Time to run: Tasmania's autumn running festivals
Cool air, scenic routes and stunning wilderness make Tasmania a favourite for runners of all types. Lace up your sneakers for some of our best running events this autumn – from the adventurous to the more straightforward. On your marks, get set, go!
Lincoln Quilliam loves running in Tasmania so much that he’s made a job out of founding and directing trail-running events here, from the now-famous Kunanyi Mountain Run to regular local trail runs in Hobart and now a brand-new autumn event on the West Coast. He’s run all over the mainland and the world, and rates Tassie trails as the best.
“Tassie definitely feels wild,” he says. “The landscape itself is just wild compared to a lot of Australia. You quickly feel deeply immersed in the wilderness. I really thrive on that; being connected to nature on its terms. You’ve got to strip back your own ego and any societal pressures melt away so quickly because you need to focus on yourself and how you move through the landscape.”
This year will be a big one for Lincoln and the team, with the fifth Kunanyi Mountain Run (KMR) event in March and the new DIVERGE Skyruns event in and around Queenstown in May.
Then, for runners who prefer to pound the pavement or want to mix it up a little, there’s also the Launceston Running Festival, the Hobart Marathon Festival and the Great Train
Race in Devonport.
Credit: Mark Watson
Credit: Mark Watson
Kunanyi Mountain Run
27–29 March 2026
KMR is a festival that celebrates running, community and the famous mountain – Kunanyi/Mount Wellington – that overlooks Hobart. Back for a fifth year, the event offers a 66km ultra marathon or relay of the same distance, a 46km alpine marathon, a 25km mountain run or walk, a vertical kilometre, foothills runs at 5, 9 and 14km, and kids’ activities.
“It’s a celebration of the epic mountain on the doorstep of Hobart. We are so, so lucky,” says Lincoln. “We’ve got real mountains in Tassie, and the rest of the country is generally kind of lacking, particularly around the major cities. The mountain’s nature, and how big and steep the climbs are… they just keep on going, which is interesting for people. The other feedback we get is that our community is so positive and welcoming and really does celebrate the mountain and the community that surrounds it.”
The event is also unique for its continuous collaboration with the Palawa community: “We aim to provide an open and supportive platform for Palawa or Tasmanian Aboriginal community, to share culture and story on their terms. And so that’s been a really powerful and positive connection to the land and country from the outset, five years ago. We also have cultural walks on the mountain in small, guided groups as part of the festival.”
kunanyimountain.run
“We’ve got real mountains in Tassie, and the rest of the country is generally kind of lacking, particularly around the major cities."
Hobart Marathon Festival
12 April 2026
If you’d rather run on footpaths and roads closer to sea level, the Hobart Marathon Festival offers a bunch of races along the Derwent River and Salamanca wharves that will take you past heritage buildings and picturesque waterways with bushland and mountain views. There are five distances on offer: the full marathon, half marathon, 10km, 5km run or walk and the 2km fun run/walk.
The event raises much-needed funds for Variety Tasmania and is proudly open to all abilities and age groups, and caters to all those wanting to take part, including families and those with physical and intellectual disabilities. The 2km event is suitable for prams and wheelchairs.
hobartmarathon.com.au
Credit: Mark Watson
DIVERGE Skyruns
1–3 May 2026
The DIVERGE Skyruns festival is a new entry on the Tasmanian running calendar catering to those who like their runs to be truly wild and want to feel like they’re running in the clouds. Based in Queenstown, with a mix of existing and newly created tracks, it is billed as offering “Australia’s most serious skyruns”: the Mt Lyell Skyrun 50km and the Mt Owen Skyrun 25km.
“The skyruns are all about running where the feet meet the clouds,” explains Lincoln. “So, you’re traversing exposed ridge lines, the most direct routes up and down mountains and across the tops of the mountains. It’s pretty gnarly! This is the most serious skyrunning event in Australia.”
There are also gentler runs on offer, from the Airfield 5km and 10km (where you can run on the actual airfield at Queenstown), to the kid-friendly Queenie Rogaine through town.
An exciting element for younger (or, ahem, 43-year-old) runners is the chance to hop on the iconic West Coast Wilderness Railway heritage steam train and then run back in the Lynchford Express Run 5km, with the aim of beating the train.
diverge-skyruns.au
Launceston Running Festival
31 May 2026
Last but certainly not least on the autumn race calendar is “Australia’s fastest running course”, the Launceston Running Festival. Starting as simply The Launceston 10, the event now includes a half marathon, a 5km and a one-mile event as well as the 10km. It appeals to those trying for a particularly fast time. Runner and running coach David Bailey says it’s one of the best run events around.
“The Launnie Running Festival is an awesome event, it’s very well organised and you get a big crowd,” says David.
“It’s an extremely fast course, so you get runners from the mainland who come down and participate. But the best thing about it is, because of the big field, you’re always going to have a group of runners around you at any given pace, so it just helps you hit your target paces. As well as having people around you to keep pushing you, the crowd support on the course is awesome as well.”
launcestonrunningfestival.com.au
Top tips for beginner runners
By running coach David Bailey
Become a scholar
“Read a lot of articles, do your research about nutrition, training methods and gear. If you’re really interested in running, and you can get all that background knowledge, that’ll really help with your running journey.”
Enjoy the build up
“Sign up to things that excite you, but all within reason: you don’t really want to be signing up to a marathon when you’ve just started! You want to build your way up there. Don’t worry about pace so much, the main thing is just about being out there and enjoying it.”
Join a club
“If you’re uncertain about training it’s good to join a running club. There are so many different running groups and clubs around Tassie now. If you feel like it, you can always look out for coaches as well.”
Go slow on the gear
“You don’t need as much gear as other sports but you do want good shoes. Call into a local running store and get fitted for a good pair. When you get a bit more advanced, look at a running vest so you can take water, food and a snake bite kit out on the trails.”