The Great Court Race is one of The University of Queensland’s proudest traditions – a bucket list event for competitors and a must-see spectacle!
First held in 1985 to celebrate UQ’s 75th anniversary, the event is based on Cambridge University’s famed Great Court Run – immortalised in the film ‘Chariots of Fire’.
This year’s Great Court Race will be held on Wednesday 15 May from 12:30pm.
Headlined by the Men’s and Women’s Great Court Races, the event also includes 70m Sprint races, as well as College, Club and Staff Relays.
Nominations are now open via our registration page, closing at 5pm on Friday 26 April.
Time Trials
All entrants are required to participate in a time trial in order to gain entry to their selected event.
Time trials will be held at the UQ Sport Athletics Centre on Thursday 2 May 2024, with sessions taking place between 7 – 9:30am and 1 – 3:30pm.
For the 70m Sprint Category, the top six (6) times will qualify; for all other categories, the top four (4) times will qualify.
Your registration form will ask you to nominate your preferred session for your category.
Mixed Staff Relay | 7:00am | 1:00pm |
Individual Great Court Race | 7:30am | 1:30pm |
70m Sprints | 8:00am | 2:00pm |
College Relay | 8:30am | 2:30pm |
Mixed Clubs Relay | 9:00am | 3:00pm |
Race Categories
Men’s & Women’s Great Court Race
The Great Court Race is the event’s signature sprint – a 636m lap of UQ St Lucia’s iconic Great Court. Open only to UQ undergraduate students, four competitors race through the Great Court’s historic cloisters to the sound of chiming bells, with the aim to complete the lap before the 12th chime to claim a race record. Spikes are not permitted; time trials will be used to determine race entry.
The Alumni Friends, through their Great Court Race Endowment, contribute to the winner’s prize money of this category
Prize Money: 1st Place $1,000, 2nd Place $250, 3rd Place $100
Men’s & Women’s College Relays
Bragging rights are on the line when UQ’s Colleges go head-to-head in the always competitive Men’s and Women’s Relays! Open only to students who reside at a UQ College, each relay involves four irregular legs (145m, 156m, 155m, and 180m) due to the Great Court’s unique layout. Spikes are not permitted; time trials will be used to determine race entry.
Prize Money: 1st Place $400, 2nd Place $200, 3rd Place $100
Men’s & Women’s 70m Sprint
Raced on the grassed area inside the Great Court, the Men’s and Women’s 70m Sprint is a handicap race. A maximum of six runners can compete in each sprint, with nominations open to all current UQ students (undergraduate and postgraduate). Handicap distances will be determined by time trial results. Starting blocks are provided to all participants, and spikes may be worn.
Prize Money: 1st Place $150, 2nd Place $100, 3rd Place $50
Mixed Staff Relay
It’s faculty vs faculty in the Mixed Staff Relay, with both full and part-time UQ staff eligible to compete. Each four-person team must consist of two male and two female runners. Each relay involves four irregular legs (145m, 156m, 155m, and 180m) due to the Great Court’s unique layout. Spikes are not permitted; time trials will be used to determine race entry.
1st Place: 4 x 1-Month UQ Sport Gold Membership
Mixed Clubs Relay
There’s no love lost when UQ’s clubs battle to the finish in the Mixed Clubs Relay! Open to all UQ Clubs, each team consists of two male and two female student runners (competitors must be a registered member of the respective club). Each relay involves four irregular legs (145m, 156m, 155m, and 180m) due to the Great Court’s unique layout. Spikes are not permitted; time trials will be used to determine race entry.
Prize Money: 1st Place $400, 2nd Place $200, 3rd Place $100