Trail Running
The 6 Inch trail ultra marathon is one of those races that you keep going back too for a number of reasons. Number one is Dave , the RD, gives you a red spike for 6 finishers ( a trophy for twelve), two is the unique atmosphere of an event so close to Christmas and three is the trail itself, just incredible. This year I was so close to missing out due to a hamstring tear but I was confident that I could finish after two good weeks of semi-reasonable training post a six week layoff. I was prepared to roll the dice because it’s the 6 inch and it’s tradition. As I have said many times runners love traditions, it’s in our dna.
This year we had Rob driving again with Adam, Bart’s , Scotty and I running. Rob was also giving massage’s at the finish line as part of his work with the Tribe and Trail shop ( https://www.tribeandtrail.com.au/ ) and The Long Run physiotherapy ( https://www.thelongrunphysio.com/ ) . If you’re a trail runner in Perth you need to look up both these businesses and get behind them.
Next on the tradition list of things to tick off was the stop at Baldivis BP garage and get a photo under the Truckers Lounge entrance. One day we might muster up enough courage to try and actually go into the Truckers Lounge but some things are better off unseen, for the moment we are happy enough with the photo outside. Maybe we’ll send in Bartsy next year , albeit I don’t think he’d ever come out ?
Moving down the traditions list next we have drive to the top of Goldmine Hill and take a photo. For those who don’t know Goldmine Hill is the first hill at the start of the 6 Inch and it’s a big one with some serious vert sections. Just the thing you don’t need at the start of a 47km ultra. This hill has broken a number of runners over the years making the next 45 or so kilometres unpleasant. Back in the day I use to run this as Dave put on a KOM trophy for the first male to the top, those days are long gone and this year I walked the first kilometre for a very pleasant eleven minutes chatting to friends. With hindsight I could probably go a bit quicker next year but it was a nice change to amble into a race.
As you can see from the image below not all native animals survive on Goldmine Hill and this Kangaroo had seen better days. As Australians know a rotting Kangaroo is not pleasant on the nose and this bad boy was no different. I’m sure quite a few runners would have put on a spurt while passing ‘skippy’.
Top of Goldmine Hill photo, tick, we were moving down the tradition list at a great rate of knots now. The conditions were warmer than we expected but luckily these disappeared over night and , for the event, we had perfect race conditions.
After the traditional speech at the Forrest Centre by a panel of top runners it’s time to put on ‘Run Fat Boy Run’ and enjoy one of the funniest films we know with several scenes that just continue to raise a giggle. We even brought our own version down as the one at the accommodation had seen better days and we were forced to watch a different film last year. This did not go down well with the crew, remember, runners love tradition.
Post Run Fatboy Run we retreated to our room for the evening. Somehow Barts had snagged the double bed while Scotty, Adam, Rob and I shared two bunk beds next door. Needless to say four nervous runners sharing a room is never going to end well and I don’t think any of us got more than an hours sleep, albeit Barts had set his alarm for 2:30am so we were never going to get eight hours ! Rob also didn’t help the situation by trying to watch the English Premiership on his new iphone with the volume turned up. Luckily the internet is a new thing in Dwellingup and not very reliable so he gave up quickly.
Next on the list is the traditional start photo of all the runners and then off we all go up Goldmine Hill and off to Dwellingup via the Munda Biddi trail ( https://mundabiddi.org.au/ ) Luckily we had our own cars at the finish line so drove to registration at the North Dandalup village hall before the short trip to the start line. Dave puts on buses to move the runners from the finish to the start as it’s a point to point event so it requires some logistical planning, we have always taken care of ourselves. There are some funny stories about this but not for the general public, lets just say if you’re going to run a point to point race do not leave your car keys , parked at the finish, in a bag in the car parked at the start. !
The race itself was always going to be testing, it’s an ultra marathon after all. Add in the nearly thousand metres of vert over the distance and some hot temperatures and you’re in for a hard day at the office whatever happens. I was coming into the event off a hamstring tear so in the previous ten weeks had only ran three of them and really only the previous week of any note, distance wise. I had actually unregistered myself with the RD but with a few good weeks of run/walking was happy to roll the dice and risk my hammy for another finish and time with the boys. This was another reason for my eleven minute first kilometre, time spent socialising with friends rather than racing Goldmine Hill.
Eventually though I knew I had to kick on and left Barts and Scotty and worked my way through the field. I really had no idea how’d I go after my long lay off and injury. Initially I just wanted to finish, then it was finish under five hours and my top goal was break my time from last year, a personal worst time of four hours and forty eight minutes. Without the good training base I really had no idea what to expect. Undaunted I set off in pursuit of the next runner infront of me and used this as motivation to maintain a good pace but not too good leading to a blow out.
I always break down this race into three sections. The first section is the first 23k to aid station one. You then have another 14k to aid station two at the top of the Escalator hill and then the final 10k sprint (?) to the finish. I always enjoy the second half more than the first and post aid station one start to relax a bit knowing I have broken the back of the event. With the next aid station only 14k away it coms along a lot quicker then the first one and then it’s a ten kilometre section , albeit a nasty section, the the finish where you choose how much pain you want to endure. (Albeit sometimes this is worked out for you if the race has gone badly)
This year I was consistent the whole time, no walking bar the first kilometre and the Escalator Hill (which is unrunable) and just keep moving forward at a good pace but nothing that is going to lead to a blow out or hamstring damage. As I said earlier I just kept chasing the runner infront of me, I’d pass them and then onto the next one. This kept me honest and I really enjoyed moving through the field, chatting to a number of runners as I passed them.
As the Escalator Hill is an out and back section you get to see whose just infront of you and can use this as either motivation if you’re chasing someone or a reality check, come warning, if someone is chasing you. As I Neared the top of the Escalaor I was surprised to see Sarah and Adam coming down less than three hundred metres ahead of me. I had written off any chance of catching these guys as they had set off with the lead runners and both were targeting far quicker times than me. Seeing them so close was all the motivation I needed to rush through the aid station and start my pursuit.
Funnily enough we had been talking about the race a few years ago when Scotty has passed Adam with two kilometres to go and gave him a pat on the backside as he did. Could I catch him and join this exclusive club ? This was all the motivation I needed, it was on like Donkey Kong. These sort of silly thoughts are sometimes all you need to switch through the gears and any thoughts of just finishing go out the window as the competitive juices start to flow. I caught Sarah on the next hill and ploughed on to eventually catch Adam with two kilometres to go, perfect pacing and timing, I couldn’t have been happier. Another tradition has now started, someone needs to catch Adam at two kilometers from the finish and give him a tap on the backside. If that someone is reading this please let me know the details, in 2024 Adam better watch his butt , remember now it’s tradition.
After passing Adam on the final section of four kilometres or so, of slightly uphill , undulating , single track I bumped into Mr. TRC himself Sam Simsek, running his first three inch trails half marathon. Had to stop for a selfie with this legend as The Running Centre and Sam in particular have supported me for many years. ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ ) Again runners in Perth get behind these guys, they are legends. It was then time to race to the finish and put number fourteen to bed, a raging success as I finish in just over four hours and thirty five minutes, thirteen minutes quicker than last year. I have Sam to thank for putting me into a pair of Hoka Mach X shoes which were brilliant for the terrain, although not a trail shoe the carbon plate protected my foot and the extra bounce helped keep my hammy in check. The trail itself is very runable and this explains the quicker finishing times of the top runners and also the domination of road runners over the years.
I nailed the race with a no-expectation attitude and was never hurting too much, there were periods of self doubt as there are in any ultra but these are followed by periods of feeling great. Keeping on top of the hydration and nutrition also helped and it really was just about the perfect day. Even now as I type this race report the next day I’m looking forward to number fifteen in twelve months time, it’s tradition.
Finally we had the final two traditions to tick off the list, one is the finishers shot with all the runners at the finish line and finally the shot of all runners who completed the event in their new Six Inch Ultra tops. I must compliment Dave on this years tops, they are very good and I love the colour, very cool. Once we completed these it was off to the pub for a great lunch and the journey home, mission accomplished for 2023. I think this is now another tradition as the normal venue , the Blue Wren , upset us on Saturday by shutting early, we’re a fickle bunch runners.
So that’s Ultra marathon number 46 which now matches my number of marathons I have completed , giving me a total of 92 events, eight more to go for the the one hundred marathons or longer total. If I have a good year in 2024 maybe I can reach the total at this event next year, that would be cool making the event even more special. Either way I’ll get to that elusive number sooner rather than later, why wouldn’t you ?
Next on the radar is either the Australian Day Ultra ( https://australiadayultra.com/ ) or the 24 parkruns in 24 hours ? ( https://ultraseries.com.au/24-parkruns-in-24-hours/ ) before the big one in February , the Delirious West 200 miler. ( https://www.deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) , now that is a tradition.
fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered. It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/
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Delirious West part 3… the final push !
Parrys Beach -> Monkey rocks 17.5km (accumulated 252.1km)
I was awoken by Rob Donkersloot early and forced to leave the comfort of my swag. I was not happy truth be told and stumbled off to the shower block to be told the water was heated by solar panels so hot water at this early time of the day was not going to happen. Great, made do with clean teeth, some deodorant and a visit to the toilet, the simple things in life. Bumped into Alexis Oostenhoff in the toilets who was not overly excited about his 60km of progress so far in his 100 miler event. Not to worry, he perked up and finished with Harmony pacing him home. Alexis is another convert of the Mind Focused Running Group led by Rob ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) , if you are part of this community you normally finish and finish with a smile on your face, albeit you’ll probably be tired !
Mark presented me with some pancakes and bacon but I wasn’t overly excited about the offering. I think I would have been happier with weetbix as my stomach was starting to get over all the sweet offerings. I can’t believe I actually just typed that but I was getting sick of pancakes, bacon and maple syrup. Wow, ultra events do weird things to you ? I have since recovered from this temporary moment of madness.
Parry’s to Monkey Rocks is a wonderful section of the course skirting some beautiful beaches and the day was perfect, albeit a tad warm but that is to be expected. I was rocking the legionnaires Fractel cap ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) which helped keep me cool although black may not have been the best colour for the day. Fractel help me out with headgear and you’ll see from the various images throughout this post they are my go-to headgear.
Last time I ran this section of the event it was dark so it was good to see the beaches in the daylight, it really is a chalk and cheese moment; similar to when I came into Boat Harbour in the dark the previous night. In 2021 this was daylight running and again its like two different events. Due to the length of the race you’ll eventually get some great beach running, pace dictates when that will be.
I went past Simon Poli out of Parry’s but he was able to catch me soon after and then I bumped into Stephen Rowles relaxing in a hut at the top of a seriously nasty climb. Stephen and I share a love for all things Cornish and we were both happy for some great company. Plenty of laughs as we talked about our time in the motherland specifically our time in Penzance, my home town. Obviously Cornish pasties were a hot topic and also Jelbert’s ice cream, when you know, you know. Another topic of conversation was the menu for Monkey Rocks. Stephen’s crew had messaged him a copy of the menu and we both agreed it was the chicken, mash potato and gravy which would be the lunch of choice for both of us. As I said before Delirious is an eating and drinking competition , with running between aid stations a secondary consideration.
