Glasshouse 100

The volcanic plugs of the Glass House Mountains rise abruptly from the subtropical plains 20km northwest of Caboolture. In Dreaming legend, these rocky peaks belong to a family of mountain spirits. The explorer James Cook thought the shapes resembled the industrial conical (glass-making) furnaces of his native Yorkshire. It’s worth diverting off the Bruce Hwy onto the slower Steve Irwin Way to snake your way through dense pine forests and green pastureland for a close-up view of these spectacular magma intrusions.The Glass House Mountains National Park is broken into several sections (all within cooee of Beerwah), with picnic grounds and lookouts but no camping grounds. The peaks are reached by a series of sealed and unsealed roads that head inland from Steve Irwin Way. With that being said, The Glasshouse 100 is the place to be.This is a 100M/100km that runs within the Glasshouse area.

TRACHYTE - 11.3KM 100mile runners only.The 100 mile event will commence at Beerburrum State School and competitors will go out the front gate and turn left to go across the railway line and immediately turn left to follow a bitumen road (Old North Coast Rd) for a few hundred metres before getting onto the walking track between the rail line and Steve Irwin Way. Follow this track to Matthew Flinders Park and then turn left under the railway line (Evans Rd, second road) up the hill onto Berteaus Rd to the left and then right to run by the old Nursery. After a few hundred metres you will take a left turn onto a Ranger’s access track which eventually links onto the Trachyte Circuit. Follow this to cross Caves Rd at 6.5km which is Checkpoint 1 which is only manned in the shorter events. Follow the marked track back to the school finishing along Cemetery Rd and coming back to the school grounds through the side gate and departing through the front gate to go to the top of Mt Beerburrum.MT BEERBURRUM - 12.2KM Follow the walking path from the school (out the front gate and past the service station) until a dirt road on your right that takes the competitor halfway up Mt Beerburrum. From here, a concrete path leads to the top. This is the steepest part of the course and should be negotiated with care on the way back down particularly if wet as algal growth and leaves will make it slippery.Entrants return from the trip up the mountain and follow the walking path to the right. After about 100m you will cross Beerburrum-Woodford Rd and follow past the houses keeping to the footpath. There is a forestry road that goes to your left here. Follow the marked roads and trails to get to Checkpoint 3.Crew vehicles can go to Checkpoint 3 via Twin View Rd. Follow the track for 1km and park before the checkpoint on the western side of the track.TWINS - 7.0KM From Checkpoint 3 head west for a 1.2km and turn right and follow track for 1km until a T-intersection with a major road. The fenced off area opposite is council land used for mountain bikes. Turn right and head north. Shortly after turning right there is a turn to the left that runners will use later in the race, ignore this turn this time and follow major road all the way to Woodford-Beerburrum Rd a distance of 1.6km. Look out for traffic and cross diagonal over W-B Rd to the right and into a shady track on the left side of W-B Rd to reach Checkpoint 4 a few hundred meters further along. The checkpoint will be set back off the road in a clearing on the left.Ultra runners will have their first Weight check on arriving.Crew vehicles can go to Checkpoint 4. Parking is after the checkpoint compound on the eastern side of the road.GOAT TRACK/GLASSHOUSE LOOKOUT 589 - 11.8KM After leaving Checkpoint 4 the going gets rough. 100m up the track is a Y-intersection. To the right is the Goat Track and the left is Hennessys Hill. Runners take the Goat track and closely follow the signage as it will direct the safest route. The tough stuff lasts for just over 4km when runners exit the single lane track onto a formed forestry road and turn left. Follow tracks for 4.3km on good surface and then pass through a forestry gate on the right to head up to the eastern end of the Goat Track. At the hill top T-intersection turn right for a few hundred meters to reach a bitumen road (Glasshouse-Woodford Rd), turn left onto bitumen for 400m passing Lookout 589. Straight ahead 300m and take a right turn onto Connection Rd., follow for 1km and take a narrow fire trail to the left which winds through