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.
Michael Kernahan won the 2026 Great Train Race in 00:45:06 on Sunday 13 September 2026, 47 seconds clear of Kurtis Scott — and both of them beat the train. Puffing Billy, entered as "Puff 1" on bib 1, is timed as a competitor and came in third overall in 00:46:14. Olivia Weston was the first woman home in 00:54:54 for 50th. The 13.5km Classic races the steam train through the Dandenong Ranges.
| Position | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael KERNAHAN | 00:45:06 |
| 2 | Kurtis SCOTT | 00:45:53 |
| 3 | Puff 1 | 00:46:14 |
| 4 | Max ANDISON | 00:47:22 |
| 5 | Craig APPELBY | 00:47:29 |
| 6 | Luke NICHOLSON | 00:47:51 |
| 7 | Ronan PHILLIPS JOHNS | 00:47:55 |
| 8 | Jess DUNSMORE | 00:48:00 |
| 9 | Alfie ONLEY | 00:48:19 |
| 10 | Thomas MARTIN | 00:48:23 |
| 11 | Harrison BROOKS | 00:49:15 |
| 12 | Joel HOWELL | 00:49:40 |
| 13 | Trevor SPENCER | 00:49:52 |
| 14 | Joshua RENNICK | 00:50:06 |
| 15 | Samuel ALLMAN | 00:50:41 |
| 16 | Jesse GRANTS | 00:50:53 |
| 17 | Asher KNUCKEY | 00:51:23 |
| 18 | Marcos SOLLY | 00:51:31 |
| 19 | Tom NUTTALL | 00:51:50 |
| 20 | David SCOTT | 00:51:55 |
| 21 | Harrison DAVID | 00:52:07 |
| 22 | Leigh ASHMORE | 00:52:09 |
| 23 | Michael MCDOUGALL | 00:52:13 |
| 24 | Alexander VAN KRIEKEN | 00:52:33 |
| 25 | Paul SOUTER | 00:52:36 |
| 26 | Blake PARKINSON | 00:52:41 |
| 27 | Francis DOWDLE | 00:52:52 |
| 28 | Samuel KOLB | 00:52:57 |
| 29 | Andrew PARKER | 00:53:10 |
| 30 | Gilbert MCCANN | 00:53:12 |
| 31 | Jason SPENCER | 00:53:12 |
| 32 | Noah DEUBEL | 00:53:19 |
| 33 | Eney KOHUT | 00:53:27 |
| 34 | Lachlan YOURN | 00:53:34 |
| 35 | Gibson PAXMAN | 00:53:36 |
| 36 | Liam EPPS | 00:53:45 |
| 37 | David BALFOUR | 00:53:48 |
| 38 | Lochlan CURRY | 00:53:49 |
| 39 | Ben COSTELLO | 00:53:52 |
| 40 | Mike PERRY | 00:54:02 |
| 41 | James KENYON-SMITH | 00:54:07 |
| 42 | Henry TRUONG | 00:54:07 |
| 43 | Tim BEASLEY | 00:54:09 |
| 44 | Ben MCCUBBIN | 00:54:17 |
| 45 | James GARDNER | 00:54:25 |
| 46 | Heath KNOWLES | 00:54:31 |
| 47 | Sean DWYER | 00:54:35 |
| 48 | Chris BADGER | 00:54:40 |
| 49 | Harvey BROWN | 00:54:46 |
| 50 | Olivia WESTON | 00:54:54 |
Timing by MultiSport Australia: complete 2026 Puffing Billy Running Festival results, all distances.
Placings include the train: MultiSport Australia times Puffing Billy as a competitor.
