SUNSHINE COAST 18KM

INTRO

ABOUT US

The Kokoda Youth Foundation is a registered charity and non-profit organisation that runs Australia’s toughest team endurance event ‘The Kokoda Challenge’. The Kokoda Challenge raises funds for Aussie kids who participate in our experiential programs that engage and inspire them to reach their full potential. Not only will this event change your life, it will also change the lives of Australian youth!

Learn more about how your participation changes lives by clicking HERE

KEEPING THE KOKODA SPIRIT ALIVE

We aim to spread awareness of the heroic defense of Australia against imminent invasion and the spirit of our young soldiers by instilling the Kokoda values of Courage, Endurance, Mateship and Sacrifice into the community of today. These timeless Kokoda values still have a profound impact on individuals and are the basis of a healthy community.

EVENT OVERVIEW

DATE

Saturday 20th of April 2024

TIME LIMIT

7 hours

CUT OFF DATE

FUNDRAISING: Fundraising is due 1 week before the event

TEAM CHANGES: Teams must be finalised 4 weeks before the event

MINIMUM AGE

Turning 9 the year of the event

START TIME AND LOCATION

18km teams will start at 11:00am.
The start/finish line will be held at Kenilworth State Community College locacted at 3717 Maleny Kenilworth Rd, Kenilworth.

TEAM SIZE

4 students + 1 teacher/guardian 

FUNDRAISING MINIMUM

$250 per team

COURSE DETAILS

The Sunshine Coast Kokoda Challenge course will be winding through Imbil State Forest, a working forest in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. A working forest is one that is managed for timber production, where trees are continuously planted and harvested to produce timber products such as floorboards, furniture, picture frames, skirting boards and musical instruments. This means that there are often active worksites and heavy machinery within the forest, and access may be restricted to the public to allow operations to take place. We have acquired special permission to hold our event, but as training in the area is strictly prohibited, we will only be releasing the course map closer to the event date.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT OUR START/FINISH LINE

START LINE

We recommend that you arrive at the start line a minimum of 30 minutes before your start time, or an hour if you haven't picked up your event pack from pre-registration. This will allow you enough time to park, take some photos, take part in the ANZAC memorial service and hear from Vietnam Veteran and Founder of the Kokoda Youth Foundation Doug Henderson.

FINISH LINE

YOU DID IT! You've just spent hours walking or running through the Imbil State Forest, you see bright lights up ahead and the Kokoda Challenge archway that marks the end of your journey! An announcer will call out your teams name and each team member will be presented with dog tags.

There is hot food and drinks available for purchase, so you will finally be able to kick back, relax and reflect on the journey that was the Kokoda Challenge.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

As this is Australia's toughest team endurance event, we do have to implement some rules and regulations to ensure everyone's safety and security. We also need to make sure our event can run smoothly, and this can only be achieved with your help! Please familiarise yourself with the following points:

TEAM SIZE

All 18km SCHOOL teams MUST start with a team of 5 (4 students + 1 teacher/guardian).

DROP-OUTS

If a team member needs to drop out at any time, this must be done at a checkpoint (if safe to do so). If a member cannot make it to a checkpoint, please call the emergency number on your race bib for a safe extraction from the track. All team members must wait for the removed member to be extracted safely before continuing the challenge. Teams can continue one man down, but if your team is reduced to a team of 3, then you MUST link up and walk with another team. School teams of 3 will not be allowed to continue. If the captain must drop out, another blue card holding adult must take their place.

FUNDRAISING

The minimum fundraising amount must be met by the cutoff date, or your team will not be able to participate in The Kokoda Challenge. The reason our events exist is to raise funds for our Kokoda Youth Programs, we would not be able to operate without the donations raised from this event. 

WAIVER FORMS AND PERSONAL DETAILS

Every team member must complete their online registration and waiver to be able to compete in The Kokoda Challenge. 

PORTABLE SPEAKERS 

We ask that teams please be mindful of others when walking with a portable speaker. While some people may enjoy listening to music, others may prefer taking in the sounds of nature during the trek. 

Teacher/Coordinator Information

Kokoda Youth Foundation have engaged in learning outcomes for students that participate within our events and try to identify other learning opportunities for various years to take education outdoors.

Learnings from our events can be highly during training sessions e.g. nature, biology etc. However the life lessons of personal and social capability consolidates what a life of early years in education is taught condensed into a few short months by engaging in one of our Kokoda Challenge Events.

