November has arrived with a bang and the trail-running calendar is so stacked we’ve had to divide it straight down the middle into two parts. Incoming are events from 4 to 18 November across Australia and New Zealand. There are mountain championships in Queensland, a notoriously tough ultra on Western Australia’s Bibbulmun Track, a weekend of racing in the gorgeous Grampians, plus plenty of shorter adventures for runners who prefer their weekends a little closer to home.
Across the Tasman, New Zealand is bringing it, with backyard ultras, forest trails, historic railway tunnels and some spectacular coastal running.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re chasing a podium, a new distance or simply looking for any old excuse to get outside on the trails, here’s what’s happening over the next two weeks.
AUSTRALIA
QUEENSLAND
Mount Glorious Mountain Trails
Date: Sunday, 8 November 2026
Location: Cedar Flats to Maiala Park, Mount Glorious
Distances: 11km and 22km
Website: TRAQ
Mount Glorious is turning up the heat this November, with the Queensland Mountain Running Championships joining the event for 2026. The 22km championship course packs in a formidable 1,200m of climbing, taking runners over Northbrook Mountain, down to England Creek and back up through rainforest to Mount Glorious. The 11km course doubles as the Queensland U20 Junior Mountain Running Championships, with an open division for runners keen to tackle the shorter distance. Don’t mistake shorter for easier though — there’s still plenty of climbing involved.
SEQ Trail Series – Numinbah Valley
Date: Sunday, 8 November 2026
Location: Numinbah Valley, Gold Coast Hinterland
Distances: See event website
Website: SEQ Trail Running Series
Round three of the SEQ Trail Running Series heads to Numinbah Valley, where runners can choose between 8.8km and 13.4km of hinterland trail action. It’s an early start, with racing kicking off at 6.30am, but there’s good reason to get out of bed. With individual and club championship points up for grabs, there’s plenty to race for beyond bragging rights. And once the running’s done, the post-race charity BBQ and coffee cart will be waiting. Because a Sunday morning on the trails is always better when someone else is cooking breakfast.
Cobb & Co Backyard Ultra
Date: Saturday, 14 November 2026
Location: 1484 Noosa Road, Tandur, Gympie, Queensland
Format: Backyard ultra — 6.706km loops
Website: runqld.com.au
One loop every hour on repeat until there’s only one runner left. Cobb & Co brings the deceptively simple backyard-ultra format to Gympie, where the real challenge isn’t necessarily the distance of any single lap but how many times runners can convince themselves to head out for another. Pacing, fuelling and managing the time between loops are all part of the game. And eventually, so is sleep deprivation. The Cobb & Co Backyard Ultra is located at the Nine Mile Camping Grounds, in Tandur and starts at 6am.
Black Snake Trail Race
Date: Sunday 15 November 2026
Location: Clohesy River Road & Cedar Park Road, Cairns, Queensland
Distances: 5km, 12km and 21km
Website: Cairns Road Runners
This event brings creek crossings, tropical bushland and a rather impressive fig tree. Cairns Road Runners’ Black Snake Trail Race takes runners into Dinden National Park for a no-fuss morning on the dirt. All three distances follow an out-and-back course along Clohesy River Road, with a creek crossing or two thrown in to keep things interesting. Those tackling the 12km and 21km get a visit to the enormous Clohesy River Fig Tree, while the 5km crowd can enjoy a shorter taste of the action. And with Far North Queensland heading into its steamy season, don’t expect to finish with dry socks. Or a dry shirt, for that matter.
NEW SOUTH WALES
Bouddi Coastal Run
Date: Saturday, 7 November 2026
Location: Bouddi National Park, Killcare Heights, Central Coast, NSW
Distances: Half marathon, 14km and 1km (kids)
Website: Bouddi Coastal Run
If coastal singletrack, stunning ocean views and the occasional punishing set of stairs sound like your kind of Saturday, Bouddi Coastal Run deserves a look. The Central Coast event takes runners into Bouddi National Park on the NSW Central Coast, where bushland trails and coastal scenery provide a memorable backdrop. Don’t be fooled by the postcard views, though. Coastal running has a habit of sneaking in a tad more climbing than expected.
The Bouddi Coastal Run gives runners a choice of 14km and 21km courses both serving up a mix of rocky headlands, sandy stretches and shaded bush trails. Along the way, there’s the white sand of Maitland Bay and cracking views from Gerrin Point and Bouddi Point—although you’ll need to watch where you’re putting your feet. There’s also a 1km beach run for the kids, making this a pretty good excuse to get the whole family out of Sydney for a day on the coast.
