The Overland Track, Tasmania’s iconic multi-day walk, is a trail runner’s paradise. While most explore its beauty over six leisurely days, the well maintained track is perfect for a big day mission. Imagine the fulfillment of conquering 80km of single-track through the mountains in a single day. With four completions and having done it in both directions, I’ve had my fair share of experience on the track. I promise that running the Overland Track will be a day to remember. However, transforming this dream into reality requires meticulous planning. Let this guide be your roadmap to successfully tackling this iconic run.

How to Run The Track?

Several approaches exist for tackling the Overland Track, each with its own logistical challenges and costs. Let’s explore your options:

• Overland Track Guided Tour with Find your Feet Tours (most expensive, $1995 AUD but easiest option)
• Enter the Cradle Mountain Run (less expensive, $350 AUD)
• Plan your own trip in summer (still requires a permit, $295 AUD)
• Plan a winter trip (cheapest but most difficult option)

This post will focus on how to plan your own trip discussing transport logistics, accommodation, gear, nutrition and the route.

Planning a Mission

The Route

The full Overland Track traverses through some of Tasmania’s epic mountains starting from Cradle Mountain and finishing at Lake St Clair. During the summer months it must be completed from north to south but during winter it can be done in either direction.

Walkers generally catch a ferry along the lake at the end which shortens the distance by 17.5km. Trail runners typically run the full length of the lake to complete the entire 80km of the track. The Cradle Mountain Run is an annual event that runs the full length of the course from North to South. This is a great way to see the track and meet heaps of awesome people.

I have ran the track three times from North to South, twice as part of Cradle Mountain Run and another time last winter with mates. Last weekend I ran the track from South to North for the first time, making a total of four times that I have run the full trail.

The track is extremely remote, once you start you must fend for yourself for 80km. There is only one bailout option and that is heading down the Arm River Track from Pelion Hut. This is around the halfway mark and still requires and extra 12km of running to get out. The end of the Arm River track is in the middle of nowhere at the end of a road. If you do bail out you need to have a plan on how to get picked up.

An example of the track conditions

Section Overview

I have broken the trail into sections and provided brief descriptions for each section below. The elevation profile diagram shows the position of each landmark relative to it’s elevation. These sections are referenced further on in the time estimates section.

LOCATION	TOTAL (SECTION) DIST [km]	SECTION NOTES
Waldheim	0 (5.1)	Steep climb up Marions lookout then onwards around towards Cradle Mountain.
Kitchen Hut	5.08 (5.5)	Technical running around Cradle Cirque then descending to Waterfall Valley.
Waterfall Valley	10.6 (7.5)	Short fast section with plenty of duck board
Windermere	18.12 (10.8)	Another fast duckboard section descending to Frog flats. Some more rocky technical sections but they are runnable.
Frog Flats	28.9 (4.2)	Gradual climb to Pelion Hut, mostly duckboard and a runnable gradient
Pelion Hut	33.1 (8.4)	Climbing up and over Pelion Gap, rooty steep climb, runnable descent down to Kia Ora Hut. This is the bailout point where you can head down Arm River track.
Kia Ora	41.5 (2.6)	Fast runnable duckboard section
Du Cane Hut	44.1 (6.8)	Climbing up over Du Cane Gap, rooty and steep section
Windy Ridge	50.9 (10)	Undulating descent down to Narcissus, runnable and fun but still rooty and rocky.
Narcissus	60.9 (6.3)	Rough undulating terrain around the lake. Renowned for being slow and frustrating. A tough way to finish an already long run.
Echo Point	67.2 (10.3)	Track slightly improves from Echo point onwards but remains rough and undulating. Track improves in the final 4km or so.
Cynthia Bay	77.5 (0)

Course Maps

I recommend downloading multiple maps to your phone for offline use. I use the following apps:

• Avenza Maps: I use the nswtopo map pack for Overland track and Walls of Jerusalem
  • You can also download the CMR map into Avenza for free (link)
• Maps.me: Download offline maps as an alternative to Avenza maps
• Paper maps: Good to have if phone dies. If there are multiple people with me I leave the paper map at home and rely on their phones as backup

Time Estimates

The trail is deceptively difficult given the elevation and distance stats. To give an idea of times, these are the total durations of each run I have done with links to the Strava activities:

• 9hr 29m – Cradle Mountain Run 2023
• 11hr 51m – Winter Run 2023 (Blog Post Link)
• 9hr 41m – Cradle Mountain Run 2024 (Blog Post Link)
• 12hr 25m – Winter Run 2024 (Blog Post Link)

My rough time estimates for those wanting to take on the trail are:

• < 10 hours – race pace, you are on a mission or in the Cradle Mountain Run
• 10-11 hours – super fit group not mucking around
• 11-14 hours – average time for a fun day out if you have good running fitness and experience
• 14 hours + – for slower runners or if someone in the group blows up, I have known groups to take nearly 17 hours

Permits

​Overland Track Pass Fees apply from 1 October – 31 May. The current fees (as of July 2024) are:

• Adults – $295
• Children (17 years and under) – $255
• Concession – $255​

You are also required to hold a valid parks pass. During the permit period the track is one way only from North to South. Outside of the permit period the track can be ran in either direction without paying the fee but still requires a parks pass. This period is over the winter months when the track is less popular. If running the track in a single day then booking is not required.

