bright ultra 100km

6 am Saturday March 29, 2025

Where: The Pavillion, Pioneer Park, Bright

Distance: 101.6 km

Elevation: 5,131m Ascent+ 5,131m Descent-

Cut off: 28 hours

Prizes: (Overall)

First Place: $1000.00

Second Place: $600.00

Third Place: $300.00

The top three finishers in each event will also receive free of charge entry to the following year's event.

Course Description

An epic course from the alpine township of Bright, to the Horn, the highest point of the Mount Buffalo National Park, and back. With 5,131 metres of elevation gain over 101.6km, this is a challenge for your mind, body and your love of the mountains.

Starting at 6am at The Trailhead at the Pavillion, runners will only have 1.8km to warm up before the first climb up Emily's Spur (1.7km, 440m+) to the summit of Mystic. Then they will descend some technical MTB single trails and dirt roads to the Bakers Gully Aid Station. From here the race turns upwards again via Middle Track (2km with 510m+), a technical climb with steep sections. The first 10k of the race is the hardest, with over 1000m+ of vertical gain.

The Race then makes its way around to Clearspot Aid Station, with Stunning views of the course that awaits. Take a quick breather before the long undulating descent of Snake Ridge. This descent has some kickers in it so don't turn off the climbing legs yet, and enjoy the views!

Traverse the 3km of road across the Buckland Valley before starting the climb up Keatings Ridge, which is your entrance into the Mount Buffalo National Park. Descend the other side of this serene dirt road, down to Eurobin Creek Aid Station.

The Big Walk awaits, with 10km and 1000m+ of climbing. this climb will take you on a journey through the steep lower slopes, to the gently pitched single track in the middle, to the rocky sections around Mackays with exceptional views, to finally spitting you out at the Chalet.

From here you begin the 28km of the course on the Mount Buffalo Plateau where you traverse lands that home plants found nowhere else on earth. These trails are remote and beautiful. Settle into your rhythm at altitude and enjoy Lake Catani, Long Plain Track, the Cathedral and the Hump. Runners summit the Horn at over 1,723 metres to 360’ degree views of the National Park plateau and the Australian Alps.

Loop your way back to the Chalet past Mt Dunn, the reservoirs and the Monolith Track. Here you truly are on your way home with the big descent off the mountain down the Big Walk. Retrace your steps over Keatings Ridge and through the Buckland to the bottom of Dingo Ridge Climb.

Dingo Ridge is your final test, coming 88km into the race, it is the final climb but a big one, with 757m+ over 6.3km to Clearspot. Recoup at the Aid Station, then bomb the last downhill direct to Town. The descent off Clearspot to Bakers Gully is steep in sections, but is broken up nicely into different gradients, and is 4.7km with 661m-.

From the bottom there is 2.2km to go! Scoot around some local singletracks and dirt roads, before hitting the tarmac down Ballroom court with 640m to go. Cross Coronation Avenue with CARE, bomb down the grassy slope, where you will see the long awaited finish line at the Pavillion in Pioneer Park!

The Course

SingleTrack Events have partnered up with friends of trail CAPRA to equip you with the cleanest, easiest to follow maps you’ll ever come across.

It is a mandatory inclusion for all participants to have both the CAPRA app AND the relevant Buffalo Stampede maps on the mobile phone they will be using during their event.

Grab your mobile phone and scan the QR Code below to get started.

