Kosci 100: Racing the UTMB Kosciuszko 100km
Her Trails Race Profile
Kosci 100Kosci 100, Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB
Perisher to Thredbo, over the summit of mainland Australia's highest peak.
Recommended Her Trails Program
Her Trails UTMB Kosci 100km (20 Weeks)
A 20-week, female-first training program for UTMB Kosci 100km, built around the demands of a genuine overnight alpine ultra: sustained running economy at altitude, efficient hiking on the climbs, long controlled descents, and fatigue management across a 28-hour window with real exposure to alpine weather.
Download the app, and don't forget to ask questions in Coaching Corner or the Community Hub. Coaching calls are on Monday.
View the programThe Course
Starts at Perisher Ski Resort and follows the Snowies Alpine Walk along ridgelines above the Thredbo Valley, reaching Charlotte Pass before the defining feature of the course: the climb to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko, mainland Australia's highest point.
From the summit, the route returns via the Main Range Walking Track toward Guthega, loops back through Smiggin Holes on the Perisher-to-Bullocks track, and finishes with a loop around the Thredbo ski area. Terrain is a genuine mix, alpine ridgelines, granite outcrops, clear mountain streams and snow gum woodland, with organisers describing much of it as super runnable.
With a 28-hour cutoff and a 7:30am start, most runners will spend a full night on course, so this is as much a fatigue and night-navigation event as it is a climbing one.
Map & Route
- Official race page, course description & cutoffs: kosciuszko.utmb.world/races/kosci-100.
- Event overview & location info: kosciuszko.utmb.world/overview.
Getting There & Running It Beforehand
Jindabyne is your base, roughly a 30-minute drive from Thredbo and with the most race-week accommodation options.
The Main Range Walking Track and the approach to the Kosciuszko summit are public trails outside race week, and time spent on the actual summit push, plus a night session to rehearse pacing and gear in the dark, is genuinely valuable preparation most runners skip.
Support crews are limited to within 500m of marked checkpoints and pacers are not permitted, even at this distance, so your race-day logistics and mental preparation for long solo stretches matter as much as your fitness.
Race-Smart Notes
Train the overnight component specifically. A 28-hour window means most runners are out through a full night. Practise eating, navigating and pacing in the dark before race day, not for the first time on it.
Respect the altitude and exposure at the summit. The Kosciuszko summit push is the most exposed section of the course. Mountain weather here can shift fast even in late November, carry the mandatory gear and dress for a change in conditions.
Manage fatigue, not just fitness. With 3,260m+ of climbing and a long time on feet, the limiting factor for most runners is fuelling and pacing discipline over the second half, not raw aerobic capacity. Build both in training, not just endurance.
Confirm the current-year race date, cutoff times and course details on the official Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB site before booking or race week.