Kokoda Youth Foundation see Personal and Social Capability as most the important learning outcome. Their is a strong parallel between of what students learn during their Kokoda Journey and the curriculum outcomes of learning personal and social capability.

EXCERPT FROM THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM WEBSITE (www.australiancirriculum.edu.au) : 
‘Students develop personal and social capability as they learn to understand themselves and others, and manage their relationships, lives, work and learning more effectively. Personal and social capability involves students in a range of practices including recognising and regulating emotions, developing empathy for others and understanding relationships, establishing and building positive relationships, making responsible decisions, working effectively in teams, handling challenging situations constructively and developing leadership skills. Personal and social capability supports students in becoming creative and confident individuals who, as stated in the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (MCEETYA 2008), ‘have a sense of self-worth, self-awareness and personal identity that enables them to manage their emotional, mental, spiritual and physical wellbeing’, with a sense of hope and ‘optimism about their lives and the future’. On a social level, it helps students to ‘form and maintain healthy relationships’ and prepares them ‘for their potential life roles as family, community and workforce members’ (MCEETYA, p. 9). Students with well-developed social and emotional skills find it easier to manage themselves, relate to others, develop resilience and a sense of self-worth, resolve conflict, engage in teamwork and feel positive about themselves and the world around them. The development of personal and social capability is a foundation for learning and for citizenship. Personal and social capability encompasses students’ personal/emotional and social/relational dispositions, intelligences, sensibilities and learning. It develops effective life skills for students, including understanding and handling themselves, their relationships, learning and work. Although it is named ‘Personal and Social capability’, the words ‘personal/emotional’ and ‘social/relational’ are used interchangeably throughout the literature and within educational organisations. The term ‘social and emotional learning’ is also often used, as is the SEL acronym. When students develop their skills in any one of these elements, it leads to greater overall personal and social capability, and enhances their skills in the other elements. The more students learn about their own emotions, values, strengths and capacities, the more they are able to manage their own emotions and behaviors, and to understand others and establish and maintain positive relationships.’

CROSS CURRICULUM PRIORITIES

• Kokoda Youth Foundation recognise curriculum priorities and align Kokoda Challenge Events outcomes with these enabling further student engagement.
• Kokoda Youth Foundation understand that bridging the gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander within our communities is important. We see this as an opportunity for students to learn about themselves and their identities as well as Non-Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander students to engage in reconciliation, respect and recognition for Australia’s continuous living cultures.
• Participation in the Kokoda Challenge Events indicates how students transform from the start of the team building processes in the lead up into an event as well as during. Long distance trail walking is understood to help people cope with change and make enduring and positive changes in their lives.
• As a team event requiring members to support each other, this bonding process creates a strong rapport within the team. Overall, students become empathetic and considerate, understanding that not everyone walks the same path and attitudes change.
• The opportunity to gain information and history about our local Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities is readily available. The local environments/region contain evidence or ancestors, creation times, relationships between the sky, landforms, waterways, plants, animals and people. The relationship of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups, their language over time, connection to place, colonisation, loss of identity, life stories, family histories and current realities. Kokoda Youth Foundation recommend connecting with local organisations, affiliations to assist in gathering knowledge to teach more whilst out on training walks. Student presentation or talks can be set for students to learn further about histories and cultures and present this information to their peers about what they have learnt.
• Further cross curriculum approach is to Sustainability. Kokoda Youth Foundation implements sustainability in all its processes and always strive to do better. Our main document is the Bushwalkers Code which stands by ‘tread lightly.’ Education in sustainability is about ways that we can contribute to a more sustainable living pattern and in turn this education hopefully allows student to make informed decisions.
• Please refer to Index for Curriculum outcomes with Kokoda Challenge Events. Further learning outcomes that align with Kokoda Challenge Events have been explored and noted.

THE SENIOR SECONDARY CURRICULUM

• The Curriculum describes the knowledge, understanding and skills that are taught and learned. The achievement standards describe the quality of learning (the depth of understanding, extent of knowledge and sophistication of skill) expected of students who have studied the content for the subject. For secondary students the lifelong learning of school up until Secondary will be engrained even further with their participation within our events.
• Students that are in Senior Secondary will start to experience a mental, physical and emotional journey through their training for the event. The Kokoda Challenge is about discovering personal limits, learning that the human spirit is capable of extraordinary things in the face of difficulty and potential failure. Participation in the event provides structure, discipline and boundaries. It engrains responsibility, reliability, effective communication skills and dedication. Furthermore, the Spirit of Kokoda Values; Courage, Endurance Mateship & Sacrifice.

