The Puffing Billy Running Festival is home to one of Australia's most charming running challenges: the Great Train Race, where runners take on Victoria's beloved century-old steam train through the Dandenong Ranges. Yes — you're literally racing a train. Beat Puffing Billy to the finish and you've earned serious bragging rights (and the coveted 'I beat the train' status).
The headline 13.5km Classic winds through Selby, Menzies Creek and Emerald, rolling through fern-lined hills before the dash to the Lakeside finish. There's also a 5km Family Fun Run and a 2km Kids' Dash over the weekend, making it a proper family day out in the cool mountain air.
The festival is hugely popular and the Great Train Race has a field limit, so it pays to enter early once registrations open (typically mid-June). The township of Belgrave gets busy — arrive with time to spare and soak up the unique atmosphere. The Dandenongs in spring are gorgeous, if a little chilly at the start, so pack a warm layer for before and after. It's a bucket-list run for Melburnians and a wonderful excuse to ride the iconic railway too.
