Ultra-Trail Australia UTA100

Overall score 2.9Good
Thin evidence2 sources#48 of 61 ultras

Katoomba, Australia · 101 km (62.8 mi) · 4,400 m (14,440 ft) gain

Race day Sat 15 May 2027

Website (opens in a new tab)

Is it right for you?

Footing
Technical2.4
Climbing
Hilly1.5
Overall cutoff
Generous3.8
Intermediate cutoffs
Reasonable3.0
Crew access
Some points3.0
First timer friendly
Doable2.5

Footing and climbing are course traits: 5 is the smoother, flatter end, not a better race.

Watch out: Prepare for repeated stairs and the final Furber Steps All 4

Held back by race (2.1) and support (2.2).

Best for

Provisional: based on 2 sources. Why

Ran it? Your rating helps.

Score breakdown

Every score is out of 5, and 5 is always the better end.

Each bar is a range of 0.25 points; the light bar holds this race. The average race scores 3.4.

What does this score mean?

Why runners love it

  • Blue Mountains scenery
  • Runnable fire roads between technical trails

Watch out for

  • Prepare for repeated stairs and the final Furber Steps
  • Narrow sections can create queues
  • Published detailed cutoff chart remains labeled 2026
  • The advertised 2027 field is sold out

Latest or next race

Sat 15 May 2027

Official race site(uta.utmb.world, opens in a new tab)
Climbing
4,400 m (14,440 ft)
Cutoff
28 hours
Pace needed
26:48 per mi (16:39 per km)

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What runners say

Overall score 2.9 out of 5

2 reviews and race reports

2 reviews

  • James Cleal

    Raced 2023 · Newcastle Flyers

    Tone: Mixed

    Cleal describes a race dominated by hills and stairs, with narrow technical trails contrasting with scenic fire roads. Painful quads and the final Furber Steps made the later stages difficult, while running companions helped him finish. This is a historical UTA100 account, not evidence for the current checkpoint schedule.

    Covers Support, Course, Cutoffs

    Read on newcastleflyers.org.au (Newcastle Flyers, opens in a new tab)

  • Anthony Gordon

    Raced 2021 · The Trail Projects

    Tone: Mixed

    Gordon finished in 12:49 in cold, windy conditions and warns about congestion at narrow sections and ladders. Crew support helped, but he describes demanding stairs and a difficult second half. His experience mixes runnable fire trails with technical and climbing interruptions.

    Covers Support, Course, Conditions, Stay and travel

    Read on thetrailprojects.blogspot.com (The Trail Projects, opens in a new tab)
Ran Ultra-Trail Australia UTA100? Rate it

Pick a score, then tell the next runner about the footing, cutoffs and aid stations.

Scores

Open a category for its ratings and the evidence behind them.

Below par. How runners feel about it, how well it is run, and the community around it. Counts for 25% of the overall score.

Toughness for its distance: Very tough

  • Runner satisfactionLoved4.0

    Both finishers describe a rewarding but physically demanding day. · Low confidence

  • OrganizationAdequate3.0

    Few accounts establish this aspect for the current edition. · Low confidence

  • Community and vibeWarm4.0

    Companions and crew support feature positively in the accounts. · Low confidence

Below par. Aid stations, crew access, drop bags and pacer rules. Counts for 25% of the overall score.

  • Aid stationsStandard3.0

    Few accounts establish this aspect for the current edition. · Low confidence

  • Crew accessSome points3.0

    Crew assistance is restricted to designated checkpoints. · High confidence

  • Drop bagsSome stations3.0

    Few accounts establish this aspect for the current edition. · Low confidence

  • PacersNot allowed1.0

    Pacers are prohibited. · High confidence

Good. Course marking, scenery, and how runners rate the trail itself. Counts for 15% of the overall score.

  • Course markingMostly clear3.0

    Few accounts establish this aspect for the current edition. · Low confidence

  • SceneryBeautiful4.4

    Blue Mountains views and varied forest trails are recurring attractions. · Low confidence

  • Trail experienceGreat3.9

    Fire roads and technical trails provide variety, interrupted by demanding stairs. · Medium confidence

Course traits, not part of the score

  • FootingTechnical2.4

    Stairs and narrow technical trails alternate with smoother fire roads. · Medium confidence

  • RunnabilityMixed3.0

    Long runnable sections are balanced by steep staircases and technical bottlenecks. · Medium confidence

  • ClimbingHilly1.5

    Climbs 230 ft per mi (44 m per km), from the recorded elevation gain. · High confidence

Good. Race-day temperature and how predictable the weather is. Counts for 14% of the overall score.

  • Race-day temperatureWarm or cold2.8

    One account describes cold, windy conditions. · Low confidence

  • Weather reliabilityVariable3.0

    Few accounts establish this aspect for the current edition. · Low confidence

Course traits, not part of the score

  • AltitudeModerate3.0

    Few accounts establish this aspect for the current edition. · Low confidence

Good. How generous the overall and intermediate cutoffs are for the terrain. Counts for 13% of the overall score.

  • Overall cutoffGenerous3.8

    Twenty-eight hours offers flexibility, but the stairs and current station deadlines still matter. · Low confidence

  • Intermediate cutoffsReasonable3.0

    Few accounts establish this aspect for the current edition. · Low confidence

Not part of the score

  • First timer friendlyDoable2.5

    Stair conditioning and pacing matter even with a substantial time allowance. · Medium confidence

  • Getting inHard2.3

    The advertised 2027 field is already sold out. · Medium confidence

Good. Getting there, places to stay, race-day logistics and value. Counts for 8% of the overall score.

  • Travel easeFair3.0

    Few accounts establish this aspect for the current edition. · Low confidence

  • Places to stayBook early3.0

    Few accounts establish this aspect for the current edition. · Low confidence

  • LogisticsSome complexity3.0

    Few accounts establish this aspect for the current edition. · Low confidence

  • ValueFair3.0

    Few accounts establish this aspect for the current edition. · Low confidence

Course

Route, 101 km (62.8 mi)

One big loop

Surface
Trail
Climbing
4,400 m (14,440 ft)
Climb rate
Mountain, 44 m per km (230 ft per mi)
Night
Some
Start
05:00

Cutoffs and aid

Overall cutoff
28 hours
Pace needed
26:48 per mi (16:39 per km)
Drop bags
Some stations
Crew access
Some points
Pacers
Not allowed

Getting in

Qualifies for
  • UTMB Running Stones

Footing, aid and entry notes in full

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Key facts

Checked against the 2027 edition on the official race site. Rules change, so confirm before you enter.

Location
Katoomba, Australia
Region
Outside the US
Typical month
May
Footing
Long staircases, technical singletrack and runnable fire trails. The finish includes the Furber Steps.
Cutoff rules
The 2027 header advertises 28 hours. The detailed cutoff chart is explicitly 2026 and includes apparent clock errors, so no intermediate time is represented here as a verified 2027 deadline.
Aid and crew
The current page permits support at designated checkpoints and advertises drop bags. The detailed station chart is labeled 2026, so counts and distances are not treated as confirmed 2027 facts.

Sources

Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate ultras.

Training for Ultra-Trail Australia UTA100? Moku Coach builds your plan around race day.