A whip-crack, a gorge, and 220 kilometres of reckoning

Before first light on Friday 16 May the Lerderderg River whispers through a slate-black gorge. A lone stockman raises a bull-whip. The crack ricochets off sandstone and the seventh running of Down Under 135 surges into darkness. Head-torches scatter down the river bend like fireflies, and every runner knows the next three days will redefine what the words hard and possible mean.

This is no ordinary ultramarathon. With 135 miles (220 km), 14 000 m of vert, 55 hours to finish and a lifetime of stories to collect, Down Under 135 offers Australia’s ultra community an unfiltered shot of wilderness, grit and genuine self-discovery.


Down Under 135 Quick-scan facts

ItemDetails
Distance / Vert220 km • 14 000 m + • single-stage out-and-back
Cut-off55 h (Friday 06:00 → Sunday 13:00 approx.)
Start / Finish 2025Mackenzie’s Flat Picnic Area, Darley, VIC (course reversed back to original direction)
Crew hubs11 fully staffed checkpoints + DU Headquarters at Blackwood
Entry feeAUD 600 (not-for-profit, covers permits, medical, tracking, tee, buff, sticker, finishers’ prize, stocked hubs)
Qualifying windowProof of ultra experience accepted until 1 May 2025
Refund schedule100 % → 75 % → 50 % → 25 % → nil (see timeline below)
Finisher rate (avg.)~18 % over six editions — Australia’s toughest finish line

Why this is the Southern Hemisphere’s benchmark suffer-fest

  1. Authentic extremity – designed by five veteran mates who wanted an Aussie counterpart to Barkley, Tahoe 200 and Hardrock.
  2. Ever-changing course – route tweaks yearly; 2025 returns to the “Lerdy-first” original, starting down-river and climbing into Blackwood. No stale GPX files here.
  3. Whip-start folklore – the ceremonious stock-whip crack is now iconic in Australian trail culture.
  4. Community saga – a three-day festival for runners, crews, pacers, medics and volunteers who swap war-stories around checkpoint camp-fires.
  5. Hall-of-Fame legends – finish and your name joins a list where some years 97 % of starters timed out.
  6. Cost-price ethos – not-for-profit fee barely covering permits, medical, and 55 hours of aid.

Down Under 135 Course deep-dive — kilometre-by-kilometre fight-song

SegmentKmVert + / −TerrainMindset cue
Mackenzie’s Flat → Lerderderg Gorge0–18+900 / −200Narrow riverside single-track; rock-hopping fords“Settle in. This is the easy part.”
East-West Trail to Ah Kyes18–45+1 600 / −800Stair-steep climbs, leaf-litter descentsHiking poles earn their keep.
Mt Blackwood ascent45–55+800 / −150Switch-backs, granite slabsFirst skyline, sunrise reward.
Blackwood aid-hub55Civilisation: warm soup, crew hugsReset, repack, obey the clock.
Outskirts gold-country55–94+1 400 / −1 500Fireroad lull then savage gully cuts“Don’t bank time—bank energy.”
Turn-around springs110Mineral Springs meadowHalfway trophy photo—still 110 km home.
Return leg110–220+7 300 / −7 300 (cumulative)Everything again, but at night with fatigueGrit > glycogen.

Total tallies: 220 km14 000 m + • 11 crew hubs • SPOT Live-Tracking pinging every 5 min.


How the schedule unfolds (all AEST)

DayTimeEvent
Thu 15 May13:00–18:00Mandatory check-in & tracker pickup — Border Inn, Bacchus Marsh
Fri 16 May05:30Final gear weigh-in, whip demonstration
06:00RACE START — Mackenzie’s Flat (bull-whip crack!)
18:00Pacers allowed to join (approx. 90 km mark)
Sat 17 MayOn-goingCheckpoints, live splits, sunrise #2
Sun 18 May13:0055-hour cut-off bell & finish-line BBQ
14:30Finisher & volunteer ceremony, story-swaps
15:00Course closes, legends limp to Border Inn for post-mortems

Qualification — earn your bib

RequirementAcceptable evidence
At least one 100-km trail finish or 12-h track 100-km within the last 30 monthsOfficial result link or certificate
Demonstrated night navigationFinisher of any race that includes min. 8 h darkness or signed night-hike log
Safety gear proficiencyPhoto proof of mandatory kit & emergency bivvy practice
Medical clearanceGP or sports-doc letter within 6 months of race

Submit docs during registration or anytime before 1 May 2025. The committee vets every file—trust them, they’ve DNF’d enough ultras to know bravado from readiness.


Crew, pacers & hubs — your mobile lifeline

  • Crew recommended: 2 people ideal (driver + spare / pacer). Fatigue checks at hubs.
  • Solo allowed: Drop-bag service to all 11 hubs.
  • Pacer rules: Join after 90 km, one pacer at a time, must carry mandatory safety kit.
  • Hub etiquette: No loud music, respect National-Park quiet hours, leave no trace.
Hub #Approx. km*Crew accessDrop-bagHot food & drinkSleep space / amenities
00 – Mackenzie’s Flat (start/finish)✅ 2 WDCoffee, breakfast rolls (Fri) / BBQ (Sun)Picnic shelters, toilets
118 – Lerderderg Gorge footbridge❌ foot onlyBroth, water, colaRiverbank bivvy spots
234 – Ah Kyes Track car park✅ 2 WDSoup, toasties, electrolyteCrash mats, tarp shade
355Blackwood HQ / Mineral Springs✅ sealed roadFull kitchen: pasta, soup, coffeeHeated marquee, medical
474 – Whisky Creek saddle❌ foot onlyMiso, bananas, lolliesSmall tent, no crew
594 – Yankee Road gate✅ 2 WDPotato wedges, colaPacer join-point, toilets
6110 – Turn-around hub (TBA)✅ 2 WDHot soup, rice, ginger beerBonfire zone, cots
7128 – Yankee Road (return)✅ 2 WDToasted sandwiches, coffeeCrew nap zone
8146 – Whisky Creek (return)❌ foot onlyInstant noodles, cokeSmall shelter, no crew
9166 – Blackwood HQ (return)✅ sealed roadHot breakfast menu (Sat. dawn)Heated marquee
10202 – Ah Kyes (return)✅ 2 WDCoffee, porridgeCrash mats
11220 – Mackenzie’s Flat (finish)✅ 2 WDFinish-line BBQ, beer, soupPicnic area, first-aid

