The Australian Outback Marathon will always be held on the last Saturday in July. The dates for the next few years are:
Entries to the Australian Outback Marathon are only available as part of a Package and there are no “Entry Only” options available.
At the Australian Outback Marathon local participation is always welcome and this can take one of two forms:
Once you have made your booking and the final payment has been made, the booking cannot be transferred to another person.
Once you have made your booking and the final payment has been made the booking cannot be transferred to another year without prior written approval from Travelling Fit, the event organisers of the Australian Outback Marathon. Cancellation fees may apply.
The Australian Outback Marathon strongly encourages fund-raising by all of our competitors. We actively support several school groups within the Uluru/Kata Tjuta National Park as well as Dolly Dream, and we would be more than happy to discuss with you how you can also be involved.
There are four different events for you to choose from
We strongly encourage ALL participants to get involved in one of the events
The 6km fun run/walk and the 11km fun run/walk are open to all ages.
To participate in the Half-Marathon you must be aged 15 years or older on race day. To participate in the Marathon you must be 18 years or older on race day.
Exceptions may apply so please contact us at sales@australianoutbackmarathon.com if you require any further information.
The Marathon and Half-Marathon will both start at 7:45am.
The 11km fun run and 6km fun run will start at 8:30am
The Australian Outback Marathon is an adventure marathon run on varying terrain so, like other adventure marathons around the world, the course is not measurable to AIMS standards. However we have used the best available technology to ensure you run at least the advertised distances and both the Marathon and Half Marathon are fully AIMS accredited and AIMS member events.
Yes, there will be several medically trained personnel at the start/finish area as well as at some of the aid stations, just in case they are needed. There is also a medical centre at the Ayers Rock Resort and the Australian Outback Marathon will have a medically equipped helicopter on standby just in case it is required.
It is highly recommended that ALL runners therefore have at the very least adequate medical insurance cover for the Australian Outback Marathon and generally for the Northern Territory.
Drinks will be stationed approximately every three kilometres throughout the Half-Marathon and the Marathon. There will also be three drinks stations in the 11km fun run. There will be 2 drinks stations for the 6km fun run/walk at approximately 2.5km and 3.5km. Each drinks station will have bottled water and some will have electrolyte drinks as well.
In addition, every drink station will have lollies, hand sanitiser, Vaseline and sunblock available
Yes, personal drinks can be left at the 9km, 21km, 27km and 33km drinks stations for Marathon runners and at the 9km and 15km drink station for Half Marathon runners.
All personal drinks must be dropped at the race briefing between 4:00pm and 5:00pm on the Friday prior to the race.
Your personal drinks MUST be clearly marked.
Personal drinks will NOT be accepted on race day.
Yes, there will be food provided for all participants at the finish line starting from approximately 9:30am.
There will be electrolyte drinks, sandwiches, muffins, tea, coffee and hot soup available all day.
Your transfer to the race start has been included as part of your package. Our private coaches will pick you up from outside your hotel in plenty of time to ensure that you are at the start line ready for your event.
Please note that for the safety of all runners and spectators, private vehicles ARE NOT allowed at the race precinct unless prior arrangements have already been requested and approved.
Your normal running gear will be fine for the event. It will be reasonably chilly at the race start so you may want to consider running in leggings and a long-sleeved running top but these are optional and very few runners have opted for them in previous years.
Note that these may prove to be quite warm as the race goes on, however. For those that are competing in the Marathon and Half-Marathon, you will be able to discard unwanted clothing at the any of the aid stations in specially marked boxes as you pass by.
All discarded clothing will be made available at Sails in the Desert on the day after the race. Be sure to mark all of your personal belongings so that you can easily reclaim them at the end of your event.
Please note that whilst every effort will be made to return your discarded clothing, the Australian Outback Marathon cannot guarantee that your items will be returned so we strongly suggest you do not wear your favourite clothes with the intention of reclaiming them later.
The course for the Australian Outback Marathon consists of hard-packed earth fire trails, soft sand, graded but unsealed roads and a small amount of sealed asphalt road.
Depending on the weather conditions in the preceding months there may be a varying amount of soft sand (the more rain the more compacted the tracks and trails) but, if you are able, we definitely recommend training on sand just in case
We recommend that, as with any running race, the best running shoes to wear are the ones that you are most comfortable in. For most participants normal running shoes will be fine but you may also want to consider using a trail running shoe as the terrain is mainly hard and soft sand.
The average daytime temperature in July is 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) whilst the night-time temperature is only 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit). This means that on race day the temperature will be chilly just before and just after dawn but will be perfect once you are running. The humidity levels are usually less than 10%.
