Peaks Challenge Falls Creek 2027 Guide: Route, Cut-Offs and Training Plan
By Jakub Novak, Head Coach · Updated November 2026 · 15 min read
Everything you need to finish Australia's toughest one-day ride: the 2027 date, the three climbs, every cut-off, how long it will take you, and a 16-week training plan from our coaches.
Key dates and deadlines for Peaks Challenge 2027
Sun 15 Nov 2026Latest start for a 16-week Peaks Challenge training plan.
Late Dec to early JanUse the holiday break for your biggest block of long climbing rides.
Sun 7 Feb 2027Four weeks out: time for your last long rehearsal ride with full climbing.
Before the event2027 ride guide published by Bicycle Network, with start waves and final cut-offs.
Sun 7 Mar 2027Ride day at Falls Creek. In 2026 the start was 6:45 am and the finish cut-off 8:15 pm.
Peaks Challenge Falls Creek, still known to most riders as the 3 Peaks, is Australia's best-known one-day cycling challenge. First run in 2010, it now brings around 2,500 riders to the Victorian High Country for 235 km and more than 4,000 m of climbing, with 13 hours to finish.
Bicycle Network calls it a ride, not a race, but the cut-offs are real. The route climbs Tawonga Gap, Mount Hotham and finally the Back of Falls, a 22.6 km climb that opens with around 8 km at 10% after 200 km in the saddle. How you pace the first two climbs, and how well you eat before Omeo, decides how that last climb goes.
Peaks Challenge 2027 at a glance
WhenSunday 7 March 2027.
WhereStarts and finishes at Falls Creek, Victoria, via Mount Beauty, Harrietville, Dinner Plain and Omeo.
Distance235 km with more than 4,000 m of climbing.
Time limit13 hours from crossing the start line. Finish inside it for the finisher's jersey.
SupportRest stops with food and water, mechanics, motorcycle marshals and SAG wagons. No private support vehicles on course.
EntryOpen registration through Bicycle Network. Minimum age 16; members get 10% off.
The route and the three climbs
The ride is a loop from Falls Creek. It starts with a cold early descent to Mount Beauty, climbs Tawonga Gap and Mount Hotham, drops through Dinner Plain to Omeo, then heads up the Bogong High Plains to finish back at Falls Creek. Three climbs do the damage:
Climb
Course km
Length
Gain
Average
Steepest parts
Tawonga Gap
34–41
7.5 km
476 m
6.3%
Steeper hairpins at about 0.7, 1.5, 2.7 and 6.5 km
Mount Hotham
73–104
29.9 km
1,303 m
4.2%
The Meg (300 m at 11.8%), CRB Hill (700 m at 10%+), Diamantina (final 1.4 km at 9%)
Back of Falls
200–223
22.6 km
980 m
4.3%
First 8–10 km close to 10%, with pinches of up to about 13%
Length, gain and averages from Bicycle Network. The averages hide a lot: both Hotham and the Back of Falls mix very steep sections with long flatter ones.
Course profile: 235 km, 4,000+ m
Main climbsRest stop or cut-off point
Approximate profile drawn from key altitudes along the route, to show the shape of the day. For the exact course, download the official GPX from Bicycle Network.
The cold start. The day begins with a long descent from Falls Creek in the early morning. Dress for it; there is a clothing drop at Mount Beauty where you can leave layers.
Tawonga Gap. Short and steady, but easy to overcook in a big group with fresh legs. Ride it at a pace you could hold for an hour.
Mount Hotham. Nearly 30 km of climbing with steeper ramps between easier sections. Settle into your own rhythm and eat on the way up. Lunch is at Dinner Plain afterwards.
Omeo and Anglers Rest. After Dinner Plain the route drops into warmer, exposed country. Keep drinking and eating here; it is where the last climb is won or lost.
The Back of Falls. From the turn-off the road kicks up immediately. Use your lowest gears, keep the cadence up and break the steep 8 km into short sections.
Descending rules. Keep left, do not cross the centre line, do not overtake on the left, and stay under the 50 km/h event speed limit.
Mount Hotham, section by section
Hotham is the longest climb of the day and it comes in three parts: a steady forest climb with The Meg, a long false flat, then the hardest ramps above the tree line in the last 7 km. Bicycle Network suggests holding a tempo of about 75% of your maximum heart rate. You are only halfway through the ride at the top, so leave something for later.
Climb km
Section
What to expect
0–5.6
Harrietville to The Meg
Steady 6–7% through the forest. Settle in and start eating.
5.6
The Meg
About 300 m at up to 11.8%. The first real test; stay seated and spin.
6–11
Upper forest
Back to 6–7% until the road starts to ease.
11–19.7
False flat
About 9 km with little climbing and a short dip. Chain Bay 3 rest stop at course km 92.
19.7–23
Buckland Gate
A 7–8% ramp, then about 6%, with a short descent before CRB Hill.
23.5
CRB Hill
700 m to 1 km at about 10%, above the tree line and exposed to the wind.