Commitment

WHAT IS THE SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT?

TIME & ENERGY To co-ordinate student involvement, time for hill training, organising fundraising initiatives, timely for required payments, communication coordinator between school and Kokoda Head Office.

SUPPORT

Support all students that endeavor to participate, encourage every individual no matter what the barrier, assist with both emotional and physical pains throughout training and the event. EQUIPMENT Providing the correct information and communication to parents for equipment requirements for event time and training.

PARENTAL PERMISSION

Ensuring all students parents have agreed to the terms and conditions of their child entering the event.

STUDENT SUPERVISION

Ensuring the participating students of the event are always in supervision of team leader, school liaison or parent.

DESIGNATED CONTACT

All schools that participate will elect a designated liaison for the school. This includes sharing information to parents, students, teachers, accounts & Kokoda Head Office.

WHAT IS THE STUDENT’S COMMITMENT?

To be involved students must commit to a training regime. It is suggested that weekend training be scheduled in and to include hiking/bushwalking as a sport option in Term 1 & Term 2. It is ideal to include training during School Holidays to keep up momentum as well as night walks. For Weekend group training the whole school gets together to train. Weekend training is generally Sunday from 7am until Midday or thereabouts and suggest family to come along. Students are expected to provide help at all fundraising events as well as fundraise some of their own funds. In addition to the training provided through the school students need to undertake their own training, whether it be additional walking or jogging to build some aerobic fitness. Students are suggested to walk 8-10 hours a week additional.

WHAT IS THE PARENT/GUARDIAN’S COMMITMENT?

For your child to be able to hike the Challenge, you as a parent/guardian must be prepared to assist and support on the weekend training hikes & during the event. There is no support crew for the 18KM event. Please understand the event organizers have first aid at every checkpoint along with Command Centre on standby for support from National Parks, SES, Ambulance Services and Police.

WHAT IS THE FINANCIAL COMMITMENT?

There is a non-refundable registration fee required by the Kokoda Challenge, if any additional registration costs arise you will be notified. Each student must also commit to raising a minimum amount for Kokoda Youth Foundation. Kokoda Youth Foundation supports the youth of Tweed, Gold Coast, Logan and Brisbane by providing them opportunities to reach their potential, your fundraising efforts change lives of local teenagers. Participation in the event is an invitation to all students, however logistics do come into play. All teams need to be as a team of 4 along with a team leader and there are recommended ages per event distance. There are no current team caps for Schools in this years events.

Recruitment and Regisrtation

The Kokoda Challenge school cups are particularly popular and do tend to hit capacity on the day registrations open. All dates and times will be advertised on the website as well as social media. Due to new registration requirements team leaders will now have to complete their own team registration. This requirement is due to only one email address available per team registration.

HOW TO REGISTER

1. Visit kokodachallenge.com
2. Complete the step by step registration form as a team leader
3. Payment – input credit card details as per form. If schools wish to pay via invoice use the Promotional code “KOKODASCHOOLS” to which one bulk invoice will be sent after all school teams are registered.  All invoices MUST be paid within one month of issue or your teams will forfeit their spot in the Kokoda Challenge. Please note a credit card number will still need to be provided however the promotional code will create a $0 registration fee.
4. All team leaders must then invite their students/team members to join the team. This invite will send the member an email to complete their personal registration. This is mandatory for every participant and must be completed ASAP by all team member or their guardian. To do this, click the “my team” button and then “team members” on your dashboard.
   TIPS:
   • Use an email that external to the school email address when inviting students so parents receive important information and updates. This also allows accounts to be activated outside of school hours.
   • If a student appears as “not yet active” then they have not completed their registration.

TEAM PROFILE

1. Upload a team profile picture and your reason why you are participating
2. Your team is now registered with the team leader. Once students are locked into their allocated teams the team leader will need to send an invite via their email address to each student, to register their account and become a part of the team. (This may need to be a time allocated one lunch time to ensure all kids are registered properly).
3. When the students are registering, they will be asked to check off the terms and conditions and online waiver form, checking this box means their parent or guardian has read all forms and gives permission for their registration.
4. Ensure all the team details are complete, as this is important for your event bibs and t-shirts
5. Post your unique link to social media to attract donations towards your team INVOICE REQUEST Once all registrations are complete an invoice will be populated and sent through later that day with all team registration payment details. This will also include an invoice for minimum fundraising donations amounts. Please be aware these two amounts will be due at different times of the year.

