Kokoda Challenge Sydney

The Kokoda Challenge is coming to test Sydney!

Setting off from Helensburgh, your team can choose to traverse the 18km, 48km or 96km course through the stunning Royal National Park and Heathcote National Park.

Kokoda Challenge Sydney, 2025 Dates, Cost, Location & Times

While most of our competitors choose to hike the courses, our events also attract a large number of trail runners. Given the steep elevation, most of these teams will hike the inclines and trail run down the mountains and flat sections of the tracks. Others will run the entire way and compete for the illustrious winners’ medals and school cups named after Kokoda Veterans.

But the Kokoda Challenge is not about winning, it’s not about beating your personal best or charging ahead of your team; in fact, this will actually get you disqualified! The Kokoda Challenge is all about reaching the finish line with your entire team; that’s the most important thing! You’re only as fast as your slowest team member, and you leave no one behind.

That’s precisely what our Diggers did back in 1942 during the Kokoda Campaign in Papua New Guinea, and that is the meaning of ‘Kokoda Spirit’ – courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice.

Unlike most other events, the Kokoda Challenge is run by the Kokoda Youth Foundation (KYF), not an event company. We are an Australian-registered charity that exists to provide experiential youth programs for local kids free of charge. Your team will be allocated a fundraising page where you will be required to raise funds for the KYF so we can continue to change the lives of Aussie kids, just like we have been doing since 2004!

Our mission is also to educate more Australians about our nation’s history with our involvement in the 1942 Kokoda Campaign. It is an extraordinary story of young, undertrained and ill-equipped soldiers that defeated highly advanced Japanese forces in their attempt to seize Australian soil in New Guinea during WWII. It is our mission to ensure the story of these brave men lives on, and so too does the legacy they left behind.

Before you register your team, it’s important to know that this is not just a walk in the park! Our maps are carefully crafted to include steep inclines, river crossings, and other extreme conditions, giving you a glimpse of what our Australian Diggers experienced on the real Kokoda Track. However, the Kokoda Spirit is ultimately about perseverance in the face of adversity and doing so with your mates beside you. That is the Kokoda Spirit, and that is what will get your team to the Kokoda Challenge finish line.

The Kokoda Challenge is, as the name suggests, indeed a challenge! We believe that change doesn’t come from your comfort zone, so if you want to push yourself mentally and physically, then you must be willing to take on what the mind is telling you is too tough.

Through this event, you will prove to yourself that you are capable of more, you will raise funds for local youth programs and honour our Veterans in a very special way.

96KM SYDNEY KOKODA CHALLENGE

Picture this: it’s pitch black, and all you can see is the small space in front of you illuminated by your head torch. Your teammates are walking beside you, and all you can hear is the crunch of their boots against the leaves and vegetation underfoot. The temperature has dropped, but you’re still warm from climbing mountains all day and well into the night. You’re exhausted and start welling up with emotion as you see the lights from the finish line up ahead.

You’ve made it. You’ve been hiking since 7:30am the day before, and after walking for 96 kilometres, you have finally reached the end with your team. You are overwhelmed with achievement, relief, joy and physical depletion. You’ve pushed yourself far beyond what you thought you were capable of, and you have never felt such an enormous outpouring of emotion.

The Kokoda Challenge is an adventure like no other. It’s not about achieving your personal best time; it’s about ensuring your team stays together at all times and that you reach the end with all your teammates.

This is what our Australian soldiers did back in 1942 along the Kokoda Track, and this is what the event emulates. Our Diggers endured a hell like no other during WWII, and every step you take will pay homage to the hardships they faced. It’s about paying respect to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Through this event, you’ll also raise critical funds for youth programs run in the local community, aimed at helping kids establish the life skills needed to reach their full potential. It is an extremely rewarding opportunity to make an impact on the lives of Australian youth.

Whether you intend to trail run or hike, you will require a support crew who are necessary in providing you with food and encouragement along the way. You don’t need to be a fitness fanatic to complete this event; all you need is the right people beside you and the right attitude, as it largely is a mental battle. It will be hard, but it will be worth it when you’re being awarded your dog tag at the finish line and you feel as though there is no challenge too big.

48KM SYDNEY KOKODA CHALLENGE

Can’t convince your teammates to enter the 96km event? Well, let’s see if you can tackle half the distance first! Let us give you an idea of what our events are all about.

As the name suggests, we started The Kokoda Challenge to pay homage to the sacrifices made by our WWII Veterans during their time in New Guinea on the Kokoda Track. It is an incredible story of bravery and perseverance. We aim to educate more Australians about the history of Kokoda by offering you an experience that provides insight into what it was like for our Diggers on the track in 1942.

The Kokoda Challenge also exists to raise funds for our life-changing youth programs. We mentor local kids through outdoor experiences to help them build the life skills needed to face adversity with resilience. Through this event, you will raise vital funds to help us help more young people in the community.

Not only that, this is a transformative experience for all those who set foot on the track. You will be mentally and physically tested, by stretching far beyond what you thought you were capable of while you’re climbing steep mountains and hiking or trail running for up to 12 hours, possibly even into the night.

