Registrations Are Now Open for the Pilliga Ultra!

After an incredible event in 2022 and a hiatus in 2023, the Pilliga Ultra is back! Trail running meets activism at this exciting community event created by For Wild Places and in collaboration with other dedicated groups keen to save the Pilliga Forest.

What is the Pilliga Ultra?

On the weekend of the 13-15th of September 2024, join For Wild Places in the NSW Pilliga Forest for a weekend of running, community, and sports activism. The Pilliga Ultra gives you the option to run in one or all of the events – either the 10km, 20km, or 50km race – discover the Pilliga’s beauty and diversity, and be part of the fight to protect it.

Why not take your run club to the Pilliga Forest?

Early bird registrations are open now and close on the 19th of May. Registration costs begin at $55 for the Pilliga 10km and range up to $290 for the Pilliga Ultra Grand Slam (if you’re eager to run in all three races; 10km, 20km and 50km).

Importantly, 10% of each race entry and 50% of event profits will be contributed to the fund managed by For Wild Places. This fund will be made available to organisations, individuals, and community groups in and around the Pilliga to support their efforts to keep it wild.

The Pilliga Ultra is based at Pilliga Pottery, approximately six hours’ drive from Sydney. It’s located on a private farm 30 minutes north of Coonabarbran and an hour south of Narrabri, nestled between the Timmallallie National Park and Pilliga Nature Reserve.

Trot through the region’s natural beauty

The event aims to raise money and awareness to support the local community as they fight to protect the Pilliga Forest for its cultural and environmental significance, rather than see it exploited for coal seam gas extraction.

The Pilliga Ultra welcomes locals and those from far and wide to the family friendly weekend. Expect to be immersed in the beauty of the Pilliga Forest, get to know the locals, and learn more about the campaign to stop coal seam gas in the area.

Feels good runnin’ for a reason!

The event will also attract some of Australia’s favourite and most accomplished trail runners – keep an eye out over the coming months to find out who!

The weekend isn’t just about beautiful trails in beautiful places, it’s about learning about the land we run on, the environmental and cultural significance, and what’s currently at risk. The family friendly weekend will feature a kids run, live music, communal dinners, workshops and activities, and walking tours of the area.

Why is the Pilliga Forest significant?

Deep in the heart of NSW lies a vast forest that for millennia has been home to native mice, endangered birds, ancient underground aquifers, and Traditional Owners, the Gomeroi people.

But now, fossil fuel giant Santos is turning this rugged yet pristine bushland into a dusty gas field known as the Narrabri Gas Project, against the desires of the Traditional Owners, local community, and nature lovers alike.

Join Us in a Moment of Sports Activism

As trail runners, we want to see beautiful and biodiverse places protected. Join us in the Pilliga and traverse the sandstone escarpments and grass-lined creeks to experience its inherent beauty as a wild place.

Together, we’ll stand alongside the communities of the Pilliga and say NO to fossil fuel extraction and YES to protecting the Pilliga!

Head to For Wild Places to learn more about the significance of the Pilliga and to register for the Pilliga Ultra. 

Images supplied by For Wild Places