Another highlight of this section was a particularly large dugite snake I nearly trod on. Stephen and I were engaged in conversation, funnily enough, and we both missed the snake initially. Just before I was about to step on it I jumped to my right, thus avoiding contact. Certainly got the heart rate spiking and the two of scurried off with fresh vigor. This was my only contact with snakes for the whole event which is good, albeit others reported many sightings. This was another reason for a pacer, they can be easily sacrificed, I missed Sarah at this point.
Monkey Rocks -> Denmark 13.9km ( accumulated 266km)
Finally we made Monkey Rocks after talking about the chicken, mashed potato and gravy for the best part of an hour. Trust me people , it didn’t disappoint. My good friend Chris and his Wife were manning the aid station and the food was gourmet, or better. Stephen, Simon and I wolfed down our lunch and it was as good as we had imagined over the morning. I’m sure I had other items but can’t remember past the chicken , I wish I’d had more but knew I had a serious climb ahead. As you can see from the images the sun was out and the climb would be in the heat of the midday sun, wouldn’t have it any other way. This was a stark contrast to the last time I ran this section in the drizzle of an October evening, the wet year, made the climb slippery and Adam and I both slipped on the granite rocks. There would be no slipping this year but it was just as challenging albeit for different reasons.
Monkey Rocks is a hard climb and probably not helped with a large lunch on board. I was happy to let Stephen forge ahead as I just cruised up the incline , enjoying the heat of the midday sun and also knowing that the run into Denmark would be flat and I would probably get some shut eye there. The view from the top was stunning and I started on the downside looking forward to a rest at Denmark. On the way down I caught up with Stephen and we were also joined by Astrid Volzke and her amazing cameras. She snapped the image below, she is very talented, even caught me smiling albeit I tend to perk up if there is a camera in the near vicinity.
After running up and then down off Monkey Rocks you’re faced with a flat run through the suburbs off sunny Denmark to the aid station. Stephen had had enough and was content to walk it in as he’d probably eaten too much at Monkey Rocks. I was chasing a seat on the 1pm shuttle bus (The bus leaves on the hour every hour) so needed to get to the aid station in a hurry. We said our goodbyes and I put on the afterburners aware that Oliver was just behind me and if I could get the next shuttle I’d put a few hours between us. I remember the last time Adam and I ran this section we both agreed it was probably the worse one of the entire race, that was in the dark, unfortunately it didn’t improve in the light. Not sure if its the frustration of the aid station always being around the next corner or the terrain, it’s mainly on suburban streets but this section just sucks.
Eventually I made the aid station around 12:35 so had enough time for a quick snack and then got my head down for ten minutes. The image below shows the chaos that is an aid station for 200 milers, this is why you need a crew so all your processions can be moved along the route with you. How people do this race unsupported is beyond me?
I’m not sure if I got any sleep as time was against me and I was desperate to get the 1pm shuttle. I had resigned myself to the possibility of running through the night to finish early Saturday morning and , as such, there would be no more sleeping. This was a similar strategy to last years event. Sleep Wednesday and Thursday night and then run through Friday and finish early Saturday morning, hopefully before the hallucinations become too vivid.
Five minutes to the hour we started to prepare for the shuttle and luckily enough there was room for my pacer, Sarah Dyer. A sucker for punishment obviously as she was keen for some more pacing duties albeit I couldn’t promise her another kilo of cocaine as payment this time. Simon Poli, he was running the 100 miler, also made the shuttle and he was happy to join Sarah and I. I had run with Simon on and off for most of the day and he was loving his first miler, again another Rob Donkersloot Mind Focused Running convert, as is Sarah funnily enough. ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) We were joined in the shuttle by couple of 100 mile runners, as well as Simon, and then we were off on the twenty minute or so car journey to continue the adventure.
Denmark -> Lowlands 22.2km ( accumulated 288.2km)
The first two aid stations from Denmark are the challenge, get through these and then you are home and hosed as the final two aid stations are relatively close together and you can smell the finish. Denmark to Lowlands is the longest of the two and starts with a nasty four kilometes of trail that is difficult to run through, initially a wetlands area and then open trail where you are cooked, remember this was now early afternoon and the sun was showing us no mercy. Where as in previous years I finished strongly on the last day this year I was struggling. Simon left Sarah and I although we would meet him just before Lowlands. There were long walk breaks with the heat starting to wear me down. Eventually we made Lowlands and Mark was there with another steak which is just what I needed. Another change of clothes and the three of us were ready for the next section, to Shelley Beach, which was uncrewed so we wouldn’t see Mark until late into the evening at Cosy Corner.
Lowlands -> Shelley Beach 17.1km ( accumulated 305.3km)
The last test of Delirious is the section between Lowlands and Shelley beach. After a twenty two kilometre section post Denmark shuttle you are pretty goosed and the seventeen kilometre skip to Shelley is testing. Together they are nearly a marathon distance and you just tick over three hundred kilometres at Shelly, fatigue starts to become a factor. I was fully fueled after another steak expertly prepared by chef Mark and Simon, Sarah and I set off in good spirits. A call of nature broke up the team and Sarah waited for me while Simon stepped on knowing we’d probably catch up.
Between Lowlands and Shelly we witnessed the last sunset of the event and it was a beauty, as is the norm. This is one of the main draw cards for running two hundred milers, you see a few sunrises and sunsets. As you can see from the image we had some cloud cover going into Friday evening which made a pleasant change from the sauna we have experienced most of the day.
Sarah and I put in a burst post Lowlands in a last desperate bid to catch the leader. We’d heard John was slowing and taking his time in aid stations so with time running out we put in a five kilometre burst of pace. Unfortunately we had left our charge too late and it made little difference to the overall gap, it was the last throw of the dice and as night fell I knuckled down and started to think about beating my previous years PB of just under sixty nine hours. Even this was beyond me as the terrain made running difficult and I knew I was in for another all nighter with an early morning finish the best outcome.
I was looking forward to Shelley Beach as Mel Maisey was aid station captain, she off the 60th birthday celebration a lifetime ago at Northcliffe, well the Monday of the race. Unfortunately Mel had left the event and was heading home, no worries a cup of tea was all I needed as the next aid station was close. There may have been a few minutes resting before Simon turned up , looking like he’d stolen something. He’d found a second wind but not enough to leave with Sarah and I. The descent into Shelly is steep and long but for some reason it is easier on the climb out, weird, not sure how this is possible but Sarah and I were thankful for this anomaly.
Shelley Beach -> Cosy Corner 7.8km (accumulated 313.1km)
Even though it was only a short hop to Cosy Corner it did seem to take a long time. We were scooting along at a good pace and we knew the Mark would be waiting for us at the next aid station and then we had a nice beach section to Mutton Bird carpark.
There was a serious amount of wild life on this section including a Western Ring tailed possum (see image above) which I persuaded to jump from one tree to the another , over the track. We also bumped into a frog which I kissed to prove the old theory that frogs turn into princesses fake news, unfortunately it was fake news and the only thing I’d catch from kissing frogs is probably worms. (Happy to report that I seem to have dodged that bullet?)
Earlier in the day we had seen a large cat on the trail which would have been feral and this was one large feline, bordering on bob cat dimensions albeit we were both pretty tired at this stage. We saw some seriously big Kangaroos as well and one jumped out a few metres ahead of us and continued along the trail. I heard that at least one runner had a coming together with a Roo which is best avoided as these are big Roos. !
Cosy Corner was great, good food and Simon, Sarah and I had the aid station to ourselves albiet we were joined by the chaos that is one of the race directors, Michelle Hanlin. If you know Michelle you’ll know what I mean, she is a one woman race organising machine and a human whirlwind. Life is never dull when Michelle is around and it was great to see her. The RD’s of this event work long hours and travel great distance trying to herd the cats that are sixty plus 200 mile runners. As you know runners are good at running, not so good at navigating !
Cosy Corner -> Mutton Bird carpark 9.3km (accumulated 322.4km)
Cosy Corner to Mutton Bird carpark is all on the beach and last time I ran this section in 2021 it was daylight and I rally enjoyed it as you could see the aid station from a long way off. It seemed to arrive very quickly. In the dark the atmosphere is completely different as you lose the main stimulus of sight, you are left with your own little bubble of headtorch light and your thoughts as the terrain is just sand. There was the small challenge of some rock hopping which, as the image above shows, was testing due to the tide being high, I assume? I wonder how many trail runners have drowned running trails ?
Sarah, being a Geologist, glided over the rocks while I stumbled at best. Simon led the way while I took time to try and get some photos for this post. The things I do for my reader(s) , I hope Mum appreciates it ?
We moved along the beach together leap frogging each other many times before the car park light came into view. I was able to move along the wetter sand , which was harder, without getting my feet wet until the very last minute before heading to the carpark. The last wave got me so was forced to change back to the Olympus 5’s at the aid station. I had ran the entire event in the Altra Olympus 5’s, out of the box. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/collections/olympus-5 ) These are my trail shoes of choice, zero drop with a large footbox meaning you have a small chance of saving toenails, if you prepare with Dru’it foot balm beforehand. ( https://www.duit.com.au/product/foot-heel-balm-plus/ )
We arrived at Mutton Bird aid station and the three of us slumped into the chairs, knackered, tired , hungry and thirsty but now so close to the finish we could taste it.
Mutton Bird carpark -> Sandpatch car park 13.2km (accumulated 335.6km)
As always we left the aid station together and yet again I stopped early to take off my jacket. Simon scooted off alone while yet again Sarah waited for me like good pacer should. Sarah had done an outstanding job pacing now for over a hundred kilometres over two days but I soon noticed something was wrong. The pace had slowed and after a few kilometres she admitted she wasn’t feeling that great, lack of sleep was beginning to catch up with her. As well as pacing me Sarah had also paced other runners before joining me so she was as sleep depraved as me. We discussed the options and I recommended running back to the last aid station which was only a few kilometres away as we knew Mark was hanging around sipping a VB with the volunteers, he’s good like that Mark. Sarah was determined to get to the next, penultimate, aid station and I was glad of the company, together we stumbled off in search of Simon, and when I type stumbled I mean stumbled.
This was the hardest section of the event, both Sarah and I were totally fatigued and we were running through the night for a third time, both off minimal sleep. Looking back I had maybe let my hydration and nutrition go a bit over the last few aid stations and this was coming back to bite me, excuse the pun.
The aid station seem to take an age to arrive and all thoughts of a PB went out the window as we both crawled to Sandpatch. The highlight was the sunrise, not that we noticed really, and we eventually found the aid station where Simon was waiting for us.
Sandpatch carpark -> 258 Freshmans bay Road. 11.2km (accumulated 346.8km)
Finally the last section to the finish. In 2021 I was racing ‘Paul Hopi ‘ and destroyed this section, not this year. I had let Sarah go as she was to meet me for the finish line jog with Mark and Rob. Simon set the pace and I struggled to hang on, he was fresh as a daisy and had the best time running the 100 miles, running with me for over half the distance; no wonder he had a good time ! He may have found his calling and I look forward to the first Poli vs Poli showdown in the near future. (His brother Felix has finished the 200 miler twice, he featured in a few videos earlier in the post) After running to the finish with my team it was time for the obligatory ‘shoey‘, its tradition.
