Her Trails Coaching

GPT100 Stage Race Team Relay
Program for Women

A 16-week training program built for women taking on the GPT100 Stage Race Team Relay as part of a three-person team. Four days, four stages, the full 162km of the Grampians Peaks Trail, and a festival to come back to each evening in Halls Gap.

Duration

16 Weeks

Format

3-Person Team Relay

Your Total

Approx. 54km over 4 days

Race Starts

Thu 5 Nov 2026

Program Starts

Mon 20 Jul 2026

Access

Platform + App

The Course

Training for the GPT100 Stage Race Team Relay

The GPT100 Stage Race Team Relay covers the full 162km of the Grampians Peaks Trail from Mt Zero to Dunkeld, run over four days as part of a three-person team. Each runner takes on one leg per stage, covering approximately 11 to 16.5km of highly technical, mountainous trail daily, before the team returns to the festival atmosphere of Halls Gap each evening. Stage 1 kicks off at 6:00AM on Thursday 5 November, with the event based at Halls Gap across the full Thursday to Monday period.

This is the most accessible way to experience the complete GPT100 course. No single day will break you. What will challenge you is the accumulation: backing up four consecutive mornings on the same technical, elevation-heavy terrain, with the previous day's efforts sitting in your legs. The Grampians Peaks Trail does not soften on day four. Sandstone ridgelines, ancient huts, exposed plateau traverses, and the iconic southern summits of Mt Abrupt, Signal Peak, and Mt Sturgeon await before a river trail finish into Dunkeld.

Teams relay their tracker and shoe tag at each changeover and crew each other between aid stations throughout the day. All runners carry a Telstra SIM and AVENZA maps as mandatory equipment. Team categories are available for All Female, All Male, and Mixed teams.

The GPT100 is a World Trail Major, a UTMB World Series Qualifier, and part of the AUTRA Australian Trail Running Championships series. Program training begins Monday 20 July 2026.

The Four Stages

What your team will run

Each stage is a day of trail running through a distinct section of Gariwerd. Your team collectively covers 40 to 50km per stage, with each runner contributing one leg of 11 to 16.5km. The terrain and elevation are real on every stage. What changes is how your legs feel when you start.

Stage 1: Thursday

Mt Zero to Halls Gap

~40-49km team total | ~2,000m gain

The opening stage leaves Mt Zero at 6:00AM and traverses the rocky ridgelines of the Northern Grampians through the Pinnacle, Hollow Mountain, and Boroka Lookout before arriving in Halls Gap. The team runs on fresh legs, the morning air is cool, and the scenery is extraordinary. The technical terrain sets the standard for the stages to come. Arrive at the Halls Gap event village knowing what the trail demands.

Demands: technical sandstone ridgelines, exposed climbing, confident descent, reading the terrain on fresh legs

Stage 2: Friday

Halls Gap through the Major Range

~40-46km team total | ~1,700m gain

The second day moves through the Wonderland Range and into the broader Major Range wilderness. The legs are not fully recovered from Stage 1 and the trail does not account for this. Sustained undulating terrain, dense bush sections, and extended time away from road access define this stage. The evening return to Halls Gap and the event village matters here: sleep, eat, move, and prepare for what comes next.

Demands: pacing management on residual fatigue, sustained trail reading, efficient recovery before Stage 3

Stage 3: Saturday

Central Grampians Wilderness

~38-44km team total | ~1,600m gain

The most remote stage, moving through the central Grampians with dense scrubland, rocky ridge traverses, ancient hut landmarks, and few road crossings. The legs carry two days of accumulated elevation and technical terrain. What distinguishes athletes here is not fitness alone but the quality of recovery habits built across the preceding 48 hours: sleep, food, and deliberate movement between stages. The Sunday finish is now close enough to feel real.

Demands: two-day accumulated fatigue, remote trail self-sufficiency, deliberate effort management

Stage 4: Sunday

Southern Summits to Dunkeld

~34-40km team total | ~1,400m gain

The final stage crosses Mt Abrupt, Signal Peak, and Mt Sturgeon before dropping to a river trail finish into Dunkeld. The iconic southern summits of the Grampians on the fourth morning, on three days of accumulated effort, are a particular kind of challenge. What makes this stage memorable is not that it is the hardest. It is that it is the last, and that the finish line in Dunkeld closes the full 162km of the Grampians Peaks Trail for your team.

Demands: three-day accumulated fatigue, iconic summit climbing, carrying the team to the finish

How We Train For It

Course-specific preparation, not generic endurance

The stage race format creates a specific set of demands that single-day trail training does not prepare you for. This program is built around the challenge of four consecutive quality days, not one big effort.

Multi-Day Back-to-Back Sessions

The primary training tool for this format. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday running blocks in the middle weeks simulate the day-on-day recovery demands of the stage race. Running well on tired legs from the previous day is a trainable skill. The program builds it progressively across 16 weeks.

Elevation-Focused Trail Work

Each stage carries meaningful elevation. Sessions throughout the program develop climbing efficiency and descent resilience on technical terrain, with peak long run targets of 25 to 30km on trail with 1,000m or more of gain. The goal is arriving at Stage 1 with legs already familiar with this kind of work.

Technical Sandstone Skills

The Grampians terrain is unforgiving to runners who are not used to it: loose sandstone, narrow ledge paths, and steep rocky descents require specific skills. Technique sessions build foot placement, descent control, and confident movement on technical ground so the course conditions are managed, not feared.

Recovery as a Training Habit

Between-stage recovery is as important as the running itself in this format. The program trains post-run recovery routines, eating, stretching, and sleep habits, as deliberate practice, not afterthoughts. What you do in the hours after each stage determines how well you show up the following morning.

Fuelling for Consecutive Effort

Fuelling strategy for a multi-day event is different from a single race day. The program addresses nutrition across consecutive days: glycogen replenishment between stages, appetite management when effort reduces hunger, and on-course fuelling for shorter but technically demanding daily legs.

The Fourth Morning

Stage 4 begins on legs that have climbed the Grampians for three days. The terrain does not change. The summits of Mt Abrupt, Signal Peak, and Mt Sturgeon do not become easier because the finish line is close. The program includes specific mental preparation for the fourth morning: the frameworks, habits, and evidence from training that allow you to step forward and run well when the legs are at their most tested.

PREREQUISITES

Before You Begin

A staged 100 mile team relay spreads the distance across four runners and four days, with each athlete preparing for a 34 to 49 km stage on Grampians terrain. The 16-week build is designed for runners with a working aerobic base who can absorb back to back stage demands.

Running 25 to 35 km per week across 3 to 4 sessions before week one
Recent experience finishing a half marathon, trail event, or equivalent endurance effort
Willingness to commit to 5 to 10 hours of training per week through the build
Access to hills or undulating terrain for technical and climbing sessions
Confidence with daily recovery practices: nutrition, hydration, sleep, and mobility
A team of four committed to a shared start date and four day race format
Medical clearance if returning from injury, illness, or extended time off training

What's Included

Everything you need, in one place

Training, strength, recovery and coaching from one integrated platform, built for the specific demands of four consecutive days in the Grampians.

Training Program

●Progressive 16-week program with back-to-back running blocks and elevation-focused long runs
●Technical terrain sessions and recovery habit training built into the program structure
●Integrated strength for technical trail running and multi-day resilience
●Mobility and recovery work with emphasis on between-stage protocols

Coaching + Community

●Weekly live coaching calls, join live or watch replays
●Fuelling and nutrition guidance for multi-day consecutive effort
●A community of women preparing for the GPT stage race experience
●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