A laid-back coastal town on Anderson Inlet, and the finish line for every distance on race weekend.
Inverloch sits where Anderson Inlet meets the open ocean, about two hours south-east of Melbourne in the Bass Coast Shire. It's a genuine local surf town — cafes on the main street, a long stretch of beach, and the Bunurong Coastal Drive running out toward Cape Paterson and the Twelve Apostles' quieter cousin, the Bunurong Marine and Coastal Park.
Race weekend brings the town to life: runners and families filling out the cafes on Saturday, the foreshore closed off for Sunday's start, and the festival taking over the Glade once the last finishers are through.
The spine of the Half Marathon and Marathon courses — ocean on one side, coastal scrub on the other, and one of the most scenic stretches of road running in Victoria.
The 14km course runs point-to-point, starting at the Cape Paterson foreshore and finishing back in Inverloch.
Every distance finishes here on the foreshore, right where the finish-line festival kicks off — live music, food trucks, and a pop-up brewery.
Sections of the course pass through this coastal park on Bunurong Country — heath, cliffs, and ocean views for most of the run.
The Inverloch Running Festival is held on the land of the Bunurong People, Traditional Owners of the Bass Coast. We acknowledge their continuing connection to this coastline and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
Inverloch is around two hours south-east of Melbourne — an easy drive down for race weekend.
Inverloch is approximately 145km (around 2 hours) south-east of Melbourne CBD via the South Gippsland Highway. It's a straightforward drive, with plenty of parking around the foreshore and town centre on race weekend — arrive early on Sunday morning as road closures start ahead of the 7:30am gun.
Sections of the Bunurong Coastal Drive and the Inverloch foreshore will be closed to traffic for race starts on both days. Signposted parking will be available near the Glade — follow event signage and volunteer directions on the morning.
March is peak season on the Bass Coast, so book early. For accommodation options in and around Inverloch, the Inverloch Visitor Information Centre is the best place to start — they can point you to what's available for race weekend.
Inverloch Bike Hire (one of our event partners) is based right in town if you'd rather explore the coast on two wheels before or after your race. The foreshore and the Glade are both an easy walk from most accommodation in town.