So that was Delirious West 2023, a second place overall finish clocking in just under 72 hours, three days. John was a few hours ahead of me and Oliver a few hours behind me, happy with that. It was never about a poduim finish albeit I’ll take it of course. Delirious is about surrounding yourself with like minded people and living the dream for a week, being waited on hand and foot by aid station volunteers and your own crew, achieving more than you ever thought you could with the help of wonderful people. 2023 lived up to my all expectations and more beside, it really is the event that just keeps on giving, year on year.
I seem to remember Mark, Sarah and I heading off to the Albany park run but I fell asleep in the car as soon as we arrived while Mark (as Warwick) and Sarah ran the event. They woke me on their return and it was time for a shower, albeit using the community showers in Albany.
Post park run it was off to the local free community showers in Albany for a hot shower. I must admit I didn’t look the best I’ve ever looked, I’m calling it the Albany Hobo look, it my defence I had just run a 200 miler ! I did fit in to the community shower crew though and it was a good shower funnily enough.
After the shower it was back to the finish line to chill out and enjoy the finish line atmosphere, cheering on fellow competitors. Of course I didn’t last long and was soon away in the land of nod dreaming of Delirious 2024. The finish line is a wonderful place , watching people achieve their dreams, it is uplifting assuming you stay awake.
To prove I did pay attention to the finishing runners the image below is one of my favourite runners finishing another great 200 miler. Sarah Niven already has the triple crown down under 2022 under her belt but ran Delirious this year as ‘fun’. As always she exceeded her expectations and destroyed her PB time, its becoming the norm with this young lady. Always smiling.
Spent most of Saturday at the finish line leaving only for dinner and a sleep before returning the following day to cheer on the late arrivals. Shaun and the team then went through the presentations as well as setting up a tribute to Jeff, a tree of shoes and a plaque. A beautiful tribute, very touching.
After the presentations everybody hot footed it off to the pub for an evening of stories, good food and great company. A few of us stayed till the end and got ourselves in the ‘end event’ photo, it had to be done.
The food at the Earl of Spencer is so good and the Guinness even better, it had been a long time between drinks as my last one was after the Unreasonable East in the Blue Mountains in June last year. I’m not a big drinker. Shaun had hired out the pub so it was full of runners , family and support crew, so much laughter and stories which seem to get bigger , longer or quicker as the night went on. It was a perfect end to a perfect week, thank you Delirious 2023 you were simply ‘ace’.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/
This was my fourth time racing the Delirious West 200 miler . In 2020 I had my first ever DNF when my quads seized at Mandelay aid station and I pulled the pin, far too early truth be told. ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/02/26/a-delirious-failure-part-one/ , https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/03/07/delirious-fail-pt2/ , https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/03/11/delirious-fail-part-3/ ) Probably spent more time posting about the run than the run itself?
I returned in 2021 in October, the wet year as it is now known, and had the time of my with Gary and Alex crewing me. ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2021/11/09/redemption-delirious-west-day-2/ ) Those boys made the whole experience such an adventure and so many stories are still told to this day around that trip, normally with a serious amount of laughter.
I was addicted. 2022 was the out and back year and again I loved the whole event from the Monday morning drive down to the Sunday evening after party, this event rocks. Even managed a respectable time and a fourth place finish. ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/07/04/delirious-west-february-2022/ ) This year I had Mark and Jeffrey crewing and again it was an incredible experience with more stories added to the Delirious legend.
I had trimmed down my 2022 crew as Jeffrey was too busy doing retired stuff to come along and help Mark, whatever that is? Mark of course was locked in the moment he won the bogan race in 2022, the race that stops a small town, he was confident he could crew solo albeit with the aid of his little helpers, his cans of bush chook. So midday Monday morning off we went to sunny Northcliffe for Mel’s 60th birthday celebrations and the start of the 2023 Delirious adventure. I was excited but also unsure of how the event would pan out. 2022 was a massive year for me with ten ultra marathons but towards the end of the year I had struggled with a knee injury and tight hamstrings. This has seriously limited my training as running became more of a slog. I joined a gym to try and work on my strength but my running stats fell through the floor. I managed to put together a good block pre and post Christmas but I hadn’t the base I would have liked.
Monday night in the Northcliffe hotel was great as old friends met up for Mel’s 60th birthday celebrations. Melanee Maisey is the ‘godmother‘ of ultra running in WA, she works so hard for the greater good of the running community it was great to spend some time with her on her 60th. As with all events when the WA ultra tribe get together there was much laughter and story telling, a perfect evening.
After that is was back to sunny Pemberton where I had organised what I thought was a two bedroom cottage , turned out it was for two people, one bedroom. Mark volunteered to sleep on his camper bed in the lounge, that is what crew do. After a good nights sleep, for me, it was Tuesday check in and then the rae that stops a small town, the infamous bogan run. This involves the crew of the runners dressing as bogans, running around kegs, drinking beer and generally having a great time. Last year Mark won and he had been training all year to go back to back, a feat as yet not achieved. Unfortunately it seems this will never happen as the dice was loaded and despite Mark’s best efforts he could only claim to be the first bogan who finished and drank beer, a good result none the less. You really need to experience a bogan run, it is special.
The check in and the whole day really is so special as you get to meet friends you haven’t seen since the last Delirious as well as new runners who will become good friends over the event. Delirious brings people together, period. I love the couple of days before the event as there is just so much love, it really is that simple. Add in serious laughter , a few beers , great food and it just works. Northcliffe before Delirious is just ace.
Rob Donkersloot, he of Mind Focused running ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) was ever present as he had seven athletes, myself included, running the two events. (There is a 100 miler option apparently?) Rob is a guru of all things running and has taken that knowledge, and added in meditation and wellness techniques, to create a map to running success. It just works, Rob is like a childs comfy blanket, always good to have around. Rob is all about making running fun rather than focusing on time, pace, distance etc., just enjoy the moment, wise words. In the image above you also have my good friend Veronika Kretzer, who ran second female at Delirious last year and is now part of the Thursday morning Yelo run, one of the boys you could say. Also in the picture is Sarah Dyer who would pace me for over 100 kilometres in the run, great company in the darkest hours.
As I have said many times over the years running is about traditions ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/12/21/6-inch-2022-it-never-fails-to-deliver/ ) and my favourite one is the Northcliffe hotels waffles before the start of the race. Imagine eating waffles before the start of a marathon, it wouldn’t end well. This is why I love ultra marathons , and 200 milers specifically, you can eat and eat a lot and still compete, hell it’s compulsory. After a great coffee and waffles I was ready for the 2023 Delirious West 200 miler and I felt great thanks to the sugar high of my breakfast. Big shout out to Duncan and Helen and all the staff of the Northcliffe hotel, you guys are just so good at what you do and a glowing testament to small county pubs. Great food, great atmosphere and great people.
On the way to the start line I bumped into Frank and Sarah. Frank was attempting the event for the first time and is coincided with his 70th birthday, how cool is that. Although he would not finish he got to nearly 300 kilometes before tapping out which is just incredible and I reckon run of the event. He wasn’t helped by being self supported and carrying a pack far too big for what he needed. He’ll learn from this and I hope I can toe the start line with him next year. Sarah was my partner in crime for the Unreasonable East last year. She guided me through the difficult terrain and geographical challenges, she always runs with a smile and destroyed the course setting a massive PB, never in doubt really. Remember what I said earlier , Delirious is all about friends, reconnecting with old ones and making new ones.
The start line photo is one of my all time favourites, lots of my friends all gathered together about to embark on an epic shared adventure, seriously it really does not get any better. The anticipation of what is about to unfold combined with the nervous energy makes the atmosphere special, really special. It is here you are truly alive, everything else is details and can be forgotten for three to four days. It really is you doing what you love surrounded by like minded people. Not sure why everybody is looking one way and I’m facing the opposite direction ? Anyhow the start is incredible and I’m already counting down the days to 2024’s version. This was the biggest field by a large margin this year but once we all got going you were left with you and your thoughts pretty quickly, if that’s hat you so desired. If you wanted company just hang around at an aid station long enough and it would stumble in, eventually.
We all grouped together at the allotted time, thanked the traditional owners of the land and we were off, albeit in the wrong direction. Remember traditions, on the very first Delirious the runners turned left at the first fork, about 50 meters into the race, instead of right and headed back to Perth. This mistake is now played out every year with a distance that is determined by Shaun Kaesler, so you’re never sure how far ? Gotta’ love tradition. This year it wasn’t too far and before long we were headed towards Albany.
First video , early days, still smiling :
Unfortunately one of the Delirious West Race Directors lost a short battle with Leukemia earlier in the year. Jeff Hansen was Delirious, involved from the start and was planning on running the event this year. As a tribute each runner would run five kilometres with his shoes he would have worn. I did my bit between ten and fifteen kilometres and reflected on everything Jeff in that short time. Gone but not forgotten my friend. When this happens you really do question your longevity on this planet and running events like Delirious become even more special, live for today people.
Next video about 20km into the race: –
Right this year I’m going to break down the post into the aid station hops, a bit like you approach the main event really. It’s not a 340km race it’s twenty two smaller races , between 9.3km and 25.9km, the distances between aid stations.
Start -> Chesapeake Road (West) 25.9km
The first hop between the start line and the first aid station is the furthest, just under twenty six kilometres. I suppose the logic is you are full of beans at the start and if you can’t run twenty six kilometres you are probably in trouble. The first day as a whole is good running so the extra distance is achievable as you are spending less time on your feet as you should be moving quicker. The only fly in the ointment on the first day was the humidity which was high and as such uncomfortable. This was partially offset by the mood of all the runners as they were finally released onto the course and moving towards Albany, albeit days away. Without my goose (to my Maverick, you’ve seen Top Gun right?) , Adam Loughnan, I was actually towards the front of the pack and this was a conscious effort on my part. Running with Julie Gibson as my pacer keeping Oliver and Kay in sight we were cocooned in the top five, not somewhere I’m use to being on day one. I enjoyed the run to Chesapeake West and noted the good conditions early. Once at the aid station it was a quick stop, refueled the water bottles, some fruit and a few lollies before taking on board some seriously good Anzac biscuits. Again a conscious effort to spend less time at aid stations this year. It was also great to run with JP and Tristan, two first time debutants who would both smash their first Delirious, nice one lads ! The first morning is a wonderful time in the event, everyone is nervous, excited but above all happy to be running after talking Delirious for months.
This aid station has no crew access so I would have to run another seventeen kilometers before meeting Mark for the first time.
Video : Coming into the first aid station
Chesapeake Road (West) -> Chesapeake Road (East) 16.9km ( accumulated 43.5km)
By the time you reach aid station two you’ve already ran a marathon, on trails in severe humidity, no one said this was going to be easy ! The only bright side is Dog Road aid station is relatively close and also it’s the first time you get to see your crew, assuming you have one. Mark sat me down and before I knew it a cup of tea , with three sugars , was thrust into my hand. Again I was quick though this aid station as the next one was less than twelve kilometres away so would spend more time there. It was good to see all the crew, family and friends for the fist time but I was out and back on the bib in no time, heading towards Dog Road.
Chesapeake Road (East) -> Dog Road 11.7km ( accumulated 55.2km)
It started to get uncomfortable as we moved to Dog Road aid station, the humidity was turned up to eleven minimum and runners don’t like humidity. I ran with Julie Gibson who was setting the perfect pace and I just hung on and enjoyed watching the kilometres tick over. I think from memory I left Julie and Oliver and managed to arrive at Dog Road before them albeit Julie left before me so I followed her to Pingerup and Brooke Inlet. The terrain is pretty good upto Mandelay so we were moving along quite nicely and despite the humidity I probably felt the best I have at this stage of the race. I always find the first fifty kilometeres to Dog Road the hardest, you haven’t got into your ultra rhythm and it is still fifty kilometres, an ultra so to speak. I was still top three male so happy with position and progress thus far.
