There is a 42.2km Marathon, a 21.1km Half-Marathon, and 11km fun run and a 6km fun run/walk.

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The 6km fun run/walk and the 11km fun run are open to all ages. To participate in the Half-Marathon you must be aged 15 years or older on race day and to participate in the Marathon you must be 18 years or older on race day.

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The Marathon and Half-Marathon will both start at 8am. The 11km fun run will start at 8:15am and the 6km fun run/walk will start at 8:20am.

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The Australian Outback Marathon is an adventure marathon run on varying terrain so, like other adventure marathons around the world, the course is not measurable to AIMS standards. However we have used the best available technology to ensure you run at least the advertised distances. The Australian Outback Marathon is a proud member of AIMS.

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Your race pack will be available on the day of your arrival from the reception area at Sails in the Desert.  Pick-up times are between 3pm and 4:30pm.

Your race pack will include your bib number, a copy of distance Running Magazine, your full itinerary for your stay, a map of the resort, your Coolmax running top (if booked prior to 31st May 2010) any merchandise you have purchased online prior to your departure (international runners only) and your event wrist band.

NOTE: for all activities that are included in your itinerary you MUST be in possession of your wrist band. This includes all tours, transfers (other than upon your arrival), all meals (including resort breakfast) and transfers to and from the race start/finish area.
No wrist band - no access!

There may be provision to change between events (say from the Half-Marathon to the Full Marathon) prior to the 31st July however it cannot be guaranteed.

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Yes, there will be several medically trained personnel at the start/finish area just in case they are needed, including the St. Johns Ambulance. There is also a medical centre at the Ayers Rock Resort and the Australian Outback Marathon will have a helicopter on standby just in case it is required. It is highly recommended that ALL runners therefore have at the very least medical insurance cover for the Australian Outback Marathon.

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Drinks will be stationed approximately every three kilometres throughout the Half-Marathon and the Marathon. There will also be a drinks station at the half-way point in the 11km fun run. There will not be a drinks station for the 6km fun run/walk. Each drinks station will have bottled water.

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Yes, personal drinks can be left at the 9km, 15km, 21km, 30km and 36km drinks stations for Marathon runners and at the 9km and 15km drink stations for Half Marathon runners. All personal drinks must be dropped at Sails in the Desert registration desk between 3.00-4.30pm Friday and clearly marked. Personal drinks will NOT be accepted on race day.

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You will not be able to add additional pre-arranged tours to your itinerary once you arrive at the Ayers Rock Resort. You can, of course, elect not to participate in a pre-booked tour or activity if you wish and there are many tour options to choose from once you are at the resort.

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Once you have made your booking and the final payment has been made the booking cannot be transferred to another person or transferred to another year.

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Once you have made your booking and the final payment has been made the booking cannot be transferred to another year without written approval from Travelling Fit, the event organisers of the Australian Outback Marathon.

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The Australian Outback Marathon is proud to be able to have the National Heart Foundation as our official charity. Please click here for more details.

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Yes, there will be food provided for all participants at the finish line.

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Your transfer to the race start has been included as part of your package. Our private coaches will pick you up from outside your hotel in plenty of time to ensure that you are at the start line.

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Our private coaches will be operating a shuttle service from the race start/finish area back to the resort so that you can leave whenever you have finished your event. All participants are encouraged to remain at the finish, however, to cheer in those runners who have elected to enjoy the wondrous scenery for just a little longer.

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Depending on the itinerary you have chosen, you will have various different tours and meals included as part of your Australian Outback Marathon experience. ALL participants who have booked an accommodation package have breakfast included for every morning that you are staying at the Ayers Rock Resort. In addition, everyone who has booked an accommodation based itinerary is invited to attend our Friday evening Pasta Party.

Everyone who has booked a standard package that includes the nights of 30th July, 31st July and 1st August will also get to experience our exclusive Celebration Dinner which will be held at a private, outdoor dining area.

Your normal running gear will be fine for the event. It will be reasonably chilly at the race start so you may want to consider running in leggings and a long-sleeved running top. Note that these may prove to be quite warm as the race goes on, however. For those that are competing in the Marathon, you will be able to discard unwanted clothing at the 21km mark as you pass through the start/finish area.

Be sure to mark all of your personal belongings so that you can easily reclaim them at the end of your event.

The course for the Australian Outback Marathon consists of hard-packed earth fire trails, soft sand, graded but unsealed roads and a small amount of sealed asphalt road.

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We recommend that, as with any running race, the best running shoes to wear are the ones that you are most comfortable in. For most participants normal running shoes will be fine but you may also want to consider using a trail running shoe as the terrain is mainly hard and soft sand.

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The average daytime temperature in July is 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) whilst the night-time temperature is only 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit). This means that on race day the temperature will be chilly just before and just after dawn but will be perfect once you are running. The humidity levels are usually less than 10%.

Note that the area can be quite cold in the evenings so be sure to bring something warm. For the perfect Australian Outback Marathon evening experience, why not buy one of our exclusive Fleece tops. Click here for more information.

The weather in Central Australia is currently unseasonably cold so make sure to pack some warm clothes for the evenings.

It is essential that NO litter is dropped on the course. The Australian Outback Marathon will be conducted on private land and the course utilises areas that are not normally open to the public. In order to ensure that the environment is kept as pristine as possible we request that ALL litter that you need to dispose of is done only in the rubbish bins provided.

Any participant dropping litter on the course will be immediately disqualified from their event and removed from the course. This applies to water bottles and personal drinks bottles as well as any other litter you may need to dispose of.

There are numerous things to do whilst at the Ayers Rock Resort. For those taking advantage of our longer itineraries, tours to Uluru are included and for those on Itinerary 1 you will also get to enjoy the amazing Valley of the Winds tour to Kata Tjuta as part of your Australian Outback Marathon experience.

Connellan Airport (Ayers Rock Airport) is six kilometres from the Ayers Rock Resort and it takes about 10 minutes to transfer between the two.

Both the Marathon and the Half Marathon will be have distance markers at every kilometre. In addition, each kilometre sign will also have the distance in miles on the sign.

In addition, the entire course will be clearly marked with "arrowed" signage to ensure that you will always know which way to go when out on the course.

International currency can be changed into Australian Dollars at the reception of your hotel. In addition, there is also an ANZ bank in the shopping precinct at the resort.

Mobile phones will work at Ayers Rock resort and for approximately a 20km radius around the resort. This means that your phone WILL work at Uluru but you WILL NOT get coverage at Kata Tjuta. If you do not have a mobile phone but want to get one for your stay, pre-paid mobile phones can be purchased from the Post Office situated in the shopping precinct.

Yes, there is wireless internet at all of the hotels. Wireless coverage is availble in and around the reception and swimming pool areas of each hotel and may be available in those rooms close to the reception areas. The cost is $25 for each 24 hour period. Internet kiosks are also available should you wish to use them.