NOTE: The area can be quite cold in the evenings so be sure to bring something warm.
It is essential that NO litter is dropped on the course.
The Australian Outback Marathon will be conducted on private land and the course utilises areas that are not normally open to the public. In order to ensure that the environment is kept as pristine as possible we request that ALL litter that you need to dispose of is put only in the rubbish bins provided.
Any participant dropping litter on the course will be immediately disqualified from their event and removed from the course. This applies to water bottles and personal drinks bottles as well as any other litter you may need to dispose of.
As each of the courses has some soft sand and a couple of small sand-dunes, we do not allow strollers on the course. This is predominantly for safety reasons, both for the infant and also for other participants.
Your race pack will be available for you on either Thursday or Friday, depending on when you arrive at the Ayers Rock Resort.
We will have a specially dedicated Australian Outback Marathon reception area setup on the grass near the Town Square between 2pm and 4pm each day, allowing you to check in to your hotel and then collect your race pack at your leisure.
NOTE: for all activities that are included in your itinerary you MUST be in possession of your wrist band which you will receive when you pick up your race-pack. This includes all tours, transfers (other than upon your arrival), all meals (including resort breakfast) and transfers to and from the race start/finish area.
If you are unable to collect your race pack prior to your included functions, please be assured that we will make provisions for you so that you don’t miss out on any included functions. If you have elected to purchase a “No Accommodation” package, please ensure that you have notified us of your accommodation choice NO LATER than the first Friday in July.
It is mandatory that all guests collect their race pack prior to race day.
Race changes are permitted and all changes can be made prior to the mandatory race briefing the day before the race. Please note that all race bibs will have your preferred name printed on them. If you elect to change your distance prior to race day we will not be able to print your name on your new race bib. All exchanged race bibs MUST be handed in at the time of exchange but we may be able to return them to you once the event is completed.
Depending on the itinerary you have chosen, you will have various different tours and meals included as part of your Australian Outback Marathon experience. ALL participants who have booked an accommodation package have breakfast included for every morning that you are staying at the Ayers Rock Resort. In addition, everyone who has booked a package-based itinerary is invited to attend our Friday evening Carbo Load Dinner.
Everyone who has booked a standard package that includes Sunday night will also get to experience our exclusive Australian Outback Marathon ”Sounds of Silence” Celebration Dinner which will be held at a private, outdoor dining area.
All participants who have booked prior to the middle of May (the exact date will be confirmed each year) will receive a limited edition Australian Outback Marathon running top.
NOTE: The Australian Outback Marathon Celebration dinner will only be available to those participants who have booked a package of three nights or more that includes the Sunday night. This is a private function and completely separate from the Sounds of Silence dinner that can be booked at the resort.
Tickets for our exclusive Celebration dinner are not available for sale once you have arrived at the resort.
You will not be able to add additional pre-arranged tours or meals to your itinerary once you arrive at the Ayers Rock Resort. You can, of course, elect not to participate in a pre-booked tour or activity if you wish and there are many tour options to choose from once you are at the resort that can be booked independently.
Our private coaches will be operating a shuttle service all day to and from the race start/finish area back to the resort so that you can leave whenever you have finished your event.
All participants are encouraged to remain at the finish, however, to cheer in those runners who have elected to enjoy the wondrous scenery for just a little longer.
A good idea is to hop on the shuttle, go back to your hotel to freshen up and then hop back on the shuttle to go back to the finishing line to cheer in the last participants.
Travelling Fit have already organise a number of optional tours at discounted prices for you to choose from. These include:
There are also a number of free activities that take place at the resort on a daily basis and a brochure will be in your race pack detailing what is going on
Connellan Airport (Ayers Rock Airport) is six kilometres from the Ayers Rock Resort and it takes about 10 minutes to transfer between the two.
If you are arriving on a scheduled flight, airport transfers are included as part of your itinerary.
All events will have distance markers at every kilometre. In addition, each kilometre sign will also have the distance in miles on the sign. Also, the entire course will be clearly marked with “arrowed” signage to ensure that you will always know which way to go when out on the course.
Each different event will have its signage colour-coded according to the distance
International currency can be changed into Australian Dollars at the reception of your hotel. In addition, there is also an ANZ bank in the shopping precinct at the resort.
Mobile phones will work at Ayers Rock resort and for approximately a 20km radius around the resort. This means that your phone WILL work at Uluru but you MAY NOT get coverage at Kata Tjuta. If you do not have a mobile phone but want to get one for your stay, pre-paid mobile phones can be purchased from the Post Office situated in the shopping precinct.
Yes, there is free wireless internet at all of the hotels for all guests.
"*" indicates required fields