Wandering through whimsical forests that range from lush ferns to quintessential Australian bush, this course is diverse and packed full of elevation to ensure your team is well and truly challenged. You will experience the full spectrum of emotions, sometimes you’ll be laughing and chatting with your teammates, while other times you’ll all fall silent while you focus on scaling some of the more challenging sections of the course.

While the 30km Kokoda Challenge attracts a great deal of trail runners, teams in this event are predominantly hikers. However, you don’t need to be an athlete to register; most of the teams that participate are everyday Australians who want to prove to themselves that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to.

18KM SYDNEY KOKODA CHALLENGE

The 18km event is the perfect entry into the Kokoda Challenge community. You may be an adventure seeker who spends your weekends exploring different trails, and now you’re ready for something that will test your limits. Alternatively, you may be new to hiking and want to push yourself to try something new!

Not only will you explore the simply stunning Heathcote and Royal National Parks through this event, you’ll also gain a deeper bond with your teammates, help kids in your local community through your fundraising and gain a deeper understanding and respect for the sacrifices made by our Aussie Diggers who fought to protect our country during WWII.

So what’s involved? The first step is to assemble a team that can consist of 2, 3, or 4 people (or five, if you’re a school team including four students and one teacher). If you’re struggling to find teammates, join our Kokoda Challenge Community Group on Facebook to connect with like-minded hikers who are also looking for a team!

Then you’re going to need to register! From here, you will kickstart your fundraising by sharing your page through social media and getting creative with how you can raise funds to help kids in our community (Remember, the highest overall fundraising team wins a trip with our partners Kokoda Spirit to do the real Kokoda Track in PNG.) Next, you’ll want to train! Grab the crew and scope out some great trails nearby that offer a high elevation, as our Kokoda Challenge events have a reputation for being far from flat!

Once you’ve got all your equipment, you’ve trained and fundraised, it’s game time! Your team will set off from Helensburgh into the wilderness of the Heathcote National Park. You’ll march up hills and persevere through whatever weather is thrown your way. It’s undoubtedly going to be tough, but it will all be worth it when you are flooded with an incredible sense of achievement upon reaching the finish line beside your team.

Competitors must be a minimum of 9 years old to participate. Generally, our oldest competitor is around 80, with competitors of all ages in between. Whether you’re a young family of trail runners or an older group of avid hikers, our events attract a huge audience, all with one thing in common: determination and grit to reach the finish line of The Kokoda Challenge.

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, participate 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 Heathcote and Royal National Park, and you see bright lights up ahead, marking the end of your journey with the Kokoda Challenge archway. An announcer will call out your team’s name, and each team member will be presented with dog tags.

Hot food and drinks are available for purchase, so you can finally kick back, relax, and reflect on the journey that was the Kokoda Challenge.

RECOMMENDED GEAR

The course traverses a variety of different landscapes. Being based on the coast, 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 circumstances. 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
• 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)

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

• Walking poles
• 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)
• Gloves, beanie and thermals (it can drop as low as ZERO degrees on the track, plus wind chill!)
• Waterproof/windproof jacket
• Portable phone charger
• Backup 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

Getting There

From Sydney CBD (Approx. 1 hr drive – 50 km)

• Head south across the Sydney Harbour Bridge or Eastern Distributor/M1 toward the Southern Freeway (M1 Princes Motorway).
• Follow the M1 south for about 45 minutes.
• Take the Helensburgh exit (signposted).
• Continue straight into Helensburgh via Parkes Street or Walker Street.

Park at either:

• Charles Harper Park car park (off Parkes St), or
• Swimming Pool car park (off Walker St, behind Helensburgh Swimming Pool).

Walk a short distance to the oval at Walker & Cowper Streets.

From Wollongong (Approx. 30 min drive – 30 km)

• Head north on the M1 Princes Motorway from Wollongong.
• Drive about 25 minutes toward Sydney.
• Take the Helensburgh exit.
• Enter Helensburgh via Parkes Street or Walker Street.

Park in the same car parks (Charles Harper Park or Swimming Pool).

Walk to the oval (approx. 2–3 mins from parking).

From Helensburgh Train Station (Nearest Public Transport Hub)

Catch the South Coast Line train (Sydney ↔ Wollongong line).

• From Sydney Central Station, the trip takes ~50 minutes.
• From Wollongong Station, the trip takes ~25 minutes.

Alight at Helensburgh Railway Station.

Exit onto Tunnel Road and head toward the town centre.

It’s a 15–20 minute walk to Rex Jackson Oval.

Alternatively, grab a short local taxi/ride-share (~5 minutes).

Follow signs to Walker Street → the oval is at Walker & Cowper Streets, next to Charles Harper Park.

Walking from Helensburgh CBD

If you’re already in town (Post Office, Tradies Club, local shops), the oval is only a few minutes’ walk along Walker Street.

Look for the swimming pool or Charles Harper Park — the oval is right beside them.

Travel Tip
If you’re driving from Sydney, consider taking the Grand Pacific Drive via the Sea Cliff Bridge (through Royal National Park) instead of the M1 — it’s longer (~1 hr 20 min) but one of NSW’s most scenic coastal routes.