Sydney Trail Half Marathon – Night Edition
Date: Saturday, 7 November 2026
Location: Golden Jubilee Field (Back Oval) North Wahroonga to St Ives, Sydney
Distance: Half marathon
Website: Sydney Trail Half Marathon
Sydney’s northern bushland takes on a different personality after sunset. The Night Edition of the Sydney Trail Half Marathon gives runners the chance to tackle a point-to-point trail course by headtorch and swap daylight views for illuminated singletrack. Enter: the sounds of the bush after dark. It’s a good reminder that familiar trails can feel completely different when the sun goes down.
Bare Creek Trail Run
Date: Sunday, 8 November 2026
Location: Garigal National Park, St Ives, Sydney
Distances: 2km, 6km 12km, 20km
Website: Bare Creek Trail Run
They call this community-led event Sydney’s friendliest trail run. That might be because it has family-friendly distances right through to challenging longer trails, so it brings together runners of all ages and abilities for day out on the dirt. Luckily you don’t have to travel far from Sydney to find Bare Creek Trail Run. It takes advantage of the tracks and rugged terrain around Garigal National Park, offering a welcome escape from road running without leaving the metropolitan area. Expect an energetic local trail-running atmosphere and a course that rewards runners who enjoy the twists, turns and changing footing of bushland trails.
Sydney Trail Spring Series – Race 3: St Ives
Date: Sunday, 8 November 2026
Location: St Ives Showground, Sydney
Distances: 7km, 10km, 24km, 30km
Website: Sydney Trail Series
Sydney’s northern suburbs might seem an unlikely place for a proper trail-running challenge, but St Ives has a few surprises up its sleeve. The third and final round of the Sydney Trail Spring Series heads into the bushland around St Ives Wildflower Garden and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, where the longer courses dish up steep climbs, technical trails and some sweet singletrack alongside Cowan Creek. There’s a 30km option for those wanting to squeeze a little more punishment out of their Sunday morning, alongside the regular 7km, 10km and 24km distances. With series honours on the line, expect some determined racing up front. And for everyone else? There’s a free post-race brekkie waiting, complete with bacon and egg sandwiches. Not a bad reward for getting out of bed before sunrise
VICTORIA
Grampians Peaks Trail Race (Singletrack GPT100)
Date: 5 – 8 November 2026
Location: Grampians National Park, Victoria
Distances: 2km, 5km, 6km, 14km, 33km, 50km and 100 miles (163km), including solo, pairs, stage race and team relay formats
Website: Singletrack GPT100
Welcom to a hundred miles, more than 7,700m of climbing, and let’s be honest, some of the most unforgiving terrain in Australian trail running. The GPT100 is back, taking runners on an extraordinary end-to-end journey through Gariwerd/Grampians National Park, from Mount Zero in the north to Dunkeld in the south. Think towering sandstone cliffs, exposed ridgelines, technical rock scrambles and climbs that seem to go on forever. Now part of the prestigious World Trail Majors, the GPT100 Miler also doubles as the 2026 Australian 100 Mile Championships, with precious Hardrock and Western States qualifying opportunities adding to the stakes. Last year’s race delivered some serious drama, and there’s every reason to expect another cracker in 2026. Not quite ready for the full 163km? There’s a four-day stage race, team relay options and distances from 2km to 50km, including the spectacular 33km finale into Dunkeld. Four days, one magnificent mountain range and a whole lot of very tired legs. This is Australian trail running at its biggest and boldest. Bit late to register for this one now but let’s hang on for the spectator ride this weekend!
Marysville Marathon Festival
Date: Saturday, 7 – Sunday, 8 November 2026
Location: Gallipoli Park, Marysville
Distances: 1.5km Kids Dash, 4km, 7km, 10km, 14km, 21km, 42km, 50km and 100km
Website: Trailsplus
There’s a lot more to Marysville Marathon Festival than a weekend of running through spectacular Victorian mountain country (although that could be enough on its own!). Born in the aftermath of the devastating 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, the event was created to bring people back to Marysville and support the town’s recovery. Seventeen years on, it’s still going strong. The trails follow the Steavenson River, winding through towering forests and fern gullies, past waterfalls and up into the surrounding mountains. Distances range from a 1.5km Kids Dash to a 100km ultra that kicks off on Saturday night, with the 7km and 14km King and Queen of the Mountain races adding another challenge. It’s also the fifth and final stop in the Trailsplus Mountain Series. Plenty of reasons to make a weekend of it.
