The Kokoda Challenge on the Gold Coast is hailed as Australia’s toughest team endurance event. It is a gruelling, cross country, four person team event held over 96 km, with a time limit for completion of 39 hours.

There is a good reason behind this distance and time – 96 km is the length of the actual Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea and the 39 hour time limit is in honour of the 39th Militia, the first Australian troops to set foot on the Kokoda Track. Participants (with the help of their support crew) trek a 96 km course that leads along fire trails, crosses 12 creeks and summits 5,000 m of vertical elevation. The goal is to finish as a complete team of four in honour of the spirit forged on the Kokoda Track in 1942: courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice.

In addition to the physical challenge of the trekking event itself, teams are required to take up the challenge of raising funds for the Kokoda Challenge Youth Program (KCYP) by seeking sponsorship and support. All funds raised go to our youth programs, supporting young people in our own backyards.

School teams can also enter into the 96 km Stan Bisset Cup and 48 km Jim Stillman Cup. Teams of four students, plus a leader (usually a teacher) make up the field for these events. Over 200 teams from schools are currently involved in The Kokoda Challenge event on the Gold Coast.

Regardless of fitness level, age or background, people from all walks of life find participating in The Kokoda Challenge not only a great personal achievement, but a way to honour the Kokoda legacy and support local teenagers to gain a brighter future for themselves and their families through the Kokoda Challenge Youth Program.

Final team places are now released and second registrations are now open. Visit The Kokoda Challenge website to register your team and view the event details.