Introducing the 2022 Sunshine Coast Kokoda Challenge Course

15 Nov 2021

 

2022 SUNSHINE COAST KOKODA CHALLENGE

We could not be more excited to be introducing a brand new event in the Sunshine Coast for the very first time in the Kokoda Youth Foundation’s 17 year history! Here’s a bit more about the area where the event will be held and where you will be hiking through.

The 2022 Sunshine Coast Kokoda Challenge will be held in Imbil State Forest! Please note that this is a working forest and no training is permitted here prior to event weekend. We have acquired special permits to be able to hold our event on ANZAC weekend in 2022 so we ask that you please do not train in Imbil State Forest prior to this.

 

WHERE IS IT?

The start/finish line will be held in Kenilworth, which is a small town with a population of 558 according to the 2016 census, and is about a half an hour drive from Maleny.

Near the start/finish line and event village will be Kenilworth Showgrounds; we encourage participants, support crew and spectators to camp here for the weekend to enjoy this stunning location and to allow easy access to pre-registration and to the start line on the day of your event. This will help you avoid rushing around in the early hours of Saturday morning and to avoid any potential traffic that may occur given the number of people who will be attending.

 

BOOK YOUR CAMPSITE

 

 

We also encourage all Kokodians to support the local community by staying in local accommodation and enjoying the great cafes and restaurants on offer. The nearby town of Imbil would also be a great place to stay for competitors given it is only a 20 minute drive to Kenilworth where the start line will be!

When is the event?

The Sunshine Coast Kokoda Challenge will be held on ANZAC Day weekend on the 23rd and 24th of April, 2022. We are honoured to be holding our event this weekend and look forward to holding a special commemorative service at each of the 18km, 30km and 48km start lines.

Open team registrations will open on the 14th of January and school team registrations will open on the 2nd of February. 

What distance?

There will be an 18km, 30km and 48km course for Kokoda participants to choose from. Traditionally the shorter distance for the Kokoda Challenge courses are 15km, however this year we have decided to change it to 18km for both the Brisbane and Gold Coast locations as well. Why, we hear you ask? Well, 18 + 30 + 48km = 96km which is the distance of the real Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea!

  

  

Course Details

The 18k, 30k and 48k courses will all wind through Imbil State Forest. We know that you are all itching to get your hands on course maps, however given that we are hiking through a working forest, training is not permitted in this area prior to the event. We have acquired special permission to hold our Kokoda Challenge event here and we ask that you respect the area and do not train here, there are plenty of other nearby training locations! We will release your course map closer to the event weekend and those that are registered will receive a notification when the maps do become available.

The 18km distance will have one checkpoint, the 30km distance will have three checkpoints and the big 48km distance will have four checkpoints. You can find all of this info and more on the Sunshine Coast Kokoda Challenge event page here:

 

EVENT DETAILS

  

 

While the elevation profile on the event page may not look like much, we assure you that this event will be tough! For those who have done the Gold Coast Kokoda Challenge before, you know that there are some extremely tough hills to climb. The inclines in the Sunshine Coast course really do give Gold Coast a run for its money! While the hills may not be as long, some of the mountains in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland are shorter in distance but much steeper. We have included some more photos below to give you an idea of the terrain you'll be walking through and a sneak peak of the breathtaking landscape!

Training

Training in Imbil State Forest is prohibited prior to the event given it is a working forest, but you will be able to train in the Blackall Ranges which is close to where you will be completing The Kokoda Challenge and is also a former WWII training location. There is a 2 / 14 Australian Infantry Battalion plaque located at the park which honours the men who trained in the Blackall Ranges before being sent off to fight on the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea. 166 members of the Battalion gave their lives during the Kokoda Campaign in 1942.

We will also be releasing a number of training routes in the lead up the event on our blog here. Currently we have training routes around the Brisbane and Gold Coast region but there will be more uploaded onto our blog in the months leading up the event which will focus on routes near the Sunshine Coast region. Make sure you have subscribed to our newsletter at the bottom of this page so you will receive updates when new training routes have bene updated!

I can’t wait! When can I register?

We love your enthusiasm! Registrations will open on the 14th of January 2022 at 9:00am. Make sure you have pre-registered so you will receive a notification when registrations do open and make sure you get in quick as we are expecting a big turn out in 2022 and we would hate for you to miss out!

 

PRE-REGISTER FOR THE 2022 EVENTS

 

 

Check out some of our other favourite hikes:

MOUNT GREVILLE, MOOGERAH PEAKS NATIONAL PARK

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