Trail Run Wine Avoca
Date: 14 – 15 November 2026
Location: Avoca, Victoria
Distances: 2.5km, 5km, 10km, 27km, 42km, 1.6km Wine Mile Time Trial, half marathon – solo or relay
Website: Big Hill Events
Wine at an aid station? Now we’re talking. Trail Run Wine takes over Mount Avoca Winery for a weekend of running, camping and a little indulgence in Victoria’s Pyrenees. Don’t let the vineyard setting fool you, though. The 42km Shiraz and 27km Merlot courses head into the rugged Pyrenees Range, where climbs with names like The Guv’s Mistress and Dead Wood Ridge suggest things could get rather unpleasant. Shorter distances wind through the vines and surrounding trails, with a cheese-and-wine aid station providing a distinctly civilised distraction on the final hill. There’s even a 1.6km night-time Wine Mile Time Trial, plus a Sunday relay for anyone with legs left to spare. And instead of the usual finisher’s medal, runners in the 21km, 27km and 42km events receive an engraved wine glass and a complimentary drink at the cellar door. We can get behind that.
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Stromlo Running Festival
Date: Saturday, 14 – Sunday, 15 November 2026
Location: Stromlo Forest Park, Canberra
Distances: 2.5km kids’ cross-country, 5km, 10km, 15km, 30km and marathon
Website: Stromlo Running Festival
Two trips up ‘The Mother’ in one marathon? Stromlo isn’t mucking around. Back for its 17th edition, the Stromlo Running Festival serves up six distances across two days, with the marathon packing in a hefty 1,500m of climbing and two ascents of Mount Stromlo. The 30km isn’t exactly a cruisy alternative either, with 860m of elevation gain and a big climb saved for the closing kilometres. There’s plenty for the less masochistically inclined, too, with 5km, 10km and 15km options, plus a 2.5km cross-country race for the kids. And behind all that climbing is a bigger story: the festival celebrates Canberra’s resilience following the devastating 2003 bushfires, which swept through the Stromlo landscape. A cracking weekend of trail running with plenty of heart. Unfortunately registration has closed for this one. But if you’re nearby it would be well worth watching or volunteering!
TASMANIA
Triple Top Mountain Run
Date: Sunday, 8 November 2026
Location: Mount Roland, near Sheffield, Tasmania
Distance: 19km
Website: Triple Top Mountain Run
Nineteen kilometres. Three mountains. And a descent that’ll have your quads filing a formal complaint against you. Tasmania’s legendary Triple Top Mountain Run has been dishing out punishment since 1991, taking runners across Mount Van Dyke, Mount Claude and Mount Roland on a brutally technical singletrack course. There’s more than 1,100m of elevation gain to contend with, but it’s the final 5km that’ll really get you—a near-1,000m plunge down Mount Roland’s face track to the finish on Claude Road. The course record stands at a blistering 1hr 57min, which gives you some idea of just how quick the mountain goats can move. For everyone else? Just getting down in one piece might feel like a victory.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Feral Pig Ultra
Date: Saturday, 7 November 2026
Location: Bibbulmun Track, North Bannister to Kalamunda, Western Australia
Distances: 23km, 50km, 50 miles, 100km, 100 miles and 5km kids’ event
Organiser: Ultra Series Australia
Website: Feral Pig Ultra
The Feral Pig is back on the Bibbulmun Track, and this one doesn’t pretend to be gentle. With distances stretching all the way to 100 miles, runners will negotiate remote bushland, rugged trails and the unpredictable November conditions of the Perth Hills. It’s a proper test of endurance, self-management and keeping your head when things get difficult. The popular 23km Pork Chop and 50km Sow distances are already sold out, although the longer races remain part of the weekend’s program.
NEW ZEALAND
Legend Of The Peaks
Date: Friday, 6 – Saturday, 7 November 2026
Location: Waipa MTB Carpark, Whakarewarewa Forest, Rotorua, New Zealand
Distances: 2km and 3km kids’ and seniors’ events, 5km, 10km, 21km, 42km and 50km
Organiser: MDA Events Ltd / Multi-Day Adventures Ltd
Website: Legend of the Peaks
Legend of the Peaks is upping the ante in 2026, with the new Whaka Ultra 50K doubling as the Athletics New Zealand National 50km Championships. Packing 1,854m of climbing into 50.38km, the course takes runners deep into Rotorua’s Whakarewarewa Forest, adding technical climbs and extra singletrack to the already demanding Forest Marathon route. The 42km marathon isn’t exactly a soft option either, summiting all four peaks with more than 1,500m of elevation gain. There’s a half marathon, 10km and 5km for those after a shorter outing, while Friday’s free kids’ forest run and Koeke Classic for older participants bring the whole community into the action. Throw in music, food and a festival atmosphere at the finish, and Rotorua’s got quite the weekend lined up.