pine forest exiting onto a track you will turn left run for 300m to Checkpoint 5 which is at the intersection with Glasshouse-Woodford Rd.Crew vehicles can go to Checkpoint 5.BEERWAH - 6.9KM This section is short, sharp, steep and rough in sections. Head north up the sometimes slippery track to intersect with Connection Rd. Turn left and follow for 400m. Right turn through the gate to disappear into “The Dungeon” for a rough ride of around 3km. Upon exiting the gate turn right onto trail that connects up with the Mt Beerwah walking track. The walking track will lead to a picnic and amenities block and out the far end into the car parking area and Checkpoint 6. It is at this checkpoint that 100milers and 100km runners part ways for a few sections.Parking for crew will be outside the visitors car parking areas on the edge of Mt Beerwah Rd on the northern side only. Toilets are available inside the Picnic area if required.Crew vehicles can go to Chpt 6.PEACHESTER - 12.7KM100mile runners only.Run out the car park and turn west (left) and then right to scale your way up a small climb to an excellent lookout position, stop and turn around to view all the Glasshouse Mountains and a close up of the organ pipes on the northern side of Mt Beerwah. Track veers to the NW for 2km. Runners will breeze pass the edge of a macadamia farm prior to reaching a set of transmission lines. Most of the transmission lines in the Glasshouse area run in a North-South direction which may be handy to know if you get disorientated. Turn right under the lines for 1km and then left into wooded area. This section can be wet, slippy and some tricky turns, so be observant while passing through pockets of palm forest. The section is 3km long and eventually meets the end of Reserve Rd Peachester. Turn left and follow the property line (1.2km) to crest a hill under a different set of Transmission lines. The route heads south (left) for 2.6km winding in and out from under the transmission lines before turning right into narrow tracks that border property line for 2km. When exiting the track onto a logging track road turn right to Checkpoint 7 which is on the edge of Cove Rd 700m away.There is some off road parking available and the access road is 200m after reaching the gravel section of Cove Rd. on a sharp bend. Do not drive into the forest.Ultra runners will have a Weight check on arriving.COVE RD - 8.0KM100mile runners only.Retrace your steps for 700m and then continue straight ahead (east) this time following the logging track route. In 1.6km runners will sight the transmission lines again, turn right , over a creek and then left. This road is badly damaged by 4WD activity and there is some tricky manoeuvring to get by all the waterholes without getting wet. 1.3km down the road take a little track to the left and follow several trails for 2.2km to reconnect with the second set of transmission lines. Pass under the lines and continue straight ahead up pass the macadamia farm and retrace your steps from earlier in the day to Checkpoint 6. Oh what a view.SWAINS LOOKOUT - 12.7KM Head back along the Mt Beerwah walking trail to reach Connection Rd. Go under the transmission line and head west along a well formed road for 1km and at a Y-intersection take the right for a further 1.3km. On a long sweeping right turn in the road there is a small track to the left on the crest of the hill, head down this through some gullies and back up to the transmission lines. Turn left and follow fence line and transmission lines for 3.2km. Take the track to the left (Millwood Rd) just before the entrance to the macadamia farm and follow signage for 3km to reach Glasshouse-Woodford Rd. Cross over G-W Rd diagonally to the left and take the track heading down Hennessys Hill to rendezvous with Checkpoint 4.Ultra runners will have a Weight check on arriving.HUDSON CREEK - 9.4KM Retrace your steps from the first time you came into Checkpoint 4 for 1.9km then turn right to head in a westerly direction. You will traverse narrow tracks and forestry roads for nearly 5km to appear at the top of the recognisable Powerlines. You will be back here later. Another 500m turn left down a well-worn track to arrive at a major forestry road. Turn left then follow for about one kilometre and you cross Raaen Rd (bitumen) onto McConnell Rd (gravel). Follow this road for a kilometre and you are at Checkpoint 8.CREW vehicles cannot drive all the way to Chpt 8 but must park about 500m