The Race
| Next Race Date | Sunday 18 July 2027 |
|---|---|
| Course type | Point-to-point: near Coolgardie to Kalgoorlie-Boulder |
| Registration | Open entry |
| Ballot opens | No ballot |
| Start | Near Coolgardie, 07:00, after a 06:00 bus from the finish |
| Finish | Ray Finlayson Sporting Complex, Kalgoorlie-Boulder |
| Total finishers | 55 (2024) |
| Avg race-day temp | 5 to 17°C (July) |
| Cutoff time | 6 hours: halfway by 09:50 and all events close at 13:00 |
| Free race-day transport | A bus runs from the finish to the start; cost to be confirmed |
| Course certification | None |
History
The Goldfields Pipeline Marathon is named after the pipe it follows. In 1903 the engineer C. Y. O'Connor's Goldfields Water Supply Scheme began pumping water about 530 km inland from Mundaring Weir near Perth to the gold fields at Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie, where the rush of the 1890s had brought thousands of miners to a place with almost no fresh water. The pipeline still runs beside the Great Eastern Highway, and the marathon runs beside the pipeline.
The race itself is young. It was first held in 2013 as a small, low-key event to test the course. In 2014 the finish moved to the Kalgoorlie-Boulder golf course so that the whole race could be run off road, and in 2020 the organisers added a 50 km ultramarathon and moved the finish to the Ray Finlayson Sporting Complex, where all four distances now end.
It remains small. The marathon had about 55 finishers in 2024. Karlos Aquino set the men's course record of 2:44:39 in 2025 and Lisa Mannix holds the women's record of 3:02:05 from 2022. The event carries mining-company sponsorship, as befits a race run between two gold towns, and is not certified by AIMS.
The course
The Goldfields Pipeline Marathon is point-to-point, run on bush trails beside the Goldfields Water Supply pipeline. Runners are bused from the finish at the Ray Finlayson Sporting Complex in Kalgoorlie-Boulder to a start near Coolgardie, then run north-east along the line of the pipeline back to Kalgoorlie.
The route is almost straight, 35 km apart in a straight line and about 40 km by road. From the start on the Coolgardie North Road it follows tracks beside the Great Eastern Highway between about 5 and 11 km, then crosses the Mount Burges country to Kurrawang, where the half marathon starts at about 21 km, and on through Binduli and Karlkurla to the finish at Marshall Street. The ground is unsealed track, mostly firm, with loose and sandy patches.
The chart shows a rolling course that loses about 65 m from start to finish, with short rises of 19 m over 3.7 km near 10 to 13 km, 27 m over 5 km from about 20 to 25 km and 16 m over 6.6 km from about 28 to 35 km. The marathon has a halfway cutoff of 09:50, and all events close at 13:00.
Kilometre by kilometre
Km 0 to 10: from Coolgardie. The race starts at 07:00 near Coolgardie after a 06:00 bus from Kalgoorlie, and it is cold at dawn in a Goldfields July. The trail climbs about 16 m in the first kilometre, then falls about 35 m to the Great Eastern Highway corridor and runs north-east beside it. Settle into a steady effort: there is no crowd and nothing to chase.
Km 10 to 21: the halfway cutoff. A rise of about 19 m over 3.7 km comes near 10 to 13 km, followed by a long descent through the Mount Burges country to the low point of the course near 20 km. Halfway must be reached by 09:50, 2 hours 50 minutes after the start. A runner on pace for about a 5 hour 40 minute marathon will make it, and anyone slower needs to watch the clock.
Km 21 to 33: past Kurrawang. The course passes Kurrawang at about 21 km, where the half marathon starts at 08:45, so the trail gets busier with half-marathon runners and the aid stations busier too. The longest climb of the course, about 27 m over 5 km, comes between about 20 and 25 km, and the ground can be loose in places, so watch your footing.
Km 33 to 42.2: into Kalgoorlie-Boulder. The final section runs through Karlkurla to the edge of the city and the finish at the Ray Finlayson Sporting Complex, where spectators and facilities are concentrated. The last 7 km lose about 15 m.
This is a trail race, not a road race. Pace by effort instead of by watch, check the race manual for any mandatory items and take water at every aid station.
A cold, quiet start on bush trail beside the highway and pipeline. Start easy.
Rolling, then downhill. Halfway closes at 09:50, so check the time.
Half-marathon runners join the trail and the longest climb comes. Watch the loose patches.
The last kilometres to the Ray Finlayson Sporting Complex finish.
Course Map
A point-to-point course from near Coolgardie north-east beside the pipeline to Kalgoorlie-Boulder. The organiser publishes its course as map images. Tap a marker for the start, Kurrawang and the finish, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course with the elevation profile beneath it.
Pacers
None announced. The organiser's pages do not mention pacers or pace groups, and the field is small enough that you may run long stretches alone.
Marathon runners must reach halfway by 09:50, 2 hours 50 minutes after the 07:00 start, and all events close at 13:00. That allows a finish in about 5 hours 40 minutes at an even pace. Runners expecting to be slower should talk to the organiser before entering.
July is winter in the Goldfields. Nights are cold, often in low single figures, and days are dry and sunny, usually reaching the mid to high teens. The 06:00 bus and 07:00 start are the coldest part of the day.