27
Little Baldy
A short descent, then about 700 m of climbing.
28.3–29.7
Diamantina
The final 1.4 km at about 9%, often into a crosswind. Then it rolls to the summit.
Distances from Harrietville and approximate. Sources: Bicycle Network and The Climbing Cyclist.
Back of Falls, section by section
The 4.3% average is misleading. Almost all the hard climbing is in the first 9 km, which come after 200 km and often in the afternoon heat. Eat and drink before the turn-off, use your lowest gear from the first corner and break the steep half into short targets. There is nowhere to buy food or water between Anglers Rest and Falls Creek.
Climb km
Section
What to expect
0–0.4
WTF Corner
Over 10% straight from the turn-off, on legs that have already done 200 km.
0.4–9.1
The steep half
Close to 9–10% with pinches of up to about 13% near 7.9 km. Short flatter breaks at about 2.2 and 5.3 km.
9.1–10.2
Breather
The road flattens and drops for about 800 m. Drink and eat.
10.2
Last steep pinch
About 10% for 500 m.
12.9
Trapyard Gap
Rest stop at course km 212, cut-off 6:55 pm. More than half the climbing is done.
13–22
High plains
Rolling, with short descents and gradients that rarely go above 7%.
22.2
Final pinch
About 10% for a few hundred metres.
23 to finish
Plateau
Exposed and often windy, then mostly rolling and downhill for the last 12 km to Falls Creek.
Distances from the turn-off and approximate. Sources: Bicycle Network and The Climbing Cyclist.
How long will each climb take you?
On a day this long, most riders climb at about 70–80% of their FTP. If your FTP is 3.3 W/kg, plan on roughly 2.5 W/kg on the climbs. Find your row below to see what each climb will take.
Power on the climbs
Tawonga Gap
Mount Hotham
Back of Falls
2.0 W/kg (150 W)
49 min
2 h 29 min
1 h 55 min
2.5 W/kg (188 W)
39 min
2 h 03 min
1 h 35 min
3.0 W/kg (225 W)
33 min
1 h 46 min
1 h 22 min
3.5 W/kg (263 W)
29 min
1 h 33 min
1 h 12 min
4.0 W/kg (300 W)
26 min
1 h 24 min
1 h 05 min
Our estimates for a 75 kg rider on a 9 kg bike, holding steady power with no stops, using each climb's profile in sections. Real Back of Falls times are usually slower because of fatigue and afternoon heat.
For comparison, Bicycle Network says most riders take around half an hour for Tawonga Gap, and strong A-grade racers at the Tour of Bright climb Hotham in under 80 minutes. The 2025 course record for the full ride is 6:40:36 by Mark O'Brien, and the fastest woman, Victoria Barry, finished in 7:48:57. To check your own times, use the Strava segments for Tawonga Gap, Mount Hotham and the Back of Falls.
Rest stops and cut-offs (2026)
Stop
Km
What you get
Cut-off
Tawonga Gap
41
Rest stop
9:00 am
Harrietville
73
Rest stop
10:20 am
Chain Bay 3 (Mt Hotham)
92
Rest stop with food
11:45 am
Dinner Plain
116
Lunch stop
1:30 pm
Omeo
161
Rest stop
3:10 pm
Anglers Rest
188
Rest stop
4:35 pm
Back of Falls turn-off
About 200
Cut-off point
5:10 pm
Trapyard Gap
212
Rest stop
6:55 pm
Finish: Falls Creek
235
Finisher's jersey
8:15 pm
From the official 2026 ride guide. Cut-offs are timed from when the last rider crosses the start line. Riders behind a cut-off are asked to stop and ride in a SAG wagon.
3 Peaks finish-time calculator
Enter the average moving speed you hold on long hilly rides, not your flat-road speed. Most riders find that a hilly day averages well below their usual pace, so use a recent long ride with a lot of climbing as your guide.
How long will Peaks Challenge take you?
Moving time
–
Total time
–
Finish at
–
Cut-off point
You arrive
Cut-off
Status
Based on the 2026 course, start time (6:45 am) and cut-offs. Cut-offs are timed from when the last rider crosses the start line, so check your wave. Assumes an even average speed, so you will be slower than shown on the climbs and faster on the descents. Stops are spread across the day in proportion to distance.
How to train for the 3 Peaks Challenge
The 3 Peaks rewards climbing endurance: holding a steady effort for an hour or more on Hotham, then finding it again on the Back of Falls after nine or ten hours. Here is how our coaches structure a 16-week build. For a March event, most of it happens over the Australian summer, so plan for heat and for the holiday break.
Weeks 1–6: Aerobic base
Mostly zone 2, building weekly volume by about 10% with an easier week every third or fourth week. One session of long tempo or sweet spot climbing each week. Long ride grows to 4–5 hours, with as much climbing as your area allows.
Weeks 7–12: Build and climbing durability
Long rides reach 6–7 hours with 2,500–3,500 m of climbing. Add sustained climbs of 45–90 minutes at tempo to prepare for Hotham, and back-to-back weekend days over the holiday break. Fuel every long ride at race rates.
