Pomona King of the Mountain

Pomona King of the Mountain is a running event held in Pomona, on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, on the 4th Sunday of July each year.

This event challenges competitors to run up the face of Mt. Cooroora and provide other fun activities suitable for the whole family.

In 2022, due to changes required by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, the circuits for the Bendigo Bank Mountain Challenge (Mountain circuit and Prince and Princess circuit) were required to be altered. The trail between the base of the mountain and where the metal stairs begin is now closed. This decision was made to protect the mountain due to severe erosion that was happening to that part of the track.

The new Mountain Challenge course is 5.2 km long and has 390+ m of vert. If you raced the old course, you knew how tough it was; the new course is even tougher! The new Prince and Princess circuit is 2.8 km long and has 100+ m of vert.

The race runs from the centre of Pomona township, past streets crowded with well-wishers and supporters, then heads ‘bush’ towards the mountain. It covers a distance of 5.2km race to the top of the mountain and back. The runners commence climbing a set of low hills before confronting the mountain. The track up the mountain is little more than a goat track, with parts now modified with steps. In some places, it is only wide enough for one or two runners.

The mountain provides a steep, almost 45-degree climb. The return down the mountain requires strength, agility, a good sense of balance, and an immunity to fear. The course, and indeed the race, has to be seen to be believed! Entrants in the King of the Mountain come from Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Rim and the United Kingdom. There is a strong rivalry between Australian and New Zealand participants.

The race has eight categories: Male Open, Female Open, Male Veteran, Female Veteran, Male Masters, Female Masters, Male Junior and Female Junior.

The Prince and Princess circuit is now incorporated into the Bendigo Bank Mountain Challenge. Prince and Princess runners will start 3 minutes after runners competing in the Mountain circuit have departed. Prince and Princess runners will run past the Lion’s Den and out to the base of the mountain, where they will turn left and make a small loop before joining back onto the main track back to the finish line. The total course distance is 2.8km with 100m of vertical gain. The course is designed for 9-13-year-olds (competitors race as per their age on the day) as a lead-up race for children interested in one day competing in the Bendigo Bank Mountain Challenge – Mountain circuit.

Plenty of other events and activities are also being held on the day. Please refer to the image gallery below for more information on each.

So come to this fun weekend event in Pomona and enjoy this community sporting event. From Brisbane, travel north along the Bruce Highway for approximately 1.5 hours. It will take about 20 minutes from Noosa to reach Pomona via Cooroy.