Tower trail run.

When is the event? where do i go?

Tower Trail Run 2024 will be on June 16th, in Mount Gambier, South Australia.

On that beautiful Sunday morning, the TTR crew will be welcoming our participants to the event hub on Hay Drive, Mount Gambier.

The event hub is visible from Lake Terrace West, and from there, you will find direct access to Hay Drive and the parking spaces available. We ask that event-goers strongly consider environmentally-friendly commute options such as carpooling, walking, and use of public transport in order to reduce the need for parking.

Participants and supporters of all kinds are welcome to arrive from 6:00am onwards.

When does my course start?

Start times for each event course are as follows:

5km - 9:15am

10km - 9:30am

21km - 8:00am

56km - 7:00am

A compulsory pre-run briefing will be held 5 minutes prior to each distance event. Running bibs (featuring your name, bib number, and e-tag for timing) will be ready for your collection at our event hub any time after 6:15am on the day of the event.

what should i bring?

There is no compulsory equipment for the Tower Trail Run. While this is true, we would recommend a water-carrying device of some kind, suitable footwear for the task at hand (road shoes with good grip, or trail shoes that aren’t too aggressive with their grip) and a weather-proof jacket.

Be prepared for available vendors at the event hub after your run! Food, drink, and assorted trail gear will be on offer for you to refuel and gear up for your next trail outing.

Please note: Single-use cups will not be available at the event. This is inline with the South Australian plastic cup/single-use plastics ban, as well as just being the right choice for our environment. Please make use of your personal reusable cups and water carrying devices to stay hydrated and refill at the aid stations provided.

A drop bag area will be roped off inside the event hub for the use of participants. This will be self-managed by runners and, while volunteers will be nearby with aid station duties, items are left at their owners risk.

Hiking Poles: The use of hiking poles is permitted BUT strong consideration must be given to the comfort and safety of all other entrants, if you choose to use them. Walking poles must be stowed away, or carried vertically, when not being utilised. When poles are in use, you must give way to other runners approaching from either behind or in front of you. Be aware that this is a multiple loop course with multiple event distances involved.

what is the minimum age for my course? why is there an age requirement?

Minimum age requirements for each event course are as follows:

5km - Open to all ages!

10km - 11 years of age.

21km - 11 years of age.

56km - 18 years of age.

Age requirements protect the health and safety of young children as well as all other participants. Although there is no age requirement for the 5km course, please be mindful of your child’s capabilities. You must enter with your child if there is a chance that they might require supervision during the event.

For both the 10km and 21km events, entrants between the ages of 11-16 must have suitable trail running experience that would demonstrate their ability to complete the distance and terrain of the Tower Trail Run course, prior to event day.
You must enter with your child if there is a chance that they might require your assistance to complete the event.

Please respect that these age limits have been set, in part, due to risk assessment factors and associated insurance requirements, which must be met in order to continue to hold the Tower Trail Run event.

how can i collect my running bib? how will my running bib time my run?

Bibs will be ready for participants at the event hub on the day of the event. Starting at 6:15am, you may collect your bib and some safety pins provided by us on Sunday, 18/06/23. No bibs will be posted out.

Bibs must be worn while participating. Please secure your bib to your front to ensure your time is accurately recorded.

Timing will be managed electronically using the bibs’ timing chips with additional manual backup tracking. It is important that your race number is visible from the front at all times to give yourself the best chance that your time will be recorded accurately.

could i get a refund after i register?

If you wish to withdraw prior to the event, please email info@towertrailrun.com.au with a request to be withdrawn.

In the event of withdrawal by an entrant, entry fees will be refunded as follows:

tart times for each event course are as follows:

Before 30/04/2024 – Less a fee of $12

Before 31/05/2024 – Less a fee of $18

Before 03/06/2024 – Less a fee of $30

No refund will be given on or after June 3rd 2024.

what is the cut-off time for my course?

Cut-off times for each event course are as follows:

5km - 11:15am, 2 hours after start time.

10km - 12:55pm, 3 hours & 25 minutes after start time.

21km - 12:30pm, 4 hours & 30 minutes after start time.

56km - 4:00pm, 9 hours after start time.

The Tower Trail Run will utilise sweepers (tail runners) for each course distance in order to provide safety and support (and possibly witty conversation)* to participants who may fall behind. This will be to ensure that no runner is left unaccounted for, or left without assistance if required, during the event.
* no responsibility will be taken by event organisers for quality, or cheesiness, of conversations offered by official tail runners

For participants of the 56km ultra marathon: A cut-off time will be enforced at 2:00pm for the commencement of the final ultra loop. A cut-off will also be enforced at the final aid station, ahead of the tower climb, at 3:00pm.

will there be aid stations? water? snacks? toilets?

Two aid stations will be manned by TTR crew members along the looping courses. One will be located at the event hub, the other positioned out on the course.

Water will be available at aid stations, HOWEVER, no disposable cups will be provided. Please bring your own reusable water bottle or water carrying device so as to cut down on plastic waste in accordance to the South Australian single-use plastics ban.

Snacks! Snacks will be available in the way of lollies (snakes, jelly babies, sour worms—that sort of thing). Once you’ve competed your course, soft drink is also on offer.

As for toilets, two public bathrooms are available at the event hub, as well as additional port-a-loo toilets which will be provided nearby. 56km runners will have on-course access to the Pumping Station kiosk toilets if required. No time allowances will be given for “nature” breaks. The race clock keeps on ticking.

will any roads be closed during the event?

Short answer: Yes! A road closure will be in place along Keegan/Hay Drive for the duration of the event. The closure will cover the section of the course between the TTR event hub and Riddoch Highway (Bay Road).

There are occasions when road crossing is required during the event. A TTR marshal will assist for all mandatory road crossings. It is important to note: Vehicles must always be given right of way. Failure to follow directions of a marshal in this situation may result in your disqualification from the event.

Be aware that you may be momentarily held up at any of these points for your safety and this is non-negotiable.

Can I Run with my dog?

No. Dogs are not permitted to participate in any of the Tower Trail Run events. This is a condition purely for safety reasons due to the numbers of people involved, and the variety of hazardous situations that could arise if dogs and their leads were also a factor. As organisers of the event, we are huge dog fans ourselves so we can assure you that there is no cat-led conspiracy involved here. It just doesn’t work in this situation.
Guaranteed your dogs will be more than happy to hear all about your adventure when you arrive home though.

what is the elevation for my course?

Elevation for each event course is as follows:

5km - 160m

10km - 420m (per course loop)

21km - 840m

56km - 1972m

(* approximate elevation data due to the myriad of discrepancies between devices.)

** Actual elevation could be up to 5 times this much. Who knows?
…….ok. so it’s definitely not out by nearly that much but, yeah. There’s a few hills along the way. Enjoy!

CAN MOTORISED VEHICLES BE USED DURING THE EVENT?

No. The use of any form of motorised transport during the race will lead to disqualification from the event.
And yes. This does include motorised scooters, buggies, paragliders, ziplines or any other form of trains, planes, and/or automobiles.

If you want to know more about the 2024 courses themselves, go and checkout the Trails page next.