Heading west from the race village you’ll exit the event centre before turning left and up a small climb. You will now cross over Mitchells Way and continue on until you eventually turn right onto Black Flat Creek Trail. You will now begin the 600m vertical ascent to the summit of the mountain. Dual tyre tracks interspersed with wildflowers and spring grasses dot much of the climb in the lower elevations.

Your view of the summit is quickly obscured by the ridge lines in the foreground that you inevitably must pass over. After around 6km of steady climbing next to the bubbling creek to your left, your route takes a sharp hairpin to the right and you’re met with a serious incline. This will continue with switchbacks and false flats for the next several kilometres as you climb sharply out of the valleys and begin to see the sprawling farmland below you to the north. You will intersect and turn a sharp left onto Mitchells Way fire trail and, depending on the time of day, you may encounter other runners who are descending to the finish line of the 22km course at this point.

From here, it’s a serious climb to the top. You will catch the occasional glimpse of the mountain summit off to your right at times, and it’s not long before you can see it all before you as you pop out on to a short section of sealed road before the infamous powerline ascent.  This is exposed, wickedly steep and full of breathtaking views.  If it’s hot, you’ll feel it here, and if it’s cold, you’re completely exposed on the northern flank of the mountain.

Before you know it you’ll hit the summit stretch and pop out on to the summit itself at the Summit Aid Station at 9km. You then plunge steeply off the western side and down the Snow Gum track to the Federal Falls crossover and loop.  Here you will descend sharply on flowing single track before looping around and climbing, sometimes on technical ground, back towards the Federal Falls Campground. After completing this section, you’ll enjoy 3km of open graded dirt road on the run into the Towac Way Aid Station at 15km. From here, you get breathtaking views to the south as you descend easily for a while, before a hard right hand turn takes you on to the Wombat trail.

Get ready to climb sharply for several kilometres at this point, until you intersect with Gum Ridge trail and begin the long descent towards home. Enjoy the fire trail as it drops you down to the pine forest and then get your single track legs on once more as you take on the flowing Galinbundinya trails towards Boree. At the 27km point, you’ll run through the Boree Aid Station and farewell the single track for the final time.

From here, you face graded dirt roads and occasional fire trails as you set your sights on the race village.  You’ll circumnavigate the southern boundary of the farm, before turning left on to Mitchells Way and finishing under the finisher’s arch.

You went there, and you’re back again…