New to trail running?

Welcome to Perth Trail Series home of stunning scenery, supportive vibes, and a welcoming community! Get ready to escape the daily grind and dive into the thrill of trail running. If you’re new to the sport or you’re making the switch from road running or you’ve never run a step in your life, welcome, this is the place for you!

 

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Get ready to escape the daily grind and dive into the thrill of trail running. Sign up for videos, tips and all the latest event details.

What is trail running?

A trail adventure (walk, hike, jog, run) takes you into nature on to unpaved/off-road surfaces (aka a trail!) like our stunning forest hillsides, sandy coastlines, or Perth’s very central urban Kings Park! We always stick to established trails because we love our beautiful environment and it’s the best way protect the bush!

“If there’s one thing that separates trail runners from the pack it’s their level of happiness.”

Melina Mellino
Perth Trail Series
Director Trail Running Ambassador

Why Trail Running?

Trail running has endless benefits: 

Move Your Body: Whether you walk or run, movement is key to health.

Immerse in Nature: Disconnect from screens and reconnect with the stunning WA landscapes. 

Have Fun: From newbies to veterans, everyone has a blast at our events.

Challenge Yourself: Break free from routine and try something new.

The Benefits of Trail Running

Trail running isn’t just about fitness; it’s a full-body experience: 

Community: Join a vibrant group of trail enthusiasts. 

Nature: Reconnect with the outdoors. Mental Stimulation: Way more engaging than a treadmill. 

Physical Health: Improve leg strength, balance, agility, and cardiovascular health. 

Gentler on Your Body: Softer surfaces reduce impact compared to concrete. 

Mental Health Perks: Release endorphins, improving your mood and reducing stress.

Mind-Clearing: Focus on the present and the task at hand. 

Connection: Feel connected to nature, the community, and yourself. Experience all this and more at a Perth Trail Series event. Lace up, leave your worries behind, and embrace the adventure on Perth’s beautiful trails. 

We can’t wait to cheer you on!

FIND YOUR TRAIL

Your skill level will determine which type of trail is best for your run and we use a colour code to help you pick the best one for you! We’ve created a handy guide to help you get started on the right foot (pun intended!) because we want to ensure you have a safe, enjoyable experience while out on the trails.

The trail run colour system

We’ve developed our own Trail Run Colour System, designed to help you understand the difference between road running and trail running. Trails bring adventure, uneven ground, and plenty of vert (elevation), so distances can feel very different! It’s not your average 5km, 10km, or half marathon. And while the trails aren’t always exact measurements, we’ll always tell you what to expect for each event.

Green Trails

5km

Great for fun with friends. Ideal if you’re new to trails, easing back after a break, or just want a relaxed walk or run 5km.

Blue Trails

10km

Ready for a bit more challenge? These are for you. If you can comfortably run 10km-14km, you’re in the right place.

Black Trails

Half Marathon

For seasoned runners seeking a serious test. Tackle hills and long distances 15km-25km runs are your sweet spot.

Double Black Trails

Ultra Marathon

Only for the bravest. Push your limits and embrace the ultimate challenge, Ultra Marathon, 50km and 100km.

Upcoming events

Today

FAQs

Each event has a unique theme and includes an equally epic event experience. At each of our events you can expect:

  • An Official “Chip Timing” Time and Results posted on website
  • Reusable Race Belt
    To be part of a Low Waste / Leave No Trace event
  • Unique Finisher Medal (if you sign up for the Complete Winter Series or Complete Summer Series you receive the PTS MegaMedal!)
  • Fully marked course and GPX file
  • Professional First Aid Crew at the Finish
  • Top- Up Stops along course stocked with water, fruit, electrolytes, lollies, etc.
  • Professional photographs* and, if you’re really lucky…a video* of the event! (*at some but not all events)
  • Clear communication via email, Facebook and our registration system in the leadup and post race
  • Post race celebration: including spot prizes, PTS punch (so delicious)
  • All permits and insurances for an official sanctioned event.
  • Specific races will specify if a shirt is included, chocolate, or any other special event thing that we do
    Some events have DJ’s at the finish, or the spectacular alphorns (check out Swissmurdie).
  • The most awesome PTS community and Woohoo Crew, which cheer you on the whole time!
  • When you attend a PTS event you can be guaranteed an incredible, safe experience!

PTS Kids/Teens/Under 18 Runner Policy

We love to welcome the younger trail runners to our events – they may be a seasoned road runner, trail runner/hiker or they could be brand new to running/walking!

To ensure that all trail runners have a fun, safe time on the trails we do have a minimum age requirement for each of our Courses, and also a minimum experience requirement. All runners (regardless of age and distance) must carry 500mL water in a hydration system (use a water bottle, pack or belt) while on course.

Green Course – minimum age is 6 years old.

If you are under the age of 12 years old you must have your parent/guardian (a registered runner) walking/running beside you for the entirety of the Green Course.

Blue Course – minimum age is 12 years old.

  • If you are under 18 you must have completed three Green Course events prior to running a Blue course event.
  • If you are under 18 you must be accompanied by your parent/guardian (a registered runner) for your first time running the Blue Course.

Black Course – minimum age is 16 years old.

  • If you are under 18 you must have completed three Blue Course events prior to running a Black course event.
  • If you are under 18 you must be accompanied by your parent/guardian (a registered runner) for your first time running the Black Course.

