Discovery Day Frequently Asked Questions
Event Details
The West Gate Tunnel is nearly complete, and Discovery Day is the once-in-a generation opportunity to run or walk parts of the tunnel before it opens to traffic in December. In addition to the walk and run there’s also food, entertainment and free family friendly activities for the kids hosted at Yarraville Gardens.
Please note this is an accessible run and walk event, no skateboards, scooters, rollerblades or bicycles will be permitted on the course.
Paid Run (8km) – 7am - 8am
An exclusive 8km run, through the West Gate Tunnel and on the elevated freeway. There are 4 wave times to select from – 7am / 7:20am / 7:40am / 8am. All participants must be registered to take part. Minimum age for runners is 10 years old. Younger children can be registered as a pram/stroller participant at no additional cost.
The run registration fee is $58 pp (+ $4.40 for bib postage). The run registration fee will raise funds for our charity partners, Community Bike Hub and West Welcome Wagon, supporting their work in the community.
Free Walk (2.5km) – 10am - 5pm
A family-friendly, wheel-chair accessible 2.5km walk through the West Gate Tunnel and closed roads. The walk is free; you need to register to attend and there are no age restrictions. All participants must be registered to take part. Waves will take place every 15 minutes throughout the day.
Key Dates
Local Community registration (access code required) opens: Monday 20 October 2025 at 9am
General Public registration opens: Friday 24 October 2025 at 9am
Event date: Sunday 16 November 2025.
Food and Drink
Hydration stations will be provided on the run route and in the festival area in Yarraville Gardens. For the walk we recommend that you bring water with you and a reuseable water bottle to replenish on the day.
A variety of food trucks will be available to purchase food and drinks throughout the day from 8am at the festival site in Yarraville Gardens. We also recommend packing a picnic and blanket to stay and enjoy the festivities in Yarraville Gardens.
Registration and Event Ticket
Pre-event
Your confirmation email with a QR Code will be emailed to you upon submitting your registration. Please ensure you have checked your junk/spam folder if it has not arrived.
If you have lost or misplaced your confirmation email, you can log in to the Race Roster portal and select to resend the confirmation email. If this does not work, please contact Race Roster for assistance on 1800 734 669.
A reminder email will be sent out to all participants 3 days prior to the event with a copy of their QR code for use on the day to check in.
On the day
Please ensure that you have your QR code with you and ready for scanning before you join the entry queue.
The Bag Drop and the Registration Helpdesk are situated on Whitehall Street.
Please join the marshalling queue on Whitehall Street 15 minutes prior to your allocated wave time.
If you arrive early you can head to Yarraville Gardens where there will be food and drink available to purchase from 8am, toilets and a kid's zone.
Fee Inclusions
Paid Run (8km) registration includes:
- Exclusive access to this once in a generation event through the West Gate Tunnel and on the elevated freeway.
- QR code for event entry – please ensure you have this with you on the day.
- Postage of the official numbered race bib with timing chip.
- Water stations along the route.
- Commemorative Discovery Day medal (to be collected at the finish line).
- Event safety and medical support.
- Contribution to charity partners (after GST and transaction fees).
Free Walk (2.5km) is free and includes:
- Exclusive access to this once in a lifetime event through the West Gate Tunnel.
- QR code for event entry – please ensure you have this with you on the day.
- Commemorative Discovery Day medal (to be collected at the finish line).
- Family-friendly activities and entertainment in Yarraville Gardens.
- Event safety and medical support.
Changes to Bookings
No transfers or cancellations by participants can be made to bookings once they are registered in the system.
To view your registration details, log into the Race Roster portal, you will be able to edit your nominated emergency contact details or change your wave time if availability allows. For any assistance, please contact Race Roster on 1800 734 669.
Refunds and Cancellations
Registration fees are non-refundable.
The event will proceed rain or shine, unless extreme weather or safety issues require cancellation or modification. In such cases, participants will be notified via email.
If the event is cancelled by the organisers, run participants will receive a full refund, less any bib postage fees.
