Our Puffing Billy Running Festival team are happy to assist with your inquiries.
We do kindly ask that you please check the below A-Z Event Information before emailing us to see if your question has already been answered.
Acknowledgement of Country
The Puffing Billy Running Festival is held on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri people.
We respect the deep and continuing connection that Traditional Owners have to these lands and waters, and we recognise their ongoing role in caring for Country.
We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging, and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
For the safety of everyone involved, we have some age restrictions for participating in our races. These are developed in consultation with Athletics Victoria.
1.2km Kids Dash: Participants must be 15 years or younger on event day. Parents can accompany for free (but sorry mums and dads, no finisher medals for you!).
5km Family Fun Run: Participants must be 8 years or older on event day. Participants 15 years and younger MUST be accompanied by an adult on course.
13.5km Classic: Participants must be 13 years or older on event day. Participants under the age of 15 MUST be accompanied by an adult at all times.
21.1km Half Marathon: Participants must be 16 years or older on event day.
Please note that Ambulance service is not a free service in Victoria. It’s your responsibility to check your health cover and ensure you are covered for ambulance cover in the case of an emergency.
To arrange cover directly with Ambulance Victoria, visit http://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/.
A free of charge Baggage Drop service is provided to participants of the 13.5km Classic and 21.1km Half Marathon events. These items will be transferred from the start line in Belgrave to the finish line in Emerald.
All participants must bring their own bag and attach the bag tag (available from the perforated edge on the provided Race Bib) to their belongings. We recommend zippable Woolworth’s style bags.
To ensure your bag will find you at the Finish Line, please place it in the Baggage Van near Bib Collection by 7:45am. This allows the Baggage Van to travel ahead of the race to reach the start line in time.
Important notes
- Organisers will not be held responsible for the contents of runners' bags.
- It is suggested runners pack lightly with essential items.
- Please turn off your mobile before placing it in your bag.
Runners will need to show their Race Bib to match and receive their bag at the Finish Zone at Emerald Lake Park.
We will be using a disposable chip system that is stuck to the back of your race number or bib.
Bib Colours
- 1.2km Kids Dash: PINK bibs
- 5km Family Fun Run: ORANGE bibs
- 13.5km Classic: BLUE bibs
- 21.1km Half Marathon: PURPLE bibs
Bibs will be available to be picked up:
- Saturday 9 September morning from 8:00am until 12:00pmnoon from the Lakeside Visitor Centre in Emerald Lake Park. Bibs for all events will be available for collection.
- Sunday 10 September morning from 6:00am from the Belgrave CFA in Bayview Road in Belgrave (right next to the start line).
Pre-Event Postage:
Prefer to be organised ahead of time?
You can 'opt-in' to have your bib posted out prior to the event for a cost of $6.00 per transaction.
Please note the pre-event postage option closes on 31 July 2023 to allow time for packing and postage.
Please visit our Transport & Parking page for more details.
Parking is EXTREMELY limited near the Race Start, Race Finish and, well, everywhere near the Puffing Billy Festival! So, we urge you to find a buddy (or four) and car pool to and from the event. There is not enough car parking spaces for everyone to travel solo.
It’s better for the environment and you can share the pre-race nerves and the post-race runners high with someone else!
Please see ‘T for Transfers’ below.
Designated course timing / cut-off points have been implemented to minimise the disruption to local traffic. Runners will be required to reach these points within the time limit to continue in the race.
Please note: A Tail End Charlie / Sweeper vehicle will collect runners at these points if they have not made the cut-off time.
- 1km: Cut off 30 mins.
- 5km: Cut off 75 mins.
- 13.5km: Cut off 2 hours and 15 mins.
- 21.1km: Cut off 2 hours and 45 mins.
There are a number of water stations on course providing drinks and also first aid support for participants. These are operated by local volunteer groups, who are just awesome!
Please view our Race Details page for locations.
Our full Event Schedule will be published closer to the event. Stay tuned.
A professional event first aid service – Race Day Medical – will be engaged, and will be based along the route during each event and at the Water / Aid Stations on course.
Regardless of this support, everyone should help a runner in serious trouble.
Are there FINISHER medals?? YES - you bet! Every finisher will receive a medal when they cross that finish line.
Everyone LOVES a great fun run photo, right? We'll team up a professional photography team to provide our official race photography. After the event these images will be available to buy through their website.
- No dogs, cyclists, prams, roller or in-line skaters will be permitted to take part or accompany in any of the races.
- Participants must obey the direction of race officials, marshals or volunteers: on and off the course.
- Participants ignoring race officials or marshals at road or rail crossings will be immediately disqualified.
- Be courteous to all you encounter during the event. This includes staff, volunteers, traffic controllers and other users of the course.
- Dogs are NOT permitted inside Wrights Forest. Assistance dogs permitted.
- Participants under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
- Participants must help fellow runners in distress.
- Failure to wear your own registered race bib will result in disqualification.
- Anyone found not using the correct toilet facilities will be disqualified.
- Runners returning along the race route before 10:30am will be disqualified.
How fast will they go? How can you or your family buy a ticket?
Please view our Race Trains & Tickets page for more details.
