Trail Run #47

I N C O R P O R AT I N G T R A I L R U N N E R N E W Z E A L A N D & A U S T R A L I A

EDITION 47 // 2023 // AU/NZ

A WORLD FIRST FOR

Adaptive Athletes 14

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(INC (INC GST)GST) RRP AU$15/NZ$15 RRP AU$15/NZ$15

MUTTERINGS, HALLUCINATIONS & A PIRATE

MAD MISSION: ON THE TASSIE TRAILS THE WILD: ONE WOMAN’S ROAD TO RECOVERY SHOOTING STORIES: FROM THE RACE PHOTOGRAPHER A LOST HOBBIT RUNNING FOR NZ WILDLIFE

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SHOE REVIEWS // TRAIL CREW // DREAM RUN RACE REPORTS // EVENT PREVIEWS

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ED47 // 2023 // AU/NZ / WINTER AUSTRALIAN MADE. AUSTRALIAN PRINTED. AUSTRALIAN OWNED.

COVER: WA runner Jagpawan Dhillon (known as JP to most) from Piara Waters is all smiles as he hits the 338km mark at Sandpatch during the 2023 Delirious WEST 200 miler. We can forgive him for road running during the week whilst in training because he hits up the Perth hills’ trails on weekends.

IMAGE: Astrid Volzke THIS SHOT: A runner at the 2022 Surf Coast Century traverses a section of rocky coastline heading into the first major checkpoint in Torquay at the 21km point of the 100km course.

IMAGE: Matt Hull VISIT US ONLINE trailrunmag.com facebook.com/trailrunmag twitter.com/trailrunmag instagram.com/trailrunmag EDITOR: Kate Dzienis DESIGNER: Marine Raynard WRITERS: Piotr Babis, Claire Bell, Rachel Bridgewater, Aaron Collins, Brad Dixon, Phil Gore, Kate Dzienis, Hilary McAllister, Erchana Murray-Bartlett, Isobel Ross, Adrian Tuck, Gaby Villa, Astrid Volzke, Paul Watkins, Guy Williams PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katja Anton, Atjan Festival, David Altabev, Peter Barry, James Brewer, Songsak Chalardpongpun (iStock), Aaron Collins, Liam Crozier, Calumn Hockey, Matt Hull, May Kuypers, Sini Louhela, Capucine Merland-Pilonchery, Graeme Murray, Photos4sale, Hannah Rae, Brett Saxon, Connor Sheidler, Ryan Slater, Richard Tilney Bassett, Adrian Tuck, Gaby Villa, Astrid Volzke, Heath Watkins, Mark Watson, Chris Williams, Guy Williams, XTERRA South Africa TRAIL RUN IS PUBLISHED QUARTERLY ADVERTISING Zac Merrion Toby Ryston-Pratt Email: zac@adventureentertainment.com Email: toby@adventureentertainment.com Phone: +61 499 661 101 Phone: +61 413 183 804 SUBSCRIPTIONS & ENQUIRIES Email: magazines@adventureentertainment.com Phone: (02) 8227 6486 PO Box 161, Hornsby, NSW 1630 trailrunmag.com/subs EDITORIAL Kate Dzienis Email: kate@trailrunmag.com Phone: +61 (0) 413 432 800 PUBLISHER Adventure Entertainment ABN 79 612 294 569 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY Trail Running acknowledges and shows respect for the Traditional Custodians of Australia and Aotearoa, and their Elders, past, present and emerging.

DISCLAIMER Trail running and other activities described in this magazine can carry significant risk of injury or Death, especially if you are unfit. Undertake any trail running or other outdoors activity only with proper instruction, supervision, equipment and training. The publisher and its servants and agents have taken all reasonable care to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the expertise of its writers. Any reader attempting any of the activities described in this publication does so at their own risk. Neither the publisher nor any of its servants or agents will be held liable for any loss or injury or damage resulting from any attempt to perform any of the activities described in this publication, nor be responsible for any person/s becoming lost when following any of the guides or maps contained herewith. All descriptive and visual directions are a general guide only and not to be used as a sole source of information for navigation. Happy trails.

Who do you run with?

Photo: Brendan Davis © 2023 Patagonia, Inc.

We run with our local communities and a shared history. With our mentors, the next generation, and perspectives.

Community is something we construct; out of shared ambitions and common ground, out of a desire to take on difficult things and to change the way things are done. We run with others to finish what we started, and to share the view.

CONTENTS EDITION 47 // 2023 // AU/NZ 20. DREAM RUN

TRAIL MIX 10. EDITOR’S COLUMN 20. DREAM RUN: FAROE ISLANDS 22. TRAIL CREW: TRAILS & ALES 24. PEAK PERFORMANCE: RUCKING 28. EAT, SLEEP, RUN: THE BEST ENERGY BAR 84. OFF THE BEATEN TRACK: BREATHTAKING RUNS 98. WISE WORDS: ERCHANA MURRAY-BARTLETT

90. SHOE REVIEW

REVIEWS 12. ALL THE GOOD GEAR: PRODUCT REVIEWS 14. EVENT PREVIEWS 26. BOOK REVIEW: DAVID GOGGINS 90. SHOE REVIEW: HOKA 92: SHOE REVIEW: BROOKS

30. ADAPTIVE ATHLETES TAKE ON NOOSA ULTRA-TRAIL

FEATURES 30. DARE TO DREAM: ADAPTIVE ATHLETES 36. CLIMATE IMPACT ON EVENTS 42. FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHER: ASTRID VOLZKE 50. CONTRIBUTION: FROM ZERO TO 100 (MILER) 58. MAD MISSION: THE IMPOSSIBLE SEVEN 66. NEW! RACE REPORTS 72. IT’S A RUNNER’S LIFE: HALLUCINATIONS 78. GNARLY TALES: THE LOST HOBBIT

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ED’S WORD

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ISSUE 47 | TRAILRUNMAG.COM

EVERYONE'S STORY IS DIFFERENT THIS IS W

hen I first started running, it was back in 2011.

No, I lie…when I really think about it, my very first stint at running was in 2009 when my neighbour Flick Christmass convinced me to join her relay team for the Perth Marathon. The problem was, Flick had done a tonne of triathlons before we’d met, so she was already full throttle with this running thing. I, on the other hand, had never come across a more stupid idea in my life, but I said yes – there’s absolutely no recollection in my brain whatsoever as to why I said yes, but there you go. There must’ve been an offer of a chocolate bar or vodka cruiser or something is my guess.

I was already a gym member down at my local, so decided to hit the cardio machines a bit more and then run with Flick once a week on the weekends. With only three women on our team, Flick put her hand up to do 2 legs, whilst I and her friend Keely did 1 leg each. I was given a 10km leg – or perhaps it was just under. It doesn’t matter, it was about that distance; it was the shortest of the 4, and I remember all the training that came with signing up for it.

I specifically remember running with Flick around Lake Monger, where she’d teach me to ‘target run’ – run from one lamp post to the next, walk to the next. Run to the next lamp post, walk to the next. We’d do the same along the coast, from Scarborough Beach to Trigg, but use the undulating cycle path hills as our targets – the first time we did it, we drove the distance we’d planned to run, in Flick’s car, and measured it with the odometer – those were the days, hey… without sports apps or GPS watches. Where

Mine

no one really knew how far they’d run unless they drove the length of it first.

I remember one day on the treadmill hitting the 8km mark and then giving up, feeling like I’d never make it to 10km. I was never told I shouldn’t aim for my race distance in training, so I took that feeling pretty hard.

Race day for the Perth Marathon, and my event was the 3rd leg out of 4. Our original order was Flick, Keely, me and Flick. I couldn’t even tell you specifically where I started or where I finished to tag off and hand over the ribbon or baton because it was part of the old course, now defunct, but I do remember it was somewhere along the Swan River south of Perth. My parents and husband came to support me, finding me along the way and when I went to tag off to Flick, it was Keely instead, briefly saying Flick was injured, and then she ran off. Despite hearing Flick had hurt herself, but knowing I’d see her at the finish, the elation that I had just achieved something I never would have normally considered was priceless.

There was no medal either. It’s almost like there’s no proof of me doing that relay!

That was my first experience with running – unfortunately, it wasn’t trail running, but it did ignite a little bit of a fire. I was 29 and I did my 10km in just over an hour.

With no sports watches to guide me or apps to log my training runs, I started to run around my neighbourhood with my beloved blue heeler Patch. No clue how far those runs were, I’d usually take anywhere between half an hour to an hour, and it always felt amazing when I’d finished.

Life must have happened after then because

when I moved house later that year and took myself further north from the city, I stopped altogether. I was new to the suburb, all my friends and family were a minimum 45 minutes away, and I was bored after work. So I bit the bullet and joined an outdoor fitness club two years later – well that was fun! Because not only did I make new friends, but they all ran! Some of the women had even started what they called the Marathon Maidens club where once a week a bunch of us would meet up at the same corner block at 7pm and do a 3km loop ‘for fun’.

I suppose, looking back on it now, this was where the start of having running mates all began; that experience with Flick and Keely, and then with the Marathon Maidens.

The trails didn’t call me until 2015 when I’d interviewed Bernadette Benson for a newspaper story after she won AURA’s 2014 Australian Female Ultra Runner of the Year award, and then convinced me to sign up for Perth’s Wallygrunta 9km, which she was race directing.

It was a fantastic start to my love of trail running.

And now here I am.

KATE DZIENIS EDITOR

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ALL THE GOOD GEAR

THE NEW VICTORINOX JOURNEY 1884 IS NOT JUST A WATCH. It’s the first leg of a new journey for Victorinox watches and a statement infusing the feeling of freedom and the energy of the Swiss mountains into everyday adventures. Let this journey begin!

Imagine hiking on a spectacular ridge in the Swiss alps, following the path, lost in thoughts, enjoying the calmness and the breathtaking views whilst deeply inhaling the fresh mountain air. This is the inspiration behind the Victorinox Journey 1884, the new companion that can be relied upon for hiking adventures and much more.

The watch pays tribute to its inspiration with a hand design replicating the Swiss hiking signs, a dial featuring the rough texture of a natural hiking path and a practical and sporty rubber strap. The case features strong shapes and curves and the notch at 6 o’clock on the bezel looks as if it has been carved out by a sharp pocketknife. The industrial roots of the brand are reflected in the finish of the case, in the engraved material code, and the founding year 1884 is proudly presented on the bezel.

ISO-certified for shock and water resistance, each watch gives the owner maximum freedom during any activity, whether they are wearing the more sporty quartz or the more sophisticated automatic version. The latter takes its inspiration from urban adventures and city travel. It offers a prominent highly tri-dimensional architectural dial paired with an elegant ceramic bezel echoing modern city skylines.

And because even urban explorers long for the real outdoors, the automatic version features the colour yellow as seen on Swiss hiking signs and the rough-textured centre part of the dial as a nod to the collection’s hiking roots.

The Journey 1884 is Swiss made and features 43mm recycled stainless steel case (black PVD on selected model), manufactured in Delémont, Switzerland. It’s scratch-resistant and has antireflective sapphire crystal, is water-resistant to 200m and has a uni-directional rotating bezel with inlay in aluminium on quartz models and ceramic on automatic models.

The watch also features a screw-in case back with exhibition crystal on automatic models.

Victorinox watches are designed, developed, tested and manufactured by Victorinox in its own factory, making the brand unique and soon will pursuing the integration further with upcoming lines.

A 5-year warranty is further testimony to the highquality approach of the brand.

VITALS RRP $1,995-$2,295 AUD VICTORINOX.COM.AU

STEP ONE UNDERWEAR

BY KATE DZIENIS FINDING A SOLUTION TO THE EVER-OCCURING CHAFE PROBLEM IS TRICKY. As trail runners, we are forever trialling and testing the right products to see how far they will go without breaking skin, and sometimes – for many – we’ve already spent a decent amount of money before finding ‘the one’ item that is essentially perfect.

Step One is an Australian ethical underwear brand that has ‘fixed’ underwear’s chafing issues by creating what it calls ‘UltraGlyde’ technology, placed where the legs rub to stop irritation.

The idea was born from Sydney-based Greg Taylor, who was hiking in New Zealand and experienced a particularly uncomfortable chafing incident. But that’s not all that’s impressive, let me assure you.

After some research, it was discovered that 22% of men wear their underwear twice before washing them, so it was decided that certified organic viscose bamboo would be used because of its antibacterial, breathable and sweat wicking properties.

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Step One is also known for its ethical standards, with Greg having checked over 30 factories to ensure fair labour, wages and conditions were adhered to. Now, because of the company’s 100% organically grown and FSC certified bamboo, the production of bamboo doesn’t contribute to natural habitat loss or destruction, and packaging is 100% certified home compostable.

Now that we know about Step One’s sustainability practices, just how comfortable and productive are the undies, really?

I’m going by the women’s range, obviously, and let me tell you that I felt like I was gliding. Yes, I said it. Gliding.

The waistband is soft and provided me with maximum support around my lower tum-tum.

There’s also about 15cm in fabric from crotch to the bottom seam, meaning they’re nothing like boyshorts, and in fact more like pantaloons or quite simply, shorts. I mean, you wouldn’t wear them as shorts, but you could certainly get away with one of the funky fabrics sitting underneath any running shorts.

Now there’s an idea for a new fashion trend.

Anyway, comfort is the first thing you look for when it comes to underwear, and since it’s something you wear on the daily, I would safely say that Step One has designed some of the highest quality and most comfortable underwear I’ve ever worn. There’s no picking, no ride-ups, and no chafing.

Top it off with a whole selection of funky colours and patterns (or normal, whatever floats your boat), and you’ll be gliding along the trails knowing what you’ve got in your pants.

I had pineapples and flamingos.

VITALS RRP $33-34 AUD stepone.life

WHERE DOES YOUR NEXT TRAIL LEAD? FIND OUT AT MOUNTAINDESIGNS.COM

E S T. 1 9 7 5

B O R N O F T H E M O U N TA I N S

EVENT PREVIEW WORDS: HILARY MCALLISTER IMAGES: MAY KUYPERS, CHRIS WILLIAMS, CAPUCINE MERLAND-PILONCHERY

PILLIGA ULTRA COONABARABRAN, NEW SOUTH WALES Explore the rugged, ancient trails of the Pilliga Forest in NSW at this one-of-a-kind trail running event.

In its second year, the Pilliga Ultra will be welcoming a limited field of 140 runners to traverse sacred Gomeroi Country, whilst raising funds and awareness to protect this precious forest against the devastation of fossil fuel extraction.

The Pilliga is the largest inland forest in eastern Australia and is a biodiversity hotspot; home to +300 native animal species and more than 900 plant species. Underneath its rare eucalypt forests lie recharge zones for the Great Artesian Basin, one of the largest groundwater sources in the world. However, these ecologically significant ecosystems are under threat from enormous coal seam gas projects that will fragment the vast forest, spew c02 and increase the impacts of climate change.

Along with local communities, the team at For Wild Places don’t want this harmful project to go ahead. This is why they are asking you to sign up.

Your entry fee and fundraising efforts will help raise funds and awareness to protect this precious place.

Over the course of the weekend, you’ll be immersed in the beauty of the Pilliga Forest, get to know the locals and learn more about the campaign. The 3-day event includes courses for everyone, including a challenging 50km ultra, a scenic 20km scramble across sandstone escarpments and a 6km dash, as well as a chaotic and fun-filled kids race.

To find out more about the Pilliga and to register to run or volunteer, head to forwildplaces.com/pilligaultra REGISTRATIONS CLOSE 1 AUGUST 2023 14

EVENT Pilliga Ultra WHEN 9 September 2023 DISTANCE PU50, PU20, PU6 & Kids Run WHERE Pilliga Pottery, Coonabarabran, NSW MORE forwildplaces.com/pilligaultra

EVENT PREVIEW WORDS: KATE DZIENIS IMAGES: SUPPLIED

TOLOSA HALF & TOLOSA QUARTER GLENORCHY, TASMANIA

Hosted under the umbrella of the kunanyi Trail Series, get a slathering of the best Tasmania has to offer with the Tolosa Half & Quarter event ready for action on 6 August 2023.

