Her Trails Coaching
Roller Coaster 23km
Program for Women
A 16-week training program designed to help you run 23km of steep climbs, fast descents and relentless undulation in the Dandenong Ranges, with strength, control and composure.
The Course
Training for the Roller Coaster 23km
The Roller Coaster 23km is a single loop through the Dandenong Ranges that packs 1,100m of climbing into 23 kilometres. There is no flat section long enough to settle into rhythm, no sustained descent long enough to recover, and a 6 hour 30 minute cut-off that gives you time but does not forgive poor pacing.
This is not a course you can bluff your way through. It rewards patience, durability and smart effort management from the first kilometre. Our HQ is based in this terrain. We train in it through damp winters and dry summers. This program is Dandenongs-built.
The Single Loop
What you will actually run
The 23km loop has three distinct phases, each with its own terrain character and demands. Understanding what each section asks of you shapes how we train for it.
How We Train For It
Course-specific preparation, not generic endurance
Every element of this program is built around what the Roller Coaster 23km actually asks of you. The training is specific because the course is specific.
Climbing Economy
Hill repeats, power hike training and progressive vertical loading build the specific capacity this course demands. Knowing when to hike and when to run is a skill the program develops deliberately, so that the pinches at kilometre 18 are a trained effort, not an unravelling.
Descent Durability
Downhill running technique and eccentric quad loading are trained throughout the program. The goal is to remove the braking pattern that appears when quads fatigue, replacing it with controlled, efficient movement that preserves energy and reduces injury risk on narrow, uneven trail.
Effort Management
Sessions train you to run by heart rate and feel rather than pace. On terrain that never flattens enough to recover but rarely climbs enough to force a hike, learning to read your effort accurately is the difference between arriving at the final descent with something left and arriving empty.
Integrated Strength
Glute, quad and calf strength is built progressively across the 16 weeks, not bolted on as supplementary work. These sessions directly support climbing power and descent control, and they are scheduled as training sessions with the same priority as your runs.
Fuelling Practice
The 6 hour 30 minute cut-off means this is a longer effort than the distance suggests. Eating while climbing is uncomfortable, so we practise nutrition timing around hilly long runs until fuelling on variable terrain becomes a trained habit rather than an afterthought at Kalorama.
Late-Race Composure
The program includes specific mindset and composure work for the point where effort stops feeling manageable. Frameworks for narrowing your focus, managing doubt, and staying present when the distance feels heavier than the kilometres suggest.
What's Included
Everything you need, in one place
This program covers your training, strength, recovery and coaching from one integrated platform. Nothing is bolted on.
Training Program
- ●Progressive 16-week Roller Coaster 23km program
- ●4 to 6 run sessions per week designed for Dandenong Ranges terrain
- ●1 to 2 integrated strength sessions weekly
- ●1 to 2 mobility or yoga sessions for durability
Coaching + Community
- ●Weekly live coaching calls, join live or watch replays
- ●Fuel, hydration and physio-informed durability 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
Questions
Frequently asked questions
If something is not answered here, bring it to a coaching call or post in the Community Hub.
Is this program suitable if this is my first trail race of this distance? +
Yes. The Roller Coaster 23km program is designed to support runners stepping up into longer, hillier trail events. If you can comfortably run for 60 to 90 minutes and are ready to train consistently, this program will guide you through the build with clarity, progression and support.
This course sounds tough. Will the training really prepare me for it? +
Yes. The Roller Coaster course climbs over 1,100m across a single 23km loop with no flat recovery. The steepest sections are Observatory Track and Dodds Track, with technical descents including the Zig Zag Track into Doongalla and a sustained push through the back half of the course. This program is built specifically to prepare your legs, lungs and nervous system for each of those sections.
I already run regularly. Will the early weeks feel too easy? +
Possibly, and that is intentional. The early weeks focus on priming and consistency so your body can absorb the climbing and load that comes later. Many runners underestimate how valuable this phase is for staying injury-free and strong through the harder weeks of the program.
What is the course route? +
The race is a single loop starting and finishing at Kalorama Memorial Reserve. From the start, runners move along Hands Road and Jasper Road before turning onto Old Mountain Road for a fast dirt road descent into Fireline Track. The first major climb is Observatory Track at around 130m of vertical gain. Runners then follow Kyeema Track past Burkes Lookout before descending the Zig Zag Track to Doongalla Picnic Area and Checkpoint 1. After Doongalla, the route climbs steeply again via Dodds Track, crosses the Basin-Olinda Road and follows Range Road before looping back through Camellia Track and Singleton Terrace to Kalorama. Aid stations at Kalorama and Doongalla. Bring your own cup as none are provided on course.
Do I need to train on the actual course? +
No. While training on hilly terrain is helpful, the program is designed so you can prepare from anywhere. We coach effort, climbing strategy and downhill control so the training translates even without regular access to the Dandenong Ranges. For VIC-based runners there are optional Her Trails group runs in the Dandenongs that include terrain similar to the course.
What if I miss sessions or cannot follow the plan perfectly? +
That is normal. This program is built for real life. You will learn how to adapt sessions, prioritise key workouts and keep progressing without guilt when weeks do not go to plan. The coaching calls and community are there specifically for those moments.
Is this just a downloadable plan, or is there coaching? +
This is a coached experience. Alongside your training sessions you will have access to weekly live coaching calls, community support and ongoing guidance to help you train with confidence across all 16 weeks.
How does this program support women specifically? +
Her Trails programs are designed by women, for women. Female physiology, recovery, stress load and the realities of balancing training with work, family and life shape how the program is built and how you are supported throughout. You are not treated as a smaller version of a male athlete. You are the centre of how this program is designed.
What support is there when training feels hard or overwhelming? +
You are not expected to navigate it alone. Between coaching calls, community spaces and built-in guidance across each week, there are always places to ask questions, reset and keep moving forward.
