Iron Trail 23km Individual Race Handicaps
Teams 2×11.5km Race Handicaps
Written course description:
The race starts at 9:00 am at the Wild Mersey car park, Shale Rd Latrobe. There are public toilet facilities at the car park.
The race is an out and back course covering approximately 11.5 km each way. The course covers shared access mountain bike and walking trails, with a short section of quiet road at the start finish.
The race will start on the road section southeast of the carpark, following this for approximately 1 km before crossing the Mersey River over the bridge. After crossing the bridge, runners turn right onto the Railton Express, looping clockwise under the bridge, before heading southeast along the track. From this point runners will follow the Railton Express trail markers. At approximately 4 km into the outward journey, runners will come to Great Bend Road where a race marshal will cross runners (when safe). The Railton Express continues for another 6km to the crossing point at a gravel road (Pump House Rd); runners cross here. Please note unlike 2024, the course crosses the road and rejoins the trail; runners do not run up the gravel road. After crossing the gravel road, the track continues for another 1.5 km to the turnaround/transition area. The turnaround/transition area will be next to a small forestry access road off Native Rock Rd, approximately 500m after the junction of Native Rock Rd and Pump House Rd (visible from the track). This point will be a marshaled drink station where runners can reload their water supplies before the return journey along the same track. This is also the transition area for runners competing in the team event.
After passing through the turnaround/transition runners will complete the return journey along the same path as the outward journey. The finish line will be the same location as the start chute.
The race has a hard cutoff time of 2 pm.
For those wishing to gpx files of the course routes can be downloaded here and preloaded onto your running watch. To download click the downward arrow (highlighted below) and select “Download GPX”.
Pre-Race Safety Briefing
This is a self-supported trail race. As such runners are requested to carry during the run:
- water holding capacity (bottles and/or bladder) of at least 1 L.
- A compression bandage
- Survival blanket
- Thermal top
- Pea-less whistle
- Mobile phone with the Emergence Plus app preloaded
- St John First Aid app preloaded on mobile phone (recommended)
Ultimately runners are responsible for their own safety. Please consider the course and weather conditions, and prepare yourself accordingly by wearing appropriate footwear and clothing.
Water to refill bottles will be at the marshaled turn around point. Please note you will be required to fill your own bottles; this is not the marshal’s responsibility.
A tail runner will be following the last runner on the return leg.
Runners are reminded that they are running on a public shared use trail and must be considerate of other trail users at all times. Runners are expected to give way to all mountain bike users of the trail.
Car parking at the turnaround transition area is extremely limited. Runners for the second leg are requested to carpool to this point to minimize traffic in this area.
Race cutoff is 2 pm.
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