Course Overview
A course that will literally take your breath away! Both the 11km and 25km Coastal Ascent courses start and finish in the Dixon Park precinct. This provides runners and supporters not only an epic finishing experience as you fly down Bathers Way on the final push home, but access to all the amenities that will complete your race day experience.
The 1.6km Kids course will run within the immediate vicinity of Dixon Park.
The 11km and 25km courses will challenge all runners. The fastest possible route from Dixon Park, through Merewether and into the Coastal Rainforest of Glenrock Reserve will elevate your heart rate on the outward journey and reward you with epic views on the return journey. Within the reserve take on sections of technical single track, fast flowing fire trail, grasslands, beach sections with plenty of challenging hills and course giving many coastal views.
Stunning coastal views with plenty of elevation gain is the Coastal Ascent!
Course description
25km
The 25km course starts on the beach at Dixon Park and runners will head south towards Merewether Beach. Continue along the beach, then pedestrian footpath before turning right and running up the 100 Merewether stairs!
At the top of the stairs turn sharp left staying on the footpath and running past the carpark entrance until you hit Robinson street where you will turn left and then right heading up the grass reserve and turning right onto Lloyd street.
Run down Lloyd street for 200 metres and turn left running up the 100 Hickson Street stairs and turn right immediately at the top. Continue on Hickson Street for 500 metres before turning left and running into Glenrock Reserve at the first aid station. Follow the directional markers on this section of technical single track which will then take you down towards the treatment plant. Here you will turn left and head towards Burwood Beach. Turn right onto the beach running approximately 300 metres before following the markers to the right and onto Baileys Trail. Continue heading West on Baileys Trail through the tall eucalypts before turning sharp left at the 4km mark and up the hardest climb of the course! Short but sharp head straight up the infamous Gun Club Road hill, you will climb 60 metres in 250 metres before continuing along Gun Club Road until reaching the second aid station at the 5km mark.
Turn left onto the the Easement Trail immediately after the aid station and head towards Yuelarbah Trail where you will turn right and make your way over a creek crossing after which you will turn left and then right, still on Yuelarbah Trail over another smaller creek crossing. Continue onto the Depot Trail reaching Scout Camp Road at the 7km mark.
Turn left onto Scout Camp Road running down to the Scout camp where you will do an anticlockwise loop of the Scout Campgrounds, before heading back up and out onto Scout Camp Road. This is also a tough climb. Continue back along Scout Camp Road until you reach Gardeners Link Fire Trail where you turn sharp left, running down a short technically challenging trail section before turning left at the bottom and onto the flowing Dudley North Trail. Continue east until you run-out onto Dudley Beach where you will turn right and run South for approximately 1 km before turning right and heading up the Banksia Fire Trail and reaching the far turnaround checkpoint at approximately 13.5km. Turn around and head down back onto Dudley Beach turning left and taking in the stunning views back towards Newcastle. Keep heading back North along the beach for approximately 500m before turning left and running up into Dudley Beach Car park and the second Aid station at 15.5km.
Exiting the Car park turn right onto Gardners link fire trail and continue veering left and taking a steep incline back onto Scout Camp Road. Turn left returning along the road and then right, back onto the Depot Trail. Continue back to Aid station 2 reversing the route you took on the way out. When you again reach Aid station 2 turn left onto Gun Club Road and running towards City Road, exciting Glenrock reserve at approximately 20km.
Turn right onto the bike path and run in a Northerly direction, returning back into Glenrock reserve and taking the Scenic Drive Trail then Baileys Trail back deep into the the Rainforest. Continue heading down Baileys Trail and densely wooded pockets of Rainforest reaching the treatment plant, running around its perimeter before turning left and then right onto the technical single track you first too when entering into Glenrock Reserve on your way out. You will then hit Hickson Street at about 23km returning back to Dixon park the same way as you ran at the start. Don’t forget to look up and take in the views on the final push home. There is one change on the return leg where you will be guided off Merewether beach up onto the Bathers Way for the final 400m push to the finish line at Dixon Park.
Course description
11km
The 11km course starts on the beach at Dixon Park and runners will head south towards Merewether Beach. Continue along the beach, then pedestrian footpath before turning right and running up the 100 Merewether stairs!
At the top of the stairs turn sharp left staying on the footpath and running past the carpark entrance until you hit Robinson Street where you will turn left and then right heading up the grass reserve and turning right onto Lloyd Street.
Run down Lloyd Street for 200 metres and turn left running up the 100 stairs on Hickson Street followed by a right turn immediately at the top. Continue along Hickson Street for 500 metres before turning left and running into Glenrock Reserve at the first aid station. Follow the directional markers on this section of technical single track which will then take you down towards the treatment plant. Here you will turn left and head towards Burwood Beach.
Turn right onto the beach running approximately 300 metres before following the markers to the right and onto Baileys Trail. Continue heading West on Baileys Trail through the tall eucalypts before turning sharp left at the 4km mark and up the hardest climb of the course! Short but sharp head straight up the infamous Gun Club Road hill, you will climb 60 metres in 250 metres before continuing along Gun Club Road until reaching the second aid station at the 5km mark.
Turn right onto the Easement Trail taking on a short decline before a challenging climb up and out onto the Bike Path at Scenic Drive. Turn right and almost immediately you will then head back into Glenrock Reserve, following the same return route from this point as the 25km course.
Returning back into Glenrock reserve and taking the Scenic Drive Trail then Baileys Trail back deep into the the Rainforest. Continue heading down Baileys Trail and densely wooded pockets of Rainforest reaching the treatment plant, running around its perimeter before turning left and then right onto the technical single track you first too when entering into Glenrock Reserve on your way out.
You will then hit Hickson Street at about 9.5km returning back to Dixon park the same way as you ran at the start. Don’t forget to look up and take in the views on the final push home. There is one change on the return leg where you will be guided off Merewether beach up onto the Bathers Way for the final 400m push to the finish line at Dixon Park.
Course description
5km
The 5km course is unique! This allows junior and beginner runners the chance to complete a challenging trail run which starts on Burwood beach before quickly heading onto flowing fire trails, challenging single track and everything you would want in a Trail run!
Runners will be walked to the start line which is approximately 500 metres from the race precent. Starting on Burwood beach, runners will head South for approximately 200 metres before turning sharp right and heading up and onto Baileys Fire Trail. From this point you have approximately 1km of flowing fire trails running through a stunning eucalypt forest.
You will then reach the treatment plant, running around its perimeter before turning left and then right onto the technical single track. You will head up towards the famed Hang glider hill – this is the toughest part of the course and most runners will have to walk some sections. When you reach the top of the hill you have already completed 3.5kmn and from here it’s a fast ride back firstly towards Merewether stairs before turning left and running north towards the finish line. There are some small sections of sand to challenge runners on the way home, but the last 00 metres is on the bike bath on Bathers way and here you have a flat fast finish al the way to Dixon Park where friends and family will be cheering you on!
Kids Race
BEACH BOLT MILE
The Beach Bolt Mile is a 1.6km course which starts on the beach at Dixon Park and heads South towards Merewether. Runners will turn right just before Merewether beach and return back to Dixon Park on Bathers Way, you will then do a short anticlockwise loop and then enter the finishing chute to the roar of the crowd. The first half is really challenging as you power through the sand, but those who have energy left will really be able to speed towards the finish on the way home!
Take it on!