DOCUMENTS AND PAYMENTS

• Teams should be completely organised four weeks before the event. All personal details and information need to be on the team AND individual profile. Team change's will not be accepted after cut off dates agreed to.  
• This is to ensure correct emergency contact information and shirt sizing etc. is collated accurately for event day. We understand that there will be team changes throughout the course of putting teams together however please keep this to a MINIMUM as each team will only be allowed one major reshuffle.
• All waivers are signed ONLINE this year. A signed waiver is mandatory for all teachers, students and staff.
• Please review this document along with the terms and conditions to explain answers to all questions that begin with ‘What do we do if…?’
• The fundraising component is NOT included in your invoice, you are only invoiced for the registration costs. If you wish to be invoiced for the registration costs, please contact info@kokodachallenge as soon as your teams are registered. We suggest NOT invoicing and covering your teams costs, instead try and get your school kids in the community spirit and get them to organise their own fundraising events and drives

WHAT DO WE DO IF...?

A STUDENT PULLS OUT OF THE TEAM

• Find another student who is interested in participating
• Start with the team member down. See terms and conditions. As long as team leader and kids equate to minimum required numbers for a team as per distance registered this is still applicable.
• Event staff need to be of informed of withdrawals prior to event start.

A TEAM LEADER IS UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE?

• Unfortunately, the students need a team leader to move with them throughout the course. This is due to student safety. This person doesn't have to be a teacher, but they have to have a Blue Card.
• Students are not able to move throughout the course without a leader, they are however able to join another team and continue. This is on the provision that the other team is a school with a blue card leader.
• Any withdrawals need to inform event staff.

A TEAM NEEDS TO WITHDRAW FROM THE EVENT?

• If a team has not been filled they will be removed from the event. There are no refunds on event registration payments. All is forfeited as a donation to the foundation.
• Can we have teams more than 4 students and 1 team leader? So, 6 people in 1 team. Unfortunately, no you cannot. This is due to safety regulations within our National Park Permit.

Preparation

There are many months required in preparation for the event, with two main areas of emphasis: training and fundraising. Use this guide along with our other event resources to understand the event and its requirements. Kokoda Challenge Events continuously informs everyone through social media and emails.

TIME TO HIT THE HILLS

All students are recommended to participate, no matter their fitness levels. The Kokoda Challenge values are to work together as a team to finish as a team, we do not place concern on being a place winning team. Students may participate in regular activity and be fit and healthy but we recommend that students and teachers concentrate training on bush tracks and a variety of hill incline & declines. It’s hard going up hills but sometimes it’s even harder coming down. We recommend students commit to training a minimum of 2 x per fortnight to do the longer distances comfortably. 

MONTH BY MONTH TRAINING GUIDE

7-8 MONTHS OUT

• Call out for expression of interest
• Generally conducted after school for parents to be able to be present.
• Conduct two Parent and Student Meet and Greets : to provide basic information to what event is about and rollout of program
• Need a quick contact for a student who has shown interest.

6 MONTHS OUT

• Final call out for expressions of Interest
• Meet with parents and students to finalise teams
• Sport Training sessions continue
• Weekend walks commence and encouragement of all family to participate in training walks. Begin with two easy walks e.g. 7km Beach or lake walk.

5 MONTHS OUT

• Introduction to the course (if location applies) walks should be 7-10km in distance.  
  
• Each Friday send a text message to the team leaders, reminding them of weekend training details. Team leaders then distribute this information onto their students.  
• Begin further discussing fundraising and how the school plans to achieve their goal Set up a fundraising group just dedicated to this task  
• Some ideas include approaching Bunnings or Coles. Hosting school mufti days, raffles and fetes

4 MONTHS OUT

• First two weeks Increase walking distance to 10km – 14km walks
• Second two weeks increase walking distance again to 14km – 18km

3 MONTHS OUT   

• Carry out 2 x 15km walks 
• Trial the last leg of the event for familiarity
• We suggest only training up to two weeks out from event. Alternatives to your physical sessions during this time include stretching, practicing strapping for the event and light circuit training.