It’s the third event out of 4, and runners can choose 2 distances – if you’re game enough to hit 830m of elevation gain in the Enduro (Half) 21km race, knock yourself out and get those quads into gear. If you’re keen to get more of a taste of trail running, are new to our crazy sport, and want to see what all the fuss is about, then sign on up for the Short (Quarter) 9.8km.

Race directors call it an authentic mountain race that offers incredible diversity and is challenging. Participants will leave suburbia (because after all, we’re trail runners, right?!) before the open woodland gradually morphs into a more dense and luscious green forest.

Really size yourself up against the giant eucalypts as they provide you shade, and catch a glimpse of the lichen-ridden dolerite.

Catch your breath, if only for a moment, 16

as you take in the jaw-dropping views and intricate hand-made wooden bridges – and as much as we know you want to race hard and fast, sometimes it’s okay to stop and take a photo because let’s face it…this is such a beautiful trail and you’re going to want to share your race reports with everyone!

Mostly single track with all types of terrain, Tasmania doesn’t get any better than this with the Tolosa Half and Quarter.

REGISTRATIONS OPEN 7 MAY 2023 EVENT kunanyi Trail Series’ Tolosa Half & Quarter WHEN 6 August 2023 DISTANCE 21km, 9.8km WHERE Melaleuca, Tolosa Park, Glenorchy MORE kunanyitrailseries.com.au/tolosa-half/

Men’s | Navy

Lone Pe a k 7 Born a legend. Still legendary.

Men’s Black/Gray

Men’s Red/Orange

Men’s Green/Teal

Women’s Dark Red

A LT R A R U N N I N G . C O M . A U

Women’s Dark Purple

Women’s Tan

EVENT PREVIEW WORDS: KERRY UREN IMAGES: SEAN BEALE, JULIAN MORGAN

RACE TEKAPO TEKAPO, NEW ZEALAND EVENT Race Tekapo WHEN 16 September 2023 DISTANCE 50km, 32km, 21km, 12km, 5km WHERE Lake Tekapo, Mackenzie District, South Island, New Zealand MORE racetekapo.com

Race Tekapo is an exciting destination trail running event in one of the country’s most scenic locations. Lake Tekapo is in the heart of the Mackenzie Region and is known worldwide for its turquoise waters and incredible mountain views. It’s also home to one of the most photographed churches in the world, the Church of the Good Shepherd.

each course designed so that runners and walkers can soak up the surroundings while enjoying the exciting atmosphere. With five distances to choose from, ranging from the 50km ultra through to a fast 5km event, there is something for everyone. There is even a bonus Kids Dash allowing the young ones to enjoy the festivities of our favourite sport.

to experience the race. The local Highland Pipe Band spoilt athletes as they passed by the Church of the Good Shepherd at dawn, and again on the top of Mt John later in the morning.

Competitors can relax and soak in the local hot pools, play up in the snowy mountains, and be blown away by the serenity of the international dark sky zone. With so much to do whilst in the district, the race’s tag line is: Come for the run, stay of the fun!

Depending on what race you choose, there are three lakes to pass by, two high country stations that you get to run through, and the incredible Mt John that allows 360-degree views of the district.

It caters for elite runners through to social walkers and families, so come to Race Tekapo for the run, and definitely stay on for the fun!

2022 was the event’s inaugural year which saw 1000 competitors come to Lake Tekapo

LATE ENTRIES ACCEPTED UNTIL 14 SEPTEMBER 2023

Race Tekapo makes the most of its views with 18

This is definitely an event to add to your racing calendar!

REGISTRATIONS CLOSE 10 SEPTEMBER 2023

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DREAM RUN WORDS: KATE DZIENIS IMAGE: DAVID ALTABEV, RICHARD TILNEY BASSETT, ATJAN FESTIVAL

AN INVITATION TO SERENDIPITY

Trail running in the Faroe Islands is absolutely mind blowing, with every step and every view forgivably stopping you in your tracks.

competitive mountain running events from 10km to ultra distances, adventure activities and unique after parties.

Every September, Atjan Wild Islands plays host to an inspirational 5-day trail running, adventure and music festival in a land that’s unspoiled, unexplored and unbelievably beautiful.

The Faroe Islands – located halfway between Scotland and Iceland – consist of 18 wild islands adrift the North Atlantic Sea, a place like no other on earth. With lush green valleys, imposing basalt cliffs, grand treeless moorlands and waterfalls plunging directly into the wind-whipped ocean, it’s hard to pass up the opportunity if you’re ever given one.

Atjan Wild Islands believes that no other single activity can reward you with as many benefits for your brain and body as trail running, and organisers are passionate about the sport. So they’ve created a festival, if you will, to cover five incredible days of 20

A trail runner’s dream adventure, an Atjan Wild Islands ticket gets you a trail race

entry, live music, talks and workshops, an adventure film screening, access to a hot tub by the sea, a pub crawl run, your very own Atjan Wild Islands concierge, and adventure activities like sea kayaking, sailing, rock climbing and cold-water surfing.

Putting your body through its paces in the Faroe Islands is an experience that will captivate you for the rest of you life.

I think we’ve hit the jackpot for Dream Runs.

Host: Atjan Wild Islands Destination: Faroe Islands, North Atlantic

ISSUE 47 | TRAILRUNMAG.COM

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TRAIL CREW TRAILS AND ALES ANSWERED BY: TIMMY G, GUG WILLIAMS IMAGES: GUG WILLIAMS, SINI LOUHELA

TRAILS AND ALES How did your group begin?

It began when Timmy G and Sharpy started training for the UTA100 in early 2017 around Nail Can Hill. After that first run together, they agreed to meet same time, same place.

The only difference was Tim brought some ales for after the run. Sharpy returned the favour next week and then decided to invite others to join us.

Tim got a logo made up and decided on the name and that made us all legit. Then it spread like wild fire. All the boozehounds with a running problem were soon coming out of the woodwork for our weekly group run. It turns out there are a fair few people out there that reckon the best time for a beer is after a run in the bush!

of May. It’s been going since 1977. Steve Moneghetti holds the record at 34:57 set in 2003. To put that into context, only 4 other runners have gone under 38 mins since.

You will also find a massive contingent of T&As crew at Buffalo Stampede in Bright, and down at Anglesea for SCC. If there is a trails event on somewhere, chances are you’ll see a T&As singlet getting around.

We also inspired others who were watching our socials and could see the good times we were having. Nek minute, Andy Badrock is on the phone from Bright saying ‘I will walk over burning coals if I have to, what do I need to do to get patched up as a Trails & Ales leader in my home town?’ Bright Trails & Ales was born.

More recently the 3rd official chapter started in Bendigo led by the bearded legend Trav Edwards.

What single piece of advice would you give a newbie joining your group?

Where does your group run mostly?

A kookaburra, always flying around the bush, laughing and having a good time!

Nail Can Hill, but always up for a drive and an adventure!

If you were heading out for a solo ultra run and some bastard stole your pack so you can only take two things, what would you have in each hand?

What is your favourite local trail and why?

There are too many local trails on Nail Can that picking just one would be rude to the others. It’s sketchy, dry, rocky and nothing special but it’s just perfect to us, we love it.

We are also so lucky that our ‘local’ trails extend into places like Beechworth, Bright and Yackandandah where you can disappear for a day and not encounter more than a handful of people.

What local event do you rally around?

Nail Can Hill Race (11.3km), the first Sunday 22

Your group can choose any three people on Earth, living or dead, to come join one of your runs. Who are they and why them?

Beau Miles – the bloke bloody loves an adventure!

Thor – not the God of Thunder, but one of our local legends. He has the best laugh in the world, always up for a beer no matter what time of day it is, and climbs like a mountain goat!

After your first group run, you’ll be hooked, thank the group and yell out ‘I’ll bring the beers next week!’ It’s too good a time to not come again.

Pedro Goddard circa 1980s/early 90s (Timmy’s old man) – watching that moustachioed legend running marathons is what got Timmy into running. Without that inspiration T&As might not even exist!

If your trail group was an animal, what would it be and why?

How have you seen participation in your group change people and lives?

A cold tinnie and some toilet paper. The essentials.

The world is ending. Nominate a trail anywhere on the planet that your group must run. It’s the last trail you’ll ever see.

Where is it?

Gotta rep the home area, Nail Can. It’s rough, dirty, single track everywhere, just the way we like it. Or maybe South Island of NZ with the T&As crew would be an epic way to go out.

We have had T&As proposals after Buffalo Stampede Marathon. We’ve got T&As babies running around the area. We’ve had members driving back seven hours straight after work trips just to get back for our Wednesday night group run. Gug and Sarah decided to live in Albury/Wodonga over other towns because of their close affiliation with the T&As group.

There’s a reason a bunch of the crew refer to it as ‘church’, the group means a lot of different things to a lot of different people.

The countless friendships, connections, memories and beers shared that all tie back to T&As are what we are most proud of though. It truly is an amazing group of people from all walks of life and a simple philosophy that has been shared by others around the country. How good is the trail running community, right?!

ISSUE 47 | TRAILRUNMAG.COM

TRAIL CREW NAME: Trails and Ales BIRTHDAY: April 2017 REGION: Albury, NSW MEMBERS: We’ve had literally 100s of different runners come through over the past 6 years AVERAGE RUNNERS AT EACH HOOK UP: At least two cases of beer worth AVERAGE HOOK UPS EACH YEAR: Weekly – Wednesday night is the best night of the week! We run rain, hail or shine SHOES OWNED IN TOTAL: I don’t think anyone would be game enough to count…it’s probably best not knowing UNOFFICIAL CLUBHOUSE: Range Road, Nail Can Hill, Albury

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PEAK PERFORMANCE WORDS: BRAD DIXON

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Rucking

ISSUE 47 | TRAILRUNMAG.COM

THE ANCIENT TRAINING METHOD

Rucking delivers the combination gains of cardiovascular fitness plus all over body strength. For runners who desire increased performance on the trail and a boost in general well-being, this is too tempting to ignore.

I love geeking out on new ways to improve cardiovascular fitness and full body strength. I’m fortunate that my running and triathlon athletes are always open to different training methods that I have experimented with.

Rucking is a new addition that blends easily with my athletes’ weekly routines plus it delivers massive benefits for all-round conditioning.

My routine has been consistent for the last eight years: three runs (long slow, speed/hill reps and some tempo), one or two cycles, up to three swims, daily yoga for 5-10min and two strength sessions (one heavy and one body-weight circuit work).

This will change with injuries (I always train around these, not through; I never use injury as an excuse to stop), and specific tweaking for upcoming events. While it’s imperative to stick to the basic principles of cardiovascular (strength and flexibility/mobility consistency), I get very excited about subtle ways to change up weekly routines to improve performance and benefit health.

Over the Christmas break (2022) I ordered my usual stack of wellness books. The Comfort Crisis – Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self by Michael Easter didn’t disappoint.

It was bursting full of habitual behaviours to help nudge society towards wellness. Most I had already enmeshed in my own life or had at least read about. One of the last chapters in the book discussed rucking.

To provide some context, the author spent time with ex-military special forces guru Jason McCarthy.

Ruck is a noun and a verb. In other words, it names something and it’s also an action. It’s basically marching/walking (not running) with a weighted pack or vest. McCarthy is a rucking obsessed scientist and travels the world speaking to health professionals on the benefits. He suggests it is the ultimate blend of full body strength and cardiovascular priming in one. It has been used for centuries to build the fittest, toughest, battle-ready humans on the planet.

What Does Rucking Do? The special forces teams of today need to have that combination of leanness, strength, and durability. The act of rucking will correct body types for ultimate strength endurance. Too much fat or muscle? Rucking will get you lean. Too skinny? It will build a new layer of muscle. The best trail runners on earth can float over the trail efficiently. Having the ability to tap into power while running

with the right amount of relaxed tension requires a frame that is lean and strong.

Rucking ramps up fat metabolism due to the stress of carrying weight while moving forward – this of course increases when ascending. Carrying weight while descending also maximises eccentric muscle loading and joint resilience.

Rucking ‘taxes the body’s tactical chassis’. In other words, it improves conditioning of everything in-between the shoulders and knees, hamstrings, quads, hip musculature, obliques, all fascia and other connective tissue. This entire integrated system gets a working over, resulting in an athlete’s ability to deliver more power to the lower legs and arms, all while decreasing injury.

There are ruck communities all over the world. These ruck clubs organise events that last anywhere between six and 48 hours. One quote from the book that resonated with me was “Doing hard things is an enormous life hack. Do hard things and the rest of life gets easier and you appreciate it all the more.”

How To Integrate Rucking With anything new it should be done gradually. I will look at carrying somewhere between 10-14kg in a pack (made up of two kettle bells and some towels to help with positioning and comfort) once a week or a fortnight on our family mount walk.

Rucking could be used as a day after session following a long run or bike ride, or even a standalone session if you are time crunched (for example, a 2hr ruck could be more beneficial than a 2hr run if training for an ultra). Start with 6-12kg (depending on your weight) and build from there over a few months if your system is able to absorb the load.

Another way to apply the rucking principle is to look at tramping.

Single or multi day missions in our native forests while carrying a pack will give you the physical conditioning of carrying the weight while combining the beneficial health infusion of our natural world for your mind and soul.

Precautions My one precaution would be running downhills with this extra weight. As a physiotherapist, I would discourage running with heavily weighted vests downhill. It could exacerbate poor form and joint loading in a way that won’t allow the body to absorb the forces.

INSIDER KNOWLEDGE: Brad Dixon is a sports physio, coach and wellness evangelist at EVERFIT Physio & Coaching. He’s written a book titled Holistic Human, and believes the power is in our daily habits. Find him at everfit.co.nz or through his socials @everfitcoach.

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BOOK CLUB REVIEW REVIEWER: KATE DZIENIS

NEVER FINISHED

BY DAVID GOGGINS life, the obstacles and how he overcame them. If you’re looking for motivation, this is the book that will have you questioning if you’re doing enough, and more than likely help push you out of your comfort zone.

Never Finished is not layered in fairy floss or fluff, and there’s absolutely no BS. If you’ve ever watched a Goggins video, then you’ll know he’s very ‘in your face’ and doesn’t hold back with colourful language; it’s all transferred into this publication too so if you’re not a fan of swear words, you can actually get yourself a non-sweary version.

If you haven’t heard of endurance runner and former Navy SEAL David Goggins, then picking up his latest book Never Finished will blow your mind.

It should actually be titled 'How To Be A Savage 101’.

Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds (2018) was his debut memoir and an introduction to the power of the mind. Never Finished (2022) is a journey into Goggins’ Mental Lab, where he developed the philosophy, psychology and strategies which enabled him to learn that what he thought was his limit was only his beginning.

Many have called it their favourite book of the year, with Goggins recollecting a barrage of stories from his personal

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Whilst delving into the background of the book and how readers’ related to it, it seems many purchased Never Finished to help lift them out of dark times due to Goggins’ ambitious personality and reputation of having contagious motivation. He doesn’t claim Never Finished to be a self-help book – it’s the first line to his introduction. In fact, he likens it more to a boot camp for the brain; a what-the-f#4k-are-you-doingwith-your-life book; or the wake-up call you don’t want and probably didn’t know you needed.

There are some really unforgettable messages in Never Finished. One in particular has become my favourite: You can’t be afraid to disappoint people.

You have to live the life you want to live. Sometimes, that means being the motherfucker who can put a middle finger

up to everyone in the room and be totally comfortable with that.

And there you have it. One quote, and you can already tell the type of person Goggins is (if you aren’t familiar with him). But he raises so many good points, it’s hard to dislike him simply for his use of language.

As runners, we’re always looking to push ourselves further and go beyond what we might think we’re capable of. Some of us have coaches, others don’t. Some of us need someone yelling in our ears to push further and harder, others have the selfmotivation to do it all themselves.

Reading Never Finished is, at times, almost like Goggins is speaking directly to you – it’s powerful, it’s inspiring, it’s a book with a unique perspective on the importance of perseverance and determination.

Another strength of the publication is Goggins’ honesty. Clearly, he doesn’t shy away from discussing the challenges he faced throughout his life, telling of a troubled childhood and issues with depression and PTSD. But he’s completely and 100% open and candid about the lessons he’s learned, and that’s what makes his work so incredibly appealing to a wide range of audiences.