Dog Road was rice pudding, a fruit bowl, obligatory cup of tea and some very tasty fresh strawberries from Harmony White, they were delicious. Again I was pretty quick through the aid station and left with a full stomach, my poles and fresh clothes ready for an eighteen kilometre hop to Pingerup aid station.
Dog Road -> Pingerup 18lm ( accumulated 73.2km)
This is a very runnable section of the course mainly on a limestone road, albeit no vehicles to speak off. Undulating probably best describes it. I kept Julie in my sight and she was always a few hundred metres ahead of me, from memory I was suffering on this section of the race. You question your ability to finish the race many times on the first day, it is only experience that reminds me I have finished this race and I always feel this way on the first day. An ultra is a rollercoaster of emotions and for every up there will inevitably be a down, it is knowing when you enter a ‘dark place‘ that it is not forever and there is always light at the end of the tunnel and sometimes its not a train. ( Please note if you run an ultra through a train tunnel the light at the end of the tunnel may be a train and in this case do not run to the light ! Luckily there are no tunnels on Delirious. )
A few times I lost sight of Julie and assumed that would be it before catching her again, I would assume she was suffering as much as me. Apart from Julie I saw no one else until we hit the aid station where Michelle and Kate were just leaving, I think ? Didn’t feel like eating so wolfed down an icy pole and a coke and filled my water bottles, I’d see the aid station volunteers at Boat Harbour later in the race and make up for it. Pingerup to Brooke Inlet is a flat section of the race and you really start to feel isolated, there is no one anywhere near you. This section is normally where I see my first sunset but I was ahead of schedule and was aiming for Brooke Inlet in daylight, for the fist time ever!
Pingerup -> Brooke Inlet 16.3km ( accumulated 89.5km)
I love this section of the course, beautiful scenery and you start to feel isolated, alone with your thoughts and knowing you are kilometres from anybody else, I enjoy the solitude as the sunsets, albeit I could still see Julie ahead of me. I eventually caught her and we ran into Brooke Inlet together. I was starting to feel fatigued , funnily enough, but knew I had spaghetti bolognaise waiting for me at the next aid station, it tradition on the first night. Mark does make a great ‘spag bog‘. With this in mind we up’d the pace and before we knew it we were sitting down eating dinner, sweet.
Right , that it’s for part 1… always leaving your readers wanting more.. or not as the case may be.. I’ll continue next week when I get some more video footage.. until then..
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
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BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/
The Feral Pig 100 miler is a beast of an event. Over 4,300 metres of elevation on brutal trail in the searing heat of a Western Australian spring day. The best is saved for last after returning to the start line and then having to face the hardest terrain of the day in the 38k ‘death loop’ , normally attempted in the late evening or early morning when you are at your weakest.
I have ran the Feral twice before , in 2020 I got my ass well and truly kicked 🙁 https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/11/13/another-lesson-learned-ultras-teach-you-stuff/ ) but I returned last year and returned the favour, take that piggy ! ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2021/12/13/feral-pig-100-miler-in-case-you-missed-it/ )
So it was best of three time and to give the pig a chance I picked up an injury post Melbourne Marathon, in early October, so had ran less than 100km’s in the five weeks coming into the event, not ideal. I had managed to get to the start line thanks to some dry needling from Myree (the most painful experience of my short life!) and some seriously strong anti-inflammatories, prescription strength. Unfortunately the little running I had done in the last few weeks was pitiful at best and the only reason I rocked up to the start was the entry money was non-refundable, as I had left it so late, and I had no other plans so a three day hike on the bib sounded like fun. ?
As you can see from the Stava extract (you are on Strava right ? http://www.strava.com ) I had ran 6 times since the Melbourne marathon and I use the word ‘ran‘ in the loosest sense of the word. With my tight hamstrings , a result of running ‘fast’ at Melbourne, I could only run while high on strong anti-inflammatories and even Myree and her needles of pain couldn’t release the hamstrings fully. The orange activities are time on my Elliptigo ( http://www.elliptigo.com ) which was the best cross training I could muster without inuring myself. I enjoy my GO time but it’s nowhere near enough exercise in preparation for a Feral assault. The last three runs pre-Feral were pitiful at best and I was lucky to average around 6min/k , while the heart pumped at beats per minute reserved for sprinting, things were not good. The ultimate low for me was my last run pre-Feral, an 11km run in the ghetto that is City Beach where I slowed kilometre on kilometre until towards the end I was barely running. I passed two young men collecting from the verge when one of them starts to run backwards with me and asks his friend to video it. He was most excited that he could run backwards faster than this old fella, struggling, could run forwards. The worst part was my hammys were so tight I couldn’t go any faster and just had to take the embarrassment head on. I remember thinking to myself I had sunk to a new low in my running career. As I mentioned in the last paragraph I had no right rocking up to the start of the Feral but with nothing better to do on the weekend a long hike , with like minded runners, sounded ok?
Undeterred by my lack of training and negative attitude from the Yelo running crew, in their defence it was ludacris to attempt the Pig really, I fronted up to the Perth Discovery Centre early evening on Friday to catch the 9:35pm bus to the start line.
It’s tradition before we leave to recite the Feral Pig pledge and once Shaun Kaesler talked us through it were away on the two hour bus journey to the start line over 130km’s south on the Brookton Highway. The bus is a somber affair as all runners are desperately trying to get as much shut-eye as possible knowing it will probably be their last for a minimum of 24 hours and, for most, even longer. I nodded off a few times and was awoken when we left the highway and start to bounce along an off-road section just big enough for the bus. The clock was showing 11:30pm so we have 30 minutes to kill before the start.
This is the time Shaun Kaesler gets all the runners into a big circle, everybody turns off the headtorches and we just bask in the silence and tranquility of our surroundings, trust me people it’s special. Worth running a hundred miles for, probably not but a nice touch and it certainly fills you with positive vibes and prepares you for the task ahead. Mr. Kaesler really is the pied piper of ultra runners and in Shaun we trust.
The Feral start at midnight is unique and is a double edged sword, on one hand you have less than five hours until daylight but on the other you are starting a 100 mile race already sleep deprived and you know Sunday morning, early, you are going to have pay the piper. Due to the remoteness of the route the first aid station, Sullivan Rocks, isn’t until 41km, and it’s really for drop bag pick up only, not hot food as such , and the second aid station , Brookton Highway, is at 74km. That is a long way between aid stations. After Brookton they start to come every 13km or so until the end and this is much more manageable.
The first twenty or so kilometres is very runnable with no real elevation to speak off, I settled into a group of four runners with the Feral pain train of 2021, Cam D’Silva and Andy Thompson joined by our new recruit Neily Rae. Throughout the night runners came and went but the four of us were pretty constant until just after Mount Cook when Andy took off. Mount Cook was as challenging as always , elevation and also it just gets cold and windy near the summit, funny that. Coming off Mount Cook you eventually hit some good running terrain again , the sunrises , and before you know it you’re at Sullivan Rocks, aid station one.
At Sullivans I was prepared with a drop bog, one of only two for me, filled with goodies including 5 weetbix and milk. I have learnt from the two previous races that this aid station is really just a place to pick up your drop bag. Nothing compared to the smorgasbord we would be presented with at Brookton Highway thanks to Shannon Dale, the aid station King. I wolfed down my weetbix but in the rush to leave (why? It’s a 100 mile race!) I must have repacked or misplaced most of my gu’s. I left Sullivan Rock with very little in the way of nutrition, which was a mistake as the next aid station was another thirty two kilometres away. The image below is me and Cam at the top of Sullivan Rocks about to get trampled on by the 100 km runners and 50 mile runners. They do it every year although this year I think we arrived ten minutes earlier than the previous year so we had a bit of a headstart, ultimately it just delayed the inevitable.
After Sullivans Cam started to drop off citing an issue with his knee and Neily also faded leaving me with my thoughts and Taylor Swift on the Aftershokz, normal service had been resumed. Cam actually made it back to the Perth Discovery Centre, over 130km, in pain for over 100km of that distance. Bloody amazing effort and together we’ll go better next year. (Did I just type that?) He is a young man with a big future in trail running and ultra distance running. We’ll run together in February when we both take on the Delirious West 200 miler , with his mentor Carl Douglas. ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ )
Luckily before I reached Brookton I bumped into Tristan Cameron running with another miler and he had some extra nutrition he was able to give me as well as a water bottle. this certainly made the journey easier. To my credit I gave his some fisiocrem which helped his aching limbs. Fisiocrem is an absolute must for these events and I carry a tub with me in my backpack as well as tubes in my drop bags, it’s that good ! At every aid station and regularly throughout the event I would lather my legs in fisiocrem, it is ace !
Between Sullivan Rocks and Brookton Highway aid stations someone turned on the heat. This isn’t a problem for me as I love the heat , well I love running in the heat, daily life going about my business in the heat I whine like a stuffed pig. Actually I think that should be ‘bleed like a stuffed pig’? but whine is better in this scenario. I very rarely bleed like a stuffed pig when it’s hot, unless I trip ? I digress. I was probably undernourished and dehydrated by the time I got into Brookton but all this changed as Shannon Dale and his aid station oasis recharged my batteries. As you can see from the image below he knows the way to my heart. Bacon, egg and pancakes swimming in maple syrup, there are no words !
I left Brookton Highway feeling like a million dollars, bacon has that effect on me. The next aid station was Dale Car Park , a mere 13km away. After the first two aid stations spanning nearly 74km, a 13km hop was childs play. The trail was also special with the spring flowers in full bloom and also the colours from a recent burn-off, stunning. I stopped several times to try and capture the images on my iphone 11 but to no avail. (Note to self, time for a new iphone 14 for Xmas. ) It’s amazing how the world changes after a good feed and this is a valuable lesson , if you’re feeling like you’re done just eat and drink , a lot ! You can then walk it off initially before running again, fully fueled. As I have said many times a diesel van with fuel will destroy a Bugatti with no fuel all day long. Ultra running is all about getting the hydration and nutrition right. Sounds easy right , not so trust me.
Between Brookton and Dale Car Park I ran alone and just enjoyed the serenity of the occasion and the magnificence of my surroundings. The 13km slipped away quickly and before I knew it I was sitting down at Dale Car Park with a great cup of tea, white with three sugars, thankyou Harmony. I had my second , and final drop bag, here and opened it to find a tin of rice pudding, winning. ! Rice pudding is my go to as it is easy to digest, is full of all the good things an ultra runner needs and tastes great. Please note I only ever eat Rice Pudding when racing, as a day to day treat its probably not ideal, probably ? Before I left it was suntan cream time, thanks Heath Watkins, and off I went to take on more trails. Eleven more kilometres before Beraking aid station, another small hop albeit a few nasty elevations in the way. The fisiocrem certainly got a hammering at each aid station, making a massive difference.
