TRAIL RUNNING WRAP
The 2026/27 season is about to begin in the trail running capital of Australia.
There are few places that can compete with Bright & Surrounds for its range of trails, landscapes and trail running events. For this reason, many have dubbed us the trail running capital of Australia. Our trails carve alongside tranquil creeks and rivers, through native bush and pine forests, then cut skywards to climb the surrounding mountain peaks and spectacularly traverse their alpine summits.
Trail running has a rich history here, and this month as spring warms up, our trail running calendar of events kicks off with Bright’s oldest run—the 4 Peaks Bright Alpine Climb.
4 PEAKS BRIGHT ALPINE CLIMB
It was 47 years ago in 1979 that the first runners laced up to compete in 4 Peaks. Four days of trail running in the Ovens Valley, with four epic climbs on some very iconic mountains: Mount Buffalo (1,723m), Mount Feathertop (1,922m), Mount Hotham (1,861m), and Mystic Mountain (915m) overlooking Bright. The distances aren’t long by trail running standards; they span just 10.6km to 15km. But the vertical climb makes up for it creating an endurance challenge of a different sort. No rest and recovery day here!
Non-competitive runners and walkers are welcome and may choose which of the mountains they would like to climb.
4 Peaks Bright Alpine Climb runs from 31 October to 3 November 2026.
ROOFTOP RUN
As we head into summer, we cross to the Kiewa Valley for the Rooftop Run, a 64km ultra run that climbs from the valley floor to the summit of Victoria’s highest mountain, Mount Bogong (1,986m), then across the alps to Mount Hotham. First run in 1984, this challenging run is a visual feast. Dare we say it, the Rooftop Run would have to be the most stunning trail run in the country. Start training and mark it in the calendar.
The 35th Bogong to Hotham Rooftop Run is on 16 January 2027.
MOUNT BOGONG CONQUESTATHON
For those whose legs aren’t up to 64km of mountain running but would love the challenge of summiting Victoria’s highest mountain, the Mount Bogong Conquestathon is a great option. The Conquestathon was first run in 1969, making it Australia’s oldest trail run. It’s often not cited as such because it has had periodic breaks. The 2027 event will be its 47th staging.
The Conquestathon is a 21km loop up The Staircase trail (not actual stairs!) to the summit of Mount Bogong and down Eskdale Spur back to Mountain Creek. Less competitive participants are welcome to walk.
The Mount Buffalo Conquestathon is on 27 February 2027.
The runs don’t stop there!
RAZORBACK RUN
Next on the calendar is the Razorback Run, a 62km ultra trail run that loops from Harrietville to the summit of Victoria’s second highest mountain, Mount Feathertop, across the sublime Razorback to Hotham and down Bon Accord Track back to Harrietville. Gosh, you know, this race bills itself as the most stunning in Victoria and given what we said before, it’s impossible to choose between children, so yes, this run, too, is one of the best things you’ll ever do. It’s 3,420m of ascent and descent that’s worth every step. Shorter options available.
The Razorback Run is on 13 March 2027.
BUFFALO STAMPEDE
Next up is our biggest and longest trail run of the annual calendar—The Buffalo Stampede! This 100km run from Bright to the rocky summit of Mount Buffalo is part of the international skyrunning circuit and attracts more than 1,600 trail runners each year. This is a tough race that goes up and over a mountain range before you even get to the base of Mount Buffalo. The Stampede includes some shorter 42km, 20km, 10km options and 2km family run.
The Buffalo Stampede Festival is on 19-21 March 2027.
Wowzers, look at this… we’re still going.
BRIGHT FUN RUN
Come April, we have the Bright Fun Run, which offers a range of trail runs starting at 3km up to 18km. This is a great little community event that raises funds for the local Bright P-12 school and it’s your chance to hang out with our local runners.
The Bright Fun Run is run in April. Date TBC.
WANDI CROSS
Then it’s on to one of our most technical trail runs, the Wandi Cross. This run was started in 2017 by some of our local runners who wanted something even tougher to race, incorporating steep cross-trail terrain into the course. The Wandi Cross is registered with Skyrunning ANZ and a UTMB Qualifier with a full course that covers 2,437m ascent and descent over just 26km. The trail run raises funds for Wandiligong Primary School. Shorter run options available.
The Wandi Cross is on 8 May 2027.
MOUNT BEAUTY RUNNING FESTIVAL
Wrapping up the trail running season is the Mount Beauty Running Festival. The Festival includes an 18km trail run that has it all; a bit of flat, a river crossing, a bush bash, a climb, a descent, another river crossing and a cruise back to the start.
The Mount Beauty running Festival is on 15 May 2027.
And that’s a look at the season. We say season because come winter, we’re all up in the ski fields and we lay low on the events for a while, although in the valley, there’s always running and you’ll still see our Trails and Ales running group making the rounds. Is Bright & Surrounds the trail running capital of Australia? It’s hard to argue against it. We’re sure always out running the dirt tracks!
One last little event we’d like to note is the Harrietville Half Marathon. This 21km run is not a trail run, but it’s a lovely community run along the very scenic Ovens River Trail (a flat, sealed shared path) that raises money for Harrietville Primary School. It’s on 11 October 2026 and it's a good primer for the legs before the serious climbs take off.
So start training. The season is about to get underway!
To find great trails to train on, check out the trail running page on our website.