Deep Creek 50: Racing the Heysen Trail Ultra on the Fleurieu Coast
Her Trails Race Profile
Deep Creek 50Deep Creek 50, Heysen Trail Ultra
Cape Jervis to Victor Harbor along the Fleurieu coast.
Recommended Her Trails Program
Her Trails Coast & Forest 50km Trail Ultra
A 20-week program for runnable, lower-elevation 50km trail races: coastal tracks, beaches and forest fire-road.
This is the terrain most runners know best, which makes it the most accessible way into the 50km distance.
But runnable doesn't mean easy: when the climbs don't force you to walk, you run almost the whole way, and that is its own serious challenge.
View the programThe Course
A point-to-point run along the Heysen Trail, starting near Cape Jervis and finishing at Victor Harbor, with Kangaroo Island across the water and the Southern Ocean on your shoulder for much of it. It threads through Deep Creek National Park and the Newland Head coast.
Expect real variety: paddocks and country road, pine forest, beach, exposed coastal clifftops, and the steeper, more technical Yultie and Myponga single track. Moderate on paper but lumpy in practice, the climbing is banked into a few sections rather than spread evenly. There are 4 aid stations (Coke, Tailwind, fruit, lollies, chips and savoury food), 2 with enforced cutoffs.
Map & Route
- Heysen Trail interactive map (GPX / KML download): heysentrail.asn.au - load the Cape Jervis to Victor Harbor section onto a watch or Strava.
- Course route on AllTrails: Heysen 105 50km.
- Official course maps & aid stations: heysen105.com.au/event-locations and race information.
- Park access for recces: Deep Creek National Park (Parks SA).
Getting There & Running It Beforehand
Very doable from Adelaide.
The Deep Creek / Cape Jervis end is about 108 km south (~1h45 to 2h); Victor Harbor (the finish) is closer at 85 km (~1h15), & Deep Creek NP is only ~45 to 50 min from Victor Harbor. Roads inside the park are unsealed.
The Heysen Trail through Deep Creek is open to the public, so you can run sections of the actual course as training. A Fleurieu weekend in the Specific block is ideal:
- Recce the back half (Newland Head / Waitpinga coast into Victor Harbor) so the closing kilometres feel familiar.
- Get on the Yultie / Myponga single track to rehearse the steep, technical climbing and descending.
- Find some beach and soft sand while you are there, it loads the legs differently and it is on the course.
Race-Smart Notes
Pace the runnable early kms. It is genuinely runnable, which makes the opening easy to overcook. Hold back early so you have legs for the technical back half.
Dress for the coast. Late October is mild (~19 to 20C) but breezy and exposed, with a chance of a shower. A light wind layer, sun cover and steady electrolytes matter more than the temperature suggests.
Fuel the aid setup. 4 stations on Tailwind plus real food, so practise on that and run light between them. Carbohydrate per hour, little and often.
Confirm the current-year race date and exact start on the official site before booking, the event has shifted dates year to year.
