Training & Medical
TRAINING ON COURSE
If training on any part of the UTA course please take care and give way to members of the general public. This is especially important if you are planning a run on any sections of walking track near Katoomba, Leura and Wentworth Falls between the hours of 9am and 4pm due to the large number of tourists you are likely to encounter.
Please note you must not take dogs into the National Parks, and it should go without saying that there is no smoking. Please also obey all information signs such as track closures (worth checking on any track closures before you head out).
For updates on track closures, check the local alerts / track closures section of the Blue Mountains National Parks website.
**The below table shows the sections of the UTA Miler and UTA100 Courses where training, outside of event day, is strictly prohibited. ** A more detailed map showing these specfic areas on course can be found in te Out of Bounds Area section.
| Race | Section Name | Distance Start | Distance End |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTA Miler | Ironpot Ridge | 77km | 83.6km |
| UTA Miler | SIx Foot Track CP and Six Foot Track Outbound |
89km | 99.7km |
| UTA100 | Ironpot Ridge | 23.7km | 30.3km |
| UTA100 | SIx Foot Track CP and Six Foot Track Outbound |
36km | 42.25km |
Please be aware that there are some areas of private property on the course which you are not allowed to enter except on race day. Three sections of the course in the Megalong Valley travel through private property and are strictly out of bounds. These sections are near Ironpot Ridge to the West of Dunphy's Camp and near The Six Foot Track, the lead in to Six Foot Track Checkpoint on the East side of Megalong Road, and the majority of the the Megalong West Loop (course route after leaving Six Foot Track, through to Coxs River).
We have kindly been given permission from the landholders to use tracks for the event day only. When training in the Megalong Valley, runners are advised to stick to the roads or exisiting public access tracks/trails (Six Foot Track). Another section of the course that you can not use is the link track between Coronation Rd and Tableland Rd as this track also passes through private property.
Recommended training options in place of Ironpot Ridge Descent: Run past Dunphys Campground and continue onto Megalong Rd. DO NOT turn left towards Foggy Knob and Ironpot Ridge. Whilst the climb up to Ironpot is open to public, the descent is on private land and cannot be accessed outside of race day. Instead continue along Megalong Valley Rd through to Six Foot Track.
Recommended training alternative in place of the private section west of Six Foot Track Checkpoint: Out and back along Six Foot Track down to the river. DO NOT jump fences or go through private gates when training in this area.
These landholders understandably value their privacy and therefore do not want people trespassing on their properties outside of the event day.
Anyone caught on these sections outside of event day may be disqualified from the event without refund.
All other sections of the course are OK to train on however it is always advisable to check on track closures.
NOTE: There are no out of bounds areas on UTA50, UTA22 & UTA11.
Much of the event course is through remote areas which likely provide a very different experience to going on a trail run near your home. For your own safety, when training on the event course, you need to be aware that you could be in great danger if you got lost, especially in difficult weather conditions. You can easily end up a very long way off the course route in areas with no phone reception. You should only train on Leg 5, which is the least remote part of the course, or go onto the remote parts of the course if:
- You know how to navigate with a map and compass.
- You are fully prepared with the navigation tools listed under The Course. The best tool to make sure you don't get lost is the Mapping Phone App. But as a bare minimum you must have the course maps, course descriptions and a compass. You also need to know how to use and pay attention to these things as you travel the course route. You may also choose to use the GPX file downloaded onto your GPS watch.
- You are carrying safety equipment similar to that from the race mandatory gear list, plus enough food and water.
- There are no weather warnings (storms, big rainfall events, high winds) or total fire bans in place at the time of your run.
- You have told someone your plans including your intended route and expected return time.