Never Finished is a kick-up-the-bum but I-need-it read.

SUUNTO VERTICAL

Adventure starts here.

Some people choose a crowded club

EAT, SLEEP, RUN WORDS AND IMAGES: GABY VILLA

NO BAKE ENERGY BARS PREPARATION TIME: 30 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour and 10 minutes

SERVINGS: 8

If you’re tired of eating energy gels or other commercial products and are looking to add more variety to your long runs, these energy bars are perfect for you.

Additional fuel while exercising is essential for training sessions longer than 1 hour to allow your body to sustain the effort. The longer the activity, the more critical it will be to consume energy.

Ideally, consider 30 to 60g of carbohydrates for every hour of activity. However, be careful not to add too much fibre or fat if you plan to run at a higher intensity. For longer, lowerintensity runs carbohydrates should still take priority, but you can also consume some fat to make up for the calories.

These energy bars are ideal for long aerobic runs. Consider eating this bar halfway through your run or break it into smaller bits and eat a small bite every 15 to 20 minutes. Remember to stay well hydrated to help your gut process and absorb all the energy you consume.

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS

NUTRITION PER SERVING

• 1 ¾ cup pitted dates

1. Soak the dates in a bowl of warm water for 15-20 minutes 2. Drain thoroughly 3. Add the dates and the rest of the ingredients to a food processor and mix until well combined 4. Line a 20 or 22-cm square baking dish with baking paper 5. Scrape the mixture into the baking dish using a rubber spatula and press into an even layer 6. Cover with plastic wrap and let it set in the freezer for 40 minutes 7. Cut into 8 rectangles, wrap individually with aluminium foil, and store in the fridge or freezer 8. Enjoy!

• Calories: 309

• ⅓ cup dried unsweetened cranberries • ½ cup strawberry jam • ½ cup quick oats • ½ cup peanut butter • ¼ cup mixed nuts

NOTES • Leftovers: Refrigerate for up to five days.

Freeze for up to three months • Smaller portions: cut bars in half (total 16 squares) if you prefer to eat and carry smaller amounts

• Carbohydrates: 46g • Fibre: 5g • Sugar: 33g • Protein: 7g • Fat: 13g

INSIDER KNOWLEDGE: Gaby is a sports nutritionist, dietitian and founder of IntensEATfit who specialises in optimising performance for ultra runners by making food their best ally in sport and life. Find her online at intenseatfit.com for more info.

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DARE TO DREAM

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ISSUE 47 | TRAILRUNMAG.COM

OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE IS WHERE THE

Magic HAPPENS

WELL VERSED IN TRACK AND ROAD WHEELCHAIR RACING, QUEENSLAND ELITE ATHLETE AND 2020 GOLD COAST WOMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST NATASHA PRICE TOGETHER WITH HER COACH ADAM SHEPPARD WILL LINE UP AT THIS YEAR’S NOOSA ULTRA-TRAIL TO TACKLE THE TERRAIN HARD AND FAST. IT’S BELIEVED TO BE A WORLD-FIRST FOR ADAPTIVE ATHLETES – A MODIFIED VERSION OF THE 15KM TRAIL THROUGH THE TEWANTIN NATIONAL PARK, AND KATE DZIENIS GOT THE LOWDOWN ON HOW BOTH COACH AND ATHLETE WILL APPROACH THE RACE. WORDS: KATE DZIENIS IMAGES: KATJA ANTON

Imagine waking up one morning at the age of 28 and suddenly not being able to see the room you’re in. Your heart would be racing in fright, your brain moving a million miles an hour.

I simply could not fathom what would be going on in my head.

And it’s something the majority of us would never even contemplate happening to our bodies, but it did happen – to UK-born Natasha Price in late 2008.

In 2008, Natasha was left legally blind almost overnight, and paralysed within a month after a rare neurological disease made itself known to her, affecting her for the rest of her life – so rare, in fact, there is no name for it.

Three years later, another relapse left her

completely paralysed from the neck down for several months, but since 2012 the now 42-year-old has been stable despite a decade of being bed-bound.

A sudden decision one day whilst in bed though was the kickstart she needed to make positive changes, ultimately leading her to become a wheelchair athlete.

“I was watching the Gold Coast Marathon on television, and said to my family that I was going to do it one day, I was going to do a marathon,” she reveals.

“Everyone looked at me funny, but 12 months later in 2018 I did my first 42km and the rest is history…”

Natasha has since made incredible waves as an elite para athlete, training for a number

of track events as well as road races, even recently finding podium position success at the Australian Institute of Sport including an Australian National Championships bronze medal in the 200m, an ACT State Championship silver medal in the 200m, and breaking a Queensland state record.

But Natasha’s now keen to take her wheels off road, and with the help of organisers at Noosa Ultra-Trail, she and her coach Adam Sheppard will be the first to take on a modified 10km course on March 25 (2023) through the beautiful Hinterland region.

With a looped course in Tewantin Forest Reserve, the terrain is 63% trail and soft surface, and 37% paved – something both Natasha and Adam are very much looking forward to.

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DARE TO DREAM OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS

Natasha crossed paths with Adam shortly after that first marathon, and the two hit it off as coach and athlete immediately. Unlike Natasha, Adam was born with spina bifida, confined to a wheelchair all his life and as recently as September 2022 decided to have both his legs amputated to stop the issues that continuously wrecked him for poor health.

“Over the last 15-20 years I’ve had problems with things like pressure wounds and circulation, and the decision to amputate was the best thing I could have ever done for the sake of my health,” he explains.

“I’m back into proper training, I’m not constantly taking medications for infections, my mobility has improved…life is pretty peachy right now, I couldn’t be happier.”

Earlier this year, both Natasha and Adam were approached by Noosa Ultra-Trail race director Nick Stewart who wanted their help in spotlighting the potential accessibility of trails to people of all abilities.

And there was no hesitation from either athlete.

“I didn’t hesitate,” Natasha says.

“I’m always looking for ways to challenge myself physically and mentally, so this ticks that box big time…and the fact we get to race in such a beautiful part of the world? Who could say no to that?

“Adam and I are the sort of people to say yes to anything, and then sort out the logistics later on. Sometimes it works, sometimes it works against it…but what’s life if you can’t grab it by the horns and make the most of it.

Both of us have looked death in the eye at one time or another, and it makes you have a new appreciation for life.”

Because of that, Natasha and Adam take things the way they’re supposed to be taken – with grit and determination. And in saying that, in early February the two of them headed out for a recce of the course to test their capabilities and take a look up close at what they were in for.

Adam says it was great to see a proper trail running course and have a decent look at the terrain, whilst Natasha admits it wasn’t something she would normally have considered before. “…mainly because the assumption is that trail running is never going to be acceptable to 32

wheelchairs, but having a look at this course for Noosa Ultra-Trail, I strongly believe we will be okay,” she reveals.

their wheelchair skills are up to par, meaning they have to be able to manoeuvre them in as many directions as possible.

“In terms of modifications to our wheelchairs, there are things we could probably do to make our lives easier, but whether or not we do them is the question (laughing). We could put thicker tyres on with tread, and there’s an attachment called a free wheel (a lightweight, durable third wheel that instantly turns a wheelchair into an all-terrain chair) that could be put on the footplates of the chair, that lifts the wheels off the ground, however it comes with its own set of issues so whether or not we do that remains to be seen.”

“This comes as second nature for Adam because he’s always been a wheelchair user,” Natasha giggles.

With a variety of terrain on the cards for the two athletes, Adam describes how terrain can impact wheelchair users, in particular when he’s guiding Natasha.

“After our recce, we’ve learned that the ground will be filled with lots of gravel, thick grass, medium sized rocks, tree stumps and roots…they’re all things that can catch us up,” he says.

“It will be fun trying to make sure we don’t hit any of those things.

“But in all seriousness, as a lifelong wheelchair user, it becomes second nature to keep an eye out for things like that, but for me it will also be about verbalising it all to Natasha.”

With Adam as Natasha’s support, neither of them will require an external source to assist along the course, however with Natasha’s visual impairment Adam will indeed act as her eyes and keep out in front.

“If he’s really pissed off at me, he might just put an obstacle in my way,” she laughs.

“Generally Adam will go in front of me and I follow him, or we’re alongside each other and he is on the constant look out for things like tree roots, rocks, sand…anything that will trip the wheelchair up.

“I can see big things, but anything that’s small or obviously from a distance between my head and the floor I generally can’t spot it, so Adam will point those things out for me.”

Because Natasha is already an elite athlete, training in the lead up to Noosa Ultra-Trail will consist of her regular workouts, which include two hours in the gym on the daily plus another two hours on the track or out on the roads. But it’s not just about training – both Natasha and Adam need to ensure

“For me, because I came to disability later in life and spent so long in bed, there are so many skills I still need to learn. The ability to do the trail course is heavily based on chair skills and the ability to maybe lift the front wheels a bit or put myself in a balance situation.

“Fitness wise, neither of us are even remotely concerned; it’s just making sure – certainly for me, anyway – that I can navigate the terrain without hurting myself.”

As the two athletes get ready for an unbelievable challenge they will surely succeed in, their message to others is a simple one.

Just say ‘yes’.

“Look, we don’t want people hurting themselves but at the same time, outside your comfort zone is where the magic happens,” Adam points out.

“I know that’s a really well-worn statement, but there’s a lot of life to live – whether you’re a wheelchair user or not, or you have a different disability, you’ve still got a life to live.

Forgetting your fears, putting them to one side, and just getting out there to say ‘yes’ to opportunities is where it all begins.”

“And you know what? If it doesn’t work out, you’ve generally learnt a lesson,” Natasha adds.

“At the end of the day, you don’t know what you’re capable of until you give it a red hot go and if it doesn’t work out, you’ll always have built up extra knowledge from that experience. You’ve given yourself the opportunity to adapt and overcome whatever it is you need to overcome in life…this is what we live by every single day.

“We have to.”

So how did this opportunity of modifying a trail course for wheelchair users come about?

Noosa Ultra-Trail race director Nick Stewart goes deep into the core of his idea with a humbling experience in 2018 that left him

ISSUE 47 | TRAILRUNMAG.COM

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DARE TO DREAM OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS

feeling he could do something more for the community of persons with a disability.

“I did the 62km Mad Trail in France that year and came around a bend where there was a conga-line of runners who’d suddenly stopped,” he retells.

“Eight guys were carrying, on 4-metre poles (2 on each corner), a wheelchair user up a 20 degree rocky slope. Suddenly the pain I had in my quads disappeared. It was quite an emotional experience.

“They wanted this person to be a part of the beauty and magic of the trails and the mountains; I felt if we could do something half as relevant, that would be an amazing experience for someone here in Australia, and also be inspirational for many other persons with a disability.”

After some intense research, Nick came across Natasha and Adam who were immediately receptive to the idea of something new.

“It was their incredible, positive outlook and humble nature that was so impressive – notwithstanding their athletic abilities and successes,” he says.

“We live in times now where society is changing quite rapidly, particularly in relation to addressing short comings in assisting minority groups. Things that able bodied athletes have taken for granted should be made accessible to as many people as possible – it’s only fair and right. Not everyone wants to go into our beautiful national parks and state forests, but if they do then we should find a way to make it all accessible so they can enjoy what most of us take for granted.”

Trail running by its very nature isn’t easy, and we all know it isn’t for everyone, but Nick has had an advantage in that the first portion of his course at Tewantin National Park is generally flat or undulating, so a modification to the 15km course, and turning into a 10km course for Natasha and Adam, was easy to do.

“This year is very much a pilot course; we

34

have to see how Natasha and Adam navigate the nuances of the trails,” he explains.

“We have no doubt that their participation will spur others on – maybe even get trail running included in the 2032 Paralympics here in Queensland.

“Nothing is impossible, as they say, but you have to push the boundaries, and Natasha and Adam are the perfect role models to do this.

“I know it’s cliché, but if we can make a difference to just one person’s life who has a disability, then we will all have achieved our goal.”

Natasha and Adam both completed their 2023 Noosa Ultra-Trail race to the sound of cheers and applause as they crossed the finish line. Both secured fantastic times of 2:20:46, coming in 253 and 254 respectively out of 295 overall. Congratulations Natasha and Adam on an amazing world first achievement!

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FEATURE

36

ISSUE 47 | TRAILRUNMAG.COM

NAVIGATING RACES IN A CHANGING

Climate

SO MUCH CHANGE HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS WHEN IT COMES TO TAKING ALL CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE ENTERING AN EVENT. WE’RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE POPULARITY OF OUR SPORT GROWING EITHER AND DEALING WITH BIG NUMBERS – WE’RE TALKING NATURAL ALTERATIONS IN CLIMATE AND THE HABITAT AROUND US. AS HILARY MCALLISTER DISCOVERS, THESE DAYS THERE’S MUCH TO ABSORB AND PREPARE FOR THAN JUST TAKING TIME OFF WORK AND ENSURING YOUR TRAINING IS UP TO PAR – IT CAN SOMETIMES BE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT YOUR A RACE HAS BEEN MODIFIED OR EVEN WORSE, CANCELLED BECAUSE OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. WORDS: HILARY MCALLISTER IMAGES: CALUMN HOCKEY Just a few years ago, our key considerations before signing up for an event were, can I get the time off work, find time for training, keep that niggle at bay, afford the race fee and stomach another gel feast!?

metaphorical bars of injury, empathising with my fellow trail-loving friends as they experience the frustration of postponed events and the subsequent mental and physical juggle of training, work, travel and logistics that goes with it.

Fast forward a few years and since 2020 that list has grown considerably. COVID aside, the increased frequency of severe weather events has meant that many races, both big and small, have had to postpone or cancel.

I love trail running because it allows me to get out into nature, clear my head and over time, be able to explore further and faster.

For the past two years, I’ve been sitting back, watching from behind the

I believe that trail running is inextricably intertwined with nature, and therefore to be able to continue to enjoy time on the trails, I need to give to these places. In 2020, I was one of the rag-tag trail runners that

co-founded For Wild Places, a not-forprofit that strives to connect trail runners with ways to protect the wild places we love to explore.

In the aftermath of the Black Summer bushfires, it was a small way in which we could harness the go-get-‘em attitude of the trail community, and take action to curb the impacts of climate change on the places we love most.

Since this time, our continent has experienced more frequent and severe weather events, from flooding and high winds to unseasonable snow and

37

RUNNING ON IMPACT NAVIGATING RACES IN A CHANGING CLIMATE

catastrophic heat.

After several conversations with others in the trail running space, it’s clear I’m not alone in feeling concerned for the future of this sport.

What will become of trail and ultra running events on a continent that experiences the devastating effects of climate change on such an ‘unprecedented’ occurrence?

To try and make sense of this, I chatted to a couple individuals from both sides of the events space to understand their perspectives and experiences, and how they feel about the future of the industry in Australia.

38

Two runners I discussed the issue with are both people I look up to, as they identify as environmentalists first, and athletes second.

Tom Batrouney is from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, and spends his days either elbowdeep in rubbish, or getting excited about it as SeaBin’s Operations and Experience Lead.

Then there’s Naomi Brand, a South African veterinarian by day, van-lifer by night and can be found exploring trails of Aotearoa in between. Both of these sponsored athletes (Salomon and Patagonia respectively) set their sights on UTA100 in May 2022, putting in hours of training the mind, body

and gut to traverse the beautiful yet brutal trails of Ultra Trail-Australia by UTMB. Like the thousands of people who register for this event each year, Tom and Naomi had to navigate postponements and significant course changes before toeing the start line in October 2022. The decision to postpone from the usual May date was made in April after La Niña-induced rain events unleashed four times the monthly average rainfall in March alone.

Most trails throughout the Blue Mountains were closed and subsequently annihilated by severe storms in July 2022, resulting in the area being declared a Natural Disaster Area. Heavy rainfall then proceeded the

ISSUE 47 | TRAILRUNMAG.COM

October date, resulting in course changes that weren’t communicated to runners until the day before the event started.

The changes made for a much flatter, runnable course with lots of fire trails, meaning a lot of Tom’s stair and technical training was unnecessary. After nursing injury in the months leading up to the new date, he decided it wasn’t his day out there and pulled the pin, heading home with a DNF and an intact body – but ready to focus on the next event.