The entry fee for the Cradle Mountain Run includes parks permit. They have a deal to get permits for $50 for the event. The event entry is $350, which is only slightly more than a summer permit. I highly recommend trying to enter the event as a way of running the track is summer. The hard part is snagging an entry because they have become increasingly popular in recent years and there is only 60 positions.

Logistics and Accommodation

One of the greatest challenges aside from the physical feat of running 80km is sorting out transport logistics. The start and finish of the track are separated by a 3 hour drive. Both trailheads are in themselves quite a long distance from any main cities. At Cradle Mountain you must park at the visitor centre and catch a shuttle bus into the trailhead if you arrive during bus hours. If you start earlier then you can drive right into the trailhead. Early starts are advisable to make the most of daylight hours.

Transport Options

Car Shuttles

The least favourable option is using two cars and doing car shuttles. This involves dropping a car at Lake St Clair then driving to Cradle Mountain to start the run. Then after the run you will need to drive all the way back to Cradle Mountain to retrieve the other car. This results in a huge amount of driving.

Lifts from Friends and Family

This method involves pulling in many favours and getting someone to help with the driving. Last year when I ran the track I got a lift to the start from my Dad and got picked up at the finish from my mate Bevo. We started and finished the day in Launceston. This meant we had a huge day out but we didn’t need to sort out accommodation at Cradle or Lake St Clair.

Enter the Cradle Mountain Run

This is the easiest method. Buses are organised from Hobart to Cradle Mountain the day before. Accommodation is organised at Waldheim the night before and your gear is transported to the end. You need to sort your own accommodation at the Lake St Clair end. Then there is a bus back to Launceston from Lake St Clair the day after the event.

Private Shuttle Bus

There are many private shuttle bus companies that offer lifts to and from Cradle Mtn and Lake St Clair. These can be limiting with their timetables given running typically starts early and finishes late. They usually have a minimum passenger number to do a trip. This is not an ideal method to do the run because you really need gear at the end and at the start if you are staying the night.

The Car Swap Method

This involves matching up a run with people walking or running in the opposite direction and doing a car key swap somewhere along the way. This is the method I employed on my most recent run. My girlfriend was starting the Overland track and staying the night at Waldheim. So we ran South to North and stayed at Waldheim with them the night before they started their walk.

Accommodation Options

Cradle Mountain

At Cradle Mountain there are numerous accommodation options. The best and cheapest option is staying at the Waldheim Cabins which are located inside the park right at the trailhead. They have a minimum 2 night booking policy but if you are booked to start the Overland track you are allowed to book a single night. The cabins are metres from the start of the track. A super convenient location.

If you are running South to North then staying at Waldheim means you finish running at the front door of your accommodation. This method only works if you have friends waiting at the end so they can check in and bring gear for you. This option is ideal for doing a car swap like I did on my most recent trip.

Lake St Clair

The only accommodation nearby the trailhead is the Lake St Clair Lodge. They have a variety of room options the cheapest being the bunk houses. They also offer paid camp sites with access to the amenities block.

There is free camping at Fergy’s Paddock which is about a 500m walk from the visitor centre, this can be a long walk after running 80km. There are free showers available at the visitor centre. The signs state that they close at 4pm but after our run last year we were lucky to find one of the showers left unlocked, so you could get lucky.

Central Location

Basing your mission from a central location such as Launceston can work if you have a driver or two willing to put in a long day. This still involves a lot of driving but less than car shuttles and prevents to need to have accommodation booked at either end. There is a lot more freedom with plans when there aren’t location based accommodation bookings in place.

Weather

The weather is the great unpredictable factor to contend with. You really need the stars to align. The weather is obviously more favourable in the summer months but due to permits it is more convenient to organise winter trips. Even in summer good weather is not guaranteed. My first Cradle Mountain run was in heavy rain and cold conditions for the whole day in early February.

It is important to have the ability and humility to postpone or cancel if the weather conditions are unsafe. I recommend trying to plan a trip with a weather window for the run over multiple days. Try to make plans that are easy to bail out from at last minute. It is risky to push on with a mission in bad conditions just because you have accommodation booked.

Winter trips can be amazing but it takes a bit of good planning and some luck to get the weather to line up. You will inevitably spend the week leading up compulsively checking the weather forecast hoping for improvements. On my most recent run the forecast was bad and stayed quite bad. We were on the cusp of pulling the pin but with adequate planning and lots of good gear we were able to finish the track safely.