Age Restrictions
8km Run: Run participants must be aged 10 and above. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
2.5km Walk: All ages are welcome! Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Registration for the walk or run must be completed by a parent or guardian 18 and over.
Group Bookings
All participants must complete a registration form. If you need to book for multiple people in your group, please complete your form and then select add another registrant to continue to book multiple spots. A maximum of 4 registrations can be booked for the run, and a maximum of 6 registrations can be booked for the walk.
Accessibility and Wheelchair Users
The 8km run and 2.5km walk are accessible for wheelchair users and people with mobility aids. The course route has no steps or steep gradients. Wheelchair users participating in the event are asked to join via the accessible entry queue on the left-hand side of Whitehall Street.
Accessible toilets will be available inside Yarraville Gardens. Limited accessible parking will be available on Cowper Street and 542 Footscray Road (the former Melbourne Flower Market). Please note that accessible car parking spots are on a first come first serve basis and disability parking permits will need to be displayed.
Accessible shuttle buses will travel between 542 Footscray Road, Footscray Station and to the shuttle drop point on Somerville Road.
Toilets
Event toilets will be available inside Yarraville Gardens situated near the enclosed off-leash dog area.
Pets / Assistance Dogs
Pets are not allowed to participate in the run or walk events. An exception will be made for assistant dogs.
A fenced area at Yarraville Gardens will be available to those wanting to take dogs off leash near the festival area.
Prams and Strollers
Prams and strollers are welcome at the event.
For the 8km run, participants may run with one pram or stroller. The child must remain securely strapped. Children in prams or strollers must be registered as a pram/stroller participant. There is no extra cost for this. Those running with prams are asked to join the accessible entry queue on the left-hand side of Whitehall Street and are asked to keep left on the course.
The walk is a family friendly event; children of all ages in prams, strollers, carriers or walkers are welcomed as part of the event. Please note that they must all be registered for the event.
Limited pram parking will be available on Greelish Oval inside Yarraville Gardens. Items are left at owners' own risk.
Bib Collection and Postage
The walk does not require a bib.
Run participants will receive bibs with timing chips.
Postage of bibs is mandatory pre-event. The cut-off date for postage is Thursday 6 November.
Bookings made after Thursday 6 November will need to collect their bib as they are scanned at the entry check in point.
If you have lost or misplaced your bib, please proceed to the Registration Helpdesk on Whitehall Street.
Run Timing
All runners in the run waves will be timed.
Your run bib contains a disposable timing chip, if you don't wear your bib, you won't receive an official time. Please wear your run bib on the front of your top and ensure it is visible.
Results can be found by scanning the QR code on the back of your bib. Results will be posted within 24 hours.
There will be no official 'winners' as this is a community event and not a race. Everyone nevertheless will have a chance to achieve their personal best. All participants will receive a Commemorative Discovery Day medal.
What to Bring
- Comfortable walking or running shoes.
- Weather-appropriate clothing.
- Sun protection (hat, sunscreen).
- Water and a reusable water bottle (water stations available).
- Your event bib (for runners).
- QR code for event entry – please bring this with you on the day.
- ID and registration confirmation (if picking up bib).
What NOT to Bring
To ensure safety for all, please do not bring the following onto the course:
- Large bags (standard backpack /small handbags and waist bags excepted). A bag drop will be provided on the day. All large bags must be checked in at the Bag Drop Tent prior to joining the event entry queue.
- Alcohol.
- Illegal items or substances.
- Glassware or breakable containers.
- Fireworks, sparklers or open flames.
- Glue, paint or permanent markers.
- Knives, weapons or items that pose a safety risk.
- Skateboards, scooters, rollerblades, bicycles or drones.
- Smoking/vaping devices.
- Pets (assistance dogs allowed).
- Commercial, political, religious, negatively motivated, or offensive signage, clothing or logos.
Bags
Bag checks will be conducted before entering the course.
