Her Trails Coaching

Ikara Ultra 100km
Program for Women

Wilpena Pound to Aroona and back

A structured 20-week training program built for the Ikara Ultra 100km, a true outback journey through the ancient Ikara-Flinders Ranges. Ikara means meeting place, and this course starts and finishes at Wilpena Pound, runs the iconic Tandera Saddle Loop, then heads deep north to the course-topping Aroona aid station and all the way back. Build the endurance, rocky-trail footwork and mental durability to run a 110km day in remote country, supported by experienced coaches and a community of women preparing for the same race.

Duration

20 Weeks

Distance

100km (110km)

Terrain

Rocky outback trail, creek beds, fire trail

Location

Wilpena Pound, South Australia

Race Date

1 May 2027

Access

Platform + App

The Course

Training for the Ikara Ultra 100km

The Ikara Ultra is one of the most remote and striking hundreds on the Australian trail calendar, run through the ancient grandeur of the Ikara-Flinders Ranges in outback South Australia.

The course starts and finishes at the Wilpena Pound Visitor Centre. It opens on the iconic Tandera Saddle Loop, then turns north and works its way through old stations, along creeks and fire trail, past shearing sheds, homesteads and ruins, all the way to the course-topping Aroona aid station before turning around and running the whole way home.

Marketed as 100km, the course is actually closer to 110km, and the country is what makes it hard. The trail is rocky and dry underfoot, the aid stations are far apart, and the return from Aroona is a long, exposed grind on legs that already have a big day in them. The program develops the endurance, the outback footwork and the pacing patience to run it as a journey, not simply to survive it.

The Course Sections

What you will actually run

The course breaks into four distinct sections, an out-and-back journey north to Aroona and home again. Each section has its own character and demands, and knowing what each one asks of you shapes how we train for it.

Section 1

Wilpena Pound and the Tandera Saddle Loop

Approx. 25km | the iconic opening loop

The day begins at the Wilpena Pound Visitor Centre and rolls straight onto the iconic Tandera Saddle Loop, the signature opening of the Ikara Ultra. Fresh legs, cool morning air and the walls of the Pound rising around you make this the easiest place in the race to run too hard. The job here is simple: settle in, run within yourself, and set up the long journey north.

Our programming will prepare you for: controlled early pacing, restraint on fresh legs, finding a rhythm you can hold for a very long day

Section 2

North through the stations

Approx. 30km | creeks, fire trail, open country

From the Pound the course turns north and opens out into the working outback: old pastoral stations, dry creek crossings, fire trail and long lines of open country between shearing sheds, homesteads and ruins. This is where the race becomes remote. The running is runnable but relentless, the sun climbs, and the aid stations are a long way apart. Your fuelling, hydration and pacing rhythm all get tested here, well before the hardest part of the day.

Our programming will prepare you for: steady runnable rhythm, disciplined fuelling and hydration, self-sufficiency between distant aid stations

Section 3

The climb to Aroona

Approx. 25km | the course-topping turnaround

Aroona is the high, remote turnaround point and the top of the course, the furthest you get from home and the psychological hinge of the whole day. The trail rises into rockier, more rugged country to reach it. Getting here in one piece, still eating and still moving well, is the mark of a race run smart. The turnaround is a mental reset: everything from here is the long way back.

Our programming will prepare you for the demands of: climbing on tiring legs, rocky-trail footwork, arriving at the turnaround with something left to run home on

Section 4

The long way home to Wilpena

Approx. 30km | the return, into the evening

The run back to Wilpena Pound retraces the outback miles on legs that already have a big day in them, often into fading light and the cool of the evening. Nothing is technically new, but everything is harder: the same fire trail, the same creek crossings, now asking for a different kind of effort. This is where the race is decided, and where the finish line back at the Pound is earned one steady kilometre at a time.

Our programming will prepare you for the demands of:: late-race resilience, running tired for hours, pacing and problem-solving through the final stretch to the finish

How We Train For It

Course-specific preparation:

Every element of this 20-week program is built around what the Ikara Ultra actually asks of you. A 110km out-and-back in remote outback country, with distant aid and a long grind home, is a different race than a supported mountain hundred, and the training is specific because the course is specific.

Time On Feet

110km can be a 12 to 20 hour day. Progressive long runs and back-to-back weekends build the deep endurance base to keep moving for that long, so the distance itself stops being the thing you are afraid of.

Rocky Outback Footwork

The Flinders trail is dry, rocky and uneven, with creek beds and loose fire trail underfoot. Terrain-specific sessions train foot placement, ankle stability and confidence on rough ground so the surface costs you less energy across a very long day.

Heat And Self-Sufficiency

Aid stations are far apart and the country is exposed. We rehearse carrying and rationing your own fluid and food, managing heat and staying on top of hydration, so the remote sections north of the stations never catch you short.

Strength For Durability

An integrated strength block builds the hips, glutes, calves and ankles to hold form deep into the return leg. Strong legs protect you on the rocky descents and keep you running, not shuffling, when the outback miles start to add up.

Fuelling A 12+ Hour Day

Nothing ends a hundred faster than a stomach that stops cooperating. Fuelling and hydration protocols are rehearsed on every long run so what you eat, when and how much is completely settled well before you line up at Wilpena Pound.

The Long Way Back

The return from Aroona is where the Ikara Ultra is won and lost, retracing the miles tired and often into the dark. The program includes specific late-race execution work, mental rehearsal and pacing sessions so when the way home feels long, you already know how to keep moving toward the Pound.

What's Included

Everything you need, in one place

This program covers your running, strength, recovery and coaching from one integrated platform. Nothing is bolted on.

Training Program

●Progressive 20-week Ikara Ultra 100km program
●Rocky-trail, long-run and back-to-back sessions for remote outback terrain
●Integrated strength for runners program
●Integrated mobility work for durability

Coaching + Community

●Weekly live coaching calls, join live or watch replays
●Fuelling, hydration and race-day execution guidance
●A connected community of women preparing for the same race
●Access to the Her Trails community for support and connection

Also Worth Considering

Training for more than one goal this season?

Instead of purchasing individual programs, many runners choose the Her Trails All-In Membership for broader training support across the year. If you plan to complete more than one program this season, the All-In Membership is usually the most cost-effective option and gives our coaching team the ability to support you as you transition between races, training blocks and recovery periods.

Best Value

Her Trails All-In Membership

$220 / quarter

✓Access to every Her Trails program including trail, road and strength
✓Community and coaching platform with weekly coaching calls
✓Strength and mobility training for runners
✓Coaching support between races and training blocks
✓Ongoing community support and accountability
✓Discounts on merchandise and selected partner opportunities

Explore the All-In Membership

Before you decide

Questions before you commit?

Choosing a program is a real commitment of time and energy, and it is normal to want to talk it through first. Here are a few places to start.

Read how we coach

Talk to a runner who has done it

We can connect you with an All-In member for a relaxed call about the program, fitting training around work and family, or anything else on your mind.

Request a chat Or browse all our programs