These are the main weather sources I monitor when planning a trip:

• Cradle Mountain Forecast
• Cradle Valley BOM
• New Pelion Hut BOM
• Lake St Clair BOM

Choosing Your Party

It is important to choose your companions wisely on these long remote missions. You can be as fit and experienced as possible but you are only as strong as your weakest group member. Group sizes of 2- 4 are good to provide safety in numbers. But a larger group also increases the chance of something going wrong for someone.

You should only choose people that you feel confident have the ability, gear and experience to hold their own. Sometimes people’s enthusiasm gets ahead of their abilities. If the conditions are perfect then you can afford to have a longer day out but if things are looking dicey be sure to choose people that will be able to keep moving and get it done. The Cradle Mountain Run has qualifying events for this reason. It is a good idea to have already ran a few ultras that are a similar distance before taking on this challenge.

Gear List

Carrying the right gear is crucial to ensuring you complete the run safely. You must be able to stay warm and prevent hypothermia if something goes wrong. The mandatory gear list for the Cradle Mountain Run is a starting point for the bare minimum required. You should then add onto this list as you feel necessary depending on the weather and track conditions.

Below is an example of the gear I carried on my run last weekend. This is an extensive gear list that allowed us to get through a super wet and cold day out on the trail. You should adjust your gear list based on the expected conditions but never carry any less than the gear stated in the Cradle Mountain Run mandatory gear list.

1. Black Diamond Distance 15L pack
2. Naked running band
3. 2 x Headtorches with spare batteries
   • Petzl Swift RL (main)
   • Black Diamond Iota (backup)
4. Ocean Signal RescueMe PLB1
5. Garmin inReach Mini
6. 2 x Gloves
   • RAB Kinetic Mountain Gloves
   • Black Diamond Mont Blanc Gloves
7. Merino Buff
8. Icebreaker Beanie
9. Hydration flasks
   • 1 x 500ml Salomon flask
   • 1 x 1500ml Salomon bladder (not pictured)
10. 2 x Sea to Summit dry bags
11. 2xu Ignition Polar Fleece
12. Thermal pants (polyproplyene)
13. Icebreaker 200 thermal top (merino)
14. First aid kit (customised to suit conditions)
15. Emergency bivy bag
16. Hand warmers
17. Salomon Bonatti Waterproof Pants
18. Mont Lightspeed Waterproof Jacket
19. Microspikes, taken on Winter trip in case of ice (not pictured)

Communications and Back Up Plans

If something goes wrong out on the trail you need to have a means of asking for help. There is no phone reception for the majority of the course. The only places where there is phone reception is at the top of Marions Lookout and in patches near Narcissus.

Personal Locator Beacon

Garmin inReach

Bail Out Plans

A back up plan is advisable especially if the weather is looking tumultuous. Last weekend I arranged for my parents to rescue us from the Arm River track if we needed to bail out. We established communications with them through the Garmin inReach and shared the tracker link. I told them of an expected time for us to be passing through Pelion Hut and we arranged to send them a message when passing through to let them know of our plans. We continued onwards to complete the track but sent them a message to say we were ok and faring well.

Nutrition and Hydration Planning

This is a fully self supported run. You must carry all of the food you need for the whole day from the start. There’s no where to restock aside from begging for food from hikers. Fuelling is important in all long runs especially when there is no option to DNF except by helicopter.

You must avoid bonking at all costs! The way that I plan my nutrition for missions like this is using my nutrition scorecard spreadsheet to ensure I am packing enough food with plenty of redundancy. For my trip last weekend I packed enough food to last me 14 hours at an extremely high calorie intake. I was expecting to finish the run in 12-13 hours but like to plan for extra time on trail if something happens. In cooler conditions you also tend to feel more hunger for some reason.

I like to pack a variety of options ranging from solid foods to liquid fuel. I am guaranteed to find something I feel like eating if I get sick of something. I found that my homemade drink mix worked well for the times when I was wearing gloves and fumbling around with food was difficult. It meant I was able to keep drip feeding calories along the run. Below is the planning spreadsheet and a photo of all of the food I carried on my run last weekend.

Summing Up

I genuinely hope that this post helps people get out and safely run the Overland track. If you find the right people, the weather gods bless you and your body holds up you are guaranteed to have a day to remember. And if things go wrong then you’ll have a good story to tell.

Quickly summarising the post, if you get these things in order you will have a great day out:

• Choose your crew wisely
• Pick a date and hope for favourable weather
• Plan your transport and accommodation logistics
• Pack gear and nutrition to suit the conditions
• Monitor the weather and cancel the trip if it’s unsafe
• Have a backup plan in place and fall back to it if required
• Get on the track and get it done

If you do end up running the Overland track let me know in the comments or send me an email. If you want to know more feel free to contact me.

Coming up next week I will share the story of my most recent Overland Track run. We endured truly wild conditions out on the trail but in spite of this had an awesome day out. Thanks for reading.