23/08/2026
Fabulous Mundy Regional parkrun Run Report from our lovely UK visitor Anna yesterday! Thanks Anna CP !
Mundy Regional parkrun
22 August 2026
If you like your parkruns flat, fast and on smooth tarmac, Mundy Regional may come as something of a shock!
This was my first visit to Mundy Regional and, having been told that it has a reputation as one of the hardest, possibly the hardest parkruns in Australia, I was intrigued to see whether it would live up to the hype. Having now completed it, I can confirm that it absolutely does! I obviously haven't run every parkrun in Australia, but this is quite possibly the hardest parkrun I've ever done.
And I loved it.
The course is a beautiful single loop trail through the Australian bush, with around 215 metres of elevation packed into just 5km. It felt about as far removed as you can get from a flat, tarmac parkrun. The scenery is gorgeous and it has a wonderfully wild, unmistakably Australian feel to it. You can even see kangaroos out on the course, which has to be one of the most Australian parkrun experiences possible!
There isn't much opportunity to ease yourself gently into this one either. Almost immediately after the start, you head straight uphill. With no real warm up beforehand, that first climb certainly wakes you up! It is steep enough to take your breath away very quickly and gives you a fairly good indication of what's to come.
There are three main hills marked on the course map, but that doesn't mean the bits in between are exactly flat! Some of the climbs through the middle section feel particularly tough because you're still a long way from home. There were sections so steep that, for me at least, there really wasn't much choice other than to power walk them. This is definitely a parkrun where walking a hill shouldn't be regarded as admitting defeat. It's probably just sensible race tactics!
Then, just when your legs are already starting to question your life choices, you reach the final major climb, Jeff's Hill.
Jeff's Hill is very appropriately positioned towards the end, when your legs are already thoroughly tired. By that stage, even looking upwards feels exhausting. But eventually you make it over the top, and the knowledge that the finish is getting closer is a very welcome feeling.
Despite the difficulty, this really is a fantastic course. Trail running through the bush, beautiful views, steep climbs, fast descents and plenty of variety make the 5km go surprisingly quickly, even if your legs might disagree.
There were 37 finishers this morning, along with a number of milestones and PBs to celebrate. Congratulations to everyone who reached a milestone or achieved a new personal best on such a challenging course!
A special thank you to today's Run Director Peta Moore and to Simon Poli, who was timekeeping. I met Peta and Simon at the Perth Pub Runners Monday night runs, and they were the ones who told me I really needed to give Mundy Regional a try. They were both so friendly and welcoming, and I'm very glad I took their advice, although my legs may not have been quite so grateful halfway up some of those hills!
And of course, a huge thank you to all of today's volunteers who made the event possible:
Peta Moore: Run Director
Rachel Grguric: First Timers Welcome
Simon Poli: Timekeeper
Karin Ridley: Barcode Scanning
Lincoln Ridley: Finish Tokens
Ryan Abeleira: Pre event Setup and Event Day Course Check
Jaco van Staden: Pre event Setup and Event Day Course Check
Paul Fisher: Tail Walker
Mundy Regional is definitely not one for chasing an easy 5km PB, but if you fancy something completely different, love trails, beautiful bushland and don't mind a serious hill or three, I would absolutely recommend it.
A properly tough, properly beautiful and very memorable Australian parkrun.
