When runners line up for the sold-out Toohey Trail Run, they will be taking part in an event that looks very different from the one that began in Toohey Forest with 530 runners.
The 10th anniversary event will be held on Sunday, 20 September 2026, starting from Griffith University’s Brisbane South campus before heading into Toohey Forest. The half marathon begins at 6:30 a.m., followed by the 10 km at 6:45 a.m. and the 5 km at 7:05 a.m.
Every distance has sold out, continuing the growth of a race that began in 2015 with just two courses.
A Small Beginning in 2015
The inaugural Toohey Trail Run offered 5 km and 10 km courses between Griffith’s Nathan campus and Toohey Forest. More than 500 runners took part. Griffith later recorded the field at 530, giving organisers an early indication of demand for the event.
By the following year, a half marathon had been added. Organisers were aiming for more than 1,000 competitors, with about 400 registrations already received before race day. The three-distance format later became a fixture.
In 2018, registrations reached 1,082, then the largest field in the event’s history and a 10 per cent increase on the previous year.
Powerful Owl Habitat Put Limits on Growth
As participation increased, organisers also placed limits on some race fields.
In 2017, the combined field for the 10 km and half-marathon races was capped at 800 competitors because those routes passed through habitat used by the Powerful Owl.
The 5 km field was not subject to the same restriction because its course did not extend as far into the forest. Organisers said the longer routes had been designed to reduce disruption to the owl’s woodland and watercourse habitat.
Toohey Forest Park covers about 260 hectares around 10 kilometres from Brisbane’s CBD. Brisbane City Council lists walking tracks, shared trails and picnic areas across the reserve, with connections to Mount Gravatt Outlook Reserve and Griffith University.
Across Toohey Forest Park and Mount Gravatt Outlook Reserve, Council records more than 400 species of native plants and wildlife, including koalas, echidnas, possums, gliders, frogs, bats and owls. Around 30 walking tracks extend across the two reserves.
The race has continued on trails that are also used for everyday recreation while forming part of an important urban bushland habitat.
A Break, Then More Runners
The event was not held in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned in 2021 with more than 830 participants across the 5 km, 10 km and half-marathon courses. By 2025, participation had reached 1,252 runners, including 272 in the 5 km, 573 in the 10 km and 407 in the half marathon.
Griffith recorded the half-marathon field as the largest in the event’s history, with competitors ranging from five to 77 years old.
Fundraising Grew Alongside Participation
The trail run has also developed a fundraising component. The 2018 event raised more than $6,500 for Diabetes Queensland. In 2025, Griffith recorded $13,150.69 raised in support of Diabetes Australia.
Race-day operations have changed as well. The 2026 event will again operate without disposable drinking cups at water stations, requiring competitors to carry a bottle, hydration pack or collapsible cup. A limited-edition collapsible cup was offered to the first 1,200 people registered for the anniversary event.
Back to the Starting Line
The race precinct is scheduled to close at 10:30 a.m., several hours after the first competitors leave the starting line.
From 530 runners and two distances in 2015, the Toohey Trail Run has grown to three established courses and more than 1,200 participants at its most recent event. Its 10th anniversary race now arrives with every distance sold out, returning runners once again to the trails that gave the event its start.
Published 15-Sept-2026
