West Gate Tunnel
Discovery Day
Explore the West Gate Tunnel before it opens to traffic
Come walk or run through parts of the tunnel or simply enjoy the family friendly atmosphere of the free activities at Yarraville Gardens.
Discovery Day offers three fun and interactive ways for people of all abilities and ages to explore this iconic piece of infrastructure before it opens in December.
General registration will open on Friday 24 October.
Early bird registration is open now.
Register now
Paid 8km run From 7am to 8am, run registration fees will raise funds for our charity partnersFree 2.5 km walk From 10am to 5pmFamily fun All day fun at Yarraville Gardens
General Registration will open on 24 October
Please note registrations for the walk and run are essential as spots are limited.
There is no fee to register for the 2.5km walk, however, a registration fee applies for the 8km run with the funds raised going to our charity partners.
Early Bird Registration
Inner west local residents will get the first chance to sign up for the event before registrations open for the broader public.
Giving back to the community As part of Discovery Day, we’re delighted to be partnering with two local charities, West Welcome Wagon and Community Bike Hub.
The run registration fees will raise funds for these organisations.
Both charities play a big part in building community belonging and connection, and these proceeds will help each organisation continue their important work to serve the diverse people, communities and places of Melbourne’s west.
West Welcome Wagon is a grassroots, volunteer-powered not-for-profit organisation based in Melbourne’s western suburbs.
Since 2013, they have been dedicated to welcoming and supporting asylum seekers and refugees as they rebuild their lives in Australia.
Over the past decade, West Welcome Wagon has empowered 8,000 asylum seekers and refugees to establish 2,200 homes in Melbourne’s western suburbs, delivering $5.5 million worth of essential donated goods and diverting items from landfill.
Website: https://www.westwelcomewagon.org.au
Community Bike Hub is a social enterprise who service the local communities of Maribyrnong, Brimbank and surrounding areas through a full-service retail workshop, education programs that reach over 1,000 people a year, and a volunteer program that supports equitable access to bikes.
With more than 1,700 bikes donated and over 2,000 students through their program, their work is driven by a shared desire for active transport, social interaction and skill-building opportunities with a long-term goal to make cycling an accessible and enjoyable part of daily life for everyone in Melbourne's west.
Website: https://communitybikehub.com.au/
Frequently Asked Questions
General information
The event is celebrating the West Gate Tunnel which will open in December, providing an opportunity for locals to explore the tunnel before it opens to traffic later this year.
Attendees will be able to walk or run parts of the tunnel and enjoy a community family event held at Yarraville Gardens.
There will be entertainment around the gardens, food vendors, a kids zone and our project stand where you can experience new journeys with our driver simulator.
Tickets for the walk and run will be limited, with more than 50,000 people expected to attend the event. The public is encouraged to register for the event early to avoid missing out.
You will need to register individually for these spots. Please note, the walk spots are free.
The run has a registration fee of $58 per person, with the funds raised will go towards our two charity partners, Community Bike Hub and West Welcome Wagon.
A purchased ticket will enable you to run the tunnel, however it does not include food and other items that will need to be bought on the day.
There will be free entertainment on the day.
Absolutely. The free family friendly activities at Yarraville Gardens are open to everyone, and registrations are not needed to participate in this section of the day.
Transport on the day
To help us reduce congestion and keep the event area safe and accessible, we strongly encourage all participants to use public or active transport.
You can catch the train to Seddon Station and walk to the event, with additional train services operating on the day. You can also catch the train to Footscray station where you can take the free shuttle bus straight to the event.
Normal buses will be in operation as normal – check times before you travel.
Looking to cycle to the event? Bike parking will be available on Greelish Oval inside Yarraville Gardens.
If you’re catching a ride share or taxi , you can get off on Hyde Street.
If you choose to drive to the event, please note there will be limited parking available and road closures will be in place. We recommend that you do not drive to the event.
There will be offsite parking from 6am to 6pm located 542 Footscray Road, West Melbourne.
Shuttle buses will run from the parking site to Yarraville Gardens.
Note - designated accessible parking will be provided for permit holders on Cowper Street.
Free shuttle buses will run regularly from Footscray train station to Yarraville Gardens on the day. Additional trains will be in operation on the day. Yarraville, Seddon and Footscray stations are all a walkable distance to the event.
To facilitate safe management for this event, there will be some temporary changes to the area including road closures surrounding Yarraville Gardens, reduced speed limits and traffic controllers on site to guide people safely through the area.
Walking and running the tunnel
Numbers are limited to ensure smooth running of the event, safety for all attendees and minimal noise, traffic and property access impact on nearby residents.
Locals will get the first chance to sign up for the event before registrations open for the broader public.
If you live in a suburb that is in close proximity to the West Gate Tunnel construction you will receive your early access code in your letter box. If you have not received a flyer by Friday 24 October please contact us on 1800 105 105.
Registrations will open on Friday 24 October. We expect spots to fill up quickly so please register as soon as you can to avoid disappointment.
Registration for the walk is free.
The run has a registration fee of $58 per person, with the funds raised going towards our two charity partners, Community Bike Hub and West Welcome Wagon.
Once allocations for the run are full we won’t be able to release more spots. For those who miss out on the walk spots we will try our best to accommodate people on the day but we urge people to register ahead of time to secure their spot.
The run will take place from 7am – 8am, with registration for the walk slots available between 10am and 5pm.
We will do our best to accommodate you in the next walk wave on the day if it is safe to do so, however this may not always be possible.
No, we have allocated manageable sections of the tunnel for the community to walk and run through.
The run will also be partially in the tunnel and also across other parts of the project infrastructure.
We would recommend those registering for the run are able to run the 8km distance, but there is no pace the runners are required to meet.
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 in at all times. Children in prams or strollers must be registered as a pram/stroller entrant. 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 welcome to participate. Please note that all participants must be registered for the event.
Limited pram parking will be available on Greelish Oval inside Yarraville Gardens.
Items are left at owners own risk.
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.
Please ensure you have your QR code with you on the day and ready for scanning before you join the entry queue.
If you have lost or misplaced your confirmation email, please log in to Race Roster portal and resend the confirmation email to yourself. If this does not work, please contact Race Roster for assistance on 1800 734 669.
Registration fees are non-refundable, including for injury or other misadventure by the participant.
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, minus any bib postage fees.
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.
West Gate Tunnel Project