Whilst it wasn’t going to be Tom’s day out there, it certainly was Naomi’s. Stoked to be racing internationally again, with a string of cancelled flights, missed races

and wasted money behind her, UTA 100 allowed Naomi to fall in love with her ‘why’ again, and ‘even dare to dream about my ‘how’, and ‘when’, and ‘where’.”

The changing nature of trail and ultra running will challenge even the most committed, adaptable, and determined athlete.

Naomi recognises that ultra running is about controlling the controllables, and relying on experience, practice and grit to navigate what’s not controllable.

Tom has a similar attitude, understanding that “[when] I’m putting myself out in nature, and when I commit to doing that,

it’s all about me, looking after me. Anything can happen out there.”

Indeed, in a changing climate, anything is possible and as competitors we need to understand that. Rolling with course changes, date changes, varied terrain, start times, extreme tides and diversions is the price we pay to spend quality, one-onone time in Mother Nature’s company.

Flexibility is not often associated with an ultra runner on a regimented training plan, but as the climate changes we’ll be forced to get comfortable with the uncomfortable.

Adaptability will be a superpower on the trails; range being key and having a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude will ensure you cross that finish line, eventually.

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RUNNING ON IMPACT NAVIGATING RACES IN A CHANGING CLIMATE

conversations I’ve had with numerous people, it’s clear we need a collaborative effort between participants and race directors to navigate this changing space.

SO WHAT CAN WE DO?

From a participant’s perspective, we need to roll with the punches of course changes, date changes and longer mandatory gear lists, understanding that it’s not only for our safety but the longevity of the country we tread on. We should understand our gear, know how to use it, and be able to provide basic first aid for ourselves and others.

KEEPING ENTRIES UP

Another re-occurring conversation involved event pricing and rising entry fees.

Along with navigating event management, safety and budgets, race directors need to create events that keep people coming back.

To get a better understanding of the backend, I caught up with Chris Ord – trail guru, head honcho at Tour de Trails, RD at various trail events and formerly editor of this very publication.

I spoke to Chris in the days preceding Hut 2 Hut when he probably had 400 better things to do than go down this rabbit hole with me. But like all good trail folk, Chris took the time for a yarn, and we opened several cans of race worms.

From the reliability of long-range forecasts to overgrown trails, an influx of last-minute registrations and the usual stresses of being responsible for sending hundreds of people out into the High Country for 48 hours, it’s no wonder Chris and his lean team at Tour de Trails are feeling the pinch.

After years of hot, dry summers, lockdowns, uncertainty and government handouts, race directors are doing what they can to finally turn a profit in the postCOVID running boom.

And who can blame them – it’s been a tough slog. But on the flip side, punters such as you and me are feeling the pinch 40

too as the cost of accommodation, travel, food, gear and race fees continue to increase.

But as we all too often forget – this sport we love so much is a business.

Ironman and UTMB wouldn’t have joined forces back in 2021 and offered us stones in exchange for blood, sweat, cash and tears if it wasn’t a lucrative industry.

The smaller, more grassroots events are often overlooked for UTMB World Series as runners chase those stones with the hope of getting a ballot to race in Chamonix one day.

With resources comes a greater risk for appetite, leaving smaller race directors hamstrung by insurance costs and limited resources, causing them to postpone or cancel events with greater frequency.

After a flood or fire event, national parks (where a lot of events take place) are often under-resourced, meaning it can take months to get trails back on track and races back up and running. Race directors know a thing or two about controlling the controllables, but as the climate becomes more erratic and severe, the risks pile up and the safety of participants is always going to be the number one priority.

To navigate the tightrope of events, climate, economics and safety, some things are going to have to change. Through the process of writing this article, and the

When it comes to training, maybe chucking on the vest more often, or having a snake bandage and extra water on those warmer days. Abiding by ‘trail closed’ signs, rather than adopting the ‘it will be fine, it’s just me’ attitude, and instead understanding that such closed trails are for the health of the flora and fauna that call it home, as well as your safety.

Looking after your gear, cleaning it before and after use to avoid cross-contamination from mud and weeds when running in different places; buying quality or a second-hand kit, caring for it properly and favouring brands that prioritise sustainability and recycled materials; trying to carpool, not chucking your litter, respecting the culture of Traditional Owners and understanding that whilst out on the trails, we are part of an ecosystem so much bigger than ourselves.

By adopting just a few of these practices into our running routine, we can ensure that our trails stay open, healthy and thriving for future adventures.

As a collective, we can ensure longevity of the events we love. We all know volunteers are the key too – they bring the stoke, the lollies, the high-fives and the free labour.

Without them though, sadly our industry is unviable so take the time to volunteer, to give back to the organisers. In most cases, you’ll get a discounted or free entry next time.

Support the little guys to ensure we don’t lose the grassroots events that have allowed trail running to grow into the sport it is today. Consider it a training run,

a social occasion or just a chance to experience a new environment.

SPEAK UP

Be generous with your feedback to event organisers after an event you’ve experienced – if you can see a better way to do things, they 100 per cent will want to know it. Because believe it or not, when enough people speak up, people listen and changes can be made. We’re already seeing a shift in events becoming plastic-free, more gender diverse and respectful of First Nations. And this is only the beginning.

IT'S JUST THE BEGINNING

After speaking to Tom, Naomi and Chris, I feel hope for our community, as I know there are people out there, using their passion, determination and influence for good.

Both experience and conversation have shown that there is already plenty happening within our communities and running clubs to encourage people to give back through volunteering, donating and spreading the word about environmental campaigns.

As we wrap this up, it would be remiss of me to not mention the work that we’re doing at For Wild Places, to connect trail runners with tangible and impactful ways to give back to the trails. From running through forests earmarked for coal seam gas extraction to native forests threatened by logging and traversing the most remote trails of the High Country looking for endangered flora, we are doing what we can, in our small and mighty way, to combine the fun, community, energy and passion that we have for nature through the sport we love; trail running.

We are only at the beginning of this journey as we transition to a decarbonised, renewable and circular society. Rather than being stuck at the back of the pack, it’s in our best interest to ensure that trail and ultra-running is leading the pack, forging a passionate, inclusive and community-led path, and standing up for the places we love to explore.

INSIDER KNOWLEDGE: Hilary is an experienced yet accident-prone outdoors woman, often an unmotivated (or injured!) ultra runner, a serial nomad, and an environmental activist in training.

FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHER WORDS & IMAGES: ASTRID VOLZKE

BE PATIENT BUT FAST 4.15am Peaceful Bay, Western Australia.

I was standing on some wooden steps leading down to the inky black beach; stars were twinkling above and the horizon was glowing crimson with the approaching dawn.

I was keenly watching the dunes at the end of the beach where I knew two headlamps would soon crest thanks to following their live tracking.

I rested my camera onto a wooden post to steady it and waited. Finally their bobbing headlamps crested the dune and I captured them illuminating the sand as they made their way around the bay towards the aid station.

I’ve always found shooting in low light difficult. I don’t like to use flash and would prefer to work with ambient light, even if it makes capturing runners at night much more challenging.

Photographing an event like the Delirious WEST in south western WA requires both patience and working fast. Recently a photographer friend gave me a great tip and said frame your shot first and then let the runners come into your frame.

Be less reactive.

I come from a press photography background so I’ve always been very reactive and have had to work quickly in high pressure situations.

Race photography can be similar but also very different. During the quiet moments, look at the light and the landscape and take some time to frame your shot and then capture the runners when they arrive.

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FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHER BE PATIENT BUT FAST

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FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHER BE PATIENT BUT FAST

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FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHER BE PATIENT BUT FAST

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THE BOLD AND THE BRAVE BECOME THE

Audacious

A ‘HIP NIGGLE’ THAT TURNED OUT TO BE FEMORAL NECK STRESS FRACTURE COULD HAVE GIVEN NEW ZEALANDER RACHEL BRIDGEWATER THE EXCUSES TO STOP TRAIL RUNNING. WITH THE ABILITY TO DROWN OUT THE PAIN, AS SO MANY OF US DO, SHE CONTINUED WITH THE SPORT UNTIL SHE WAS LEFT WITH A PAIR OF CRUTCHES AND GIVEN A STERN WARNING TO RECUPERATE PROPERLY. WHEN REGISTRATIONS OPENED FOR THE WILD THOUGH, RACHEL FOUND HER MOTIVATION TO GET BACK INTO THE SWING OF THINGS AND WHILST ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY, FOUND SHE HAD LEARNT A LOT ABOUT PATIENCE AND WHAT IT TOOK TO BECOME AUDACIOUS. WORDS: RACHEL BRIDGEWATER IMAGES: JAMES BREWER @JBTRAILSNZ

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On the Craigeburn traverse, peak number 3 of 9.

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The car door shuts loudly in the still of the early morning silence. That will be the end of any feeling of warmth over the next few hours. Trudging heavily straight up the mountain, breathing hard, steam rising quickly in response to the -4 degrees…what on earth am I doing here?

Would it not be easier to lie in bed and let the world pass me by?

I turn up the volume on my earphones, music blaring in an otherwise silent world.

If I can just drown out the pain, maybe it doesn’t exist anymore. Onwards I move, trying desperately to hold onto the pace of my husband James. I used to push him in training, but not now. It was the reality for me in this moment and it was hard to accept.

I didn’t like being the one behind…ever. But it didn’t matter. I was here, and that’s all that did.

Six months earlier, I’d developed ‘a hip niggle’ while training with a select group of athletes en route to the Valley Ultra 54km in Craigeburn, NZ. As an ultra runner, I had developed over many years, the ability to drown out pain. The absolute requirement, in my opinion, of being able to be in my chosen sport. And I tried to – that is, to drown it out. I was running faster than I ever had and in the height of that momentum, I had pushed too far. Who knew the line was so thin.

Six to eight weeks on crutches, countless hours lamenting over my predicament, a full lost season of racing, nothing to talk about or do with friends or my husband.

You see, they were all ultra runners themselves. Battling to do anything so immobile which included looking after my non-verbal autistic son, who suddenly decided one day that ‘runners’ were fun!

A few days after my diagnosis, an inferior neck of femur stress fracture had become apparent on MRI, I received an email – 365 days to go to ‘The WILD’, a 100 mile mountain race expected to rival that of Hardrock. It would start at the top of Coronet Peak in Queenstown and cover big back country mountains with lots of offtrack difficult terrain. An epic course that only the most capable of mountain runners could withstand and only few 52

Climbing Roy’s Peak, Wanaka (1578m) after injury.

would finish.

The ridiculous thing in that moment, as I hobbled around on my crutches was...I was entered…and intended to be at that start line.

SO IT BEGAN, THE LONG ROAD BACK

With big goals ahead, I forged on, step by step, trying not to think about how far I had to go or if I would get there, a skill I

had learnt from running ultras. Jogging for one minute, walking for one minute, on repeat, then a day off…it would seem preposterous to think this is how you start training for 100 miles.

But it was and it was a start. I rejoiced in the fact I was able to move again and could have been happy just with that.

However, as I progressed slowly the voices in my head became ever more vocal.

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Climbing Mt Xenicus on the Routeburn Trail.

You’re doing too much. You’re not doing enough.

such tenacity and spirit, out there, living their best lives.

There was no happy medium where I could sit and just be happy. Strava began to tell me I was getting faster and doing better as were friends and family. But I continued to ignore the positive signs, because in my opinion I was nowhere near fast enough.

Instead, it felt like I was in a deep hole trying to dig my way out. I watched as my ultra friends continued to perform with

I began to feel like it was no longer a life I would be a part of and had slowly switched off, no longer looking at social media or Strava where daily adventures and performances were posted.

As a teenager, I had made the NZ rowing team. One of the youngest to do so at elite level. In that environment, I grew

up obsessed with numbers. Everyone knew what the world record pace was and they were expected to train and hit those numbers six days a week. If you wanted to become an Olympic champion, that was what it would take. We all knew it.

Numbers were regularly posted on the board in the gym with percentage rankings of each crew of comparative prognostics.

There was nowhere to hide.

When I had started racing ultras, this 53

CONTRIBUTION THE BOLD AND THE BRAVE BECOME THE AUDACIOUS

Above Brewster Hut, Makarora.

obsession became useful. I knew how fast I had to run to be competitive and knowing this and trying to hit these targets had helped. However, when returning from injury, this no longer served me well and was a constant reminder of how far behind I was.

As I began to run and climb mountains again, the effects of being injured started to become more apparent. I had lost my confidence in technical terrain and was terrified of running downhill at any sort of speed…even though I knew it was okay to try, my brain had other ideas.

The significance of this was most apparent when I went snowboarding for the first time that winter season. As I stood up on my board, I was unable to adopt my usual goofy stance and instead only able to turn 54

my board on my non affected side. My brain simply refused to go in the other direction as if it no longer existed.

As soon as I became aware of this, it became my mission to change it. I had to face the fear of loading my leg. Having such an epic goal as The WILD made this possible. If I wanted to be at the start line, I had to be prepared to take the steps it required and for me that meant I had to face the fear that something might go wrong.

EASIER SAID THAN DONE

Slowly and progressively, I started to push more and my leg held. As I did this, confidence grew, I got stronger and I began to believe, my goal was possible. I strived ahead into what I called ‘the great abyss’,

the place where all my effort would go without having any clue what outcome it might have. It was a surprisingly powerful place to be.

Soon after I gained this momentum, my hometown of Wanaka was hit with one of the biggest snow dumps it had had in 40 years. Temperatures plummeted and our local mountain became that much harder to climb in heavy snow, just as our vertical gain goals started to increase towards The WILD. With my newfound confidence and James by my side, who was also entered in The WILD, we forged ahead with training, hitting climbing with a vengeance, often the first to cut new tracks in the snow in the early hours of the morning or late after work in the dark. James often referred to

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Climbing Mt Cheeseman on the Craigeburn traverse.

Rachel on a ridgeline that was part of The WILD course.

Climbing towards Mt Cardrona on a multi mountain traverse run in low visibility.

Roy’s Peak, Wanaka after a massive snow dump. Freezing but beautiful.

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CONTRIBUTION THE BOLD AND THE BRAVE BECOME THE AUDACIOUS

James and Rachel running the 59km (5200m) Harris Mountain traverse between Wanaka and Queenstown, at peak number 3 of 9.

this, as beast mode. We were also super happy at this point, to get the support of Tailwind NZ and Rab NZ. As our capabilities grew, so did our audacity to try to climb new peaks, head further into backcountry mountains and off-track terrain. We were back pushing the limits and there was no other place I wanted to be. I didn’t know what it took to race 100 miles over backcountry mountains, but I was sure audacity was a big part of it.

And then it happened. One day, after picking up the kids from school, I got an email. Reading it at first didn’t make sense.

It was like an out-of-body experience; surely this email was not meant for me.

The WILD had been cancelled.

And just like that, a rug was pulled from beneath us.

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In the days and weeks that followed, everything felt like a blur as I tried to figure out what to do with this. But unlike many of the other competitors entered, what emerged was something entirely unexpected. I was grateful. I had been so motivated by this event, that without realising it, it had literally pulled me from a dark hole and given me reason to get up again and start pushing. I had a seat back at the table and was no longer the spectator.

I guess in the end, the moral of the story is this. If you’re recovering from injury and feel like the end is nowhere in sight, just take the little steps forward, whatever they are, towards your goal.

But make it bold, make it brave, make it audacious.

Be aware of the fear that is helpful and

protects you and the fear that stands in your way and stops you from reaching your potential. It became incredibly important to understand the difference over the course of recovering from my injury. In the months that have followed, James and I have continued to push the limits of our capabilities and look forward to some big audacious goals we already have planned for 2023 including of course, The WILD. INSIDER KNOWLEDGE: Rachel is a Wanaka-based mountain ultra runner who is obsessed with adventuring in backcountry mountains and pushing her own limits. A wife, mum (and stepmum) to four children, Rachel lives life in the way she races – hard off the start then reining it in just before she physically dies to then barely hold on for the usually pretty crazy ride.