CONTINUAL TASKS

• Training during School Sport It’s great for schools to utilise this time to train with their teams and get in an additional session. It’s also great to mix up your training with cross training and circuit sessions.
• Monthly Team Meeting A catch up once a month off the tracks will allow you to ensure training and fundraising is going ahead and to plan. Any issues your team or individuals can be discussed and sorted here to allow your walking sessions to just be focused on training and team building.
• Excel Sheet Maintenance As new expressions of interests are made and teams finalised, keep your excel sheet updated with all relevant information and details. This will come in handy if you have a drop out.

COURSE MAP AND ELEVATION

Your maps are now ready and can be viewed and downloaded through AllTrails via the link below:

18KM MAP

 We'd also like to remind teams that Imbil State Forest is a working forest and there is strictly no training in the forest prior to the event.

You can train in surrounding forests such as the Blackall Ranges, get ideas for training routes in our blog here.

CHECKPOINT INFORMATION

CP4 - PULLEN LANE (HALF WAY)

Wowee! That was a bit of a hike! Take a second here to stretch out the legs and prepare for the next part of the journey! Your next stop will be The Kokoda Challenge finish line! 

 Water refill station

 Medical

 Toilets

 Timing mat

 Support crew

SUPPORT CREW

18km teams do NOT have support crews.

Family and friends are encouraged to come and cheer on their teams at the start and finish lines! 

OUR ECO POLICY

LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINTS, TAKE ONLY PHOTOS

We are all so incredibly lucky to be living in such a naturally beautiful country; let's keep it beautiful! Much of The Kokoda Challenge course will wind through national parks or state forests where it's very important to respect the the flora and fauna by being considerate of the following:

LITTERING

Yep, even your banana peels and mandarin skins count as littering, don't be a tosser! These food scraps only decompose unless composted properly and can also negatively impact the native wildlife and plants, take ALL rubbish with you. 

If you don't want to carry around rubbish with you then consider unwrapping your muesli or protein bars before you get to the event and store these instead in reusable containers.

REUSABLE CONTAINERS

Our food and drink vendors will be offering discounts for those who BYO keep cups, tell your support crew to bring theirs and yours as well to help reduce the impact on the environment and your wallet!

CONTAINERS FOR CHANGE

You can help us reduce our carbon footprint by putting all 10 cent containers in the bins marked CONTAINER FOR CHANGE. Not only will this stop all your recyclables from going into landfill, but all the money from your bottles will be donated to the Kokoda Youth Foundation to help us help more young people. 

FUNDRAISING

WHERE DO DONATIONS GO?

Every dollar raised goes towards our life-changing youth programs that mentor local kids in the community to reach their pull potential. You can learn more about out our youth programs here.

HOW DO I FUNDRAISE?

Here is a list of fundraising ideas to get you started:

• Share your fundraising page to social media
• Fundraising boxes; try these unique sock boxes from Jolly Soles!
• Bunnings sausage sizzle
• Ask your workplace to match donations dollar for dollar (donations over $1 are tax-deductible!)
• Auction your bosses car parking space for a week
• Dress up day at work/school
• Donation tin in local coffee shop
• Raffle (ask local businesses to donate prizes)
• Bake sale
• DIY paint & sip night 
• Car wash
• Bingo night
• High tea
• Containers for Change

FUNDRAISING PRIZES

Log into your dashboard to view The Kokoda Challenge merchandise your team will receive when you reach certain fundraising milestones. The team who raises the highest amount across all Kokoda Challenge events (open and school teams) will also win an unforgettable trekking adventure, kindly donated by Getaway Trekking

WIN A 10 DAY TREK

TRAINING GUIDE, TIPS AND TRICKS

YOUR 18KM TRAINING GUIDE

Don't know where to start with your training? No need to worry, we are here to help! 
Our Kokoda team has put together a training guide specifically for the 18km event. Please use this tool as a guide to help you train and prepare for the event.

Explanatory notes:

Aerobic effort: Easy, conversational pace where you can talk in almost full sentences during the session. Perceived effort 6/10

Comfortable effort: Slightly faster than aerobic, still able to speak but shorter sentences/broken sentences. Should finish these runs feeling like you worked but not completely exhausted. Perceived effort 7/10

Hard effort: Going as fast as you can for the duration of the repetition without running.

