Course Description – Smiths Gully

RACE 2 EVENT PROGRAM: The event program for Smiths Gully is essential reading for all event attendees and covers details like event schedule, course descriptions, car parking and more. READ IT HERE.


Sunday 10 July 2022

All runners will start on the famous Rob Roy Hill Climb venue before completing a scenic loop within the eucalypt bushland and more open farming land. The long course provides some sweeping views across the Yarra Valley and surrounding rural country side and are quite a contrast to the other courses in the series.

Each course includes a diverse mix 4wd roads and well groomed single track and pathways over undulating terrain. The running covers a number of hills, some are quite long and will get your lungs working before an enjoyable descent on the other side.

Add in plenty of friendly Aussie wildlife to keep you company and this new destination will provide some great running for everyone.

The courses (exact measurements)

Long course: 17.8km, includes 550m elevation gain / loss
Medium course: 14.2km, includes 435m elevation gain / loss
Short course: 7.5km, includes 250m elevation gain / loss.

Course map


Course map for Smiths Gully can be downloaded here to your maps.me app or garmin device. Click HERE

Elevation profiles

Long course:

Medium course:

Course description

Overall the courses provide some superb trail running characteristics – undulating single track all on well drained tracks with areas of bush and open country and plenty of great views. 

Long course – 17.8km

Long course runners start by running up the Rob Roy Hill Climb race track and then turn left to complete an 8km loop on a mixture of quiet dirt roads and shared use walking/running tracks through the countryside – please keep an eye out for cars and other trail users (such as horses and cyclists). The anti-clockwise loop includes a lovely descent through open country with clear views across the Yarra Valley to the city before a long climb back up to a section of road that is completed in both directions.

After passing the water point at the 8.5km mark, runners enter the single track labyrinth in One Hill Reserve for some great running on flowing trails that were constructed by the local mountain bike fraternity. Keep a close eye out for course markings as you complete a number of climbs and descents, passing a second water point at the 13km point on Happy Valley Track before climbing back to the top of the Rob Roy reserve a final time. Enjoy a fast descent down to the finish and then celebrate your success at the finish line in the middle of the event expo. Well done.

Medium course – 14.2km

Medium course runners start in the same way as the long course runners by running up the Rob Roy Hill Climb race track and then turning left to complete an 8km loop on a mixture of quiet dirt roads and shared use walking/running tracks through the countryside – please keep an eye out for cars and other trail users (such as horses and cyclists).

After passing the water point at the 8.5km mark, medium course runners enter the single track labyrinth in One Hill Reserve for a shorter loop on these flowing trails in the bush. Keep a close eye out for course markings as your course separates from the long and short courses a number of times whilst enjoying some fun running on winding trails. After a short section on Happy Valley Track you will climb back to the top of the Rob Roy reserve for a fast descent down to the finish line in the middle of the event expo where you can celebrate your successes with high fives all round. Well done.

Short course – 7.5 km

Short course runners also start by running up the Rob Roy Hill Climb race track but turn right at the top to enter the single track labyrinth in One Hill Reserve for some classic running on these twisting mountain bike trails.

Keep a close eye out for course markings as your course separates from the long and medium courses a number of times before enjoying a long, easy gradient descent on Happy Valley Track to a water point at the 4km mark. Returning to the single track you climb a twisting track back up to the top of the Rob Roy reserve before a fast descent down to the finish line in the middle of the event expo where you can celebrate your successes with high fives all round. Well done.

Water points

  • Short course: There will one water point located at the 4km mark at the southern end of Happy Valley Tk. Please provide your own cup or water bottle. We will not be providing cups.
  • Medium course: There will one water point located at the 8.5km mark on the eastern end of Rob Roy Rd. Please provide your own cup or water bottle. We will not be providing cups.
  • Long course: There will two water points located at the 8.5km mark at the eastern end of Rob Roy Rd and at the 13.2km mark at the southern end of Happy Valley Track. Please provide your own cup or water bottle. We will not be providing cups.

The HIIT Factory Home Straight

The HIIT Factory Home Straight will be a timed 200m segment leading into the finish line where we will record a separate time for each runner as part of your overall race. The course will be downhill and provide for some fast and furious sprinting as you empty the tank into the finish line. We encourage everyone to have a crack and the fastest male and female sprinters will receive a prize thanks to our sponsors the Hiit Factory!

Check out the details of the HIIT Factory’s high intensity sessions to help your cross-training!

Passing etiquette

With a large number of runners a narrow trail there are a few points of common etiquette when it comes to passing a runner on the trail that we’d like all participants to be aware of. If you are a faster runner who wants to pass a slower runner on a narrow bit of track:

  • Let the slower runner know you are there and want to pass. Say something like, “Can I go past when there’s a chance…” or even “Track please” if you’re short of breath. Then wait for a wider section of track – don’t just barge on through
  • The slower runner can then say, “OK, go past on the right” or “just up here it’s a bit wider, go there”. But it’s good to acknowledge that you heard them and give direction for when they can go past
  • It’s also nice for the faster runner to say, “thank you, keep going” once you’re past – share the love
  • If you are going to pass then make sure you are actually faster, don’t pass if you are pushing 120% effort to get around them and then slow down afterwards
  • Slower runners don’t feel like you need to totally stop and bow down as a faster runner comes through, make space but keep trotting along as well

Course marking

Trail running events are quite different to road running events in that they require you to look and think about where you are going because, not only will you pass through some lovely wilderness, but you need to KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR COURSE MARKINGS. Trail running courses are not lined with fences or red and white flagging tape and will not have marshals every 10m ready to hand you a drink and direct you where to go every step of the way – you need to keep an eye out for and follow the course markings to make your way around.

Having said that, if you have your head up and are looking where you are going the course will be easy to follow and will be marked as follows:

The Long Course:

  • red and/or orange arrows (pegged into the ground and fixed to trees or bushes)
  • fluoro pink coloured plastic surveyor’s tape (tied to trees or bushes)

The Medium Course:

  • green arrows (pegged into the ground and fixed to trees or bushes)
  • green coloured plastic surveyor’s tape (tied to trees or bushes)

The Short Course:

  • blue arrows (pegged into the ground and fixed to trees or bushes)
  • aqua blue coloured plastic surveyor’s tape (tied to trees or bushes)

All track intersections will be clearly marked and care should be taken to follow the arrows. Surveyor’s tape will be placed immediately following a track junction to confirm you are on the correct track. Track markings on the longer, straighter sections, where there are no other options or intersections will be far more spread out so take your time at the intersections to make sure you are on the right track. Unless otherwise marked or directed, competitors should follow the most major track at all intersections. If there is no arrow at a minor track junction then continue along the major track.