Arrowtown Backyard Ultra
Date: Saturday, 7 November 2026
Location: Butler’s Green, Arrowtown, Otago
Format: 6.71km loop every hour until one runner remains
Website: Trail Running NZ
Arrowtown’s picturesque trails become the setting for a decidedly unrelenting endurance challenge. Runners tackle a 6.71km loop along the Arrow River Trail every hour, returning to the start with enough time to refuel, regroup and prepare to do it all again. The course mixes hard-packed trails with winding bush singletrack, but the biggest challenge is the clock. Miss the next start and your race is over. The last runner standing takes the win.
Remutaka Rail Trail Run & Walk
Date: Saturday, 7 November 2026
Location: Kaitoke, Upper Hutt, Wellington region
Distances: 7km, 14km and half marathon
Website: Trentham United
There’s something special about running a trail with a story behind it. The Remutaka Rail Trail follows part of a historic railway route through the ranges north of Wellington, giving runners a combination of bushland scenery and railway heritage. With three distances available, it’s a chance to experience the region’s trails without committing to an ultra-distance adventure.
Boulder Bay Classic Trail Run
Date: Sunday, 8 November 2026
Location: Taylors Mistake, Christchurch, Canterbury
Distance: 10km
Website: Boulder Bay Classic
Ten kilometres of coastal trails, historic gun emplacements and views that’ll have you forgetting you’re supposed to be racing. Christchurch’s Boulder Bay Classic kicks off at Taylors Mistake beach before winding around the peninsula on the Godley Head Track, passing the old baches at Boulder Bay and climbing towards the summit of Godley Head. From there, runners hit a grassy farm track before looping back along the coastal pathway to the finish. It’s undulating enough to keep the legs honest without being a complete sufferfest, and with spot prizes up for grabs, you don’t have to be the quickest on the course to come away with something.
Reservoir Dog Backyard Ultra
Date: Saturday, 14 November 2026
Location: Marton, Rangitīkei
Format: Backyard ultra
Website: Reservoir Dog Backyard Ultra
Another November weekend, another opportunity to discover exactly how many consecutive hours you can keep running. Reservoir Dog Backyard Ultra brings the last-runner-standing format to the Rangitīkei region. The concept is straightforward: complete the required loop within the hour and be ready to start again when the next one begins. The difficulty, of course, is knowing that every successful lap earns you another.
Rocky Point Run
Date: Saturday, 14 November 2026
Location: Carters Beach, Westport, West Coast
Distances: 5km, 12.5km, 22.5km and 35km
Website: Rocky Point Run
New Zealand’s West Coast is renowned for its wild landscapes, and Rocky Point Run gives runners a chance to experience the region on foot. With four distances stretching to 35km, the event caters for those wanting a shorter outing as well as runners looking for a substantial day on the trails. It’s another reminder that some of the country’s most interesting running happens well beyond the major centres.
Trail Challenge Waihi
Date: Saturday, 14 November 2026
Location: Dickey Flat Adventure Camp, Karangahake Gorge, Waihi
Distances: 8km, 13km, half marathon, marathon and kids’ dash
Website: Trail Challenge Waihi
Historic railway tunnels, swing bridges, riverside tracks and native bush make Trail Challenge Waihi one of November’s more distinctive trail-running experiences. Based in the spectacular Karangahake Gorge, the event offers everything from an accessible 8km outing to a full marathon. The courses weave through terrain shaped by the region’s mining and railway history, giving runners plenty to look at between climbs. Organisers warn that places may sell out, so checking entry availability before making plans is worthwhile.
That’s a wrap for the first half of November
November’s trail calendar is only getting started. Later in the month, runners can look forward to Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko, more racing across Australia’s national parks and forests, and another packed weekend of New Zealand trail events.
Keep an eye out for Part 2 of our November What’s On, covering events from 19–30 November.
And for those already planning next year’s adventures, the 2027 Event Guide is available in Trail Run Magazine Issue #61, out now. It’s packed with trail races and adventures to start filling the calendar well beyond October.
For now, though, there’s clearly no shortage of excuses to get out on the dirt.