Weekday run/walk: We suggest that competitors walk or run at least the recommended amount of hours listed per week. Weekday walks/ runs can be completed alone or with your team mates

Weekend hike: This is the distance you and you team should aim to hike each weekend together. It is important to complete the training hikes as a team.

Extra training exercise: To ensure you are building the correct muscle groups, we suggest including some additional exercises into your weekly training if your schedule permits. We suggest focusing on the areas outlined in the sections.

Additional weight: This refers to adding additional weight to your usual body weight exercises. This helps grow and form stronger muscle groups.

Recovery weeks: Are programmed at regular intervals to allow the body to absorb training load applied to it. This is a good time to get extra sleep or a massage/physio appointment.

HOW TO PREPARE

The 18km Kokoda Challenge is no walk in the park (pun intended!). To complete the challenge, you need to make sure you are training at least once a week, fueling your body with the correct foods and nutrients, understanding the importance of hydration, know the ins and outs of strapping and stretching and most importantly you need to know how to effectively walk with your team! Check out some of our amazing resources below to help you prepare to take on the challenge.

 Nutrition guide

 Tiff's fundraising tips

 Getting the right gear

 Training advice 

 Steve's top tips

 Steves top tricks

 Tips from an ultra runner

COMPULSORY GEAR

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

The 18km course treks across many different types of landscapes. Being based in Queensland, the weather can also change at the blink of an eye, so you need to make sure you are prepared for all possible changes in weather or personal circumstance. The items on the compulsory list are to be always carried. Those on the recommended list are to be carried at your own choice.

Please ensure you are prepared with ALL of the following compulsory gear: 

• Head torch and spare batteries  
• Ability to carry at least 2 litres of water at all times - either a water bladder or water bottles (Please arrive with full water containers!) 
• Mobile phone 
• All competitors MUST download the Emergency Plus app 
• Race bib 
• Day backpack 
• Reflective safety vest that MUST be worn at night and when crossing roads 
• Hat and sunscreen 
• Pealess whistle in case of emergencies 
• Snacks 
• Water shoes (or waterproof hiking boots) for safely crossing flowing creeks 
• Roll of toilet paper and a shovel (in case you're stuck between checkpoint toilets) (one per team) 
• Personal first aid kit (yes, everyone needs their own! Be sure this carries all essential needs in case you are to get separated from your team at any time) 
• All kids MUST carry a physical copy of a guardian's contact details on them 

The following items are not compulsory, but are HIGHLY recommended: 

• Walking poles 
• Gloves, beanie and thermals (it can drop as low as ZERO degrees on the track, plus wind chill!) 
• Waterproof/windproof jacket 
• Portable phone charger 
• Back up head torch 
• Spare pair of socks 
• Small lightweight microfiber towel to dry your feet after creek crossings or before re-strapping 
• Blister packs 
• Instant heat pads 
• Chapstick 
• Sunglasses 

DISCOUNTED GEAR AT ANACONDA STORES

We're excited to have Anaconda on board as our equipment partner again in 2024! To celebrate, Anaconda are offering all Kokoda Challenge teams exclusive discounts on the best outdoor equipment. Download your discount flyer below and redeem at your local Anaconda store to ensure you have all the right gear to get you to the Kokoda Challenge finish line! 

ANACONDA EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS

EVENT PACK COLLECTION

Before you can take on The Kokoda Challenge, you will need to collect your team's event pack. This pack contains your race bibs (you can't start without these!), your official event t-shirts, plus some goodies from our partners! 

You can either collect your event pack at pre-registration the day before the event or you can collect the morning of the event. We highly recommend collecting your event packs the day before the event to avoid rushing around on event day. You can have someone collect your event packs on your behalf, all they will need to do is let the volunteers know at pre-registration when they arrive that they are collecting on your behalf. For all the details regarding pre-registration and collecting your event pack on the day of the event, please book below: 

KOKODA CHALLENGE PARTNERS

THANK YOU TO OUR GOLD SPONSORS:

          

And to our other valued partners:

TLC RECOVERY

Freshen up before your Kokoda adventure at TLC Recovery. You will receive a voucher in your competitor pack to redeem 15% off and help your body recover after Kokoda at TLC Recovery Sunshine Coast!

TRAIL GAITERS AUSTRALIA

 Use code TGKOKODA10 to get 10% off all funky and functional full priced gaiters. Trail Gaiters are fun, stylish and groovy lightweight stretch lycra gaiter that covers the top of your shoes when out trail running, walking or any outdoor activity.

