Eighty kilometres of coast-hugging trail that links Sydney’s two most famous beaches on Saturday 25 October 2025 for the Bondi to Manly Ultra. You start under Bondi Pavilion at dawn, trace the clifftops to Watsons Bay, skirt the harbour past the Opera House and across the Bridge, then dive into bushland on the North Shore before the final push over North Head to the finish chute on Manly sand. Four full aid stations, three water stops, chip timing, live tracking, and every dollar above costs goes back into maintaining the Bondi-to-Manly walking track. Solo or relay—one big day to run the harbour end-to-end.
Why runners keep coming back to the Bondi to Manly Ultra 2025
| Edge you feel | How the race delivers it |
|---|---|
| Big-city drama, wild-bush heart | From clifftop spray at Dover Heights to red-gum shade on Bradleys Head, you swap concrete for single-track a dozen times. |
| Icon checklist | Macquarie Lighthouse • The Gap • Opera House • Harbour Bridge • North Head – you run every postcard, not just pose for it. |
| Friendly cut-off (14.5 h) | Plenty for first-time ultrarunners, still fast enough to tempt sub-8 hour elites. |
| Not-for-profit purpose | All surplus funds upgrade the Bondi-to-Manly Walking Track: new signage, habitat restoration, Indigenous heritage panels. |
How the Bondi to Manly Ultra course tells its story
0 – 10 km – Bondi → South Head
Sunrise cliffs, salt in your hair, first climb past Macquarie Lighthouse.
10 – 30 km – Harbour mansions & history
Watsons Bay, the Hermitage boardwalk, Rushcutters figs, Mrs Macquarie’s Chair where ferries draft-spray your face.
30 – 40 km – Steel & sails
The Opera House curves white; the Bridge takes you north with car horns for applause. Aid Station 2 in Milson Park is a burst of cowbells and hot broth.
40 – 60 km – Hidden bushland
Cremorne Point pines, kookaburras at Bradleys Head, WWII tunnels at Middle Head, then Balmoral’s turquoise bowl and chips dipped in saltwater.
60 – 80 km – Spit Bridge & North Head
Mangrove boardwalk, jelly-legs stairs, final cliff-edge panorama across the whole harbour before Manly’s sand swallows your footsteps.
Pick your poison - Bondi to Manly Ultra distances
| Format | Distance | Vert | Start | Cut-off | Entry fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra (solo) | ~80 km | 1 509 m + | 05:00 | 19:30 | $332 |
| Relay 2 × 40 km | 40.8 / 41.0 km | 366 / 436 m + | 06:00 | 19:30 | $508 team |
| Relay 4 × ≈ 20 km | 19.9 / 20.8 / 23.2 / 17.8 km | 366 / 364 / 436 / 337 m + | 06:30 | 19:30 | $660 team |
All entries include tee, medal, live tracking, four fully-stocked aid stations and three water points.
Aid & bag-drop intel
| KM | Spot | What you get | Crew / bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | The Gap | Water / electrolyte | Foot access only |
| 20 | Lyne Park | Fruit, coke, Tailwind | ✅ Crew |
| 40 | Milson Park | Hot soup, wraps, bag-drop swap | ✅ Crew + big drop-bags |
| 60 | Balmoral Oval | Watermelon, gels, coke | ✅ Crew |
| 70 | Clontarf Reserve | Hot noodles, cola, salt tabs | ✅ Crew |
| Finish | Manly Beach | Recovery fuel, medics, ocean plunge | ✅ Crew |
Bondi to Manly Ultra Mandatory kit (finish-line spot-check = 10-min penalty / item)
- 800 ml+ hydration (400 ml for relay legs)
- Compression bandage
- Space blanket
- Charged mobile phone
- Head-torch for Elite, Wave A, Wave B (drop at 40 km)
- Rain jacket if forecast calls it Wednesday night
Race-week rhythm
- Sat 18 Oct: Early bib pick-up, Manly
- Wed 22 Oct 17:30: Mandatory online briefing (recorded)
- Fri 24 Oct 08:00–18:00: Bondi bib & bag-drop truck
- Sat 25 Oct:
- 04:30 – last-minute bibs, Bondi Pavilion
- 05:00 – Ultra waves rollout
- 06:00 – 2 × 40 km relay start
- 06:30 – 4 × 20 km relay start
- 19:30 – Course closes, beers hit ice
Train for contrasts, not just kilometres
- Stair + sand doubles – run lighthouse steps, jog onto the beach; repeat.
- Bridge reps at lunch – acclimate to concrete heat radiating off steel.
- Night head-torch tempo across Bondi Golf Club to feel the pre-dawn leg.
- Bush-to-bitumen switch-ups – legs learn to change cadence instantly.
- Ferry logistics drill – spectators test Circular Quay ↔ Milsons Point crossings so race-day cheers are never late.
Register if…
- You want an ultra where opera-house selfies and red-gum single-track belong in the same Strava upload.
- You believe medals shine brighter after saltwater dips.
- You like the idea that your entry fee upgrades trail signage for every kid on a school holiday stroll.
Sydney is ready to wrap its harbour around your waist like a champion’s belt. Secure your spot, tell your calves the news, and meet us at dawn on Bondi sand. Find out more here.