Simpson Desert Ultra 2026

The Event Hub serves as the central point for this ultramarathon, with routes extending into a remote desert course designed for runners familiar with how sand and heat alter race conditions. The Simpson Desert Ultra traverses sand dunes, follows dune crests, crosses rocky gibber plains, and navigates clay pans within land recognized as Wangkangurru Yarluyandi country. Expect challenging, straightforward running: ascending and descending dunes, choosing paths over gibber, and then "hot footing it across clay pans" where "holes wait to swallow your foot." Ultra runners are drawn to the demanding terrain, the recurring passage through the hub after each loop, and, on the longest route, the start at the Birdsville Hotel followed by a section on or alongside station roads and established checkpoints.