Puffing Billy Running Festival 2026: Race the Steam Train Through the Dandenong Ranges

Race a hundred-year-old steam train through the Dandenong Ranges, on foot, if you think you can keep up.

The Puffing Billy Running Festival pits runners against two steam locomotives on the run from Belgrave to Emerald Lake Park, and Yarra Valley Lodge makes a comfortable base whether you’re racing, cheering, or happy enough exploring the estate and its resident kangaroos while someone else does the running.

About the Puffing Billy Running Festival

Now marking 40 years of runners racing the Puffing Billy steam train, the festival runs across two days in the Dandenong Ranges. Saturday is based at Emerald Lake Park with a kids’ dash and a 5km family fun run, an easygoing morning with Puffing Billy’s whistle for encouragement. Sunday’s 13.5km Classic is the main event, up to 3,000 runners taking on the historic railway line from Belgrave to Emerald, racing two steam locomotives across six level crossings and the rolling hills in between.

Proceeds go toward heritage railway projects, including the restoration of Belgrave Station’s signal box, so it’s a race with a genuine local cause behind it.

How to get there

Organisers actively discourage driving to Belgrave on race morning, parking is limited and the roads get busy, so the easiest way to watch is to head straight to Emerald Lake Park instead, where the atmosphere, and the finish line, is. If you’re running the Classic, check the festival’s own transport page for shuttle and drop-off options before race day.

Good to Know

• Emerald Lake Park is the better spot for spectators, free entertainment, food and the finish line atmosphere, without the parking squeeze near the Belgrave start.
• Puffing Billy itself is worth riding on another day of your stay, it runs the same line the race follows, past Menzies Creek and on to Emerald and Gembrook.

Make it part of your stay

Sunday’s Classic starts early, well before most holidays do, so an early night at Yarra Valley Lodge beforehand makes sense. After 13.5km against a steam train, in-room dining means the day can end there and then, hot shower, dinner brought to the room, and a slow morning back on the estate before anything else needs doing.

FAQs

Where’s the best place to stay for the Puffing Billy Running Festival?
Yarra Valley Lodge is close enough for race day, with a quiet estate to recover on afterwards.

Should I drive to the race?
Not to Belgrave on Sunday morning, parking is limited and organisers actively discourage it. Emerald Lake Park is the easier spot to park and watch from.

Can spectators get involved without running?
Yes, Emerald Lake Park has the finish line, free entertainment and family activities, or you can ride Puffing Billy itself alongside the race.

What time is dinner at Yarra Valley Lodge?
Bella Restaurant is open daily from 12pm to 9pm, useful if you’d rather not cook up anything yourself after 13.5km.

Image credit: Puffing Billy Running Festival