KosciMiler

Event Overview

Course & Terrain

Alpine point-to-point from Jindabyne through the Snowy Mountains to the Thredbo finish.

Key course features to know before comparing this race:

• Lake Jindabyne shoreline and the Thredbo Valley Trail in the opening 30 km
• Mount Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest point, at about 68 km
• The Snowy River at Guthega Power Station (99–109 km), where pacers can join
• A final climb over the Thredbo ski area via Black Sallees to the Friday Flat finish

Mostly trail: the organizer said its 2024 redesign would significantly reduce sealed surface. The route follows Lake Jindabyne, enters the Thredbo Valley Trail and climbs to the alpine plateau, then uses the Kosciuszko Summit Walk and Main Range Track around the summit before swinging through Guthega and Smiggin Holes and finishing with a lap over the Thredbo ski area. Gloves with reinforced palms are mandatory because falls on the course’s steel-mesh walkway sections can cause deep cuts. The 2026 time chart shows the big climbs: about 750 m of climbing from Bullocks Flat (1,134 m, 32 km) to the Perisher water point (1,747 m, 44 km); Charlotte Pass (57 km) to the summit at 68 km; a long descent to Guthega Power Station on the Snowy River (1,332 m, 99 km) and a climb back to Perisher (1,722 m, 119 km); and about 580 m of climbing in 6.4 km from Keller Plaza (151 km) to Black Sallees (1,845 m) before the drop to Friday Flat.

Alpine and changeable even in late November, according to organizer updates and race reports. In 2025 late snow left large drifts on the Main Range Track and the upper Dead Horse Gap Walking Track; the organizer cut the Main Range section between the summit and Charlotte Pass Lookout as unsafe, added a Schlink Pass loop to keep the distance over 160 km, and warned of lows near 0°C at altitude in the mornings and overnight. In 2022, cold and snowfall moved the start to Perisher Valley, and runner-up Vlad Shatrov described 1.5 to 2 km of foot-deep snow. In 2024 a storm halted the 100-mile and 100 km races for nearly two hours, according to The Ultra Minute. The organizer issues a weather-dependent gear ruling the Wednesday before the race and may bring cutoffs forward in bad weather.

Entry & Logistics

Why This Race Matters

The KosciMiler is the 100-mile race of Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB, launched in December 2022 on the first UTMB World Series calendar by the team behind Ultra-Trail Australia and New Zealand’s Tarawera, with courses laid out by UTA founder Tom Landon-Smith. Snow forced a modified course for the first edition, which two-time Leadville 100 champion Adrian MacDonald won in 14:07:42; Sarah Ludowici took the women’s race in her first 100-miler. The 2026 race is the fifth edition. Finishers earn four UTMB Running Stones, the top three men and women share prize money, and the five fastest of each gender get free entry the following year. It is a separate event from the 240 km Coast to Kosci road race.

Historical benchmark notes in the directory record (verify current records with the linked official sources):

• Men: Adrian MacDonald, 14:07:42, 2022 (snow-modified course with 2,850 m of climbing)
• Women: Sarah Ludowici, 19:23:01, 2022 (snow-modified course)
• Men, Jindabyne start (since 2024): Sam Harvey, 16:38:59, 2024
• Women, Jindabyne start (since 2024): Sabrina Stanley, 19:33:58, 2024 (UTMB Index; press reports gave 19:51:08 after a storm hold)
• 2025 winners: Morgan Glazier, 17:38:25, and Stephanie Auston, 19:45:57

Preparing for a Race Like KosciMiler

The fixed-distance race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:

• Walking strategy for ultramarathons: When and how to walk by terrain, effort and cutoffs.
• Crew and aid-station strategy: Crew tables, aid stops, drop bags and runner preferences.
• Hydration and sodium for ultramarathons: Fluid, sodium, thirst, sweat rate and hyponatremia risk.
• Tapering for ultramarathons: Plan the taper and race week around your own recovery.

Best Fit

• Runners collecting UTMB World Series Running Stones (four for finishers) in Australia
• Strong 50 km to 100 km trail runners ready for a first 100-miler with crews and pacers
• Runners who want to reach Australia’s highest summit on a trail course

Planning Notes

• Train for terrain-specific fatigue. Technical trails and mountain courses demand downhill durability, hiking efficiency, and reliable night lighting.
• The directory does not mark this as having simpler logistics. Confirm qualification, terrain, support, registration, medical, and withdrawal requirements before planning around it.
• Snow and cold on the high ground: the 2025 race lost its Main Range section to icy drifts, and alpine lows sit near 0°C overnight
• Early cutoffs after a 3:00 AM start: Trout Hatchery (12.6 km) closes at 5:25 AM and Charlotte Pass Resort (57 km) at 3:05 PM
• About 580 m of climbing in 6.4 km from Keller Plaza to Black Sallees after 151 km
• Crews cannot drive to Charlotte Pass; both Charlotte Pass checkpoints are reachable only by the paid shuttle from Perisher

Event FAQs

Related Preparation

• Compare this race in the full 2026 calendar
• Open the Fixed-Distance format guide
• Compare all race formats
• Use the timed-race pace calculator
• Plan checkpoint arrivals and cutoff buffers
• Print a pace band for your goal time
• Estimate race calories and plan fueling
• Build a crew and drop-bag plan
• Build a race-specific gear checklist