A SPECIAL MENTION ALSO TO:

Kokoda Spirit: who have kindly donated a free trip to our highest fundraising team

SOK Images: who you'll spot on the course & finish line photographing your adventure

Spring Waterman: who donated ALL of your water and has been doing so for over 15 years

Kokoda outdoor education

As well as running Australia's toughest team endurance events, the Kokoda Youth Foundation has two outdoor education centres facilitating school, holiday and corporate camps in the Southeast Queensland and Northern NSW regions: 

CAMP KOKODA

Camp Kokoda is a 660 acre outdoor education property located on the southern shores of Maroon Dam that provides exceptional wilderness camping experiences for schools and special interest groups.

KOKODA PARK

Kokoda Park is our new facility at the foothills of Mt Beau Brummell about a 20 minute drive west from the town of Laidley. This venue caters for all age groups with accommodation for 150 students in 18 cabins, as well as private teacher accommodation and a dining hall. 

Get in touch to continue your Kokoda journey ↓

LEARN MORE

KOKODA YOUTH PROGRAMS

The Kokoda Challenge events exist not only to provide your team with a mental and physical challenge, but also to raise funds for our life-changing youth programs that mentor kids in our local community. 

DIGITAL DETOX PROGRAM

Our Digital Detox camp is fully funded by the donations raised through The Kokoda Challenge events, meaning we can provide the experience to kids completely free of charge so any 12-14 year old can take part, no matter their background.

This is an opportunity for kids to disconnect from technology and become more conscious of their relationship with their devices. Run onsite at our outdoor education facility Kokoda Park, this 7-day camp includes a series of adventure-based activities such as the high ropes course, rock climbing wall and giant swing, combined with educational workshops that teach mindfulness, breathing, yoga, journalling and more.

Submit an application to join the program or learn more ↓

APPLY NOW

KOKODA CHALLENGE YOUTH PROGRAM

Also fully funded by the donations raised through The Kokoda Challenge, the KCYP is a 9-month journey that will see 14-16 year olds hike the 96km Kokoda Challenge, adventure to Borneo to trek the Sandakan Memorial March and give back to local organisations through community service. 

This program delivers increased social connections, a deeper understanding of the 1942 Kokoda Campaign and Australia's involvement in WWII, fostering connections in the local community and the opportunity to learn resilience and realise their full potential.

This program delivers a range of benefits, including strengthened social connections, a deeper understanding of the 1942 Kokoda Campaign and Australia's involvement in WWII, fostering connections in the local community and the chance to develop resilience and reach their full potential.

Submit an application to join the program or learn more ↓

APPLY NOW

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

This six month, regional school-based program is for students in Grades 8 and 9 who are losing interest in their ongoing education and at risk of exiting the schooling system. 

The program operates one day a week and combines three months of physical training for the 48km Kokoda Challenge, whilst challenging kids to break through their pre-set beliefs and personal limits.

This is followed by three months of community service providing students with the opportunity to make a difference in their local area through positive contributions and connections.

LEARN MORE

1942 KOKODA campaign HISTORY

The Kokoda Campaign was a significant military operation that took place during World War II in 1942, between the Japanese and Allied forces, mainly Australian and Papua New Guinean troops. The campaign aimed to secure the Kokoda Track, a vital route connecting the northern and southern coasts of Papua New Guinea, which the Japanese intended to use to invade Australia.

The campaign began in July 1942 when the Japanese landed at Buna, Gona, and Sanananda on the north coast of Papua. The Australian forces, who were vastly outnumbered, were pushed back along the Kokoda Track towards Port Moresby, suffering from disease, starvation, and exhaustion. However, they managed to hold off the Japanese advance, and after several months of intense fighting, they were able to push the Japanese back to the north coast.

The campaign was fought in some of the most challenging terrain in the world, with the troops facing dense jungle, steep mountains, and treacherous rivers. The Australian and Papua New Guinean troops showed remarkable resilience, bravery, and resourcefulness throughout the campaign, which was a turning point in the Pacific War.

The Kokoda Campaign was a significant victory for the Allied forces, as it prevented the Japanese from establishing a foothold in Papua New Guinea and ultimately thwarted their plans to invade Australia. It also highlighted the importance of the Australian and Papua New Guinean partnership and the critical role that indigenous troops played in the campaign. 

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