short of it and walk the rest of the way if they wish to see their runner.BRACALBA WEST LOOP - 11.8KM From this point you will firstly do a loop to the west (clockwise this year) of about 11.8km to return to Checkpoint 8 at the top of the hill. This section is natural vegetation and quite scenic. There are some hilly sections and part is along the old railway track that used to run from Caboolture to Kilcoy through Woodford. This loop is colour coded in white and is number 3.BRACALBA EAST LOOP - 8.9KMLeave Checkpoint 8 heading the same way as previous loop, but at about 2.5km turn left and follow forestry tracks and fence line, to the east (anti-clockwise this year). When exiting the forest turn left up McConnell Rd. and head uphill for 1km. At the top of the hill there is a recently constructed walking track you will follow for 700m. Exit and turn right to return to Checkpoint 8 a further 200m onward. This loop is colour coded in yellow and is number 2.Ultra runners will have a Weight check before their final departure.Both these loops have been resurveyed by NPWS and colour coded for Bushwalkers. We thank them for this. TRAQ and GMAN associations have both contributed to their development. Eventually we may see more of this throughout this Region.CHAMBERS/BLACK LAGOON - 13.3KM 100mile runners only.After completing the loops at 8 return to the north along McConnell Rd to the intersection with Raaens Rd (just over a kilometre) and turn left across road onto a sandy track that follows underneath telegraph lines for 1km. Continue straight ahead onto Chambers Rd (dirt) for 4.2km. Before reaching bitumen turn right into a graceful Pine tree avenue and follow this road (1km) and then turn right and in 200m turn left into a narrow grassy track. At the next intersection turn right and after cresting the hill take the narrow trail to the left which is sometimes underwater in parts, keeping the black lagoon on the left. Exit the track turning right pass the Golf course and over Beerburrum – Woodford Rd for 300m and take the track to the right that runs parallel with Woodford-Beerburrum Rd for 3km to Checkpoint 9.Crew can park south of Checkpoint 7 on the eastern side of the forestry access road that leads from the Mango tree on Woodford-Beerburrum Rd.BLACKROCK - 11.4KM100mile runners only.This is a flat and fast section mainly on well-formed tracks. Head north for 1.5km and turn left. You will then follow the borderline of the Conversation Park in an anti-clockwise direction. At 6.7km you will re-join the previous loop and follow same to reappear at Checkpoint 9.Ultra runners will have a final weight check before their final departure.POWERLINES Bypass - 15.4KM100mile runners only.From Checkpoint 9 head south towards the mango tree and right diagonally across Woodford-Beerburrum Rd and a further 700m and turn left at the first intersection to follow marked trails east alongside pine planation and then natural vegetation. At 1.5km turn left uphill for a further km T-intersecting (Red Hill) a major forest road. Turn right along this main road and head south for 1.5km and take a track off to the left and follow for 1.3km to reconnect at the top of the powerlines from earlier in the day. Retrace your steps for 5km along this Hudson Creek section until the main road T-intersection, turn right and then left to retrace your earlier steps to Checkpoint 3 along the remainder of the Twins section.POWERLINES Bypass - 12.6KM100km runners only.After completing the loops at 8 return to the north along McConnell Rd to the intersection with Raaens Rd (just over a kilometre) and continue straight ahead and follow the reverse Hudson Creek section until the main road T-intersection, turn right and then left to retrace your earlier steps to Checkpoint 3 along the remainder of the Twins section.MT BEERBURRUM - 9.8KMThis section is the reverse of the Mt Beerburrum section with No Mt Beerburrum climb this time.The Checkpoint Summary below will indicate the course sections that you will be covering. This document describes all sections you will need to navigate your route from them. Write the order of your event checkpoints to visit on your arm or race bib.

Runners will traverse through the Glasshouse Mountains National Park and Beerburrum State Forest while seeing views of the Glasshouse Mountains.

Minimum age cut off is 18 yrs for all events.

Runners in the 100km have 28.5hrs & 100ml have 30hrs time limits to cover the course.