DOWNLOAD THE 100KM GPX FILE VIA CAPRA

FAQs

- Race Entry
- GST and registration platform fees
- Professional on-course sports photography available for purchase
- Special 10th Year Edition T-Shirt
- Coveted Finishers Medallion
- Fully marked course
- Expert event medical support
- On-course nutrition and refreshments
- Drop Bag Service
- Professional event timing
- Live real-time results via on-course checkpoints
- Post-event celebration beer!
- Baker's Gully: 8.2km, 526m+, 405m-
- Clearspot Outbound: 4.8km, 675m+, 118m-
- Buckland Outbound: 9.3km, 231m+, 942m-
- Eurobin Outbound: 8.1km, 350m+, 325m-
- Chalet Outbound: 10.2km, 1100m+, 83m-
- Cresta Valley Outbound: 9.0km, 404m+, 258m-
- Cresta Valley Inbound: 7.0km, 262m+-
- Chalet Inbound: 11.6km, 363m+, 503m-
- Eurobin Inbound: 10.2km, 83m+, 1100m-
- Buckland Inbound: 8.1km, 325m+, 350m-
- Clearspot Inbound: 7.6km, 800m+, 88m-
- FINISH: 6.9km, 77m+, 761m-
Total Cut-off: 28 hours
SATURDAY
- START The Pavillion, Pioneer Park: 6:00 am
- Baker's Gully: 8:00 am
- Clearspot Outbound: 10:00 am
- Buckland Outbound: 11:30 am
- Eurobin Outbound: 1:15 pm
- Chalet Outbound: 4:00 pm
- Cresta Valley Outbound: 6:30 pm
- Cresta Valley Inbound: 8:30 pm
SUNDAY
- Chalet Inbound: 12:00 am
- Eurobin Inbound: 2:45 am
- Buckland Inbound: 5:15 am
- Clearspot Inbound: 8:00 am
- FINISH: 10:00 am
A New addition to the Bright Ultra in 2024 will be the added option of having a pacer from the Mount Buffalo Chalet (68.2km) to the FINISH. A runner can only have one pacer with them on course at any time, however that pacer can interchange with someone else at any point. They must change the pacing bib over.
This has been added to assist runners who might have fear of running through the night. It will also potentially improve runners' experience of the race in the final stages. On top of this we expect it might help some athletes to run faster with the right choice of mental coach to run with.
The charge for a pacer is $50 to cover insurance, aid station supplies and admin. No additional charge interchanging pacers.
There are many places over the course where spectators and crew can see their runners. Please refer to the interactive CAPRA Map to find the best places to see them. All Aid Stations are easily accessible in 2WD as well as all roads on Mount Buffalo. The only dirt roads are the last 2km to the Baker’s Gully Aid Station and from Cresta Valley to the Horn. If you want to drive to Clearspot to spectate or crew, please follow the CAPRA map route to the summit as it can be confusing to find your way.
An “Athlete Bag Drop” service will be managed by a team of volunteers from the Event Village.
This service is exclusive to 100km Bright Ultra athletes.
The Aid Stations where these Drop Bags will be made available will be via Eurobin (inbound / outbound) and Cresta Valley (inbound / outbound).
Athletes are requested to provide all gear in their own labelled, insulated, zipped “Woolworths-type” bag where practical. Please clearly identify it with your bib number and the appropriate Aid Station (Eurobin / Cresta Valley).
Waterproof jacket and hood
Thermal long shirt
Thermal long pants (Bad weather, Notified by text and CAPRA app 12pm Friday)
Waterproof pants (Bad weather, Notified by text and CAPRA app 12pm Friday)
Beanie or buff
Full fingered gloves
2 litre fluid minimum
Snake bandage
CAPRA mobile app with course map
Space blanket
Headlamp with spare batteries
Back up Headlamp
Collapsible cup for aid stations (recommended)
Mystic Park Membership through HivePass (On-Foot day pass is $5 per person per day).
There is no qualification process to run the Bright Ultra 100k. We believe with a big field like we have, and good medical coverage that this is a good first 100k race for someone. However, this is a hard 100k as far a trail races go. There is lots of technical trail and steep climbs and descents, so please be prepared and properly trained come March!

The 100km Bright Ultra is a UTMB® World Series Qualifier Event.

All runners who complete the course gain qualifier points for their UTMB® Index.

Runners with a valid UTMB® Index will have privileged access to register for a UTMB® World Series Event or UTMB® World Series Major and will use their UTMB® Index to validate their entry into the UTMB® World Series Finals lottery.

Learn more about UTMB Index here >