Things were really heating up now and I had been running for well over 14 hours. The hill ( mountain?) before Beraking doesn’t have a name as such but boy it is long and grinds you down. Shaun mentioned at the start of the event that Beraking seems to be the DNF high point for the miler and I can see why. You’ve ran most of the night, and all day , and are now tired, hot and have just faced a monster of a hill. You hit the aid station at 99km into the 163km race knowing you have a death loop (38km ) ahead of you as well as over 60 kilometers, very easy to pull the pin. I felt good at Beraking as the next aid station , Allen Road, is where I start to enter my ‘happy place’. Allen Road to the Discovery Centre is a segment I have ran many times and know it like the back of my hand. I knew once I hit Allen Road I could easily get back to the start before the final death loop, the hardest part of the whole event.
The next aid station hop to Allen Road was around 16km, moving from 99km to 113km into the event. Again some serious elevations between these aid stations but the scenery made up for the brutality of the terrain. The temperature started to drop as we neared sunset and I managed to get to the Allen Road aid station just before the sun disappeared. I gorged on chocolate at Allen Road, trying something different to try and boost performance and who doesn’t love chocolate. Fueled on dark chocolate I climbed out of Allen Road and headed back to the start where I had left 18 hours earlier. As I said earlier this is my go to loop and I know it so well, it would be a lot easier running this route with my history on this trail.
Between Allen Road and the Discovery Centre I ran though the sunset which is my favourite time on the trails. The light is just so special at this time of the day and around each corner you are faced with another breath taking image. Colors change by the minute and it takes all my will power not to stop every few yards and take another photo. I have added an image below but I have so many more, I could have probably have finished a lot quicker if I hadn’t kept stopping and taking photos but when the scenery is this good you just need to stop and take it all in. This is why we do what we do after all.
Upto Allen Road aid station I had been mostly running alone but had been yo-yo’ing with Doug Bartlett for most of the day, we both came into Allen Road at around the same time and I suggested we run the last part of the race together. In the dark company can be a good thing. He agreed but he was too quick and I let him go early although I did catch him as we got to within 4km of the discovery centre and we talked about setting off into the death loop together, after a 90 minute rest. At this point we also nearly caught Andy Thompson, who had dropped Cam and I about 80 kilometres earlier. We heard him and Harmony, his pacer, a few hundred metres ahead of us but never managed to catch him. He also had a power nap at the Discovery centre and left with Doug.
We got into the Perth Discovery Centre around 9:30pm, 132km into the event and nearly twenty hours . There was no way I could face the death loop, the hardest 38km of the whole event, without some rest. Doug and Andy also tried to get some sleep and I scurried off to my car , got changed into some pajama’s and dived into a sleeping bag. I set the alarm for 11pm and tried to sleep. Normally I drop off to sleep very quickly but for some reason I couldn’t get comfortable and lay there thinking about what lay ahead of me. This is the hardest part of the Feral pig, lying in your car with the opportunity to drive away and end the suffering or starting on the death loop knowing you’ll be out there for probably around nine hours. Two years ago I left at this point , driven home by Adam around midnight, albeit I was pretty broken. Last year I breezed through the aid station and left after a quick pot noodle, chasing a buckle finishing time. It was one for the pig and one for me, this was the decider, it all came down to my next decision.
After working with Rob Donkersloot from Mind Focused Running ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) there really was only one option. Change of clothes, change of mental attitude and into the night I would go, unfortunately at this point alone as Doug and Andy has already left. It would have been better to run with them but I felt they were both running quicker and I didn’t want to hold them back. It was me, my shokz headphones and Taylor Swift again, the deadly duo reunited. I walked to the aid station letting them know I was off into the death loop alone when I saw Neily Ray get some work done on his feet. The last time I saw Neily was exiting Sullivan Rocks, a lifetime ago. I was going to wait for him when Shaun Kaesler informed me Tristan Cameron had just left minutes earlier. Company was too good to turn up, I left the aid station and chased Tristan down which didn’t take long as he was playing with his light about 100 metres down the trail. This was good news, we agreed to run (hike?) together but in all the commotion I had forgot to grab any water or food. I had a 8km hop to the next aid station with no nutrition or hydration, great ? Again Tristan had more than enough for both of us so it wasn’t a problem.
The death loop (or DNF loop) is a real nasty piece of work. You have to run normally at night and after running a 132km warm up with a midnight start the previous evening. You’re tired, very tired and probably worse and you know you have a really long night ahead of you, and early morning. Last year I ran most of it and still took nearly 8 hours, this year there would be little running. Tristan and I just broke the loop down into four separate sections, what I recommend you do with any ultra distance event. Don’t concentrate on the finish , which could be days away, instead aim for the next aid station. Get there and then reset with your next goal being the next aid station, leap frog your way to the finish, one aid station at a time.
For this loop we had just over 9km to the Camel Farm aid station, then a similar distance to Jorgensen park, Kalamunda, before retuning the same way , via the Camel Farm, to the finish. The first 18km was the hardest as we climbed from the Discovery Centre to Jorgensen Park. Once we go to Jorgensen Park we could turn and roll home, well that’s how we sold it to ourselves. We staggered and I mean staggered to Camel Farm where we stopped for a cup of tea albeit with no sugar, sacrilege, and some cold sausage rolls. As we sat there mulling over the next section Neily Ray came into sight and the duo became a trio. The three of us would finish together and the company made the journey so much more enjoyable.
We left the Camel Farm to take on the hardest section of the death loop, the 9km to Jorgensen Park. There are two massive climbs within this section on just about un-runable single track. Add to this we go lost on a descent following an old trial on the Gaia app, and when I say old I mean old, I reckon the last people on this trail would have been early settlers. ! We eventually made the summit at Jorgensen Park to an oasis of an aid station. Hot food, hot tea and great company. The only problem was we were all so tired myself and Neily actually nodded off in our chairs. It was time to get moving or we’d never leave. The mental boost from knowing you are on a descent to the finish and with a full stomach, cannot be under estimated. Now every step was a step towards the finish line and mostly downhill. It got even better when the sun rose albeit it brought rain with it for good measure. Undeterred we kept moving forward and breezed through the Camel Farm on the way back, not even stopping, we could smell the finish.
I have no photos of this stage bar the two images below. The first the three of us at Mundaring dam at the top of the stairs, all smiles, and the last one at the finishing line. I was just fatigued to take out my phone and take photos, and if you know me that is a big deal. This race destroys you, it’s as simple as that.
Mission accomplished. We staggered home from the Camel Farm and even broke into a trot on a few occasions. Overall just over nine hours for the last 38km and I’m happy with that. Tristan and Neily made it bearable and I’m sure we’ll all sign up again. In the end we finished in 32 hours 19 minutes and change. Given the build up to this event it goes down as one of my greatest achievements’. A week before the event I was struggling to finish a 10km , to complete the Feral was a miracle and a testament to Rob Donkersloot and his work on my mental strength. No more talk of DNF’ing just enjoying the moment and reminding myself that this is what I signed up for and enjoy it. He’s got a point you know.
So what’s next ? Well you’re probably not going to believe this but Hysterical Carnage backyard ultra ( https://hystericalcarnage.com.au/ ) is five days after the Feral Pig. I love Hysterical and this year am taking the family along so it’s recovery and then racing again. No time for training due to the quick turn around. Only fly in the ointment is a very badly bruised ankle due to the timing chip ankle bracelet being too tight, rookie error. It’s back onto the anti-inflammatories for one more adventure, promise.
As well as the strong drugs I also use my Human Tecar compression bandages and spray to aid recovery. ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) I have used the compression bandages after both of my 200 milers this year and they really work. We’ll see how they go this time, pre-Hysterical.
Finally as always I give a shout out to three of my favourite products… fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered. It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.
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The Lighthorse Ultra ( https://lighthorseultra.com.au/ ) is one of my favorite events for a number of reasons. Firstly its for a fantastic cause namely supporting those who have served to protect. The Ultra Series give free entry to any past or present servicemen or women who have served, which is bloody fantastic. Every year a few men and women from our armed forces come along and do the event in uniform some with backpacks, inspiring stuff. Next it’s a timed event so you’re racing for distance not time as such. This has the added bonus , or curse, of even standing still you are moving closer to the finish line, one second at a time. Next is the comradery of the event village which you pass through every two and half kilometres as well as seeing all the other runners on the loop. The number of runners changes during the event of course with the 24 hour runners starting at 3pm Saturday, the twelve hour runners starting at 3am Sunday morning, the 6 and 3 hour runners starting at 6am Sunday. So it starts quiet on Saturday afternoon, gets busy during the middle of the event and then dies down towards the final few hours. Either way the event village is a hub of load music, great smelling food and people doing their thing, be that sleeping, crewing or just bathing in the event.
Funnily enough the Lighthorse Ultra in 2019 was my first DNF , if you can actually DNF a timed event. I had entered the 12 hour , as there was no 24 hour at the time, and found myself racing with Jon Pendse who would run a top 5 Australian distance of over 140km . He totally cooked me and at around 30km I called it quits and scuttled off home, a broken man. The next morning I ran a controlled 35km from my house not realising I could have gone back to the event, ran the same distance and picked up a nice shiny medal and a respectable middle of the pack total. As it was my first timed event the concept was alien to me and I regret not staying for a nap in the car or returning the next morning. No worries, I have returned the last three years , for the 24 hour event, and podiumed every time. I learned from the experience and came back stronger and dealt with my demons. This is why I always say a DNF is so much better than a DNS as there is the opportunity to learn from you mistakes with a DNF. My only two other DNF’s are now my favourite races also , the Delirious West 200 miler ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) and the Feral Pig 100 Miler. ( https://feralpigultra.com.au/ ) Running is weird.
I nearly didn’t make the start line this year. My no2 Daughter, Charlotte, came down with suspected mastoiditis Friday evening and after a trip to the local hospital was kept in for the night with another night planned. So that was it, I asked Rob to inform the race director, on Saturday morning, I was a DNS and begrudgingly unpacked my bags and began planning my stay at home duties looking after my other two daughters, the two dogs and the two Guinea pigs. While also keeping abreast of the Charlotte situation of course. Around midday my Wife called and told me the hospital was letting them out at 6pm that day so I was free to go and run around in circles for 24 hours. So I had just over two hours to repack my bag and get to the start line, no pressure. I made it with about half-an-hour to go thankfully and was ready for the Last Post, a very emotional part of the race.
I managed to get a berth in the Mind Focused Running marquee ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) and take advantage of the racing guru that is Rob Donkersloot for crewing. Rob has a wealth of experience including crewing for Mick Thwaites when he podiumed at the Badwater Ultra, ( https://www.badwater.com/ ) which as the name suggests is probably the hardest ultra on the planet. If you want to improve the mental side of your running Rob is the man and trust me ultra running is all mental. !
So we were ready, I had a crew I could trust, some training under my belt since Herdy’s frontyard and COVID and I was feeling happy to actually make the start line after the drama of the last 24 hours. As the name suggests the race is all about the running community paying their respects to the men and women who have served, or are serving, our Country. Pre start there is a bugler who sounds the last post, a military tradition, the Last Post is the bugle call that signifies the end of the day’s activities. It is also sounded at military funerals to indicate that the soldier has gone to his final rest and at commemorative services such as ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day. It is very emotional and certainly puts things in perspective, gives you a mental edge to tackle what is ahead of you knowing what our servicemen and women gave up so we would be able to life our live safely and comfortably.
