West Macs Monster
Alice Springs, Australia • 15-17 May 2026
West Macs Monster : Trail Running Festival
The Ekistica West Macs Monster is a multi-distance trail running festival held on the Larapinta Trail through Tjoritja National Park in Central Australia. The festival stages non-stop trail running events over a range of distances that use singletrack and trail corridors along the Larapinta route.
Distances and named events for 2026 include:
- 231 km Ekistica Sonder Monster
- 128 km Ekistica Ellery Monster
- 65 km Verstand Group Standley Monster
- 25 km CrossFit Alice Springs Simpsons Monster
- 25 km RFDS Simpsons Monster
- 5 km Tele-Monster
The festival is scheduled each year on the third weekend in May; the 2026 dates are May 15–17. For 2026, all distances except the 5 km Tele-Monster are sold out and no waitlists are available. Ultra distance entrants for 2026 must submit a qualifying run prior to April 30, 2026 that meets the event criteria. Volunteer registration for 2026 opens on March 1, 2026. Entries for future editions open annually at 7pm on October 1 for the following year.
The event includes an Acknowledgement of Country recognizing the Western and Central Arrernte people and states an inclusion policy welcoming people of all cultural backgrounds, genders, orientations, politics, and experience levels. The festival is listed with iTRA and the UTMB index. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.