Running Wild: Mt Solitary Update

 17th March 2023:

Thanks for your patience with our Mt Solitary event.  Sadly though, this event can’t go ahead this year.  As you all know, there are still areas in the Blue Mountains that remain closed from impacts of fires, floods and landslides and unfortunately that includes some of the course for our Mt Solitary Ultra.

We had hoped the trails would re-open by the April time slot, but with race day getting ever closer, there are still too many uncertainties.  Its now pretty clear the current date is not going to work, as the Mt Solitary route and the Ruined Castle campground remain closed due to subsidence.

NPWS have been wonderful and really helpful, but with this uncertainty around when the area and trails might reopen, we feel it’s best to cancel for this year, let the area continue to recover and regenerate and let the authorities do what needs to be done. With the fires, storms, floods and landslides it’s understandably taking the area a while to get back to some kind of normal.

We did think about a course modification but then thought you can’t have an event called the Mt Solitary Ultra which doesn’t include Mt Solitary!

So for 2023, we are really sorry, there will be no Mt Solitary Ultra, but on a positive note, we are pretty confident that Mt Solitary Ultra will be back in 2024 better than ever!

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COVID Safety at Running Wild:

This event will operate according to all NSW Health COVID- 19 public health orders and the Running Wild NSW COVID Safety plan.  All runners are asked to adhere to all guidelines at all times during the event and not attend the event on race day should they be unwell or have any symptoms for COVID-19.

Click here for our full COVID-19 Safety Plan

Click here for Mt Solitary 2021 Runners Information booklet

For full information on COVID-19, including symptoms and public health orders, please visit the NSW Health page here

 

This course is spectacular. It has all the facets of what trail running is about – fast downhill fire/single trail, gnarly uphill, stairs, rolling single trail, creek/river crossings, rock clambering and diverse flora. Best of all, you will be tested to the hilt and be rewarded with stunning views all over the course. If you are aiming for The North Face, this race should suit you. We hope to see a few of you out there. For the latest info view our “2021 Mt Solitary Information Pack” and “Mandatory Gear – Information pack”.

Mt Solitary First Locals 2014, Ewan Horsburgh and Jo Brischetto Scott Hawker with the fastest time - 4.23.31 2014 Race Start First Local Season Five - John Glenn Downhill Fun

For anyone not familiar with the area, the course circles the Jamison Valley and takes in portions of The North Face course. The most significant part of the course, as the name implies, is the traverse over Mt. Solitary. There are qualifying standards contained in the information pack. All cuts are designed to ensure that runners complete the course in daylight hours. There will be a fair degree of self sufficiency in the first portion of the 45km course. There is no other way to describe this portion of the course, other than rugged, steep and technical in parts. The course will be marked, but there will still need to be a degree of self navigation to remain on course. We don’t expect this race to sell out in a day; however we do expect this race to fill up. There will be no waitlist so get in early to avoid disappointment.

Reproduced with permission from Martin Solms

 

RESULTS can be found on Tempus Timing

Race Records

Name Time Distance Year
Scott Hawker 4:23:41 45km 2014
Jodie Earl 5:27:20 45km 2019