Wandi Cross

In the Wandiligong valley, Wandi Cross is "pure mountain running" over Mystic Mountain and Goldmine Ridge, a race where the views are earned. It has a stripped-back trail feel, with rocky escarpments, fern-lined spurs, and native forest single track setting the character from the start. The course bites hardest on the infamous 'Goat Track', a climb with rope sections and "hands-on-ground scrambling" before the technical descents through baby pines and along Morses Creek. On a clear patch you get "spectacular alpine views" toward Mount Buffalo and the high country, but your feet still need attention. First-time mountain runners can find a way in, while the longer options suit runners already comfortable on steep, technical ground. The quirk is that it is a "technology-free event", and all profits support Wandiligong Primary School.