Course Details

10km Run

The 10km run is the hallmark event of the day, attracting approximately 550 competitors to challenge themselves over the longest, and in many mays most taxing, of the events.

The course for the Surf T Surf Fun Run has a long tradition, utilising the current course for most of the event’s history. From the race start adjacent to Lake Pertobe, the field heads north through the cutting before turning left along Merri Street to the War Memorial. The race then turns down Liebig Street through the main shopping district, all the way through to Lava Street where it turns right and follows Lava Street past the Fletcher Jones building onto Flaxman Street. The runners stay on Flaxman Street for only a few moments before veering left onto Bostock Street, crossing the railway line and truning left onto Gladstone Street around the back of Warrnambool Cemetary. The field turns right along Otway Road, past Proudfoots before turning left onto Hopkins Road which it follows right to the end. At Hickford Parade, the race turns right, following the rolling hills of Hickford Parade to the end, round onto Belmore Road, then left onto Gladstone Street until rejoining Otway Road. Runners turn left, following Otway Road back to Nicholson Street where they turn left, eventually joining Timor Street which they follow all the way back to Liebig Street. The final stretch to the finish lines sees the runners turn left past the War Memorial again, through the car park and down walking path to Pertobe Road to the finish line by Lake Pertobe.

The course features beautiful scenery, a mix of bitumen, concrete and grass running surface, some challenging hills and limited road closures. There are five drinks stations planned at roughly 1.6km intervals, providing ample opportunity for runners to hydrate.

6km Run and Cross Fit 6km Walk

The 6km run is the ideal event for social runners or those new to competitive running. For many participants, the Surf ‘T’ Surf 6km run is their first introduction to a large social run, and the great atmosphere and competitive yet collegiate spirit inspires them to continue running and step up to longer events.

The 6km Run shares it’s entire course with the 10km event. From the race start adjacent to Lake Pertobe, the field heads north through the cutting before turning left along Merri Street to the War Memorial. The race then turns down Liebig Street through the main shopping district, all the way through to Lava Street where it turns right and follows Lava Street past the Fletcher Jones building onto Flaxman Street. Instead of following the 10km course onto Bostock Street, the 6km course turns right onto Nicholson Street, joining the 10km field as they return from the outer section of the course. The two events share a common finish, following Nicholson Street onto Timor Street, then turning left onto Liebig Street, past the War Memorial, onto the footpath and back to the race precinct and finish line at Lake Pertobe.

The 6km walk is one of the few race walking events held in regional Victoria, and attracts some of the state’s best walking athletes, along with many social walkers. The course follows the same route at the 6km run.

3km Lap of the Lake

The Lap of the Lake event was introduced in 2012 to encourage participation from younger runners – especially of a Primary School age. The event features the Primary School Challenge teams event, where the Primary School with the highest participation is rewarded for encouraging participation from their students with a cash contribution to the schools sports program.

The Lap of the Lake is a 3km run that takes participants from the common start line by Lake Pertobe, across the footbridge onto the grass path around Lake Pertobe, which it follows in an anticlockwise loop. The runners join the Port Fairy Rail trail adjacent to the Harris Park sporting fields, following the trail to the Jetty Flat clubrooms. The run loops back between the clubrooms and the BMX club, between the lakes to the northern end of the park, turning right and following the trail back around the lake, over the bridge and back to the finish line by Lake Pertobe.