just sign up for one of the shorter runs, and have just fallen in love with the trails – it’s just the beauty of the mountain.”

To register for the Lonely Mountain Ultra, scan the QR code or visit: raceroster.com/events/2023/65783/lonely-mountain-ultra/register