Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB: Route, live tracking and how to enter

Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB is a UTMB World Series event in Australia, with races ranging in distance, technical elements and elevation.

The race takes place in the Snowy Mountains, home to Mount Kosciuszko, the highest peak in mainland Australia, after which the race is named. Situated on the border between Victoria and New South Wales, this race is perfect for anyone wanting to discover the natural beauty of the Australian interior.

Kosciuszko by UTMB features four different races, with a 30km beginner race, in addition to the usual 50k, 100k and 100 mile categories at UTMB World Series events, with all distances offering runners the chance to collect the running stones they need to have a chance to compete at next year’s UTMB Mont Blanc.

Here is our full guide to learning everything you need to know about this UTMB World Series event, from dates to routes, plus information on how to enter the event.

Date, start time and live tracking

The start times for the 2024 edition are as follows:

• Kosci 30 = 10:00am on Thursday, November 28.
• Kosci 50 = 7:00am on Thursday, November 28.
• Kosci 100 = 7:00am on Friday, November 29.
• Kosci Miler = 2:00am on Friday, November 29.

Live tracking will be available on the UTMB Live Website here.

Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB Route

The Kosci Miler is the crown jewel of the event, with the 164km route encompassing 5185m of elevation gain as the athletes race from the Friday Flat in Thredbo to the finishing line at Bullocks Flat at the Ski Tube Terminal.

In the Kosci Miler, the athletes will run from the start in Thredbo up into the mountains, before crossing the alpine plateau to the highest peak in Australia, Mt Kosciuszko.

From the summit, they’ll run down the trails of Perisher Valley to Lake Jindabyne. After a boat crossing of the lake, the competitors will turn on their heels back up the Thredbo Valley trail to the finish.

The Kosci 100 is the second race starting from Thredbo on the Friday, with athletes racing over the 100km distance that includes a total elevation gain of 3478m. Once again, the finishing line will be at Bullocks Flat at the Ski Tube Terminal.

The course follows the same route as the Kosci Miler for the first 50km, up to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko, before the Kosci 100 racers run down to Sawpit Creek before heading back up the Thredbo Valley trail to the finish.

The Kosci 50, starting and finishing in the same place as the Kosci Miler and Kosci 100, is the first race on the Thursday and will see athletes tackle 1626m of elevation gain over 50km.

The route follows the Thredbo river down to Dead Man’s Gap, before ascending to the highest point on the course, the Eagles Nest. From here, the rest of the way is predominantly downhill, as the athletes reunite with the Thredbo river all the way down to the finish at Bullocks Flat.

Finally, the Kosci 30, again starting at Thursday in Thredbo and finishing at Bullocks Flat, will see the competitors take on 870m of climbing over the 31km course. The course on the Kosci 30 reaches its highest point out at the Eagles Nest, before picking up the Thredbo Valley trail and running alongside the Thredbo river to the finish at Bullocks Flat.

How to qualify and enter Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB

Entries cost $180 AUD (£100) for the Kosci 27, $300 (£166) for the Kosci 50, $460 (£255) for the Kosci 100 and $895 (£496) for the Kosci Miler.

The Kosci Miler offers four running stones, the Kosci 100 offers three running stones, the Kosci 50 offers two running stones and the Kosci 30 offers one running stone, all of which can go towards an athlete’s qualification for the 2023 UTMB Mont Blanc.

The only pre-requisite for the Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB events is for the Kosci Miler. Athletes must submit a GPX file from a 50km run (either an event or in training), completed before October 31st, 2022.

Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko kit list

Whilst the kit lists vary from distance to distance, the Kosci Miler requires all competitors to carry the following mandatory kit list, with the Kosci 27, Kosci 50 and Kosci 100 having some discrepancies which can be found on the website.

Mandatory Kit:

• Long sleeve thermal top.
• Long leg thermal pants.
• Waterproof and breathable jacket with fully taped waterproof seams and hood.
• Beanie, balaclava or head sock.
• Full fingered lightweight thermal gloves.
• High visibility safety vest.
• Headlamp.
• Small backup light.
• Mobile phone.
• Compass.
• Whistle.
• Emergency space blanket.
• Compression bandage.
• Lightweight dry sack.
• Water bottle.
• Food bars.
• Ziplock bag for personal rubbish.
• Waterproof map case.
• Long leg waterproof pants.
• Long sleeve synthetic fleece top.
• Course map and course descriptions.
• Participants emergency instructions card.
• Race number.
• Timing tag for backpack.