Deep Creek 53: Racing the Heysen Trail Ultra on the Fleurieu Coast
Her Trails Race Profile
Deep Creek 53Deep Creek 53, Heysen Trail Ultra
Deep Creek 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 does not mean easy. When the climbs do not force you to walk, you end up running 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 in Deep Creek near Cape Jervis and finishing at Soldiers Memorial Park, 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 steep, technical single track through the cove country. 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
- Official race page, GPX and Caltopo map: Deep Creek 53K race information. Carrying the GPX on your watch or phone is mandatory. Download the latest version in race week, as the 2026 course has a temporary reroute.
- Heysen Trail interactive map: heysentrail.asn.au, for recce planning on the public trail.
- 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), and Deep Creek NP is only around 45 to 50 minutes 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 onto the Deep Creek Cove to Tapanappa section to rehearse steep, technical climbing and descending. The Friends of the Heysen Trail grade it 4, a hard hike.
- 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 kilometres. The opening can feel deceptively comfortable, which makes it easy to overcook. Hold back early so you have legs for the technical sections and the coast.
Dress for the coast. Late October is mild (around 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. Build toward about 60 g of carbohydrate per hour, starting at 40 to 50 g if fuelling is new to you and up to 90 g only if your gut is trained for it, starting in the first 30 to 45 minutes. Little and often.
Race date: Sunday 25 October 2026. The 2026 course includes a temporary reroute and an earlier start time, so confirm the start time, distance and GPX on the official site before race day.
