Bondi to Manly Ultra

The Bondi to Manly Ultra is an 80km point-to-point run from Bondi Pavilion to Manly Beach along the Bondi to Manly Walk, the coast-and-harbour walking route opened in 2019. The race began in 2022, and its fifth edition is on Saturday 24 October 2026. Run it solo, as a pair (2 x 40km) or as a team of four (4 x 20km). Every category sold out for 2026 and the official site is running a waitlist.

Four legs and about 1,375m of climbing

Three aid stations split the course and double as the relay changeovers. Leg figures from the 2026 event guide:

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Leg 1 climbs onto the Dover Heights cliffs, rounds Watsons Bay and South Head, then follows the Hermitage Foreshore Walk into Rose Bay. Leg 2 is the city section: Rushcutters Bay and Potts Point, a lap of Mrs Macquaries Chair and the Opera House, then over the Harbour Bridge to Kirribilli. Leg 3 is the longest and the hilliest, past Cremorne Point and through the red gum bush of Bradleys Head and Gubbah Gubbah (Middle Head).

Leg 4 is the one the organisers single out. It is the shortest, but it runs the up-and-down Spit to Manly track, then passes within 200m of the finish at Manly Wharf before turning uphill for a loop of North Head. On tired legs, that is about 5.5km of running away from the finish line.

Start times and cut-offs

In 2026 the solo ultra starts at 4:30am, elite wave first and then waves A to L. The 40km relay goes at 6:00am and the 20km relay at 6:30am. The Manly finish closes at 7:30pm, which gives solo runners 15 hours. The 2026 checkpoint cut-offs:

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Missing a cut-off does not automatically end your day. Officials can redirect slower runners past one of three loops (Mrs Macquaries Chair, 1.5km; Middle Head, 2.75km; North Head, 5.5km) so they still reach Manly.

How long it actually takes

Most people are out there for a full working day and then some. In 2025, 728 solo runners finished. Florian Maro won in 6:02:46 and Steph McCall was first woman in 6:47:26, tenth overall. The runner in the exact middle of the field finished in 10:14:11, and the last official finisher came home in 14:15:43.

The relays are where the numbers are. 594 teams finished in 2025, 501 of them four-person teams and 93 pairs, so close to 2,900 runners crossed the line across both formats. The fastest team, a four-person squad, ran 5:23:12.

Race morning logistics

The start area at Bondi Pavilion opens at 3:30am, the same time the last pre-booked shuttle for ultra runners leaves Manly (Stand E, Belgrave Street). The last relay shuttle leaves at 4:45am. Tickets must be bought in advance. Otherwise it is a train to Bondi Junction and a bus to the beach, so check that services run that early; parking at both ends is very limited. Relay runners heading to the Clontarf changeover can use a free shuttle from Belgrave Street, Manly, every 30 minutes between 8am and 5pm.

Bibs for 2026 can be collected at Hotel Steyne in Manly (Saturday 17 October), the DENZA dealership in Darlinghurst (20 to 22 October) or Bondi Pavilion on Friday 23 October, the only bib session that also takes drop bags. On race morning, bags go straight onto the baggage truck in the Bondi Beach car park. Solo runners can leave up to two bags, for aid station 2 at Kirribilli and the finish; 40km relay runners can leave one for aid station 2.

Kit and aid

Mandatory kit is checked on course and each missing item costs a 10-minute penalty. Pacers and outside assistance are not allowed. Carry your own bottle or soft flask: aid stations stock water, Sodii electrolytes, fruit, snacks and salt tablets, with Maurten gels at Kirribilli and Neuro gum at Manly Wharf, and refills between them come from public bubblers.

Entry and cost

2026 entry on Race Roster was $359 for the solo 80km, $548 for a two-person team and $712 for a four-person team. Solo runners must be 18 or over; four-person relay runners 16 or over. Places go early. In 2024 fewer than 100 remained by early July, and all 2026 categories have sold out. Withdrawals earned a 75% refund until 1 June 2026 and 50% until 1 September, and entries can be transferred up to 14 days out. The event supports the Bondi to Manly Walk Supporters, the group that looks after the walk itself.

Course, timing and logistics details are from the official 2026 Bondi to Manly Ultra Event Guide and bonditomanlyultra.com; finishing figures are from MultiSport Australia's 2025 results. Last verified October 2026.