Two Bays 28: Racing the Mornington Peninsula Crossing
Her Trails Race Profile
Two Bays 28Two Bays 28, Mornington Peninsula Trail Run
One crossing of the Peninsula, from Dromana to Cape Schanck.
Recommended Her Trails Program
Her Trails Two Bays 28km (12 Weeks)
A 12-week program that builds aerobic endurance, trail strength and climbing efficiency for a course defined by one steep opening climb and rolling terrain the rest of the way, not sustained mountain climbing.
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
A single crossing of the Mornington Peninsula, starting near Dromana and finishing at Cape Schanck. The defining feature comes early: a steep opening climb up and over Arthurs Seat, the course's high point at around 305m.
From there the route settles into rolling coastal and forest trail through to Cape Schanck, with soft, sandy sections in the closing kilometres that load the legs differently after a long climb early on. It is a genuinely runnable course rather than a technical one, so most of the day is about maintaining rhythm on undulating terrain, not managing difficult footing.
The course is signed with blue wren trail markers, on a mix of Parks Victoria managed tracks shared with the Two Bays 56km event.
Map & Route
- Official course description: twobaystrailrun.com — The Trail.
- Entrant info, aid stations & cutoffs: twobaystrailrun.com — Entrant Info.
Getting There & Running It Beforehand
Very doable from Melbourne. Cape Schanck is roughly 90km / around 1.5 hours south of the city, making the whole Mornington Peninsula section an easy day-trip or weekend recce base.
The tracks between Dromana, Arthurs Seat and Cape Schanck are public Parks Victoria trails, so a weekend spent running the Arthurs Seat climb and the sandy Cape Schanck finish is worth the drive, particularly for anyone whose regular training is on flat ground.
Race-Smart Notes
Don't burn your legs on the opening climb. Arthurs Seat comes early while everyone is fresh and it's tempting to push. What's left after it determines how the rest of your race feels.
Pace for the heat, not just the terrain. Mid-summer on the Peninsula is typically warm with limited shade on the coastal sections. Electrolyte strategy matters as much as pacing strategy here.
Train the sandy finish. The soft sand near Cape Schanck loads the legs differently to firm trail, and it arrives late in the race. A little sand-specific training goes a long way.
Confirm the current-year race date, exact aid station locations and cutoff times on the official site before booking or race week.
