It’s that time of year, with Christmas and the New Year looming, we look toward the upcoming year and all the juicy running events that are available to enter.

The biggest difficulty is, with such a smorgasbord of options, trying to work out which ones to do!

The way I determine which events to enter are by reviewing my goals for the upcoming 18 months and plan out the races that I’m interested in. This list gets culled, fine tuned and race fees considered. After that it gets locked in – well until I change my mind at a later date.

In 2021, my planned race schedule changed dramatically due to COVID19 Restrictions. Check it out here.

In 2022, there were still some events impacted by COVID19 Restrictions but I still managed to complete several. Check it out here.

In 2023, I managed to get to most of my targeted events and hit some big goals. Check it out here.

The table below outlines the race schedule that I will be adopting in order to:

• Run the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB);
• Break some personal records;
• Build experience in the distances required;
• Get stronger mentally and physically in my running; and
• Enjoy the race experiences and meet new like minded people!

This will be subject to change but I believe having a plan is important to work towards. The events in BOLD will are locked in, others in Italics are To Be Confirmed (TBC).

RACE	LOCATION	DATE	DISTANCE
Parkrun	Victoria, Australia	Saturdays	5 km
Two Bays Trail Run	Dromana, Victoria	14 Jan 2024	28 km
Carmen’s Fun Run	Brighton, Victoria	18 Feb 2024	10 km
Cowes Classic	Phillip Island, Victoria	2 Mar 2024	500m Swim, 4km Run
Ballarat Marathon	Ballarat, Victoria	28 Apr 2024	42.2 km
Great Ocean Road Running Festival	Lorne, Victoria	21 May 2024	14 km
Surf Coast Century	Anglesea, Victoria	16 Sep 2024	100 km
Melbourne Marathon	Melbourne, Victoria	15 Oct 2024	42.2 km
Pier to Pub	Lorne, Victoria	Jan 2025	1.2 km swim
Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc	Chamonix, France	Aug/Sep 2025	100 mi

Parkrun

A family favourite. We try to get to as many Parkruns as we can. It’s a great time to catch up with friends, go for coffee and of course, try and reach that elusive PB. Check out how to Parkrun Here.

Great Ocean Road Running Festival

Another family favourite. An amazing event and it was where I ran my first Marathon! We also made it there in 2021 and 2022. I’m booked in to make it along in 2024, competing in the 14 km event which I haven’t done before. Looking forward to it!

Surf Coast Century

After completing the Great Ocean Road based Surf Coast Century in 2021, I was determined to return. I still remain hopeful that I’ll get back there and try to put in a better result than I did in my first ever 100km event. I’ll just have to make sure it fits in with UTMB (potentially) and/or Melbourne Marathon.

Melbourne Marathon

I completed this one in 2019 and in 2022 where I just missed a sub 3 hr finish. I’m keen to tackle this one again and finally achieve my goal. It’s probably the flattest and the best opportunity for a quick time in Victoria, Australia. In 2024, I’ll be doing the Ballarat Marathon also to give myself an extra opportunity at that Sub 3hr! I might try and rope in a few friends to tackle this one with, whether they do the 10km, half or full. Keen as!

Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc

I’m in the lottery! In the next week or so, I find out if I’ll be running this one in 2024. Fingers crossed! Check out what is required to run it here and how to estimate your finish time here!

UPDATE: So bad news. I was waitlisted for the 2024 UTMB but then found out that I was unsuccessful. Ahhhhh. Ah well. Hopefully I can get through the draw and run in 2025 instead!

Other Events

I’m sure this list will change. Probably even before 2023 has begun! I feel it’s important to plan and identify which events to target so I can be in the best shape possible and give myself every opportunity to do well.

Other events I’d also like to do (though they will likely not happen in 2023) are the Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB, Wonderland Run, Swim “The Rip”, Wilsons Prom 100 and MVP Backyard Ultra. I may be able to sneak one or two of these in but more likely they may form part of my 2025 Race Schedule.

What events are you looking to take on in 2024?