Frank Kaesler read the last paragraph of the poem by Laurence Binyon, ‘For the Fallen’, an ANZAC day tradition and then we’re off, lap one, 3pm Saturday afternoon.
The two previous years I had ran 192km and 196km, always falling short of the 200km mark. This was down to me only having a moving time of sub 20 hours (thankyou Strava, remember ‘Strava is life the rest is details’) , meaning I spent too long in the chair and not enough time running. Both these distances were good for a podium finish but the goal this time was entry into the elusive 200k club. This is the main reason Rob was brought into the team. His experience would get me the goal I was coveting, albeit it would come at a price.
At 3pm Saturday the 80 or so 24 hour runners set off on lap 1, I needed to run 80 laps for 200km. At the start I sat towards the front of the pack and made sure I was relaxed keeping the heart rate and effort level down. The early stages are all about dialing in a pace you think you can maintain for long distances. There is no early race spurt for distance or even changes in pace throughout the event. If ever a race encapsulated the meme ‘the winner is the runner who slows the least‘ , this is it. Slow and steady.
The two previous years I had tried to sleep between the 2am and 5am, the witching hours as I call them. These are the hours when the body expects sleep, it can survive without sleep outside these hours but the 2-5 period it really wants to sleep , thus the witching hours. In longer distance ultras, say a 200 miler, I always get a least 2 hours and normally three between these hours and feel so much better for it, I may push through if it’s the last day but normally I will always sleep in between this period. For a 24 hour race sleep really is a luxury and not needed and Rob was here to make sure I didn’t falter. To this end he left before dinner to make sure he was back to keep an eye on me from late evening to the finish. I will admit to having a sneaky 10 minutes while he was away knowing I would be limited when he returned. Unfortunately with the timing chip on my ankle he knew where I was at all times and could see , when I hadn’t moved for 10 minutes, I was in the chair.
The first few hours were unremarkable , running wise , which is what you need at the start of a 24 hour race. If you suffer in the first 6 hours you are in for a very long day at the office. Luckily Jon Pendse was not running as I have been in that situation before chasing Jon when he ran his Australian record pace, believe me it ain’t fun ! Anyhow I digress, today was a lot easier and as we transitioned into a top change, bye bye singlet, as the temperature dropped and nightfall arrived I was feeling good.
I always find the first 50-90km of any race hard, be it a 200 miler , 100 miler or , in this case, a 24 hour race. After 90km I tend to get into a rhythm and you start to prepare mentally for the task ahead. This race was no different and I was allowed a 5 minute break at 60k and a 10 minute break at 85km. The 85km break was actually the 100km break early as I was suffering albeit Rob was not happy. At the time I was in the lead, much to Mick Francis’s ( https://www.facebook.com/MickFrancisCoaching/ ) disgust that I was horizontal in my chair at the time. Mick, or Mighty Mick, as he is known in the West is an Ultra Running God and now coaches in his retirement. When Mick ran 24 hour races he never left the track , or sat down, unless he was changing his clothing. Albeit this was probably in the early 1920’s and things have changes since then. Anyway I maintained my lead over Conor Quinn, who was second last year running 200km and my main rival, as another great runner Andy Wait had encountered ankle trouble and slept , for longer than he wanted. Third place was Neily Rae who was consistently lapping and would eventually finish with over 170km. He was running for his son Zane and did him proud, a gutsy run and a massive PB !
After 85km there was no rest for me really bar some food stops and changing clothing. Rob kept me on the straight and narrow and listened to my varied requests when I came round each lap and went about his business. If I needed Red Bull I would ask and then next lap it would appear, hot tea, pizza, orange juice , my list of requests was long and varied but each time Rob delivered. I’m certainly no Phil Gore when it comes to preparation and prefer just to have a ‘Rob’ , a sort of real time Phil Gore. As I have said before a good crew is paramount to success in an Ultra.
In an Ultra spanning over 24 hours or longer there are certain times that boost your moral and sunrise is one the the biggest. Once the sun rises the world as you know it changes dramatically. No longer are you staring at a small sphere of light ahead of you , continually moving towards darkness. A sunrise is so special but more so when you have been looking forward to it for hours and running continually though the night. Normally, well in Western Australia anyhow, there is the added benefit of heat which later during the day can become a hindrance to some. With my Delirious West training I have now acclimatized to the heat and actually prefer it, the hotter the better. Sunday would heat up but I had my neck scarf, thankyou Margie Hadley, and my arm coolers, thankyou Rob Collins. With Rob filling these with ice each lap I was unaffected by the heat and ploughed on, always running (shuffling) forward. As the image below shows I was now dressed in red for the finish and conditions were perfect. A beaut image captured by Marco Noe, a very talented photographer.
Sunday morning onwards was just about getting it done. I was ahead of target by about 7-8km’s at each of the turn arounds (the race changes direction every 3 hours) and had a good hour up my sleeve at the 12 hour mark. Rob kept me honest and I made a conscious effort to never walk while on the loop. Throughout the event I ran the loop and managed to keep this going the whole 24 hours, this was key to my ultimate success.
There are 7 turn arounds (where you change direction) and I treat each of these as a mini goal, in ultras you need to break it down into manageable goals rather than just concentrate on the finish which could be days away. I learnt this from my first attempt at the Delirious West where I remember running for 17 hours and realising that I probably had over 80 hours to go. That sort of mentality is a guarantee recipe for failure. Instead I should have been thinking about the next aid station, a 15-20km target and then hop from one aid station to the next until, voila, you’re home. A lesson learned from a DNF is invaluable and its the main reason a DNF is so much more productive than a DNS.
Racing for the win stopped a few hours before the end when Conor pulled the pin at 185km, happy and comfortable to grab second place and a hour or two relaxing in the chair. Of course Rob had other ideas for me but it was a relieve knowing the win was in the bag and then I was just racing myself to get to 200km and beyond. The early afternoon warmed up but every lap Rob added ice to my neckerchief and arm coolers and this was enough that the heat wasn’t a factor. I struggled with nutrition towards the end but the job was done and I had enough fuel to canter to the finish.
I hit the 200km target with about 45 minutes left and I was then allowed 5 minutes rest in the chair, the first time since 85km which seemed a lifetime ago. I could have stopped at 200k but actually enjoyed running nearly another three laps, just falling short at 207km. Mission accomplished. Could I have achieved this total without Rob ? Probably not, there were some dark times throughout the event and times when the chair was so inviting, just 5 minutes or maybe a tad longer. Thinking back to my two previous attempts I had spent so much more time pontificating but, and there’s always a but, I probably found the constant running so much more testing than running less but faster. To race a 24 hour and grab a total over 200km you can’t , or shouldn’t rest, but there may be a balance where some rest can help improve the overall average pace and thus get the same end result?
In the end the 24 hour runners set an Australian record for the largest number of runner to complete the 50km distance needed to be counted as an ultra in 24 hours. 76 runners completed the 50km or more and beat the old record, set by this event two years ago, by 19. Shaun Kaesler, the owner of the Ultras Series WA and SA ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) , would have been so proud of this years record turnout and also running with his Family including his Wife Sarah who ran a great race for a top 5 finish in the ladies event. Other notable runs were achieved by Mel Maisey who used some of her many, many volunteer credits and kept on going right to end to run a massive 60km, Gemma Gore who came so close to 100km on her first ultra, her longest run by over 70km, that is a serious PB! The second and third females are trained by Mick Francis and in the next tent to me so I saw them push themselves to massive totals, well done Cheri Savin and Ilze Roux. Jen Millum and Margie Hadley taking out the 24 and 12 hour events, these two just get the job done time and time again, pure ultra racing royalty. To me everybody who crosses the start line is a winner in this event, everybody, I may have already said that but it needs to be typed twice. I cannot express in words the feeling you get when you run the 24 hour event in the Lighthorse, you’ll just need to sign up next year and find out for yourselves, you won’t regret it but if you want some time in your chair best avoid Rob.
Couldn’t leave with a few tips for going long. Number one is fisiocrem, this stuff does exactly what it says it will do , namely rejuvenate your aching muscles in the short term, i.e. for the event, be that a 24 hour or multi-day. I have used fisiocrem for 200 milers, 100 milers and any distance over 50km where I would have time to apply the creme. It certainly saved the day at the Delirious West 200 miler ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) earlier in the year and didn’t let me down in the Lighthouse. A great product.
Another great product is Bix Hydration tablets. The three flavours are great tasting but more importantly easy on the stomach, which is so good when you are drinking a lot. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/en-au ) The owner and founder of this range , Vlad Ixel, knows a thing or two about ultra running. ( check out his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCikqAT5S16931CQN_tC7EtQ )
To prevent chafing you need this product. It works. ( https://squirrelsnutbutter.com/ ) I can’t say too much more about this product. It helps you get to the finish line chafe free, which can be very, very important ! Actually forget can be, it is very important , as one who has suffered severe chafing in the never regions knows !
Right that it’s then. Never thought I was in the running for a win but will take it and, at 55 years old, not sure how many more I have coming my way but if this is the last one then so be it. I run these events to spend time with people I love, finishing at the pointy end is a privilege that I don’t take for granted and there were so many heroes on the course over the 24 hours, so many. In this event everybody is winner, everybody.
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In 2020 I DNF’d the Feral Pig, I got back to the start line, around 126km, but couldn’t muster the energy for the final 36k loop knowing how hard it is. I had trained well enough for the Feral but for some reason on the day I just wasn’t feeling it, I had a lift to the start which at least made me start the event. If I had driven myself I think I may have side stepped the bus to the start line and kept on walking to my car and snuck off home as a DNS. As it was I ended up begrudgingly sitting in the bus regretting my decision and not enjoying the journey as every minute this bus drove south I knew I had to run back, and the bus takes a long time to get to the start, trust me. Anyhow during the day I managed to keep moving forward but after a change of clothes at the start line I just couldn’t envisage completing the DNF loop (as I call it) and so pulled the pin, albeit after completing a twenty minute first kilometre, due to navigation issues.
Funnily enough on the bus this year I sat to next to a young runner , Cameron, who I would run with for most of the event, go figure, I digress. The start really is 40+ runners in the dark forest waiting for midnight to start. Shaun Kaesler was running this year, the owner of Ultra Series WA (and SA) ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) and he got us all in a big circle , turned off all our headlamps and gave us a rousing speech to get us in the right frame of mind for the challenge ahead. I’ll give Shaun his due he really is the pied piper of ultra running in WA, he can inspire the uninspired and make the impossible seem possible, and he does on a regular basis. I hope this pre-start huddle becomes a tradition , which is what normally happens with Shaun, and many runners will be able to feel the togetherness we all felt that night. Looking up at the stars was humbling and to share this with so many like minded people, special, very special.
To make this event even more challenging I had finished the Delirious West 200 miler ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) only 4 weeks previous so the legs would not be fully recovered. To counter this I decided to use poles from the start and really just enjoy the experience, with time a secondary consideration, this was my final redemption run.
Due to a rookie error I actually started the event 2-3 minutes after everybody else, I had forgot to acquire a GPS on my Coros so had to wait a few minutes before I could start running, if it’s not on Strava it didn’t happen ! Anyhow me and the tail runner eventually started and I moved through the field before bumping into Sergio, Andy and Cam and we formed a group which would stay together for most of the day, bar Sergio who stopped for a sleep and then flew past us about 50k later. Darlene joined us for a few hours before she stopped for some water while we continued on to the first aid station, Sullivan Rocks, at around the 42k mark. This sums up the Feral, the first aid station is marathon distance into the race, after a midnight start, brutal, like the terrain.