*Distances are rounded to the nearest kilometre; expect ±1–2 km variance once the 2025 route is finalised.

Key take-aways for Down Under 135 crews

  • Vehicle strategy: Only hubs 1, 4 & 8 are foot-access; everything else is reachable in a normal car.
  • Sleep rotation: Blackwood HQ (55 km & 166 km) plus Yankee Road hubs are the best spots to grab solid rest.
  • Drop-bags: Plan for temps between 3 °C (pre-dawn) and 18 °C (mid-afternoon). Pack lights, socks, spare batteries, real food.
  • Pacers: Can join from Hub 5 (94 km) onwards; must carry mandatory night kit.
  • Water capacity: Leave foot-only segments (Hubs 1→2 and 4→5 / 8→9) with 2+ L—those sections bite.

Down Under 135 Mandatory kit (spot-checked on course)

CategoryItems
SafetyPLB or SPOT tracker (provided), whistle, space blanket, compression bandage
Lighting2 head-torches + spare batteries (sunset ⇔ sunrise gap is ~11 h)
Fluids≥ 2 L capacity leaving any hub; ≥ 3 L capacity for Mt Blackwood segment
Nutrition1 000 cal emergency reserve
NavigationMap + compass or course-loaded watch (GPX released race-eve)
ClothingSeam-sealed waterproof jacket, thermal base-layer, beanie, gloves
ExtrasCup (cupless race), reflective vest for pacers after dusk

Miss an item in a random check → instant DQ (no appeals).


Training blueprint — nine key sessions to survive Down Under 135

  1. Back-to-back 7-h hikes (Sat / Sun) — leg durability > speed.
  2. Night nav fartlek — 3 h technical trail, focusing on foot placement by head-torch only.
  3. 1 000-m vert repeats — find the steepest hill; five ascents equal Mt Blackwood.
  4. 30-minute micro-naps — teach your brain to reboot on hub camp-chairs.
  5. Fast-pack gear drill — practise stripping wet jacket, swapping batteries, refilling flasks in < 3 min.
  6. Heat management — midday long run on exposed ridgeline; simulate unshaded gorge.
  7. Core + posterior chain — deadlifts, single-leg RDLs, weighted step-ups.
  8. Stomach training — graze on broth, cola, chips, ginger beer at walk pace.
  9. Mental durables — 4 h treadmill at 15 % gradient watching nothing but blank wall.

Down Under 135 Hall of Fame — proof that finishers exist

YearStartersFinishersFastest time
2024377 (19 %)Grant Ward 48 : 15
2023295 (17 %)Tom Dade 52 : 17
2022301 (3 %)Tom Dade 53 : 07
2021342 (6 %)Nigel Hill 52 : 36
2019319 (29 %)Michael Stuart 44 : 28
2018265 (19 %)David Giles 49 : 05
2017*175 (26 %)Salton & Muller 39 : 34

*2017 distance 202 km for safety, but it was still hideous.

Finishers’ names are laser-etched onto the DU135 Hall-of-Fame board displayed at Border Inn all year.


Entry timeline & refund ladder

Date checkpointRefund %Notes
Sign-up → 10 Nov 2024100 %minus booking fee
11 Nov → 31 Dec 202475 %
1 Jan → 1 Feb 202550 %
2 Feb → 1 Mar 202525 %
2 Mar 2025 onwards0 %Start-line charity pot if you can’t race

No transfers. No roll-overs. Tough love, true to DU ethos.


Volunteer & medical crew — the beating heart

  • Endurance Medical Services staff every hub.
  • Volunteer sweeps hike final sections collecting tape and checking stragglers.
  • All volunteers receive DU buff, tee and post-race dinner with athletes. Sign up early because spots vanish faster than gels at Mt Blackwood.

FAQs in two breaths

  • Can I run without crew? Yes — drop bags to every hub.
  • GPS allowed? Sure, but GPX file lands in your inbox Thursday 17 May, 20:00.
  • Wildlife? Kangaroos, wombats, maybe a sleepy python; no bears, no excuses.
  • Are pacers mandatory? Optional but 90 % of finishers used one.
  • DNF logistics? Shuttles sweep the course every four hours. You’ll ride out with UHF-radio-packing volunteers and existential reflection.

Your call to arms

The Down Under 135 isn’t about medals or Instagram reels (though the gorge sunrise is pretty ‘gram-worthy). It’s about toeing a line where failure is statistically probable yet finishing changes your DNA forever. If you crave an honest confrontation with your limits—and a community that’ll hand you broth, jokes and brutal honesty at 4 a.m.—then May’s whip-crack waits.

- Register from 2 June 2024, 16:00 AEST

- Gather a crew (or trust the drop-bag gods)

- Train like vert is life

- And on 16 May 2025 discover whether your spirit matches the Lerdy’s gorge.

Down Under 135“Gnarly, technical, aggressive vert, beautiful… enough said.”

Find out more here.