Eighty kilometres, two of Sydney’s best-known beaches, and the Harbour Bridge in between. The Bondi to Manly Ultra follows the coast and harbour foreshore from Bondi Pavilion to Manly Beach, and this year’s race sold out.
Men: James Paterson won the 80 km solo in 6:19:21, 12 minutes clear of Chris Turnbull (6:31:23) and Luke Townsend (6:33:40). Paterson was second last year.
Women: Greta Truscott was first woman in 7:28:46, ahead of Jane Zouch (7:33:09) and Jenny McGuire (7:46:10).
Relays: Finance Bros II were the fastest four-person team (mixed, 6:14:26); Rattus fuscipes won the men’s teams in 5:26:35. A little runhinged won the two-person men’s relay in 6:37:56. All six relay winners.
Times from MultiSport Australia‘s results; they may still change.
- 2026 race: Saturday 24 October
- Start: Bondi Pavilion, 4:30am for the 80 km solo; relays from 6am
- Finish: Manly Beach; the course closes at 7:30pm
- Distance: 80 km advertised, in four legs; the timing system measures about 78 km
- Climbing: about 1,375 m, by the organisers’ leg profiles
- Formats: 80 km solo, two-person relay (2 x 40 km), four-person relay (4 x 20 km)
- Elite standard: under 7:30 for men, under 8:45 for women
- Entries: 2026 sold out; there’s a waitlist
Bondi to Manly Ultra 2026 results
James Paterson didn’t lead early. He was sixth at the first timing point, about 18 minutes in, and seventh as he left the first aid station at Lyne Park, 20 km in. He was third by Milson Park, on the north side of the Harbour Bridge, second around Bradleys Head, and in front by the Spit, 4 hours 45 minutes into the race. He held the lead over North Head to the finish (MultiSport live timing).
It’s a step up from 2025, when Paterson finished second, 14 minutes behind France’s Florian Maro, in a field of 728 finishers (UTMB Index; MultiSport Australia). His winning time works out at about 4:51 per kilometre over the measured course, hills included.
Greta Truscott, first woman, was second woman in 2024, less than a minute behind Cheryl Greenway (UTMB Index).
Men’s 80 km solo, top five
| Pos | Runner | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Paterson | 6:19:21 |
| 2 | Chris Turnbull | 6:31:23 |
| 3 | Luke Townsend | 6:33:40 |
| 4 | Sota Maehara | 6:37:55 |
| 5 | James Fletcher | 6:41:41 |
Women’s 80 km solo
| Pos | Runner | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greta Truscott | 7:28:46 |
| 2 | Jane Zouch | 7:33:09 |
| 3 | Jenny McGuire | 7:46:10 |
Relay winners
| Relay | Category | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two-person (2 x 40 km) | Men | A little runhinged | 6:37:56 |
| Two-person (2 x 40 km) | Women | Owairaka international | 6:55:15 |
| Two-person (2 x 40 km) | Mixed | Energy Fitness Flyers | 6:41:30 |
| Four-person (4 x 20 km) | Men | Rattus fuscipes | 5:26:35 |
| Four-person (4 x 20 km) | Women | SYNTly the Best | 6:40:14 |
| Four-person (4 x 20 km) | Mixed | Finance Bros II (Too Big To Fail) | 6:14:26 |
Past winners
| Year | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | James Paterson, 6:19:21* | Greta Truscott, 7:28:46* |
| 2025 | Florian Maro (France), 6:02:46 | Steph McCall (UK), 6:47:26 |
| 2024 | Mark Langley (Australia), 6:04:01 | Cheryl Greenway (UK), 7:23:58 |
Maro’s 6:02:46 in 2025 is the fastest winning time of the past three races. In the 2025 relays, Vipers Dream Team was the fastest four-person team in 5:23:12; Delta Cats won the women’s teams in 6:38:51 and The Finance Bros the mixed teams in 6:11:53.
The Bondi to Manly course, leg by leg
The race is split into four legs, which is also how the relays work: each changeover is an aid station. Three of the four aid stations can be reached by ferry, which is how most support crews get around (race information; course guide).
| Leg | Distance | Climb | Solo cut-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Bondi to Lyne Park, Rose Bay | 19.78 km | 331 m | 8:20am |
| 2. Lyne Park to Milson Park, Kirribilli | 20.81 km | 340 m | 11:20am |
| 3. Milson Park to Clontarf | 23.24 km | 433 m | 3:50pm |
| 4. Clontarf to Manly Beach | 16.83 km | 271 m | 7:30pm finish |
- Leg 1: Coastal clifftops to South Head, then the harbour side via Watsons Bay.
- Leg 2: Rushcutters Bay, Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, the Opera House, then over the Harbour Bridge.
- Leg 3: The longest and hilliest leg: Cremorne Point, Bradleys Head, Middle Head, the Spit.
- Leg 4: Dobroyd Head, Manly Wharf, then the loop over North Head to the beach.
The third leg is the one to respect. It’s the longest and has the most climbing, on bush tracks around the headlands of Mosman, and it comes after 40 km of road and path. The last leg looks short on paper but keeps going up and down, and finishes with a loop over North Head before the drop to Manly.
How hard is the Bondi to Manly Ultra?
For most runners the time limits are fair but not generous. The tightest cut-off is at Milson Park, about 40 km in, at 11:20am, which is 6 hours 50 minutes for 40.6 km, or about 10 minutes per kilometre from the 4:30am start. Walk the hills, run the flat, and keep moving through the aid stations.
If you’re weighing it up, a good first step is a road half or City2Surf, then a trail marathon. For what the body goes through over long days on its feet, see our guide to how far the human body can go; for a different kind of ultra, there’s backyard ultra in Australia. More races are in our Australian fitness races calendar.
Bondi to Manly Ultra: FAQ
Who won the Bondi to Manly Ultra 2026?
James Paterson won the men’s 80 km solo in 6:19:21. Greta Truscott was the first woman in 7:28:46. Finance Bros II were the fastest relay team (four-person mixed, 6:14:26).
How long is the Bondi to Manly Ultra?
It’s advertised as 80 km, split into four legs of about 17 to 23 km. The timing system measures the solo course at about 78 km, with roughly 1,400 m of climbing.
What time does the Bondi to Manly Ultra start?
The 80 km solo starts at 4:30am at Bondi Pavilion, with the elite wave first. The two-person relay starts at 6am and the four-person relay at 6:30am. The finish at Manly Beach closes at 7:30pm.
What is the cut-off for the Bondi to Manly Ultra?
Solo runners have to be through Lyne Park by 8:20am, Milson Park by 11:20am, Clontarf by 3:50pm and Manly Wharf by 5:30pm, and finish by 7:30pm. That’s 15 hours in all.
Can you still enter?
The 2026 race sold out. The organisers run a waitlist for the next one; the 2025 and 2026 races were both in late October.
Sources: Bondi to Manly Ultra, MultiSport Australia, UTMB Index. Update log: 24 October 2026, first published with provisional results; 25 October, relay winners added.