Weeks 13–15: Race-specific
One rehearsal day of 200 km or more with 3,500 m of climbing, ideally in the Alpine region so you can ride part of the course. Practise descending, check your gearing on a steep climb late in a long day, and test your race-day food.
As a guide, plan on 8 to 12 hours a week at the peak of this plan. Set your power training zones before you start so every session hits the right intensity.
Why riders hire a coach for the 3 Peaks
The plan above shows the shape of a good build. The hard part is making it work around work, family, Christmas and summer heat, and arriving at Falls Creek fit, healthy and ready for 10 or more hours of climbing. We prepare riders for the Peaks Challenge regularly, and this is where a coach makes the difference:
A plan built around your life. Peak weeks of 8 to 12 hours rarely fit a template. Your coach adjusts every week around work, travel, weather and how you are recovering, so missed sessions do not snowball.
Climbing durability, not just FTP. We analyse your rides in WKO5 to see how your power holds up on long climbs late in the day, then train exactly that. It is what gets you up the Back of Falls.
A pacing plan for every climb. Target power for Tawonga Gap, Hotham and the Back of Falls, plus a rest-stop plan, so you stay well inside the cut-offs or chase a sub-10-hour ride.
Fuelling and heat tested in training. Your coach builds gut training and hot-weather riding into the plan so the Omeo valley does not catch you out.
Race intuition from the pro peloton. Our coaches have raced at World Tour level. They know how to pace a long mountain day and how to keep moving when it starts to hurt.
Someone in your corner. Months of long rides through the holidays are hard to keep up alone. Regular check-ins keep you consistent and honest.
Riding the 3 Peaks in 2027? Tell us your goal time and we will build your plan. Start with online coaching, get a one-off tailored 3 Peaks training plan, or book a consultation to review your training and ride plan with one of our coaches.
Fuelling and hydration
Over 10 to 12 hours you will burn far more energy than you can replace, so start eating early and keep going.
Carbohydrate: most riders aim for 60 to 90 g per hour, starting in the first hour. Build up to the top of that range in training.
Fluid: two bottles are compulsory. Refill at every rest stop and drink more in the heat after Dinner Plain.
Sodium: use an electrolyte drink or capsules, especially on a hot day.
Rest stops: plan which stops you will use and what you need at each. Short, planned stops save more time than riding faster.
Bike, gearing and mandatory kit
Gearing matters more than weight. Most riders are best on a compact chainset (50/34) with a 32 or 34-tooth largest sprocket, so they can keep turning the pedals on the steep start of the Back of Falls. Get your bike serviced and your brakes checked before the long descents. The 2026 ride guide made these items compulsory:
Bike helmet, white front light and red rear light
Rider ID (wristband and bike tag)
Rain or wind jacket and gloves
Two drink bottles and spare food
Puncture repair kit and spare tubes
Mobile phone, sunglasses and sunscreen
Money or a card
How to enter
Registration: entries are through Bicycle Network's event page. The ride has sold out within a week in some past years, so do not leave it late.
Age: riders must be 16 or older on the day. Under-18s need parental consent and must ride with a registered adult.
Discount: Bicycle Network members get 10% off entry.
Accommodation: Falls Creek fills up for event weekend. If you stay off the mountain, you must pass Mount Beauty by 5:15 am on ride day (2026 rule).
Sunday 7 March 2027 at Falls Creek in the Victorian High Country. In 2026 the ride started at 6:45 am, with riders setting off in waves by expected finish time.
How long is the 3 Peaks Challenge?
235 km with more than 4,000 m of climbing over Tawonga Gap, Mount Hotham and the Back of Falls. You have 13 hours from crossing the start line to finish and earn the finisher's jersey.
What are the cut-off times?
In 2026 the cut-offs were Tawonga Gap 9:00 am, Harrietville 10:20 am, Chain Bay 11:45 am, Dinner Plain 1:30 pm, Omeo 3:10 pm, Anglers Rest 4:35 pm, the Back of Falls turn-off 5:10 pm, Trapyard Gap 6:55 pm and the finish 8:15 pm. Check the 2027 ride guide before the event.
How hard is the 3 Peaks Challenge?
It is one of the hardest one-day rides an amateur can do in Australia. The final climb up the Back of Falls starts with about 8 km at 10% after 200 km of riding, and summer heat in the valleys adds to the challenge.
How long should I train for the 3 Peaks?
Plan on at least 16 weeks of structured training on top of a solid base, building to long rides of 6 to 8 hours with 3,000 m or more of climbing. For the 2027 event that means starting by mid-November 2026.
What gearing should I use for the 3 Peaks?
Most riders are best on a compact chainset (50/34) with a 32 or 34-tooth largest sprocket. Low gears let you keep a steady cadence on the 10% start of the Back of Falls when you are tired.
Riding the 3 Peaks in 2027? Get a plan built around the climbs, the cut-offs and your week.
