What was the Australian Three Peaks Race?

The Australian Three Peaks Race was a non-stop endurance event that combined offshore sailing with mountain running. Each team carried three sailors and two runners; the yacht sailed between points down the Tasmanian coast while, at each stop, the runners went ashore to climb a mountain before the boat could continue. It ran annually from 1989 to 2013.

What was the course of the Three Peaks Race?

The race started at Beauty Point on the Tamar River, north of Launceston, and finished in Hobart on the River Derwent. It was sailed in three legs — roughly 90 nautical miles to Flinders Island, 145 to Coles Bay, and 100 to Hobart, around 335 nautical miles in total — with a mountain climbed at each stage.

Which three peaks were climbed?

The runners climbed Mount Strzelecki on Flinders Island, Mount Freycinet at Coles Bay, and Mount Wellington (kunanyi) above Hobart. Together the three runs covered roughly 131 kilometres on foot, with well over two thousand metres of total ascent across the three mountains.

When did the Australian Three Peaks Race run?

The race was first held in 1989, inspired by a British three-peaks event, and was run annually until 2013. Over those twenty-five years it gained national and international attention as one of the most distinctive adventure-racing events in the world.

Is the Three Peaks Race coming back?

A bid to revive the race began in October 2025, with a proposed return at Easter 2028. As an evergreen note, anyone interested should check the official Three Peaks Race website for the latest on the revival, as plans and dates may change.

How was it different from a normal yacht race?

In an ordinary offshore race the crew simply sails to the finish. In the Three Peaks Race the yacht could not continue until its runners had gone ashore, climbed the designated mountain and returned — so sailors waited at anchor while runners raced up and down a peak, blending two completely different endurance sports into one event.

Why was the Australian Three Peaks Race notable?

It was notable for its sheer difficulty and its unique format, and for the scenery it passed — including some of the highest sea cliffs in the Southern Hemisphere along the Tasmanian coast. Few events anywhere demand that the same team be competitive at both offshore sailing and mountain running.

Tasmania

Australian Three Peaks Race: Sailing Meets Mountain Running

The Australian Three Peaks Race was a gruelling Tasmanian endurance event combining offshore sailing with mountain running — three sailing legs and three peaks from Beauty Point to Hobart. Run from 1989 to 2013, with a 2028 revival proposed.

3 min read

The Australian Three Peaks Race was one of the most distinctive endurance events in world sailing — a non-stop Tasmanian race that combined offshore sailing with mountain running, sending teams of sailors and runners from Beauty Point near Launceston down the coast to Hobart, climbing three mountains along the way. Run annually from 1989 to 2013, it asked the same small team to be good at two utterly different sports at once, and a bid is now under way to bring it back.

Note: the Three Peaks Race last ran in 2013. The details below describe the event as it was run; a revival has been proposed for Easter 2028, but is not yet confirmed.

What it was

The Three Peaks Race was built on a simple, brutal idea. Each team fielded three sailors and two runners. The yacht raced offshore between set points down the Tasmanian coast, but at each stop the boat could go no further until its two runners had gone ashore, climbed a designated mountain, and returned. Sailors waited while runners suffered up a peak; runners recovered while sailors fought the sea. The clock never stopped.

That fusion of two endurance sports into one continuous race was what made it special. A crew could sail superbly and still lose hours on a mountain, or claw back a deficit with a fast climb. Success demanded a rare combination of offshore seamanship and mountain-running fitness within a single five-person team.

The course: three legs, three peaks

The race started at Beauty Point on the Tamar River, north of Launceston, and finished in Hobart on the River Derwent — effectively the length of Tasmania by sea. It was divided into three sailing legs, each ending at the foot of a mountain:

| Leg | Approx. distance | Mountain climbed | | --- | --- | --- | | Beauty Point to Flinders Island | ~90 nautical miles | Mount Strzelecki | | Flinders Island to Coles Bay | ~145 nautical miles | Mount Freycinet | | Coles Bay to Hobart | ~100 nautical miles | Mount Wellington (kunanyi) |

In total the teams sailed roughly 335 nautical miles and ran around 131 kilometres over the three mountains, with well over two thousand metres of climbing on foot. The sea legs took the fleet past dramatic coastline, including some of the highest sea cliffs in the Southern Hemisphere — scenery few offshore races can match. The offshore sailing itself drew on the same skills as any Tasmanian classic; our guide to crew positions and the sailing terms glossary cover the on-water side.

History

The Australian event was inaugurated in 1989, after a Tasmanian team competed in a British three-peaks race and brought the idea home. It drew national and international attention almost immediately, featuring in specialist sailing and running magazines and then in television news and documentaries. For twenty-five years it was an Easter fixture, building a devoted following among adventure racers who relished its difficulty.

The race was run for the last time in 2013. Like many demanding, logistically complex events, it eventually became hard to sustain, and it went quiet for more than a decade.

The revival

In October 2025 a bid commenced to revive the race, with a proposed return at Easter 2028. As with any event still in the planning stage, the details are subject to change — anyone keen to follow the revival should check the official Three Peaks Race website for confirmed news and dates.

Why it mattered

Very few sporting events anywhere ask a single team to be competitive at both offshore sailing and mountain running, back to back, without rest. That is what gave the Three Peaks Race its mystique. It sat apart from the rest of the Tasmanian racing scene — not faster or bigger than the great offshore classics, but harder in a way all of its own, and unforgettable for the crews who finished it.

Frequently asked questions

What was the Australian Three Peaks Race?: The Australian Three Peaks Race was a non-stop endurance event that combined offshore sailing with mountain running. Each team carried three sailors and two runners; the yacht sailed between points down the Tasmanian coast while, at each stop, the runners went ashore to climb a mountain before the boat could continue. It ran annually from 1989 to 2013.
What was the course of the Three Peaks Race?: The race started at Beauty Point on the Tamar River, north of Launceston, and finished in Hobart on the River Derwent. It was sailed in three legs — roughly 90 nautical miles to Flinders Island, 145 to Coles Bay, and 100 to Hobart, around 335 nautical miles in total — with a mountain climbed at each stage.
Which three peaks were climbed?: The runners climbed Mount Strzelecki on Flinders Island, Mount Freycinet at Coles Bay, and Mount Wellington (kunanyi) above Hobart. Together the three runs covered roughly 131 kilometres on foot, with well over two thousand metres of total ascent across the three mountains.
When did the Australian Three Peaks Race run?: The race was first held in 1989, inspired by a British three-peaks event, and was run annually until 2013. Over those twenty-five years it gained national and international attention as one of the most distinctive adventure-racing events in the world.
Is the Three Peaks Race coming back?: A bid to revive the race began in October 2025, with a proposed return at Easter 2028. As an evergreen note, anyone interested should check the official Three Peaks Race website for the latest on the revival, as plans and dates may change.
How was it different from a normal yacht race?: In an ordinary offshore race the crew simply sails to the finish. In the Three Peaks Race the yacht could not continue until its runners had gone ashore, climbed the designated mountain and returned — so sailors waited at anchor while runners raced up and down a peak, blending two completely different endurance sports into one event.
Why was the Australian Three Peaks Race notable?: It was notable for its sheer difficulty and its unique format, and for the scenery it passed — including some of the highest sea cliffs in the Southern Hemisphere along the Tasmanian coast. Few events anywhere demand that the same team be competitive at both offshore sailing and mountain running.

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