Andy, Cam and I spent most of Saturday morning and day together, the three of us rolling through the aid stations and with Andy’s amazing sense of direction never worrying about getting lost, that man really is talented. It makes such a difference running with company and the banter make the miles disappear. For the most part Andy set a perfect pace but if he dropped off I would sneak to the front to keep him honest. Cam was always happy to continue sandwiched between us with a infectious smile. It was Cam’s first 100 miler and he absolutely aced it , that young man has a great ultra running career ahead of him . Andy goes ok as well, just like a finely tuned white diesel van who also doubled as a great source of snickers. The three of us had a great time.
Due to the remoteness of the event there are minimal aid stations for the fist half of the race. Sullivan Rocks is the first at 41.5k then Brookton Highway at 73.5k. After that they are a tad more frequent, Mount Dale carpark ,86.2k, Beraking Campsite, 97.3k, Allen Road bridge 113.4k before returning to the start before the DNF loop at 126.6k. On the DNF loop you have an aid station at the Camel farm you pass through twice (135k and 154.7k) before the last outlying aid station at Kalamunda (144.8k). There are a smattering of drink stops scattered in there as well. This made the event challenging, unlike a 200 miler which feels like an adventure , with better food, the 100 miler feels like a race.
The major selling point of the Feral Pig 100 miler is the scenery and the remoteness of the event. As I said earlier there are few aid stations until well over half way and you start at midnight, a baptism of fire really. By the time you stagger into the first aid station at Sullivan rocks your normally pretty well goosed , before starting back up the granite hill to complete the rest of the event, about another 120km. As with all ultras you go though good and bad times and getting to Brookton Highway is a massive confidence booster. The food here is normally (actually always!) very , very good as Shannon Dale and his tribe provide it. This year was no different, my staple ultra diet of pancakes and bacon was more than enough to raise the spirts and I explored out of this aid station. Well maybe exploded is an over statement, stumbled more like. My quads had started to play up but the food helped and I was able to get into some sort of groove a few kilometres later, cocooned in the Feral train being ably led by Andy.
We caught up with Shaun Kaesler, pre-Brookton Highway, and we all came in together. Pre-aid station we had got into a group of 6-7 runners and the banter flowed while the kilometres melted away before us. The running conditions were just about perfect for November in WA, by this I mean it wasn’t stinking hot which is the norm for that time of year. 2021 will be known for being ‘the cold year‘, albeit it was still probably 22-25 degrees celsius. Shaun went past us later in the day like a scolded cat but I was confident I’d see him again giving his training program is minimal at best, mainly due to the nature of his day job !
Funnily enough what broke up the Feral train was a glib remark from Andy about the possibility of a buckle if you finished quicker then 26 hours. This was just past Allen Road and we had an hour or two of daylight left. As soon as a buckle was mentioned my race changed, all of a sudden finishing was no longer the number one objective, it became something I had no idea even existed a few minutes earlier. Doing some mental math I reckoned I had a chance of a buckle if I put my foot down. We were on part of the bib track I knew very well and was confident I could back to the start quickly. I couldn’t persuade the rest of the Feral train to join me so I set off alone. As I said I have ran from the Perth Discovery Centre to Allen Road and back on numerous times training for the Delirious West 200 miler earlier in the year ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) so was more than happy to tackle it alone, with night falling.
I actually made it back to the start at 8pm and refueled on noodles quickly, ordered at the Allen Road aid station, before setting off into the dark to tackle the DNF (or Death Loop). At this stage I was confident I had more than enough time to make my buckle but I underestimated what was to come and trust me I knew it would be difficult , just not as difficult as it turned out to be.
Fueled on noodles I had my second wind and left the Perth Discovery Centre cock-a-hoop , looking forward to my buckle which at this stage was in the bag as far as I was concerned. I have 6 hours to run just over 30k, how easy would that be. I knew the loop would be hard but 6 hours and I was feeling pretty good, what could go wrong. The night got even better when I caught up with Shaun and his beautiful Wife, and pacer , Sarah five or so kilometres later. Unfortunately for Shaun the chickens had come home to roost and he was paying the piper , big time. He was moving forward but he was in for a long night and he knew it, that’s the Feral though , one minute you think you have tamed the beast and then it comes back to bite you. After I left him and Sarah and continued into the night I wondered what lay ahead for me.
What eventually killed my buckle quest was the next aid station, the Camel Farm. I had arrived feeling quite good having left Shaun in my wake and asked the vollies the distance to the turn around at Kalamunda. In my mind it was a 7-8k stretch but I was informed 9.8k, this destroyed me as I had underestimated the distance for the DNF loop. In my mind is was nearer 32k rather than the 38k it actually was, although the extra 6k doesn’t seem a lot typing this post , at the time it was devastating. My buckle virtually disappeared at that moment and all I could see were chickens coming home to roost and a silly little bloke playing a pipe. As well as the extra 6k it was the terrain ahead of me that would finally break my buckle quest.
The run from the Camel Farm aid station to Kalamunda included two really hard climbs that are virtually unrunable. Add in 24 hours of running before even starting these two climbs and you have the recipe for disaster. The only thing that probably stops runners actually DNF’ing on this loop is you are so close to the finish you just get your head down, adopt the fetal position and take your punishment in the pain box. The climbs were brutal and I use that word a lot for this race but there is no better description. I was alone now and after staggering into the Kalamunda aid station didn’t have much left in the tank for the return to the start. My good friend Shannon Dale was there, him of the pancakes and bacon at Brookton Highway, and he served up some seriously good potatoes which hit the mark, and a cup of sweet tea, my go to drink of choice towards the end of an ultra.
Fed and watered I was unceremoniously kicked out the aid station and I stumbled into the night on the return journey , back to the two climbs but now in reverse. On the way back I bumped into Shaun and Sarah and he hadn’t improved, infact if you could picture death warmed up this would have been Shaun, it wasn’t his best look but he still finished, with minimal training but serious mental strength. Good on ‘ya Shaun. Next I bumped into Andy who was just ahead of Cam (and pacers) , the Feral train, with both runners getting it done and they would finish together.
A highlight of this section of the course was my headlamp dying suddenly, with no moon when it’s dark it’s really dark. I thumbled for my iphone to give me some light so I could change headlamps. Note: always have a backup headlamp, always ! I was helped by another runner and then off I went again, alone into the night. At this point I was approaching my second night of no sleep so was starting to hallucinate. This is an added benefit of ultra running, get to your second night of no sleep and there is a good chance you’ll get to see all sorts of weird stuff, makes the event worthwhile ! I find the second night of an ultra is where the hallucinations begin, (assuming you don’t sleep) and thus far they have always been quite cool, I suppose it would depend on your mindset ?
Into the Camel Farm aid station for another cup of tea and some fruit before the final stage to the start , which would now also be the finish. There were numerous runners coming the other way and I didn’t envy their task ahead but all of them finished. I did bump into Chemie Banger (Jamie), who was running the 100k, but he was happy for me to carry on at my pace.
From the Perth Discovery Centre you cross over the Mundaring Dam , or around it if the dam was shut , which funnily enough at 2am it was ! This meant a lot of stairs which hurt both ways trust me. The dam is a lonely place at 2am with only Kangaroos for company setting off the security lights. I actually got lost running into the Discovery Centre, second guessing the Bib track signs and convincing myself they were wrong, of course they weren’t. Frustrating doesn’t sum up that feeling after nearly 100 miles of knowing you’re a few kilometers from the finish but which direction..? After some back tracking and checking on the GPS software, (thankyou https://www.gaiagps.com/ ) I eventually stumbled into the finish to a rapturous reception from both people still up at just past 3am in the morning. (Note to self, even finish a lot quicker or a lot slower next time, at least in daylight)!
A big shout out to some of the runners who hadn’t even left the Discovery Centre when I finished. These runners were going to run through a second night and finish in daylight. To get to the start line after nearly 30 hours of running and then facing the DNF (Death loop) is absolutely top drawer in the mental toughness stakes. I was sitting opposite John Cooke as he prepared to go out into the dark and take on his demons after DNF’ing the previous year, what an incredible effort. John, like myself, subscribe to Rob Donkersloot and his Mind Focused Running program. I can’t recommend this program enough and his results speak for themselve. ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) In ultra’s the back of the pack runner is the real hero , in my book !
So I finished in just over 27 hours, it was then straight to the warm showers, into a pair of warm pajamas’ and an onesie sleeping bag and to the front seat of my car, took me about ten seconds to fall into a deep sleep.
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Right I left you with myself and Adam at Broke Inlet Road, around 88k in. Last year I was broken by this point, excuse the pun, with the quads just about to seize up completely. It was dark and I was hungry, unprepared and unsupported, it was never going to end well and a few hours later I pulled the pin.
This year was a different story, I had had a great days running and my support crew had prepared a hearty dinner , change of shoes, clothes and had me up and about ready to face the next leg, which we knew would be dark and very wet ! Me and Adam set off into the darkness excited about what lay ahead albeit with a touch of trepidation knowing it would be a difficult 20k to my nemesis, Mandalay Beach. The two videos below show how wet it was !
Funnily enough Adam and I enjoyed this part of the course. Ok, it was incredibly wet but it was all part of the adventure that is Delirious, just walking 20k through ankle deep water in the middle of the night, where else would you rather be. Eventually we got to Mandalay and decided it was time for a break, it was late and we’d been on the go since 7am that morning. I’m not sure what time we left Mandalay but I know the next stage to Mount Clare was a slog, lots of sand, wind and hard climbs but again it was just ace because it was so hard and like nothing we had ran before. The wind made it more rugged, brutal but also it focused the mind. There was no one else around of course, just Adam and I and our head torches moving forward into the night with the waves crashing around us.
As Adam remarked I was now in uncharted territory after not making it out of Mandalay the previous year. It was a slog to Mount Clare and the climb to the aid station was more like an ascent rather than a run, the hill was steep and long and we both needed more time to recoup at the next aid station. Both of us fell into our reclining chairs, grabbed some food and then closed out eyes while being wrapped up in warm blankets by our crew. We both had about 15-20 minutes of quiet time before moving onto Warpole where we knew there was a sleep station and although it would mean sleeping in the day we had to take some time out.
We got to Warpole around 10am and decided we’d have a two hour sleep, there was beds, showers , toilets and we took advantage of all of these. I had a great two hours sleep and even got a massage from Myree before setting off to the next aid station, Giant Tingle Tree. It was wet and steep, that about sums it up. Beautiful scenery mind but testing conditions. Totally different to what had come before, which is what makes this event so special, each day has something different, terrain wise, to tackle.
That’s enough for this post… one more to go..
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In February 2019 I started the Delirious West 200 miler, totally unprepared both mentally and physically. I was coming off the back of virtually no running for 3 months and had entered a dark place where running was the last thing on my mind. Truth be told a few weeks before I was going to call the Race Director and pull out but my hand was forced when my favourite barista entered after I had badgered him for months. If Georges had delayed his entry by a few days we both would have probably avoided the event. I have written a few posts on my glorious failure so if you feel the need search for these on the blog and you’ll get the idea…
I was totally prepared for Delirious 2020 in February after a stella training program but COVID put an end to the event and it was rescheduled to October. This presented a serious of challenges not least the weather. We had the wettest Winter and Spring for many years and a lot of the Bibbulum track was under water. ( https://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/ ) The course was changed slightly to avoid the worst of the water features and this resulted in a ten kilometre shorter course. With hindsight the ‘wet year’ , as it will be known, was just about perfect running conditions even with the extra water features and I wonder if any course records set in 2021 will ever be beaten?