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12 YEARS OF THE SURF COAST CENTURY

WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT ULTRA TRAIL RUNNING EVENTS HAVE SURGED IN THE LAST DECADE WITH ONLY A FEW RACES IN AUSTRALIA THAT HAVE REMAINED POPULAR AND GONE THE DISTANCE; THAT HAVE CEMENTED THEMSELVES AS BUCKET-LIST EVENTS AND PROVIDED RUNNERS WITH A MAGICAL JOURNEY. THE SURF COAST CENTURY IS ONE SUCH EVENT AND ON SATURDAY, 16 SEPTEMBER 2023 IT WILL TICK OVER 12 YEARS AS ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S MUST-DO ULTRAS. Imagine standing at the foot of giant coastal cliffs with the low tide of the Southern Ocean lapping at your feet, knowing that a magical 100km and 50km journey awaits you where no two footsteps will be the same.

The race has stood the test of time with competitors from across Australia (and the world!) heading to Victoria’s Great Ocean Road Region to experience a course that provides a journey from start to finish. With stunning views along its varied and spectacular course, matched with a welcoming atmosphere and friendly camaraderie that flares your goosebumps – it continues to tick all the boxes.

The event has a great reputation as the ideal place to run your first ultra thanks to its relatively flat and non-technical course, the seven checkpoints evenly spread along the route, and the support services and competitor care provided along the way.

2022 Surf Coast Century female winner Nicole Virant went from not knowing anything about trail running, to winning her first ever ultramarathon in just one year as a first-timer.

“This time last year I didn’t even know trail running was a thing so I’m quite new to it,” she says.

“I just I love it! It was gorgeous out on the Century course; I loved the climbs, the single tracks, the beach trails and those downhill faster sections. It was super fun!”

Michael Severin ran his 10th 100km Surf Coast Century last year.

“The greatest thing about the Surf Coast Century is the exploration of your own limits; to find out how far you can go and how much body and mind can achieve,” he says.

When asked why he keeps coming back to run 100km, Severin said it’s not just the diverse course in its remarkable environment, but more so the memories and lifelong friends he has made.

“Equally fulfilling is the quality of connections you can make with fellow runners – some might only last for a few hours on race day, and others can persist for many years,” he reveals.

Event organisers Rapid Ascent have stopped at nothing to secure the best possible course for this race.

The 100km race follows a figure-8 course and takes runners from Anglesea to Torquay along the beach, returning along the cliff top tracks and hinterland trails past the start finish.

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The 50km course does the second-half of the 100km – with many popular highlights included on both courses.

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Runners’ experiences are enhanced over event weekend with an extensive sponsors expo, live music, food, drinks, bar and entertainment.

Entries are open online with more info at surfcoastcentury.com.au The Surf Coast Century is one of only 6 qualifying events in the southern hemisphere for the Western States 100miler. It’s also a UTMB World Series Qualifier and its ITRA rating provides 4 Endurance Points + 2 Mountain Points for 100km finishers and 2 Endurance Points + 2 Mountain points for 50km finishers.

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MAD MISSION: TRUE TASSIE

Trails

THE TASMANIAN TRAIL IS A 470KM-LONG ADVENTURE FILLED WITH EXPERIENCES FOR EVERY TRAVELLER – FROM ADEPT AND SKILLED LONG-DISTANCE RUNNERS TO THOSE WHO WANT SHORTER AND MORE RELAXED EXCURSIONS FOR RELAXATION AND PHOTOGRAPHING. PIOTR BABIS SHARES WITH TRM READERS HIS 2022 (IM)POSSIBLE7 PROJECT WHERE HE TOOK ON SEVEN OF TASMANIA’S BEST TRAILS ON OFFER. WORDS: PIOTR BABIS IMAGES: LIAM CROZIER It was November 2020 and day 3 on a stretch of the 470km-long Tasmanian Trail.

I remember mentioning to my friend who was crewing me that day, that it would be amazing to do all major Tasmanian trails as one single project.

The idea stuck in my head. I thought of doing it at the end of 2021, but that winter I did ‘Everesting’ at Cradle Mountain and satisfied my need for the adventure.

The following year (2022) was a bit complicated because of my visa situation and a possibility of moving to NZ, but once I knew I’d be sticking around I decided to give it a go.

Some of my past adventure projects brought a bit of media attention and I thought it would be a good idea to add a fundraiser to this project, so I decided to support Westpac Rescue Helicopter Tasmania.

The total accumulated distance of my original project was 380km with nearly 20,000m of elevation.

Tasmanian trails are well known for their difficulty, with most being exposed to harsh

weather conditions.

Roots, sharp rocks and deep mud is quite common; Parks & Wildlife recommend about 30 days altogether for those trails to be completed.

Logistics was another challenging aspect, since the trails are located in different parts of the island.

The project required one flight and about 1600km of driving. In the end, I decided to cover 7 of the iconic trails.

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Southcoast Track 85km, 4000m A 6-8 day hike that starts with a small plane flight from Hobart to Melaleuca to access the trail that provides a sneak preview of the landscape and rugged coastlines and river inlets from above prior to commencing.

Federation Peak 43km 2500m A remote peak in the Eastern Arthur Range. Declared by Sir Edmund Hillary as ‘Australia’s only real mountain’ it’s known for its exposed ridge and notorious for muddy approaches.

Western Arthurs Traverse 45km A range that contains 22 peaks and 20 hanging lakes. The ‘lollipop loop’ is ranked by many experienced bush

walkers as Tasmania’s greatest walk and is undoubtedly the most spectacular, but it’s also one of the most dangerous walks in the state.

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Frenchmans Cap 45km The hardest of Tasmania’s Hut-based bush walks. Out and back tracks climbs to the summit of a prominent and outstanding 1446 meter peak in Franking-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.

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Overland Track 80km Arguably Australia’s premier bushwalk.

The internationally renowned track stretches from Ronny Creek to Lake St Clair.

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Three Capes Track 52km The journey in Tasman National Park leads through a myriad of natural landscapes and exhilarating cliff top outlooking Cape Pillar, Cape Hauy and stunning views to Cape Raoul.

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Freycinet Peninsula Loop 29km Internationally renowned as one of the most breath-taking coastal peninsulas in Australia, the Freycinet National Park showcases beautiful crystal waters, stunning granite peaks and thriving wildlife.

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‘If anyone can do it, it’s you’ I heard a few times, and while I was flattered and grateful, I have never been delusional. To complete the project within the proposed timeframe would be very difficult. My body can break, my mind can quit, logistics can fail or I might run out of time.

It’s hard to define all the reasons I decided to do my (Im)possible7 adventure.

To start with I genuinely love the outdoors and it seemed like a fun way to spend a week!

I’m not sure how much longer I will be in Tasmania and linking all those trails would be a great tribute to this island I am calling home. I feel like having a ‘crazy’ goal adds a lot of excitement and motivation to my life.

It will also be an attempt to find my breaking point, a race against my mind and body. Every physical or emotional struggle makes you a stronger person.

We kicked off in November 2022.

(IM)POSSIBLE7 DAY 1 FEDERATION PEAK Scary Monster Isn’t So Scary We had a solid plan A & B, but even plan Z couldn’t prepare us for what would unfold over the coming days. Weather for the weekend was already looking bad, so after a chat with mate Lincoln Quilliam and arranging a crew for the first few days I decided to take advantage of upcoming good days and start early.

We started at 5.30am after a good night of sleep at the trailhead. I was joined by crew member Liam Crozier for our very first adventure.

The track was reasonably okay, and the rainforest and Moss Ridge was absolutely beautiful. We had a few glimpses of Federation Peak, but it wasn’t until we got on the top of the Ridge that we saw it all in its full majesty.

There were plans to climb it, but they all fell apart either due to weather or track closure.

Despite this, I was very excited, and a bit nervous, to finally stand on top of ‘Australia’s only real mountain’. Having Liam in front was very reassuring, and we were both really surprised when a group of walkers informed us that the worst part was behind us. We looked at each other in disbelief.

We were blessed with good weather and mostly dry wall but it didn’t seem nearly as challenging as we both expected. The views from the summit were glorious, 360 of the entire south-west.

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Despite an extra 7km of road approach due to a landslide and a conservative pace we completed the round trip in a reasonable 14h 40min. At the very end, I felt some tiny pull at the back of my knee. I hadn’t thought it would cause any problems, until it did...

(IM)POSSIBLE7 DAY 2 SOUTH COAST TRACK Hallucinations & A Hard Slog Weather for our initial flight day wasn’t looking certain. Me and crew member Joseph Nunn decided to start at night, hoping we could catch an afternoon flight. That idea gave us only about 15min of sleep and 14hrs to complete what we thought was an 84km track. Not ideal after a big day at Federation, but it gave us bigger chances to fly out of Melaleuca asap.

The track, especially the beginning of it, was terrible – and mud wasn’t even the biggest problem. There was a huge amount of branches and trees on the track; even the boardwalk sections were overgrown. Seemed like it hadn’t been maintained for years.

About 20km in, our hope of finishing in 14hrs was gone with my knee starting to give me a hard time. A circular redness at the back of it made me think it was a bit of some sort.

Despite this, the sunrise from South Cape Range and crossing New River Lagoon with a view of Precipitous Bluff were the highlights of the first part of the day.

It was really hot though, and we easily drank 15-20lt of water throughout the trip. My knee was getting worse with the pain and stiffness.

My pace was dropping.

About 50km in we heard the plane over our heads…and well, we weren’t even close to making it. At the top of Ironbound Range we got caught by rain, which gave us some motivation to pick up the pace, and the last 20km were theoretically easy but I was too tired and my knee was too painful to move efficiently.

With plenty of river crossings and couple of beach sections, we had just a 10km homestretch to the airport, which was never ending, and suddenly Jo and I realised we were both in a state of hallucination.

For me, it was seeing lights out of the corner of my eyes and weird shapes on the boardwalk started to look alive. The most spooky one was a bush that looked like a leaning guy with a hat on...at this point I was technically awake for 40hrs. My coordination was off and I had a hard time keeping on the trails.

Suddenly the wind picked up and it started to pour down with rain; an adrenaline spike, and we picked up the pace.

We got to the airstrip soaked to the bone.

Not a single light was turned on and we had to check our phones to navigate to the shed where our drop bags from Hobart were. I couldn’t be bothered to go to the walkers hut.

We just pulled out our sleeping bags, spare food and crashed in a tiny ‘terminal’.

(IM)POSSIBLE7 DAY 3 MELALEUCA Resting & Waiting We woke up to the sound of heavy rain. Not a good sign.

The weather started to clear later in the day, but both flights had already gotten cancelled.

We had no choice but to wait until 10am the next day.

Taking a plane out into Melaleuca was a risk we decided to take, and unfortunately it didn’t pay off, but at least we had beautiful and safe weather for Federation Peak and most of the South Coast the previous days. Besides, a rest day was a good idea considering the state of my knee. I’d sent a photo of it to some people I knew, including medical professionals, and the most common diagnosis was that it was a bite.

With that advice, I loaded up on antihistamine, had a few cold plunges in the river and hoped for the best. Apart from a couple of orange-bellied parrots, there was no one around. What a beautiful and peaceful place – not the worst location to get stranded in.

(IM)POSSIBLE7 DAY 4 FRENCHMANS CAP Million Dollar Views We got picked up at 10am as planned.

The 45min flight back to Hobart was absolutely amazing with aerial views of the entire south-west and Federation right in front of our eyes. It was a fantastic time to reflect on the first two days of the project.

I got picked up by crew member Mel Yeates and after collecting Matt Pearce and Gareth Hinds we headed to conquer Frenchmans Cap. My knee felt okay and I set a good pace.

We met a few groups who were aware of the project and cheered for us. A late start gave us the rare opportunity to experience a sunset from the very top, as we made it to the summit in 5hrs – just in time for the show.

Unfortunately the last 15km were slow, my

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knee had started to feel really stiff again.

Knowing how stubborn I could be, Matt and Gareth left me behind shortly before the end to let me rethink my plans.

But seriously, there wasn’t that much to think about. And rather than doing Overland, we drove back to Hobart.

(IM)POSSIBLE7 DAY 5 THREE CAPES Hope Dies Last After the 2.5hr drive back to Hobart, I made the decision to head to hospital. If it was a bite, then chances were I’d need medicine, but I also needed to know if it was an injury and if I could keep going without causing further damage.

Unfortunately the latter was true. The diagnosis was tendinopathy – tendon inflammation. It’s hard to say what was the reason – a long running season, stress and a last minute decision to start early, working too much, not enough recovery…the list goes

on. I do try to take care of myself as much as I can, but perhaps it simply wasn’t enough this time around.

It didn’t matter though; what mattered was that I wasn’t told to stop so I got an injection and my knee got strapped.

A couple hours later I was on the way to Three Capes. The 30km was quite efficient, but later on my knee once again started to stiffen. The last 10km were slow, and I started to doubt if I should keep going and punish myself and my crew any further with a slow pace.

I had pushed through enough pain and completing four tracks was already a great achievement. I thought of doing the Freycinet Circuit next and then call it off.

(IM)POSSIBLE7 DAY 6 FREYCINET PENINSULA CIRCUIT An Ability To Suffer I only had about two hours of sleep after

Three Capes followed by three hours of driving up north and a couple hours of waiting for crew member John Cannell to join me for this track. At last I was hopeful that this wouldn’t be my last day; so long as my knee wasn’t getting worse, I could limp my way through the last two tracks.

Track conditions were bad though, and made me feel like I was back on the south coast.

With the weather quite average, there were lots of fallen trees and tight deep mud pits, but we closed the loop in 5.5hrs.

(IM)POSSIBLE7 DAY 7 WALLS OF JERUSALEM Strength From Indomitable Will Walls of Jerusalem was my backup for Federation Peak in case of bad conditions, and now I had to use it as a replacement for Western Arthurs. The forecast was terrible, it was a proper whiteout, even at low elevation.

My car was covered in snow when I arrived in Campbell Town where I met Mel again and James Brady, who helped me on this track.

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The Walls covered in snow were beautiful, it was a proper winter wonderland. The weather got better though and we managed to reach the summit of Mt Jerusalem.

In the winter of 2020 I decided to run Overland again, this time out and back.

Severely sleep deprived back then, I found myself at a very low point mentally.

I remember chatting to Mel that evening that in a way, I felt my (Im)possible7 project hadn’t challenged me enough. I mean, I was in pain, discomfort and forced to move slowly, but I had not found my breaking point.

This time, I managed to finish the track after the sunset in just over 15hrs. There was not much celebration, since I knew the (Im) possible7 project wasn’t finished.

(IM)POSSIBLE7 DAY 8 OVERLAND TRACK Relentless Forward Progress I knew I wouldn’t be fast, but considering there was 80km to cover, I had to be consistent. I was moving fairly okay and coming to Narcissus I promised myself that I would not let this last part of Overland Track defeat me. Entering the Cradle Mountain race in 2019 was where I had the biggest bonk.

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(IM)POSSIBLE7 DAY 9 LAKE RHONA & MT ANNE Slow Can Be Strong James and I arrived at an empty Lake Rhona car park, and it left me slightly worried. There was a log crossing over Gordon River 2km down the track, but we were hopeful about it, considering past dry weeks.

It wasn’t the case. The log was almost fully submerged. We knew there was another one

up the river, which we quickly found, but it didn’t look any better. We decided to give it a go though, and while James’ crossing was quite smooth, I got pushed off the log and had to fight my way back. Quite an experience.

A few hours later we were at Lake Rhona and we had it all to ourselves. The two of us made it back safely and I asked to be dropped off at Mt Anne trailhead.

I knew I didn’t have enough time to do the whole loop, but wanted to at least experience part of the iconic trail.

I was hoping to make it to the summit of Mt Anne but considering that snow at Mt. Eliza was knee deep with freezing temperatures and a setting sun, I decided to turn around.

I crawled to my tent and had a few hours of sleep before the final day.

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(IM)POSSIBLE7 DAY 10 WESTERN ARTHURS Do You Like To Suffer?

We started with the first light and when we got to the top of the ridge, we were surprised how much snow there was. I was moving slow and the track conditions made it even slower.

