50 years of the Nail Can Hill Run
In 2026, Albury-Wodonga’s Nail Can Hill Run celebrated its 50th running – half a century of hills, heart, community spirit and the occasional question of why anyone would voluntarily run up Nail Can Hill!
The event was the brainchild of local orienteers Peter Harper and Lester Sawyer, with the first run held in 1977. Just 98 competitors took part that year. By the following year, the field had grown to 474 – an early sign of the special place the event would come to occupy in the Albury-Wodonga community.
From 1977 until 2009, the event was organised by the Albury-Wodonga Orienteering Club. In 2009, the Rotary Club of Albury West took over management and has continued the tradition ever since.
Over five decades, the Nail Can Hill Run has become a genuine local institution. It attracts everyone from serious athletes chasing a fast time to families, walkers and the many “once-a-year” runners who take on the challenge simply to get outdoors, get active and enjoy the spectacular bushland surrounding Albury.
The course follows fire trails along the ridgeline of the hills on Albury’s western side. It is scenic, challenging and, for many first-timers, considerably harder than it looks from the bottom!
But the Nail Can Hill Run is about much more than running. It is the atmosphere, the camaraderie, the volunteers, the supporters and the shared satisfaction of taking on one of Albury’s best-known local challenges.
A proud sporting history
The Nail Can Hill Run has attracted some outstanding athletes over the years.
In 2003, Australian distance-running legend Steve Moneghetti set a new men’s record of 34 minutes 57 seconds, taking almost two minutes off the previous record set by Greg Webster, which had stood for ten years.
Other runners to break 38 minutes include former Olympian Pat Scammell, Jeremy Horne, Ian Minter and Jack Rayner.
The women’s record was set in 2018 by Victoria Mitchell, who completed the course in 42 minutes 46 seconds, eclipsing Kate Seibold-Crosbie’s previous record of 43 minutes 53 seconds, set in 2008.
The Age Busters
One of the Nail Can Hill Run’s most distinctive traditions is the Age Buster category, introduced in 1993.
The challenge is simple to understand but far from simple to achieve: competitors must complete the course in fewer whole minutes than their age, with a 20 per cent allowance for women.
So, for example, a 50-year-old man must finish in under 50 minutes, while a 50-year-old woman must finish in under 60 minutes.
Only a small percentage of competitors achieve Age Buster status each year. Those who do receive a commemorative T-shirt, while competitors who achieve the feat five times are presented with the Max Scherleitner Medal.
Max Scherleitner was a Nail Can Hill legend, completing more runs than anyone else and achieving Age Buster an extraordinary 14 times.
The Age Masters
In 2006, the event introduced Age Master status for competitors who achieve Age Buster on ten occasions.
Age Masters receive lifetime entry to the Nail Can Hill Run, a permanent race number and a commemorative singlet bearing their number.
Donn Stevens became the first Age Master in 2006, followed by Daniel Cole in 2007, David Cromarty in 2008 and Ian Spencer in 2009.
50 years – and still going strong
From those first 98 runners in 1977 to the thousands who have taken part over the years, the Nail Can Hill Run has grown into one of Albury-Wodonga’s much-loved community events.
Since taking over in 2009, Rotary Club of Albury West has been committed to preserving the tradition while ensuring the event continues to evolve and serve the community. Along the way, it has brought together competitors, volunteers, sponsors, community organisations and supporters – all contributing to the unique spirit of the event.
The 50th running in 2026 was a celebration not just of a race, but of the people and community that have sustained it for half a century.
And while the course may have changed a little over the years, the challenge remains the same:
Run It! Walk It! Ride It! Nail It!
The Spirit of the Hill