Wear warm clothes on the bus and at the start, and plan how to get rid of them: the start is remote, so check the race manual for bag transport to the finish. On the course, a long-sleeved top, or a T-shirt with arm warmers, suits most runners. Once the sun is up there is little shade and the dry air hides how much fluid you lose, so a cap, sunglasses and sunscreen are sensible. Trail shoes, or road shoes with good grip, handle the mix of firm track and loose, sandy patches.
Entry
Entry is open, with no ballot and no qualifying time. Entries for the July race open on 26 January through Race Roster. Prices for the next edition had not been published.
The field is small, around 55 marathon finishers in recent years, so selling out is unlikely, but accommodation in Kalgoorlie is not, and the tourism office warns that rooms sell out during major events. There is no good-for-age route or charity allocation. Check refund and transfer terms in Race Roster before entering.
Fast runner standards
There is no good-for-age route and no qualifying standard.
Goldfields Pipeline Marathon (organiser) →Race Weekend
Race-pack collection
There is no expo. Race-pack collection arrangements for the next edition have not been published, so check the race manual on the official site. The Ray Finlayson Sporting Complex, where the race finishes and the buses leave, is the likely hub.
Getting to the start
The marathon and 50 km start at 07:00 near Coolgardie, about 40 km from Kalgoorlie by road. Runners do not make their own way there: the organiser's buses leave the Ray Finlayson Sporting Complex in Kalgoorlie-Boulder at 06:00. The half-marathon buses leave at 08:00 for the 08:45 start at Kurrawang, and the 10 km starts at 09:30.
Getting to the bus. Stay in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, drive or take a taxi to Ray Finlayson for 05:45 and leave the car there for after the finish. Missing the 06:00 bus means missing the start.
Cold and dark. It will be cold and dark at the bus. Take warm layers and check the race manual for bag transport.
The finish. The finish is at the Ray Finlayson Sporting Complex, where the facilities and supporters are.
Nutrition on course
The course has aid stations, and the organiser's map refers to at least six on the later part of the course. Their positions and what they serve are set out in the race manual, which should be read before race day. On a remote trail, carrying a small bottle and your own gels is sensible.
Spectating
The finish at the Ray Finlayson Sporting Complex is the place to watch. The start is remote and reached only by the organiser's bus, and the trail between Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie has limited public access. The first marathon finishers should arrive from about 09:30.
Any intermediate viewing point needs organiser permission and directions, so ask before race day. A supporter who runs the half marathon or the 10 km the same morning can wait at the finish afterwards.
Post-race food
Kalgoorlie's Hannan Street, the main street of the gold-rush town, has pubs in grand Victorian buildings, several of them serving Sunday lunch, and the Palace Hotel is one of them. Most runners finish by early afternoon, in time for a late lunch.
Where to Stay
Stay in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, close to the finish at the Ray Finlayson Sporting Complex, where the start buses also leave. There is no reason to stay near the start at Coolgardie, because the organiser takes runners there.
Kalgoorlie centre
The centre around Hannan Street has most of the hotels, pubs and restaurants, about 2 to 3 km from Ray Finlayson by road. It is the best all-round base. The tourism office warns that accommodation can sell out during major events, so book early.
South Kalgoorlie
South Kalgoorlie, towards the highway, has resort-style and motel accommodation, and Rydges is about 3.7 km from the finish in a straight line.
Boulder
Boulder, the twin town a few kilometres south-east, has heritage streets and a quieter feel, but a longer drive to the finish and the city centre.
Booking advice is in the timeline below.
Recommended hotels
Close to the railway station, convenient for anyone arriving on the Prospector, and the nearest of the four to Ray Finlayson.
A heritage pub hotel in the centre of the town. The bar can be busy on Saturday night.
Central, near the restaurants of the town centre.
Resort-style rooms with a pool, a short drive from the finish.
Booking timeline
Book accommodation early. Kalgoorlie-Boulder is a working mining city, and rooms fill with contractors during the week and with visitors during events. The tourism office warns that major events can sell the city out.
Kalgoorlie-Boulder Airport, about 4 km from the finish, has flights from Perth, about an hour away. The Prospector train from Perth takes about seven hours and the drive is about 600 km. Arrive by Saturday.
See & Do
The first two are in the town centre, a short drive from the finish, and the Super Pit is on the edge of Boulder.
Hannan Street
Kalgoorlie's broad main street of Victorian pubs, banks and the town hall, wide enough, the story goes, to turn a camel train.
Museum of the Goldfields
Telling the story of the 1890s rush, with a lift to a viewing platform on an old mine headframe. Indoors and level.
Super Pit lookout
The lookout over the Fimiston open-pit gold mine on the edge of Boulder, one of the largest in Australia, where trucks the size of houses crawl along the benches below. It is a short walk from the car park.
After the Race
July in the Goldfields is dry winter: cold nights, blue days and empty roads. The trips below range from the city's gold-rush streets to a salt lake of sculptures, the train to Perth and the white beaches of the south coast.
The open-pit gold mine from its lookout, the Museum of the Goldfields and a walk down Hannan Street.
Fifty-one steel figures by Antony Gormley standing on a dry salt lake north of Menzies, best at sunrise.
The train to Perth beside the pipeline the race followed, then two nights in the city, Kings Park and Fremantle.
White sand, turquoise water and kangaroos on the beach at Lucky Bay, on the south coast.