The Buffalo Stampede is the granddaddy of Australian skyrunning — a savage, spectacular trail festival in the alpine town of Bright that throws runners up and over Mount Buffalo and the surrounding peaks. If you love vertical, this is your race: relentless climbs, fast descents and views that make the burning quads worthwhile.
The headline 42km SkyMarathon and the monster 100km Ultra are the marquee events, with thousands of metres of climbing apiece. There's also a 20km SkyRun, a 10km Twilight SkySprint, plus a 5km Family Trail Run and 2km Junior dashes. Hardcore types can take on a multi-day Grand Slam combining several races over the weekend.
This is genuine mountain running, so train your climbing and your downhill quads, and respect the mandatory gear lists on the longer distances. Late-March weather in the high country can swing from hot to cold fast, so come prepared. Bright is a gorgeous base for a running weekend, with great coffee, breweries and the Ovens River for an ice-bath recovery. Book accommodation early — the town fills up.
