Peaks & Trails Run

From Dunkeld, this is a "massive weekend of foot racing" shaped by the southern Gariwerd (Grampians) landscape rather than road-race polish. Peaks & Trails Run starts and finishes near the Royal Mail Hotel precinct, with routes taking in the Grampians Peaks Trail and views toward Wurgarri (Mt Sturgeon), Bainggug (Piccaninny), Mud-Dadjug (Mt Abrupt), and Signal Peak. It has the feel of a community trail weekend, powered by passionate local volunteers who know the country underfoot. Expect the course to change character often: river flats, open woodland, 4WD track, sand, tree roots, and "technical loose rocky single trail." Some longer sections cross privately owned land ordinarily inaccessible to the public, which is a real draw if you like seeing places you cannot normally run. The field is trail enthusiasts of all levels, but this is still proper winter trail running: "expect mud, water, and slippery conditions," do not count on much bitumen, and note the very trail-runner quirk that hiking poles are strongly discouraged.