All large bags must be checked in at the Bag Drop Tent prior to joining the event entry queue. Standard backpack /small handbags and waist bags are excepted.
The Bag Drop Tent is available near the marshalling area on Whitehall Street. Please do not leave valuables in your bag as we accept no responsibility for lost or stolen items.
A coloured wristband with a number will be attached to your bag and you will receive its duplicate. You can collect your bag post-event by presenting your wristband.
Please note, we are aiming to reduce single-use plastics and will not be providing plastic bags to put belongings in at the Bag Drop Tent.
Lost Property
Please visit the Registration Helpdesk on Whitehall Street.
Child Safety
If you have children attending or participating at the event, wristbands are available from the Registration Helpdesk on Whitehall Street, please put a contact number on the band and attach to minors. If they are participating as a runner in the event, please ensure that you have completed the Emergency Contact details on the reverse of their run bib.
If you lose a child on the day please go to the start/finish area and find a Discovery Day volunteer (bright yellow, blue or pink high-vis vest) and follow their instructions. If you come across a lost child, please notify a Discovery Day Event Staff member or Volunteer.
Travelling to the Event
To help us reduce congestion and keep the event area safe and accessible, we strongly encourage all participants to use public or active transport:
- Bus: buses will be in operation as normal.
- Train: the nearest train stations are Yarraville, Seddon and Footscray.
- Shuttles: free shuttle buses will be running on a loop from Footscray train station to the festival area every 30 minutes, starting from 6.30am. Return shuttle buses will pick up on Somerville Road, between Whitehall and Hyde Streets.
- Ride share/Taxis: participants can be dropped on Hyde Street.
- Walk or bike: active travel is the best way to arrive stress-free. Bike parking will be available inside Yarraville Gardens on Greelish Oval. Items are left at owners' own risk.
- Driving: there will be very limited public parking available and road closures will be in place. We recommend that you do not drive to the event.
- Park and ride: a limited number of car parking spots will be available at 542 Footscray Road, (the former Melbourne Flower Market). Patrons can then walk to the event or use the free event shuttle bus service. Shuttle service for the Park & Ride will be available from 6.30am and the last return shuttle will depart at 5:30pm.
Parking
Limited parking will be made available at 542 Footscray Road, (the former Melbourne Flower Market), participants can then walk to the event or use the free event shuttle bus service. We strongly encourage the use of public transport, ridesharing or walking to the event where possible. Designated limited accessible parking will be provided for disability permit holders at 542 Footscray Road, and on Cowper Street.
Changes to Yarraville Gardens
There will be some temporary changes in Yarraville Gardens commencing from Friday, 14 November.
Including:
- Closure of Yarraville Gardens car park from Friday 14 November until Monday 17 November.
- Request for all dogs off-leash to remain in the designated dogs off-leash area.
Changes to the Area
To facilitate safe management for this event, there will be some temporary changes in the Yarraville area commencing from Friday, 14 November.
Including:
- Workers and vehicles
- Installation of event infrastructure
- Traffic controllers and signage changes
- Reduced speed limits
- Road closures and detours
- Larger crowds of event participants
- Increased noise from the event proceedings
- Yarraville Gardens car park will not be available from Friday 14 November until Monday 17 November.
Traffic Changes
There will be some temporary traffic changes to the following roads from Sunday 16 November 6:00am until 6:30pm.
- A road closure on Whitehall Street between Somerville Road, Lyons and Maribrynong Street.
- A road closure on Somerville Road between Whitehall and Hyde Streets.
- Hyde Street will be closed to traffic; normal bus routes will still be in operation.
Any addition to these area changes or road closures will be updated on the event website or these FAQs closer to the time of the event.
Message boards and signage will advise road closure dates in advance and detours will be clearly sign posted. Access to properties will be maintained.
Please allow for minor travel delays and follow the guidance of onsite traffic controllers and signage.
Photography consent
Participants may be captured by photography, video and audio recording, These may be used by the event organiser for promotional, marketing, or media purposes, including social media.