- Participants will receive a full refund (minus a 25% admin fee of their registration total) for all withdrawal refund requests prior to 30th July 2023.
- All refund requests must be made in writing by email to race@pbr.org.au.
- Withdrawal notifications received via any other means will not be processed.
- There are strictly NO refunds after the 30th July 2023.
Race results will be uploaded in real time throughout the Puffing Billy Running Festival.
These results will be available via the Results page here >
Please visit our Road Closures page for more details.
- Please be early and dressed ready to run, with your Race Bib affixed to the front of your clothing.
- On Saturday, there are no seeded starts.
- On Sunday, seeding groups will begin forming from 7:45am onwards.
- Seeded starts will ensure a safer event by having the faster runners at the front.
- Seeded groups are defined by your personal best time on a flat road 10km time. This information is asked during the Registration process.
- Your Race Bib will start your time from the moment you step over the pads at the Start Line.
Please ensure you start in the correct Start Wave to ensure runner safety for everyone.
1km and 5km events:
No start waves will be implemented.
13.5km Classic and 21.1km Half Marathon events:
13.5km Start and 21.1km Start Waves times will be between 8:00am - 8:22am.
Specific wave times will be published closer to the event.
Start waves are nominated on your race entry during registration and will be allocated based on your times below:
Wave Start - Group A
Men: Your 10km race time is less than 40 minutes.
Women: Your 10km race time is less than 45 minutes.
Wave Start - Group B
Men: Your flat 10km race time is between 40 - 50 minutes.
Women: Your flat 10km race time is between 45 - 55 minutes.
Wave Start - Group C
Men: Your flat 10km race time is between 50 – 60 minutes.
Women: Your flat 10km race time is between 55 - 65 minutes.
Wave Start - Group D
Men: Your flat 10km race time is between 60+ minutes.
Women: Your flat 10km race time is between 65+ minutes.
Start Wave Notes:
- Participants in the ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’ Start Waves please refrain from moving to the front of the Start Line and allow access for the 'A' seeded and Elite participants.
- Waves will start approximately 3-5 minutes apart.
- Each participant’s race time will start when they cross the line.
- Participants can nominate their preferred wave upon registration based on the times above.
- It is expected that participants start in their nominated group to ensure a fun and safe experience for all.
- Watch out for anyone who does fall to avoid further accidents.
- Keep to the left hand side of the road to allow faster participants to pass safely.
We discourage warm-up clothing to be dumped at the start line.
However, any clothing dumped at the start line of the 13.5km and 21.1km events will be donated to local charities.
Any clothing items not handed over to the Bag Drop van will NOT be transferred to the finish line.
Please visit our Race Trains & Tickets page for more details.
- You can transfer between events (upgrade or downgrade) via the registration platform.
- There is a $20 flat administration fee for distance upgrades or downgrades.
- Upgrades and downgrades are available up until 5pm on the Wednesday prior to the event.
- Athletes will not receive a refund for the price difference for a downgrade.
- Athletes will need to pay the difference in entry cost for an upgrade.
- You can do this by 'logging in' to your registration via the event registration link: https://eventplus.net/PBR23
This information is for people participating in the 13.5km Classic and 21.1km Half Marathon events from Emerald Lake Park on Sunday.
OPTION 1: Aboard Puffing Billy
In a change from previous years, all passengers are required to have pre-purchased a Race Day Puffing Billy Race Train ticket to return by train from Lakeside (Emerald Lake Park) to Belgrave.
IMPORTANT Train Notes:
- These train tickets must either be booked via the Race Registration process OR via the Puffing Billy Railway website (https://puffingbilly.com.au/).
- The last train arrives back to Belgrave Station at 4:20pm.
- Limited spaces are available; tickets are sold on a first come first served basis.
OPTION 2: Chartered Buses - $10.00 per person
A fleet of chartered buses will be available for athletes to travel from Emerald Lake Park back to the start line in Belgrave between 11:00am and 1:00pm. The cost is $10.00 per person.
IMPORTANT Bus Notes:
- These bus tickets must be booked via the Race Registration portal.
OPTION 3: Early Return Train
For those speedsters, a free of charge early train will depart Emerald Lake back to the start line in Belgrave at 9:50am.
IMPORTANT Train Notes:
- This train will arrive back to Belgrave by 11:00am.
- These train tickets must be booked via the Race Registration portal.
- Limited spaces are available; tickets are sold on a first come first served basis.
SATURDAY
Runners can warm up in around Emerald Lake Park. As the park is open to the general public, please give way to other park users and be respectful. The car parks are not an open space for warm-ups.
SUNDAY
Runners can warm up in Bayview Road, behind the Assembly Point. Belgrave-Gembrook Road is not an open space for warm-ups.
We have no more access to any weather forecasting data than the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). Here are their recorded averages for nearby Ferny Creek >. Here is the BOM forecast for nearby Dandenong >
Prior to the event
- Please see 'Refunds' under 'R' above.
During the event
If you wish to withdraw at any stage during the event, you need to do so at a water or aid station and notify the attendants of your intention to withdraw. We will then do what we can to get you away from the water aid station as soon as we can, but given the length of the event, waiting for the 'Tail Walker' vehicle is the likely method of transport.
If you do not start – you will be listed as a DNS.