Descent to Lake Cygnus had the only piece of metal on the whole track, and because I couldn’t fully extend my leg, my stride was very shallow. Every moment up the metal staircase it felt like my tendon was tearing out of the bone. I managed to contain the screams inside me and kept going. Lincoln asked me if I liked to suffer...no answer needed to be given.

We decided to turn back at Lake Oberon.

Snow conditions on the other side of the Arthurs looked even worse and there was no

need to put myself and my crew into another all-nighter.

In the end, Lake Oberon was absolutely spectacular, what a great spot to decide to finish the project.

We got back to the car park at the very last light. What a day! What an adventure!

COMING TO AN END (Im)possible7 project came to an end with 440km and 21,000m of vert on equally beautiful and challenging trails. It took nine days and 15hrs to cover nine of Tasmania’s multiday walks and a one day trip.

Despite a cancelled flight from Melaleuca and sustaining some weird knee injury at the end of day one, it was a personal test of patience and resilience. To experience so much natural

beauty of this place and connect with so many people in such a short period of time was staggering and overwhelming.

Thank you to all my crew, especially to Mel for the help with both the project itself and fundraiser side, all my amazing crew, Fern Tree Tavern for hosting the fundraisers, Find Your Feet and all the sponsors and contributors.

We raised nearly $13,000 towards Westpac Rescue Helicopter Tasmania.

INSIDER KNOWLEDGE: Piotr is a Polishborn, Tassie local who’s spent the last 10 years working and travelling around the world. Having fallen in love with Tasmania in 2018, he’s an ultra runner and adventurer who believes the pain cave is his new comfort zone.

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Northcliffe, in the Great Southern forests of South-West Western Australia, is a quiet dairy and former timber milling town with a population of fewer than 250 people, yet every second week in February, the town swells overnight with the arrival of nervous, excited crews and runners and the obvious realisation that they are about to tackle hundreds of kilometres along the pristine and, at times, intimidatingly remote Bibbulmun Track. All aiming for one destination – the city of Albany and the welcome finish line on Frenchman’s Bay. But let’s wind back a little from that finish line, because to get to Albany there are so many obstacles along the way. You see, for 64

what Delirious may lack in elevation that most other milers may have, it makes up for with beaches, dunes, technical trails and remoteness.

Not to mention our personal guarantee that you will see deadly snakes, massive grey kangaroos, beautiful wildlife and scenery that very few eyes have hosted.

And I’m not going to forget to mention some other very unique things about Delirious. It’s the only miler in the world where you get to run through a Giant Tree Top Walk up to 70-metres above the ground, through the canopies of some of the world’s tallest forests.

It’s the only miler in the world where you get to cross an inlet on the back of a jetski!

And one of the greatest mind games in this event is the race to the Denmark bus shuttle which leaves on the hour every hour to shuttle you around the Wilson Inlet. If you miss it by 30 seconds, you wait another hour to catch the next one.

Delirious isn’t easy.

Not everyone will finish, as there are so many variables that can change your ‘race’.

But Delirious is the OG. The original pointto-point Down Under, and the community of lifelong friendships you and your crew will make along the way, has turned it into the unquestionable icon of long distance running in Australia.

We invite you to be part of your own history.

WEB: deliriouswest200miler.com.au HOST: Ultra Series DATE: 7-11 February 2024 REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN

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TRAIL RACE REPORT KEPLER CHALLENGE (2022)

WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE THE START LINE WORDS: CLAIRE BELL IMAGES: PHOTOS4SALE, HANNAH RAE

15 JANUARY 2023 KEPLER CHALLENGE 2022 - NZ During my pregnancy and early postpartum days I was told things like “I guess your endurance racing days are over now.” But I didn’t see it that way. My daughter would become my ultimate priority, however I deemed making time for my own wellbeing essential in order to maintain a healthy headspace and to be the best mother I could be.

Prior to getting pregnant, I’d always been a lover of endurance sport. I’m a disciplined, motivated

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person who thrives on having goals ahead of me. I like spending the majority of my time outdoors and love running, biking, kayaking and tramping in the mountains.

For much of the last decade I’ve been competing in endurance events from marathons and Coast to Coast to Godzone, although running has always been my preferred and strongest discipline.

Kepler Challenge 2022 was my biggest sporting endeavour to date and the race I’ve been most proud of. Not because of the distance or

result but for what it took to make the start line of my first ultra 12 months postpartum.

Kepler Challenge is a 60km event with about 2000m climbing following the Kepler Track loop in Te Anau, New Zealand. What makes it so special is that it’s entirely community owned and run. The race first came onto my radar when my husband George and I moved to Te Anau in 2017. I volunteered at the race that year and remember being inspired by the runners and so impressed by the support and energy our small community contributes to

ISSUE 47 | TRAILRUNMAG.COM

Previous, I’d follow a training plan diligently, fully competing each session and not cutting corners anywhere, but having a newborn meant my priorities had shifted and I had to adopt a different approach. One of Adam’s mottos always stuck in my head: Something is always better than nothing. If I couldn’t get out for my planned long hilly run, I would chuck Nina in the backpack and power hike up a hill.

I got very efficient at fitting in a wind trainer ride or a weights session while Nina was napping.

She joined me on many runs in the buggy, often stopping for a breast feeding break half way. Our longest buggy run record is 18km!

the event.

Shortly after Godzone in March 2021 I became pregnant and was looking forward to a new, exciting chapter of life. I was fortunate to have had a comfortable pregnancy and was able to stay active throughout. I climbed Luxmore at 32 weeks and ran regularly up until 35 weeks.

Our daughter Nina was born via c-section in December 2021. I spent the first few weeks cherishing every minute with my baby girl and recovering from the operation.

Walking a few hundred metres down the street was initially tough and difficult to fathom for someone who’s usually very active.

with the buggy so I gave myself the green light to enter.

With the new routines, time limitations and logistics of now being a mum, I wanted expert support to guide me in preparing for my very first ultra race. If I had an hour to spare, it made sense to be doing structured sessions instead of running unproductive kilometres; so I hired Adam Keen from Aerobic Edge Coaching, and he set me up on a plan that involved a lot of elevation, speed sessions, strength training 3x per week and a bit of cross training/recovery.

I relished the weekends when George was home and I could fit in some longer hill runs, although it wasn’t always simple leaving Nina with her dad. I would have to pump milk so he had a good supply for a few hours, or I would sneak away during her naps and return once my boobs got too full again.

Sessions with hill repeats required another level of creativity. I would park Nina in the buggy at the bottom of the hill with our two dogs to keep her company while I did my laps up and down.

Race morning started stupidly early for me. I was up at 4am pumping

The weeks progressed and as I healed, I was able to walk further.

With guidance from a pelvic floor physio, at 6 weeks postpartum I started some easy spinning on the wind trainer. Shortly after, at 8-12 weeks postpartum I started hill walking and walk/jogging 2-3 times per week. At 10 weeks old Nina saw her first summit in the front pack; we climbed Key Summit which is a side track off the famous Routeburn Track. I soon learnt that getting out the door involved a bit more admin than it used to but Nina and I were always both better for it!

Over time my mileage gradually increased and by the time Kepler Challenge race entries opened in July I was comfortably running 15km

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milk so I was as empty as possible to avoid any extra discomfort during the race. Every runner secretly harbours a time they’d like to complete a race in – mine was 7hrs.

The race started at 6am. The first 5km is easy, undulating trail through Fiordland National Park beach forest followed by a large 900m climb over 7km. I cruised on the first 5km using as little energy as possible, but then up the climb I struggled. I’d stubbornly told myself I wouldn’t walk but soon realised everyone was walking past me while using less energy.

I followed suit and by the time I got to the first aid station at Luxmore Hut I felt as though there was plenty of gas still in the tank for another 40km+ of running. The vibe at all of the aid stations was awesome and it was extra special being a local seeing lots of familiar faces cheering me on.

The climbing continued from there and I concentrated on getting food and fluid in despite not feeling like I could stomach anything.

Finally on the ridgeline, I was thinking ‘this is what I came

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for!’ Views of Lake Te Anau and surrounding Fiordland mountain ranges were stunning; we had perfect conditions with no wind and clear skies. Immersed in the beauty of the landscape I was surprised to get to the Hanging Valley aid station (about one-third of the way) and hear an official say into his radio ‘Fifth woman number 26.’

Holy heck, that’s me! This ignited the competitive flame within me and I decided a top 5 finish would be rather epic!

I turned it up a notch on the downhill towards Iris Burn Hut (the half way aid station) and made my way into 4th passing a cautious downhill runner. Everyone who has done Kepler says the race doesn’t start until this point and it’s true.

The final 30km is a slog on more undulating trail that follows the Iris Burn Stream, then skirts the edge of Lake Manapouri and eventually joins the edge of the Waiau River, back upstream to the control gates. Just before Moturau (15km to go) I was passed by a cautious downhill runner. I filled my bottles and grabbed a handful of

jet planes at Moturau and shuffled on, I was really starting to fade and hurt at this point.

I knew my friends were going to be at the next station in 6km with a bottle of Coke for me, the thought of seeing them got me there. To my surprise, George was also waiting there with Nina and I started welling up when I saw them..but still 9km to go!

It was a mental battle getting through the last few kilometres, I felt like I was running at a snail’s pace, my legs and hips ached and I kept looking over my shoulder expecting another woman to run me down. After what felt like forever I could hear the buzz from the finish line and saw the ‘1km to go’ sign. I crossed the finish line with Nina in my arms emotional, exhausted and proud! I finished in 6hrs 49min as 5th woman.

I hope I can continue to inspire my daughter to chase her crazy goals in the future

TRAIL RACE REPORT WTF ULTRA 50KM (2022)

ISSUE 47 | TRAILRUNMAG.COM

NO GOALS, NO EXPECTATIONS WORDS: PHIL GORE IMAGES: HEATH WATKINS, PETER BARRY 24 SEPTEMBER 2022 WTF ULTRA 2022 - WA The WTF Ultra has a rich history, holding the title of the first 100-mile trail race in WA. I first heard of this event in 2015, but had no interest in running anything further than a marathon back then. 100 miles was a distance I never considered doing – not even in the ‘maybe one day’ category. So, WTF was an event I never imagined I would take part in.

Eventually, I did progress to becoming an ultra runner, but I gravitated towards the timed and backyard events, and still didn’t really consider entering the 100mile or point-to-point races. When I heard that 2022 would be the final year for WTF, I thought that if I’m going to do this event, it’s now or never.

However, with my A-race of the Backyard Satellite Championships only 3 weeks later, it would have been unwise to sign up for the 50or 100-mile distance.

Fortunately, with the new addition of the 50km, it worked out perfectly as a training run, and meant I could still be a part of it all. Although not technically a point-to-point race, it would still be my distance PB for a nonlooped course (WTF consists of three out-and-back legs, two of which you complete for the 50km).

It felt a lot harder than I imagined it would be, and the hills weren’t exactly ‘little’.

a lot from that point. That’s one of the things about a non-looped course – it can get a bit lonely.

I had guessed the event might take me around four hours or so, but after previewing the course I thought five hours might be more realistic (or possibly even optimistic).

The first 9km was along a wide fire trail, and whilst it was undulating, there weren’t any serious hills. With my headphones in, I couldn’t hear the footsteps of Nigell Lee who was quite close behind me, so I was slightly surprised when he pulled up alongside me.

On race day morning, I was picked up by mates Shannon and Justin Wakefield at around 4am and we made the drive down to Dwellingup from Perth. They would both be running the 50km as well. My wife Gemma would drive down later to see me finish, and I gave her a ballpark estimation of ‘about 5 hours, give or take.’

We arrived at race headquarters, Nanga Bush Camp, about 5am.

I collected my bib and placed my drop bags in the relevant containers. The HQ was a hive of activity and nervous energy as runners made their final preparations. At 6am, everyone started at the same time and ran the first leg together. I started out conservatively and stayed with the front of the pack for a short distance, before taking the lead about 1km in. I was on my own for

I paused my audiobook and we had a bit of a chat, he was doing the 50km as well. After the first 9km, we reached Aid Station 1, which was just before the aptly named Loop of Despair. This loop was about 5.5km, the first 1.3km of which has about 180m of elevation.

And you had to do it twice!

As I had reconned this part of the course, I knew what to expect, but for some reason it didn’t seem as bad as I remembered it. Nigell and I were still both together as we ascended the hill, and we helped spur each other on. There were only a few little sections here and there that I walked, the rest of it I was able to run (as opposed to the recon, where I had walked almost all of it).

About a week and a half before the race, I made a trip down to Dwellingup with my mate Chris to do a recon run. We covered about three-quarters of the course, just missing the second half of leg 3.

Before the recon run, I remember thinking that the race would be a nice easy 50km run with a few little hills, but afterwards I was thinking “What the f*** have I signed myself up for?” (I could now understand the inspiration for the event’s name).

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After the uphill was out the way, it headed back down, nice wide trail at first but then it narrowed into a single track that was quite overgrown.

As I got to a water crossing, I let Nigell pass me and I stopped and pulled out two plastic bags from my pocket. I placed them over my shoes, waded through the stream, and made it across to the other side without getting my feet wet. Shortly after, the course looped back to Aid Station 1, where I had to turn around and head back up the hill and do the Loop of Despair all over again.

Nigell and I stayed roughly together for the second loop as well. Up and down we went, and again I pulled out the plastic bags to help me cross the stream.

We then passed the aid station for the third time, and I dumped my rubbish before heading back towards the race HQ. Back on the wide fire trail, I was able to pick up the pace and started to pull away from Nigell.

I was back to being on my own, so I put my audiobook back on.

I think there was slightly more elevation on the way back than on the way out, but it didn’t seem to slow me down too much. I embraced the undulating nature of the course and every now and then I would pause my audiobook and just focus on the surrounding environment and being in the present moment.

I made it back to the race HQ and was greeted by a lot of familiar faces cheering me on. It was a nice morale booster. I had completed 29km by that point and was feeling pretty comfortable. I quickly stocked up on nutrition supplies and headed out on leg 3 (the 50km skips leg 2).

There were no surprises for the first part of this, but once I passed the halfway point it was all new ground to me. It was the only part of the course I hadn’t reconned. This was probably for the best though, as there were some really tough hills in this section that I would have been dreading the whole race had I

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known about them beforehand.

All it required though was a slight mind-set shift. Instead of looking at these hills as a hindrance, I saw them as an opportunity. Every hill was an opportunity to practise my power hiking, which I knew I needed more training with. I ploughed on through until I got to the 40km point, where I turned around. I got to see a few more friendly faces on the return, and we cheered each other on as we passed. I also got a good indication of how the field was spread out. I worked out I was at least 4km in front of second place, and so I had all but assured first place (not that I had that as a goal, but it was nice to know).

Feeling confident with just over 5km to go, I kicked it up a notch, which was helped even more by it being mostly downhill. I was ecstatic to finish in first place in a time of 4:22:11. I even had time to have a shower and get changed before my wife showed up about 10 minutes later.

Should have given her an estimate of 4 hours.

This was the first non-backyard event I’d gone into without any performance goals or expectations of a podium position, and I’m super stoked with the result. As much as I’m proud of my time and position, what I’m more chuffed with is how I felt during the race and how much I enjoyed the experience. I wasn’t fixated on pace or stressing about what time I was going to finish. I felt strong from beginning to end and it was a massive confidence booster. Mind Focused Running definitely played a big role in this.

The other thing that helped me do well in this race was getting my nutrition right. I felt I had the right amount of energy from the start right through to the end. Thank you to Gaby Villa at Intenseatfit for working with me on my nutrition plan.

Thank you to race director David Kennedy for all the time and energy you’ve put into this event over the last nine years, and thank you to all the volunteers who helped make it possible.

Hopefully a way can be found to continue this event in an official capacity for future years.

‘That was a dream run.

The atmosphere and the trails were just phenomenal.’

