Southern Rail Trail

Despite the name, this one is in Victoria. The Southern Rail Trail is run on the Great Southern Rail Trail through South Gippsland, the corridor of the old Dandenong to Port Albert line that opened in 1892, closed in 1992 and had its track lifted two years later.

Seven distances, three start lines

The 100km and 72km are point-to-point from the Port Welshpool Old Ferry Terminal, away at 6:45am and 7:30am. The half marathon starts inland at Stony Creek Racecourse, from the old starting gates. Marathon, 10km, 5km and the 2km family dash all start at the Leongatha trail precinct, which is where every one of the seven distances finishes.

Underfoot

Compacted crushed gravel for most of the way, well maintained but unsealed and uneven in patches. The point-to-point courses run net downhill from the coast, which is not the same as flat: 708m of climbing across the 100km and 578m over the 72km. Between Koonwarra and Meeniyan the trail crosses the Black Spur trestle bridges, including one where the modern rail-trail deck sits alongside the original 1890s timber structure over the Tarwin River. Hoddle Summit, between Fish Creek and Foster, is the high point of the ultra courses, and the descent from it opens onto Corner Inlet with Wilsons Promontory beyond.

Cut-offs are generous but real: 17 hours for the 100km, 11 hours 30 for the 72km, six hours for the marathon, four for the half. Entry runs from $20 for the family dash to $340 for the 100km.