Kokoda Challenge
GOLD COAST
Dates
19 - 20 JULY 2025
Location
GOLD COAST HINTERLAND
Finishes at -
NERANG VELODROME
RAISING FUNDS FOR -
KOKODA YOUTH FOUNDATION
Click on the distance you’re interested in for further information regarding start times, entry fees and more
Tackle the next Kokoda Challenge! Register Interest
The Toughest Team Charity Event in Gold Coast
The Gold Coast Kokoda Challenge needs little introduction. Since 2005, the 96km course has attracted thousands of teams all eager to go face to face with the ‘big 5’ mountains that accumulate over 4,000 metres of elevation, plus the multiple creek crossings and walking through the night in the ferocious cold.
This event is not for the faint-hearted, it is designed for those who want to achieve something extraordinary and prove to themselves that they are capable of extending far beyond their perceived limits. While it may seem like a physical challenge, it is ultimately a mental game.
But this is not a personal challenge, we have been dubbed Australia’s toughest TEAM endurance event for a reason, you will traverse the entire journey with your team. You will hike or trail run all through the day and the night, stopping only briefly at checkpoints to replenish food and water where you will meet your support crew.
At some point throughout the course, you’re going to want to quit, this feeling is almost inevitable. The burning quads, the chafing, the blisters, it becomes all too much at some point or another. But these are the moments where we urge you to reflect on the history of the 1942 Kokoda Campaign where Australian soldiers prevailed against insurmountable odds. Despite lacking artillery, medical supplies, and being undertrained, the men of the 39th Battalion and other militia prevailed against the Japanese who posed an imminent threat to Australian territory. The reason they succeeded comes down to the four values of the Kokoda Spirit; courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice.
The ultimate GOLD COAST hike
There’s much more to it than that though, all proceeds and fundraising from this event are donated to the Kokoda Youth Foundation. We have been running life-changing youth programs that mentor local kids using these very values for 20 years. Our programs range from helping kids stay out of the juvenile justice system, to alleviating the digital dependencies that kids have developed with technology. All of these programs are run free of charge thanks to the funds raised from The Kokoda Challenge events.
The Kokoda Challenge is not a personal conquest, it is much more about the wider community, your team, supporting future generations and ensuring the legacy of our Aussie Diggers lives on. Our mission is to not only provide you with a life-changing experience, but also for your team to walk away with a deeper understanding of the 1942 Kokoda Campaign and what our diggers endured.
The 30km course will be back in 2025 in addition to a 48km distance for those who are working their way up to the big 96km. All distances will take place in the Gold Coast Hinterland with all courses finishing at Nerang Velodrome.
Testimonials
The most challenging and rewarding experience that I have ever undertaken. It gave me a strength I didn’t know I had, and I finished it with teammates who became my trusted and cherished friends for life.
Stacy
I had an incredible journey with my team. There was so much teamwork and mateship on the track that inspired me and pushed me across the finish line. While we were walking we all said we would never do it again, and within 24 hours we were planning for next year!
Amanda
It’s an experience like no other. If you want to find the limit to which you can push your mind and your body then this is the challenge for you. With amazing scenery to do it in too, even if you are staring at the ground for what seems like most of the event.