Nov 16-18, 2023

Albany, Western Australia

greatsouthernstagerun.com.au Organised by the same team who run The Margaret River Ultra and Run Larapinta

run through the wild and rugged Great Southern

⟩ ⟩ ⟩ ⟩

3 day stage race 200km journey Relay teams and solo runners Unifying event camaraderie

FEATURE

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ISSUE 47 | TRAILRUNMAG.COM

MUTTERINGS, HALLUCINATIONS & A

Pirate

SOMETIMES THINGS GO ‘WEIRD’ WHEN THERE’S AN ULTRA RUN INVOLVED. AND BY WRONG, WE MEAN THE BRAIN STARTS TO GET EXHAUSTED JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE BODY, AND THE EXPERIENCE CAN LEAD TO TEMPORARY CHANGES IN SENSES. IN OTHER WORDS – HALLUCINATIONS. PAUL WATKINS TAKES US ON A JOURNEY INTO HIS MOST RECENT ENCOUNTER WITH A WORLD RENOWN PIRATE WHILST RUNNING THE 105MI YOU YANGS TRAIL ULTRA. WORDS: PAUL WATKINS IMAGES: BRETT SAXON

When I crossed the finish line of the You Yangs Hardcore 105mi Trail Ultra in 2022, I immediately swore I’d never return.

negotiations that went on in my brainpan when the chips were down, the finish line was nowhere in sight and it had all gone pear shaped.

Ever.

2:52am

But we know the truth don’t we? That these sworn statements of never again setting foot on this God-forsaken, soul devouring, hellscape of a course aren’t really as set in stone as we think they are.

I lay on my back, staring up at a relatively cloudless sky on a warm summer evening.

Blood began to flow ever so slowly out of the newly minted grazes on my left knee and elbow – oozing out at a pace that seemed to mimic my level of enthusiasm for the situation I now find myself in.

More like etched into sand. Time and tide wearing away the edges until all that remains is the word ‘again’.

Because all things ultra are simply an ongoing act of negotiation.

Here's a little insight into the kind of

I was in the middle of the dusty trail that marked the eastern boundary of the You Yangs Regional Park. I’d been running/ jogging/power-hiking for the last 19 hours non-stop and had just managed to trip over the one and only rock that was

embedded in the trail at that particular point.

The level of skill required to trip on that exact rock was not lost on me – this section of the trail was several metres wide, relatively flat and pretty much devoid of anything that could even remotely be considered a tripping hazard, even by the most ardent of health and safety officers.

Yet unwaveringly I had managed to seek out that one tiny obstacle, unceremoniously driving my right big toe into it and simultaneously managing to not only up-end myself but also convince the toenail of said big toe that based on the sheer level of abuse I had subjected it to over the preceding 19 hours that it would be in its best interests to 73

IT’S A RUNNER’S LIFE MUTTERINGS, HALLUCINATIONS AND A PIRATE

simply detach and perhaps seek a more favourable foot.

2:53am

I looked at my watch, referred to myself in the third person utilising a variety of unsavoury terms and hauled my dusty carcass upright. The grazes seemed fairly innocuous, I hadn’t smashed my glasses or phone and no other competitors had witnessed my temporary fall from grace.

The You Yangs 105 was a 105 mile (168km) trail ultramarathon in the picturesque regional park of that same name. The race itself consisted of 8 consecutive loops – each loop being a half marathon in length.

Sounds good in theory right? Do a loop and then do seven more, how hard can it be? As it turned out, rather difficult. I had reached that point that the vast majority of ‘miler’ racers do where the great negotiation takes place.

THE VOICE ASKS ‘WHY’

Seriously, you are just over three marathons into this and still have the best part of a full marathon to go. Your feet feel liked tenderised flank steak. Your toenails have begun staging an open rebellion and biologically you are currently comprised of equal parts human, dirt, dust, dried salt and sweat. Despite your somewhat liberal application of a range of soothing balms with not so incongruous names like ‘Squirrels Nut Butter’ your nether regions are still doggedly developing a level of chafing that can be adequately described as ‘biblical’. And if that wasn’t enough, you paid to be here.

Honestly, no one cares if you finish or not, you just ran three marathons in a row; a ridiculous feat by most ‘non-psychopathic’ standards, so how about you make the smart decision and call it quits before the cumulative toll of miles and summer sun combine to do any damage that may be more significant and lasting than a grazed knee and a chaffed arse.

I was spent, there was no denying it.

And the idea of a ‘justifiable’ withdrawal based on a desire to not see my creatinekinase levels become stratospheric as my 74

quads melted and kidneys threw in the towel seemed entirely reasonable (even though the reality of such an outcome was extremely low).

Why carry on? Why fight it?

It was at this moment that the one and only Jack Sparrow arrived, metaphorically speaking. You know, the infamous Captain of ‘The Pearl’.

“Why fight, when you can negotiate?”

“Are you quoting ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ to me?” (trademark symbols, copyright emojis and all that guff duly noted).

“It would appear so, now where’s the rum?”

“The rum? My God, I’m hallucinating a conversation with Jack Sparrow, I’ve lost it.”

“So you have heard of me!”

“Nick off, I’m trying to grind out a few kms to the loop end so I can throw in the towel.”

“Or we could negotiate about an alternative outcome, so to speak.”

“Let me guess you want me to strap two sea turtles to my feet and ride gloriously to the finish line.”

“You wouldn’t be the first, now about that rum.”

Good God I’d gone mad.

“I am simply proposing a parley regarding alternative arrangements – a negotiation in good spirit if you will.”

“Fine, my hallucinatory friend, what do you propose?”

“You can quit on one condition.”

“And that condition is?”

Check.

“When you get home you must explain to your two young boys why it was

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acceptable that you quit when it all got too hard.”

is as normal as muscular fatigue or being caked in equal parts dirt and sweat and curse words.

Mate.

The Captain left with a parting gift, “The problem is not the problem, the problem is your attitude about the problem.”

Dean Karnazes famously quipped, There are two ways to get to the finish of an ultra-marathon…one is to put your head down and grunt your way through. I don’t know the other way.

At some point you will want to quit.

With every fibre and sinew and tortured ligament of your very being. The key is in knowing that that moment will inevitably arrive – and to meet it not as an adversary, or an end point. But simply as part of the process.

You don’t have to win that argument, recognise the thoughts, understand this 76

Know that this too shall pass. So keep moving forward, see how you feel in another five minutes, another fifteen, over that hill, after the next aid station.

Give yourself the space and time to process and move through the mental game as much as you would move through the physical one.

Eat, drink, sing show tunes, accept that the miles will be done and get to work.

3:23am

Coming through the checkpoint, marking the end of loop 6, with two more half marathon loops to go. The race director was there and asked how I was going.

“The engine lights are on but she’s still running, I’ll get the job done.”

“I have no doubt you will.”

2:54am

I have simultaneously lost one problem and gained another. I have lost the problem that is finding a way to rationalise quitting. Because we are not quitting.

I now have the new problem of finding a way to draw another marathon out of my carcass and mind so we can get the job done. Find the problem fix the problem.

Twenty-nine hours after I started, I crossed the finish line of loop 8, clocked in my 170km and took proud possession of a finisher’s belt buckle.

I went home and told my boys that I didn’t quit.

“Not all treasure is silver and gold mate. ” – Captain Jack Sparrow.

HEYSEN 105

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ISSUE 47 | TRAILRUNMAG.COM

Hobbit THE LOST

OF NEW ZEALAND

STARTING ON 1 FEBRUARY, 2023 ALEX ‘THE LOST HOBBIT’ BEZZINA TOOK OFF FROM STIRLING POINT, BLUFF, NEW ZEALAND FOR AN ADVENTURE THAT WOULD SEE HIM RUN THE LENGTH OF THE COUNTRY NORTHBOUND TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THREATENED WILDLIFE. ISOBEL ROSS MANAGED TO CATCH UP WITH HIM WHILST HE WAS OUT RUNNING THROUGH THE CANTERBURY REGION, WHERE HE SAID HE WAS AIMING TO FINISH HIS 3000KM JOURNEY BY APRIL. WORDS: ISOBEL ROSS IMAGES: CONNOR SHEIDLER

Gasping and wheezing, 26-year-old Alex Bezzina of Milton, Queensland stopped running and wondered why he was bothering.

Disheartened, he gave up on his fledgling running career. Then Covid reared its ugly head in 2020 and in a desperation borne from boredom and frustration, Alex tried running again.

And what do you know, it had changed!

No longer did he hate the sport, he actually found it meditative, almost fun.

In fact, Alex has equated his early foray into trail running to gaming as he leapt over obstacles and bombed the downhills, saying at one point in our interview that

‘running around trails sort of felt like playing Mario Kart but with your body.’

We all know how addictive trail running is, and for Alex it’s been no different. So much so in fact, that he is now running the length of New Zealand (north bound).

This equates to more than 3000kms, or about 50kms a day – a bit of a step up from 10km stints around Brisbane.

Before this trail venture, Alex had never attempted ultra running. A steep learning curve indeed, but one with a great purpose.

New Zealand has the fifth highest proportion of globally threatened bird species in the world (29% threatened with

extinction), with 20 of the confirmed 187 bird extinctions since 1500 occurring there.

Alex was hoping to raise $10 for every kilometre he runs to promote awareness for threatened wildlife, specifically birds – that’s a goal of $30,000 for Forest & Bird, an independent conservation organisation that works to protect New Zealand’s wildlife.

For this particular journey, Alex adopted the trail name The Lost Hobbit.

He’s a big Lord of the Rings fan and once heard a friend mention that he reminded her of a hobbit with his curly hair, hair feet and short stature.

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GNARLY TALES THE LOST HOBBIT OF NZ

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“These characters that no one ever assumes anything of always seem to be the most integral part of the story, and I always really liked that…like an underdog,” he says.

It seems particularly apt then that he is running the length of New Zealand, finishing with Mt Doom.

In spite of not having run an ultra before, Alex is confident on completing his mission.

“Because I haven’t done much ultra running, I have to fight those voices in my head that say I can’t do this or I’m not the type of person to do it, so learning to ignore them and shove them to back of my head and just remember to keep putting one foot in front of the other is crucial,” he explains.

“It’s definitely been a challenge, especially on days when it’s really muddy or I haven’t covered as much ground as I intended.”

Alex has worked with a coach to get him to the point where this run is even possible.

“As long as you have had enough time to train, are healthy and create a running schedule, I believe anyone can do it,” he says.

“The big thing is to progressively train, building up more and more kilometres as you go. This is key to being prepared physically. The human body is designed to be able to get used to it given that you have spent a good amount of time training and preparing your body.”

No adventure can be undertaken alone though, and this one is no different with Alex being able to do it all with the help of his dad, Andrew Bezzina, right by his side.

“He’s my support crew,” Alex proudly states.

“He does everything: cooks all my food, makes sure I’m stocked with snacks so I 81

GNARLY TALES THE LOST HOBBIT OF NZ

in handy to help him – the first step to being good at something is sucking at something.

It seems that he’s moving very fast from sucking at trail running to excelling, and Alex feels the support he’s received has helped a lot in this progression.

“I think support is a big one for me; my dad’s presence helps me a lot,” he says.

“When I’m feeling low or thinking to myself that I can’t do it, having somebody to remind me I can or knowing that I have a big support network helps me. Even receiving a message from someone or reading comments on social media, it truly helps.

“Being stubborn is also a good one, which is a Bezzina trait!”

Throughout this great adventure, Alex has not forgotten his purpose though.

always have something in my hand to eat, washes my clothes, drives around, and meets me at places.

When I’m really struggling, he’ll usually walk a kilometre or two with me to help get through the end of the run.

“He’s incredible, so I’m lucky to have him with me.”

There’s a bit of a routine that Alex has started to get the day going, which includes waking up early, showering and eating, then getting dropped off on the trail at the exact spot he finished at the day before.

He’ll warm up for the first kilometre or so with a brisk walk, and to get into the right headspace, before setting off on a run.

“About 15km or so, I take a 5 to 10 minute break to eat, drink water, take in the surroundings,” he says.

“I listen to podcasts and audiobooks; I 82

actually just finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy audiobooks so that’s been fantastic to listen to. If I’m in a town or anywhere with shops and cafes and people, I can meet up with dad to have lunch.

Otherwise if I’m in the mountains I’ll just eat something he’s packed for me and keep going.”

Not only is Alex experiencing long runs daily for the first time, he also has some other new experiences.

“Losing toenails is another thing I’ve learnt that can happen, so my dad has been helping me with that, taping it down so it doesn’t get worse – he’s a doctor,” he explains.

“I also have to remember to stretch every day after running otherwise I can feel like an old man when I go to bed, and when I get up the next day.”

Although Alex is finding the daily kilometres hard work and tough on the body, an Adventure Time quote has come

“The great thing about conservation is that if you can protect one species’ habitat, you then protect multiple species’ habitats so even if you’re focusing on one species, others benefit as well, which is amazing,” he recalls.

“When I’m out running, there are so many birds which is wonderful to see: forest birds, sea birds, so many varieties. When you get away from the main roads, you’d be surprised how much wildlife you see and hear.”

In the famous words of Bilbo Baggins, ‘Not all who wander are lost’. Alex the Lost Hobbit is finding this as he follows the trails, discovering that as long as you run enough steps and follow enough trails, then you can travel further and influence the world more than you may ever have previously imagined.

Although Alex’s journey across ‘Middle Earth’ has ended since TRM47 went to print, you can still support his cause by heading to thelosthobbit.run for more information and to donate funds to Forest and Bird.

Astrid Volzke Photography

DELIRIOUS WEST 100 & 200 MILER Bibbulmun Track, Northcliffe WA Presented by Ultra Series

Dates Feb 7th-11th 2024

www.ultraseries.com.au

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

LOOKING BACK Trail runner Daniel Burmeister makes his way up the North Ridge of Mt Buller, gaining 1150m of elevation in less than 10km, on his way to completing the third leg of the Send 2 Summit Adventure Duathlon on in January 2023.

Image: Aaron Collins (@_aaroncollins)

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OFF THE BEATEN

Track

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OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

SPECIAL LAND, SPECIAL PEOPLE The Tarawera Ultramarathon by UTMB takes runners along some of the most beautiful trails in the world across Rotorua, New Zealand. With the option of running from 21km all the way through to a miler, everyone gets an opportunity to witness waterfalls, lakes and luscious native forests.

Image: Graeme Murray

AID, AID OH GLORIOUS AID! The Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake) Aid Station is a part of all four courses in the Tarawera Ultramarathon by UTMB in Rotorua, New Zealand and has approximately 100 volunteers manning the tables to ensure athletes are catered for. Every runner passes through it at some point during their race.

Image: Graeme Murray

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IN THE OUTER LIMITS Cape Pallarenda is a network of hiking, running and mountain bike trails 10 minutes from the Townsville CBD and airport (Qld) with a summit to Mt Marlow. Outer Limits Adventure Fitness hosts a round of their trail running series at this location between 5km and 42km.

Image: Adrian Tuck (@adriantuck.photography)

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OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

SPLISH, SPLASH AT SURF COAST CENTURY Nicole Virant, female winner of the 2022 Surf Coast Century 100km (Anglesea, Victoria), sploshes through the shallow waters at Bird Rock Jan Juc which is a unique feature of Leg 1 in the race.

Image: Matt Hull

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AIN’T NO SWITCHIN’ BACK A favourite section of the Surf Coast Century course in Anglesea, Victoria on Leg 3 featuring a number of switchback trails weaving through the coastal bushland as competitors head down into checkpoint 5 at Distillery Cree.

Image: Matt Hull

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REVIEW

TRAIL SHOES // HOKA TORRENT 3

WORDS & IMAGE: KATE DZIENIS

ALL HAIL THE TORRENT 3 MOST EVERYONE CAN SPOT A PAIR OF HOKAS FROM A MILE AWAY. And over the years, the brand has changed quite a bit in the way it looks, feels and performs – very much attracting high numbers of trail runners to its sweet and sexy line of footwear.

Falling under Hoka’s Sky category of shoes, the Torrent 3 is lightweight and after following the Torrent 2, has provided users with improvements in a variety of areas, allowing it to perform better for everyone – from newbies on 90

the trails to the those seeking podium finishes.

As a minimal neutral shoe, the Torrent 3 is surprisingly lightweight and feels springy underfoot. The midsole has Hoka’s ProFly feature, a dual-density cushioning system that combines soft foam in the heel with firmer foam in the forefront; the system allows for soft landings and a powerful toe-off due to utilising a firmer material specifically designed to provide an efficient pushoff. This makes the Torrent 3 respond

to your needs on all surfaces however there is no rockplate, so you will feel the surface you’re stepping on a little bit more than usual if you’re used to a different shoe.