Double Black Course – minimum age is 18 years old.

Trail Fest Night Races – minimum age is 10 years old.

If you are under 18 you must be accompanied by your parent/guardian (a registered runner) and stay together for the duration of the night event.

If your younger trail runner meets the minimum age and experience requirement for an event you are welcome to register them into the event. We do require the parent/guardian to email admin@perthtrailseries.com.au prior to event day to confirm their Kids/Teens/Under 18 event registration.

Please allow up to 72 hours when you get an Event Recap email. For the quickest notification go to Facebook – Also if there is a problem with your results, please get in touch using the Contact Us tab, and provide a screenshot of your time.

The refund policy for individual event registration is as follows. Entry fees are non-refundable for non-starters and non-finishers. Your entry is not transferable to any other person. If you provide written notification more than six weeks prior to the event date you are entitled to a 90% refund of entry fees. If you provide written notification more than two weeks prior to the event date you are entitled to a 60% refund of entry fees. No refund will be given after that point for any reason. No refund will be given for a transferred event credit. No refunds will be provided for merchandise purchases; merchandise will not be posted and will only be available for collection at the event hub. Our Complete Winter Series 4 Pass Package and Complete Summer Series 5 Pass Package registrations are non refundable once purchased.
 

If you’re outside the refund period we have a Transfer Policy available to participants who are unable to make an event due to illness, injury, or life events. Our Transfer Policy is that you join PTS Crew in the pre-event role of Bib Collection at the event you wish to transfer to. This means you will arrive 10 minutes before registration opens to help with Bib Collection, and then run, all on the same day at the event you select. The transfer policy is only available for the Series events, and does not apply for Trail Fests, or CRU. (for example, you can not transfer a Winter Series event to a Trail Fest) Please get in touch via the Contact Us tab to arrange your registration transfer.

Due to the nature of organising Regional Events, you must provide written notification more than four weeks prior to the event date to be entitled to a 60% refund of entry fees. No refund will be given after that point for any reason. We aren’t able to apply our transfer policy either.

You should feel able to “jog” continuously on flat ground for the distance of event you are entering. Of course, these events aren’t flat! So, we expect you’ll hike/walk the steeper uphills and some of the steep downhills, too. 

We recommend that you check out the Results page for the finish times in previous years to get a sense of the range of speed of previous entrants. 

We’ll clearly announce any event that has a cut-off. Most courses also offer the opportunity to “drop down” where you can change from one colour to the other.

You must carry Up to = Minimum 500mL (unless otherwise specified) throughout the event. This is a minimum. We strongly encourage participants to carry more than the minimum, unless you’re a highly trained, experienced athlete. 

Useful, non-mandatory items: (a) trail-specific running shoes, (b) a cap to keep the sun off (and morning glare out of your eyes), (c) sunscreen and sunglasses, (d) lubricant on your chafey bits, (e) short gaiters to keep the rocks and sand out of your shoes, (f) GPS device to record your distance and time, (g) electrolytes, blister pad (don’t use plasters!), and some easily digested quick-burning food to get you through a few hours of running.

Like shoes, this is quite personal. You need to try things to find out what suits you! 

Ask around and test things out. You don’t want to find out 2 hours into a run that you hate what you’re using! 

Here are some different options:

  • Hand-held bottles (We recommend for your first run to do this). Potential downsides: sweaty hands or awkwardness holding a bottle
  • Waist belts – Potential downsides: some find waist belts irritate their stomachs
  • Backpack with a hydration bladder (this is what we love! And if your pack fits properly it shouldn’t move or cause discomfort, and you can carry essential items!). Potential downsides: some find hot backs and chafing

Bottomline, there’s no “right” answer for this one, but whatever you try, ensure it’s good quality, test it out and make sure it fits properly on your body.

Did you know that not having plastic cups at our events saves over 15,000 (yes, thousand) cups going to landfill each year. Woohoo! What this means for you….

We do not have plastic cups at our aid stations: You will need to have a cup or bottle to refill if you need water. Reusable silicone cups are available at the merch tent that you can use for all your future events.

This comes down to personal preference. The terrain for these events will not be muddy – it will be a mixture of dirt, sand, and clay-type surfaces as you see in all the photos on this website. Rocks and pea gravel are common in WA. Some people prefer the extra protection under the sole of the foot and at the front of the toe box that trail shoes often provide (if you are running on and around gum nuts and sharp rocks). Trail shoes often have more aggressive tread patterns with grippy bottoms. The more minimalist trail shoes are excellent at enhancing your proprioception (feeling of where your feet are in space). But it takes time and experience to get used to them.

We highly encourage carpooling, and posting on our Facebook event page to sort a ride. We don’t provided a bus for any of the events due to minimal interest. Updates are always provided via the website (on each individual race page) and via email.

Head over to the reviews on our Facebook page to see what all of our runners say!

Any belongings left behind will be kept in lost property for a maximum of 1 week after which time they will be given to charity. Please get in touch via the Contact Us tab to as soon as you realise you’re missing something.

We’re always looking for help! Head to the volunteers page HERE What happens next? We’ll send you a confirmation email reminding you to lock in the date. And then you get another email from us a few days before the race, with all the important info….exact role information / duties / what to wear etc…. We love the Woohoo Crew, and we love making sure you have the best day!