The ProFly foam is usually seen on more faster-focused Hoka shoes, so it’s a nice feeling cushioning effect and allows the Torrent 3 to do its job in a number of conditions.

Because of this, the Torrent 3 is made specifically for trails seeing as the low-profile cushion bed keeps your

ISSUE 47 | TRAILRUNMAG.COM

foot closer to the ground, so to speak.

If pavement running will be a higher percentage over trail running whilst training or in a race, then this shoe isn’t for you. If, however, you’re only going to be doing perhaps 3km or 4km (of road) from trail-to-road-and-back-again, then there are no issues.

Weighing less than the Torrent 2, the Torrent 3 has an incredible outsole with its 4mm lugs. There has been no change to the lug pattern (don’t fix it if it ain’t broke, right?) and I actually have a pair of Hoka Torrent 2s to make the comparisons – but Hoka have claimed the lugs to be ‘stickier’. Personally, I didn’t feel much of a difference with ‘stickiness’. On a positive note though the grip is great, traction is brilliant, and the whole outsole does the job well on technical terrain.

If you put the shoe in your hands and squash it inwards, there’s not much flex to it both at the upper and at the heel cup; over time though, it will soften but whilst new and relatively un-used before putting the kilometres on them, the padding is thick and snug, and there was no heel slippage when I did my usual lace lock. The laces are slightly thinner than its predecessor, and not too stretchy (I love a good bounce in my laces) but they stayed in place and were good in length.

Moving onto the upper, the new material here is a breathable, single

layer mesh and holds your foot securely in place. The toebox has ample room in length and width, but isn’t necessarily fit for wide feet. For those who suit the Torrent 3 in the toebox department, there’s a lot of structure here and the overlays provided by the material prevent it from sagging down whilst at the same time giving a bit of extra protection from rogue stones, twigs and other debris.

Hoka’s Torrent 3 has kept its gusseted tongue (padded quite thickly) design to give extra support, and it comes up nice and high, catering to my love of a heel lock lace. I enjoy having a thicker tongue sitting at the top of my foot (that doesn’t sound right, does it?), it makes everything feel more secure.

THE LOW DOWN GREAT FOR: Shorter distances, high technicality NOT SO GREAT FOR: Pavement or bike path TEST CONDITIONS: Hard-packed dirt, limestone, pea gravel TESTER:

Overall, when I took the Hoka Torrent 3s out for a spin on my local trails, I really came to appreciate how it’s a fabulous all-rounder – there’s no focus on any particular speciality on what it does; like I mentioned before, it’s brilliant for the novice trail runner all the way through to the elite.

Kate Dzienis

True to size, the Torrent 3 Heel Stack is at 31mm and the Forefoot Stack is at 26mm, equalling to a 5mm drop, and you can get the Women’s in Mercury/ Evening Primrose whilst for the Men, you’ll get yourselves the snazzy Bluesteel/Dark Citron look.

RRP: $199.99 AUD / $248.00 NZD

TESTER MECHANICS: Severe overpronator with wide feet VITALS WEBSITE: hoka.com/en/au hoka-newzealand.com CONDITIONS: Shoes provided for testing by HOKA ONE ONE

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REVIEW

TRAIL SHOES // BROOKS CATAMOUNT 2

WORDS & IMAGE: KATE DZIENIS

CATCH YOURSELF THE CATAMOUNT 2 Looking to go faster and further on the trails? Brooks have got you covered.

Designed as part of the brand’s Ultra Trail shoe series, the Catamount 2 is as responsive to you as pizza is at an aid station.

The Catamount 2 combines a chunky, supportive shoe with the sensibilities of lightweight trail racing, a clear winner in runners’ eyes. Because I have a wide foot, and am normally a size 9, Brooks suggested I test the Men’s Catamount 2 as their D width comes standard and is wider than the Women’s versions, which come in at a B width – quite the difference in width sizes.

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This in turn resulted in me receiving the shoe in a size 8 (hey, Brooks are the experts). I admit, I was sceptical to put them on once I saw the number 8 sitting on the side of the box, but low and behold, there was an entire index finger (sideways) width from tip of my toe to the end of the shoe, and comfortability had me over the moon!

As a neutral shoe, the Catamount 2 is made for speed on trails. When you take a good hard look at the TrailTack grip, the rubber outsole offers traction on both wet and dry surfaces, with bigger lugs at the heel-end.

There weren’t many opportunities to hit wet surfaces in the WA summer, but whilst out on dry hard-packed dirt and limestone trails, the shoe certainly did a phenomenal job when it came to downhill slip prevention.

The overall fit while running was flexible and there was very minimal foot slippage, if any at all, so on declines the shoe was highly responsive to my needs.

With the occasional pedestrian footpath or cycle path, the transition from trail to road was seamless, however as with any trail shoe, it’s always best to use them to the advantage on surfaces they’re designed for.

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Want some tech specs? Let’s go The DNA FLASH midsole is crafted from nitrogen-infused compound, delivering a perfect blend of responsiveness and adaptive cushioning; it’s the same foam as Brooks’ road Hyperion Elite and Hyperion Max, and provided my feet with a good bounceback the faster I got.

The shoe’s all new SkyVault propulsion plate helped push my pace along and worked in a beautiful relationship with the DNA FLASH midsole; for those who have run in the Catamount 1, the ballistic rock shield in that version has been replaced for the Catamount 2 with the SkyVault system, and it’s a smooth ride on your favourite trail, especially when you’re going uphill.

Put the shoe in your hand and squish down on the SkyVault system – it’s oh so squishy! It also doubles as a rock shield and I didn’t feel I needed to put any gaiters on, however there is a hidden gaiter trap at the heel so Brooks haven’t diminished your choice on wearing a pair.

The tight knit mesh upper feels tear resistant (which is hydrophobic and made from recycled polyester fibres) and extends to the gusset of the tongue, providing protection for your foot.

I love a good heel lock, and the flat, textured laces tied on with just enough space to do just that (the laces weren’t

as springy as I normally like, but if that’s the only part of the shoe that could do with some tweaking, we’re sailing here).

I think it’s important to point out too that down at the forefront of the laces, there’s a lace keeper securely featured in a bid to lock down your laces in the event they’re too long. I’ve never seen this bouncy attachment on a shoe before, and immediately loved that quiet addition.

THE LOW DOWN GREAT FOR: Long distance, technical terrains NOT SO GREAT FOR:

Where this shoe excels is speed, so when it’s time to put in the energy and effort to go faster on the trails, the Catamount 2 won’t disappoint you. It’s lightweight (Women’s 244g, Men’s 275g) with a 6mm drop to give you a speedy advantage, and Brooks have listened to what runners want with their trail shoes – a fast partner who can get over technical terrain, but at the same time allow a firm fit with a secure heel tab and heel counter.

Short distances,

On top off the exquisite tech in the Catamount 2, the shoe overall is sexy.

It’s exterior heel counter is speckled in design and from a bit of distance makes it look dirty.

TESTER MECHANICS:

This is the shoe for you if you’re looking for speed, cushioning and energy responsiveness on technical trail; the Catamount 2 is a podium finishing partner for trail racing, but also has the ability to be taken slow when you want to simply have fun.

cement surfaces TEST CONDITIONS: Hard-packed dirt, limestone, pea gravel TESTER: Kate Dzienis

Severe overpronator with wide feet VITALS RRP: $279.95 AUD / $302.41 NZD WEBSITE: brooksrunning.com.au CONDITIONS: Shoes provided for testing by Brooks

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ADVERTORIAL BUFFALO STAMPEDE WORDS: CHARLIE HAMILTON IMAGES: SINGLE TRACK EVENTS/BUFFALO STAMPEDE

Buffalo Stampede Week Success!

HELD 31 MARCH – 2 APRIL 2023

For those of you who have been here before, you know the feeling.

For those of you who haven't, allow me to explain. It starts before you even reach Bright, the tiny town nestled in amongst pine plantations and rolling mountains. Driving down the Great Alpine Road with the monolith of Mount Buffalo on your left, a stark reminder of the upcoming run, you make your way through the tree-lined streets into town.

It may be country Victoria, however Bright feels more like a European mountain town and the trails that the Buffalo Stampede has in store make that impression even stronger.

While the first race, the 10km, doesn’t start until Friday night, Thursday is when the Buffalo Stampede week kicks off. Sitting at Sixpence Coffee Roasters, I notice more and more trail running folk stop in as the morning rolls by. I can’t exactly tell you if they are trail runners or not, but the technical footwear and old event shirts are a dead giveaway.

I first came to this event last year. I was new to trail running and staying with friends. The people that I met over that first weekend racing at the Stampede are the reason I came back this year, and certainly will next year. It’s the community that makes trail running and the Buffalo Stampede so special.

We begin the official festivities Thursday night with a film at the Bright Brewery. Majell Backhausen's End to End had piqued my interest, but the thought of a pre-race Bright Brewery pizza sealed the deal.

Friday afternoon rolled around and so did the opening of the races. The twilight 10km race around the local trails sets everyone up for the weekend. 100km and 20km runners getting

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ready for their Saturday race mingle around the race village getting their mandatory gear check and bibs pinned on. While the runners finishing the 10km let off steam with some beers the other runners nervously head home to put their legs up and eat as many carbohydrates as they can.

We had an early start on Saturday.

I was running the first leg of the 100km relay, so while I still had the usual butterflies, they weren’t as intense as the people around me who were getting ready to set off for the whole thing. The first climb of the race, 700m of elevation up to Clearspot was eerie in the dark, but being surrounded by head torches left me feeling a part of something big. Trail running may be an individual sport, but the comradery you feel with other racers facing the same self-imposed suffering as you makes for special moments on the trails.

I finished my relay leg and passed the hypothetical baton onto Kelly Angel. My leg was 34km with 2300 metres of elevation gain.

Painful enough, I finished with a feeling of sympathy for the 141 athletes that were still only a third of the way through. I was lucky enough to catch the first runners come through the Mount Buffalo Chalet aid station – Matt Crehan, Reece Edwards and Ryan Lowe for the men, and Jordan Maki-Richards, Jill Ellis and Emily Mcleod for the women. Many say that running 100km is nothing but a suffer fest, but after watching these folk run the Stampede Ultra, I can tell you that athletes as talented as these few can well and truly race the distance.

I got back into town and was quickly filled in on the 20km results. Nathan Pierce and Kate Avery ran 1.42 and 2.04 for 20km with 1200m of climbing respectively. Fast! Just as impressive were the 460 runners that completed the

gruelling course, many of those first-time trail runners.

Saturday finished with cheering the 100km runners into the finish line. They started rolling in just after 5pm – Matt Crehan broke the tape for the men at 5:10pm after finishing it in 11:10:52. Jordan Maki-Richards came in to win the female race in 14:21:26. Perhaps most impressive was Karl Martindale-Vale, after running for 32 hours, Karl came across the finish line at 2am. To me, that is the beauty of this sport. Karl was celebrated just as much as Jordan and Matt.

Don’t let the marathon fool you. It may start at the top of a mountain and run down into town, but climbing 2000m after starting with a hard descent will sort out the toughest runners.

Everyone was in a great mood at the start line.

The end of daylight savings had gifted runners with an extra hour of sleep, and catching a sunrise from the top of Mount Buffalo set everyone up for a great day of running. Mike Carroll set off the start line hard, he had a point to prove and oh boy did he prove it, leading from start to finish. The women’s race was run very differently. SJ Miller and Patricia McKibbon came out of the gate conservatively then wound it up. These two ran side by side for 35km of the 42km course. SJ managed to break free down the final descent and hold Patricia off to win the most competitive race of the weekend by a little over a minute.

You can probably guess how the weekend ended – more beers and pizzas at the brewery watching the marathon runners cross the line.

I’d like to say thanks to Single Track events, the volunteers, supporters and especially the runners for making this event what it is. I know for sure that I’ll be back next year...hope to see you there!

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WISE WORDS

ERCHANA MURRAY-BARTLETT

ATHLETE / ADVENTURER / SPEAKER I was born in Canberra (ACT) but mostly grew up in the Yarra Valley in Victoria. I moved out after high school when I was offered a scholarship to play soccer in the US. After completing university, I then spent a large chunk of my 20s travelling. When I was based back home though, I rented an apartment in Melbourne. That was basically home right up until Tip to Toe kicked off in 2022. Since finishing back in January, I’ve been living on the Gold Coast; I love the proximity to the beach and the hinterlands!

Recently breaking a record for most marathons in a row was one of the most memorable days of my life! The record at the time was 106 consecutive marathons, and it had been broken a few times in the past two years so I knew it was a popular one to chase. It was a funny preparation, because Guinness took a few months to get back to me with the guidelines for what I would need to verify the record. In fact, they still hadn’t return my enquiry on the eve of my first day, so rather panicked I messaged the current record holder asking for help!

The best part about being somewhere new is exploring all the new trails and mountains.

So far, I’ve spent a fair bit of time in Binna Burra National Park and have fallen in love with a few of the longer trail loops up there. It’s such a different landscape to what I grew up with. The river crossing, waterfalls and wildlife make for an incredible (but very technical) run.

It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, running a marathon every single day. But as soon as I hit 99, I was determined, I felt strong, and the last 8 marathons were a breeze. I ran my 107th – the record breaking marathon – in Newcastle, surrounded by the incredible community and Newcastle run clubs who came down to support me. My parents drove 7 hours to be at the finish line too. It was a day that equalled in significance to finally arriving in Melbourne, 43 days later.

When I was living in Victoria though, I had a long list of favourite trails. My ultimate go-to is the Warburton Rail Trail, as the backdrop is stunning and it’s a fast, easy run. Growing up in the Yarra Valley, that had endless trail running.

The track to the summit of Mount Donna Buang and the bike tracks through Seville were some well-worn ones for me. They’re close to my heart because I could just leave my house, and within a few hundred metres I was already emersed in the bush.

Why do I love trail running? Because it combines all my favourite things – friendship, exercise and the outdoors. I love running through the wilderness because pace becomes less important, time becomes irrelevant and instead, you only focus on the moment you’re in.

The trail running community is so supportive, so beautiful, so passionate, it’s just so infectious to be around.

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My goal for Tip to Toe (running from the tip of Qld to Melbourne) was to raise $10 per kilometre I ran, which would have been a tad over $60,000. In the end, I was able to raise over $132,000! My partner charity is The Wilderness Society, and my overall goal within this was to shed light on the current extinction crisis being faced by Australian wildlife. One of my key focuses during Tip to Toe was identifying the at-risk wildlife localised in the regions I was running through; we have a representative animal for each state and territory, and unfortunately each state and territory’s representative fauna I passed through is now endangered.

In terms of younger runners making a mark in trail running, Australia is very young in embracing the competitive trail racing scene.

In fact, even I didn’t really know how to progress in a global competition sense until very recently.

I think young Aussies have so much potential on a global scale because we have the terrain and the space to train properly and the athlete resources to promote performance. I think it’s a great time for young runners to dive in to the trail scene. It’s a booming sport and I can’t wait to watch it emerge here in Australia in the coming years.

If there’s one place in the world I’d want to run through, where would that be? I lived in the USA for a while and have since been back and visited some of the east coast national parks – it opened a world to trail running I hadn’t seen before. The environment across the US was so different to any landscape I’d seen in anywhere else. I remember being blown away by Arches National Park, Zion National Park and Yellowstone. I feel like I could spend an entire decade exploring and still not see everything properly. I’ll definitely be aiming for an American ultra soon, they look menacing – particularly Badwater.

Beverly Sills, the opera singer, famously said ‘there are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going.’ I truly believe that we should embrace hard work, because if you conquer something hard, you emerge stronger – both physically and mentally, you grow, you learn and you become more resilient. I believe embracing and accepting that hard things will only add value to your life will help overcome a hurdle a lot of people face in carving opportunities for themselves. Most successful people have put in the hard yards to get where they are today. PBs are hard, but don’t they feel bloody great when you achieve them?

Tip to Toe was the hardest thing I’ve done, but because of that, it was hands down the most rewarding when I achieved it.

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