Right to the event itself. I went for the same travel plans as last year which meant arriving in Northcliffe on Monday afternoon, driving down through a storm with Bart’s and his beautiful Wife Jo. This year I had upgraded to a motel suite rather than a single room above the bar . The benefit of this was I got two good nights sleep albeit the pub was closed both days in the evening as it was October and things tend to slow down in a country pub this time of year. Last year the event was ran in February where , trust me, the pub goes off! Funnily enough Adam was booked into room 2 and Bart’s was in room 3, both above the bar, but this year the pub was quiet albeit Bart’s complained the one car that probably drove past the pub in the evening woke him up, much to our amusement.
Monday is spent with the event ‘die hards‘, either volunteers , tribe and trail staff ( https://www.tribeandtrail.com.au/ ) or race directors, it is a very relaxed start to the week, where as Tuesday things tend to heat up quickly with check in and of course the race that stops Nothcliffe, (although you’d probably not notice?) the Bogan run before the race briefing in the evening. It is also good to just soak up the atmosphere of Northcliffe and spend some time with Duncan, Helen and the staff at the hotel, just hanging out really. A massive plus is the food available at the Hotel, it is great quality and just what you need before a four day 200 miler. Also the waffles are to die for but this year unfortunately only available on the Wednesday morning of the race, this was very disappointing. I made my feelings known but was obviously ignored. Hopefully in February the hotel will be out of its Winter slumber and there will be a full compliment of chef’s producing culinary masterpieces , daily. As I have said many times ultra running is very food centered, where as marathon running is all about avoiding food ?
Of course the main race , for some, is the traditional Bogan run on the Tuesday afternoon. This is for crew and supporters and entails drinking a fair amount of Fosters beer, a little bit of trail runnings and a lot of laughing. I’ll do a special post on this in the weeks to come as it deserves it’s own write up. I’ll leave a few teaser images below..
First video at 6K in and the boys are loving it, funnily enough. There is an aid station at the start after the 5k out and back, (10k total) which had been added to make up for course changes due to the extra water features . Full of beans we made this first 10k easily, and then spent about twenty minutes at the aid station so Bart’s could prepare himself for the next part of the adventure. This meant we were probably just about last coming out of that aid station. Bart’s insisted slow and steady was to way to tame the Delirious beast and I couldn’t argue with him after going out like a rocket the previous year and failing very quickly !
The first day is pretty much devoid of aid stations accessible by crew and also long distances between stations so its best to err on the side of caution but I did get the feeling we were probably ‘erring too much‘ as we moved backwards through the field. At one point I had the impression we would run out of runners to move backwards to ! After the 10k out and back the next aid station is Chesapeake West at 33k from the start (no crew) , then Dog Road, where support can join us, at 53k before Pingerup Road at 67k, (no crew), and then Broke Inlet at 88k , Mandalay Beach 105k, Mount Clare, 125k and the first sleep station at Walpole 134k; all with crew.
30k in and we encounter our first water crossing just before the Chesapeake West aid station. There was no way around so in we went. It was amusing to watch Bart’s suffer as he had been ‘giving it large’ a few hours earlier about how he had dry feet , a rookie error ! We had been joined by Veronika and Darleen by this stage although Veronika dropped us like a bad rash soon after and we made it our mission to chase her down over the next few days. It took us till Friday to actually catch her and that was only due to a bad back on her part which eventually forced her to DNF but only after a heroic attempt to finish. That woman epitomizes what it is to run these events, so very mentally tough but this time let down by an injury that made it impossible to stay upright. Veronika, like Danae, will be back in February I’m sure and I look forward to chasing her again.
42k in and we’re still having fun, still chasing Veronika and being run down by Harmony and Darlene. A course record is probably off the cards mainly down to the water logged terrain but also lack of talent and desire, probably the latter truth be told. We were just three mates having fun together and all thought of time was forgotten. This sums up the whole adventure really, just like minded people having fun for four days, with a bit of running thrown in to justify the experience.
Below is a clip showing us at around the 48k mark preparing to meet the crew at the Dog Road aid station, around 5k later. This would be the first time time the spectators would see the BK crew, a thing of natural beauty. Gazza and Alex would become legends over the next four days, going above and beyond what a normal crew would aspire to , turning up the dial to 11. As soon as I sat in my Wanderer reclining chair my socks and shoes were whipped off and my feet placed in a soothing foot bath before being massaged. Next I was presented with a hot chicken curry and various hydration options before a change of clothes and all drink and food replenished in my backpack. After seeing me off Gazza then took on Will who had issues with his feet and treated him to a foot bath and massage, this man was in a ‘crewing frenzy‘, if anybody sat down and needed help he was there, with bells on !
Once we left Dog Road we had another long wait until we saw our crew again at Broke Inlet Road, about 35k away albeit there was an aid station in-between at Pingerup Road in 14k. The way to run these events is to concentrate on the distances between the aid stations and treat each one as a mini-goal, you break down the 200 miles into one aid station at a time, it’s a simple concept. The video below shows up at 55k, just after the Dog Road aid station. Still in great spirits albeit running into a head wind. This part of the course is great for running and we had about 30k of decent road running ahead of us. We cruised into the next aid station at Pingerup Road , 67k, still feeling good and preparing ourselves for the sunset .
72k in , after the Pingerup Road aid station and just before sunset.. this would be the last time you’ll see Bart’s unfortunately. He had started to drop back at this stage but still reached a distance PB at 80k where we stopped for a photo to celebrate this milestone. We arrived at Broke Inlet before Bart’s and as he arrived he announced he was going for a sleep. Adam and I were feeling good so decided to take on the wet 20k stage ahead to Mandalay Beach. Gazza and Alex had looked after me but it was a dark aid station and things can definitely go downhill fast in the dark. We dropped the ball a bit with Bart’s as after we left he started to succumb to the cold and dark and decided to pull the pin. He had ran further than he had ever run before and I was proud of his effort, he’ll learn from this and I am 100% confident he’ll return in 2023 and destroy Delirious and I’ll be there with him !
Right that’s enough for today, my dogs need walking and there’s a long way to go.. more to follow..
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Vlad Ixel, him of You Tube fame :- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCikqAT5S16931CQN_tC7EtQ came up with the concept of a trail relay while working in Hong Kong and it proved to be a big hit in Asia. Working with the Ultra Series WA ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) and the RD from hell Shaun Kaesler, the two decided you put the concept to the test on Australian shores for the first time. It’s a simple concept, you find like minded runners and join a team of 2 or 4 and together run a 100k loop. ( https://thegreatrelays.com.au/ ) Chuck in a baton to be passed between team members and a gnarly 2.5k trail loop and you have the makings of a great day out. A team of 4 would run 10 laps each equating to 25k each (40 2.5k laps = 100k, simple really.). A team of two would have to run 20 laps, equating to 50k each. There’d be mixed and all male or female teams. This will probably be the last time there is only three categories in the crazy , and diverse, world we all now live in.
So me, Rob, Adam and Mark all got together and formed ‘Broken Birdy’s‘ as we had all ran Birdys Backyard Ultra two weeks prior and trust me people we were broken ! ( https://birdysbackyardultra.com.au/ )
As the image below shows we were all smiles pre-start and this seems to be the case at all events lately. Lots of banter and laughst before the eventual onset of pain, that is ultra running really in between eating and drinking of course. We even managed to get a gold baton which we took as a sign of sure fire success, unfortunately not to be .
As this was a new event we set ourselves our normal lofty goal which we would fail to achieve, as is our way. This time it was a sub 7 hour 100k time. This seemed reasonable enough until we ran the 2.5k loop and realised it was a tad more testing than we first thought ! Actually it was a beast of a loop with a start designed to make you and the ground become firm friends, undulating and unforgiving surfaces , a hill or two and the constant threat of ‘stacking it’. Also you had to run the loop 10 times with a 30 minute or so break inbetween each loop for your legs to seize up. I’m not selling this am I ! In the end it was as hard as I just made it out to be… funny that.
I chose to go first and lead out the team and my goal was a sub 10 minute loop, 4min/k pace average. I had not actually ran the loop and decided to try out my Nike Vaporflys to see if these would help, as I mentioned in the previous few paragraphs this was a flawed plan and I was soon to realise why. Vaporfly’s are not built for trails or tight corners, this loop was both of those things. This was to be my only loop in fly’s ! Truth be told I was lucky to survive unscathed and on one corner had to virtually stop running before I could turn around, not a good look . I still managed to finish in the top five teams and gave the guys a chance to cement this position , which we did throughout the day.
The best part of this trail relay is without doubt the relaxing , or recuperating, between loops. We had all purchased our reclining chairs from BCF (https://www.bcf.com.au/ ) and were the envy of the rest of the field. As you can see from the image below we had an ideal viewing point and took to this task with great gusto. There’s also a great atmosphere around the place as everybody cheers on their respective teams as well as mingling with other opposition runners, its a bit of a party atmosphere really.
Most of the day we were sitting just outside the top three team in the all male category. I say just outside, probably by about an hour in the end. The top three teams seem to be very young, very fit and very fast, we were neither of these of course. We managed to finally overtake the team ahead of us in fourth towards the end of the event, I think we just wore them down. Luckily they were sitting right opposite us allowing us to keep them under close surveillance during the day. Personally I knew who I was racing each loop and we became quite adept at finding each other , albeit he normally caught me each loop but as the race went on the lads got me to a position where I had enough of a head start to maintain my position. We’ve laid down the gauntlet to this team in January for the road version of this event, note to self , do some speed work !
Final image of the lads in the best reclining chairs waiting for Rob. He wasn’t actually that slow and probably was the most consistent runner of the day, albeit not consistently fast. Mark started quick and then injury slowed him down, Adam started quick and did very well , bar the last few laps while I started quick , slowed in the middle and finished well enough… all be it nowhere near my pre-race predicted times. It was a wake up call but in our defence we had all ran Birdy’s two weeks prior and the legs were nowhere need ready for this. A top 5 finish was a very respectable outcome.
So to the winners (or top 5 finishers) go the spoils, or in this case beer Jeff managed to sneak into the event. The boys certainly cheers up when the beer arrives but that’s the point of these events isn’t it, to allow yourself to drink beet at the end. ? I settled for deep fried chicken and chips treat with lashings of salt, listening to my body of course. Trust me after the 8 hour event it tasted as good as it sounds !
Medals from Shaun Kaesler and a photo with the two best MC’s in Perth and that was that, job done, the Great Trail Relay ticked off and what an event. The best part is there is a road version in January in my back yard at Perry Lakes in Perth, so excited.
Couldn’t leave without a photo of the Broken Birdy’s relay team , resplendent with their medals and beers (I’d eaten my deep friend chicken by then!) sitting on their BCF recliners, a perfect shot to end a perfect day. Rob, Myself, Adam and Mark, top 5 finish and already talking of going sub 7 hours at the road version next year, wanna’ race ? See you at Perry Lakes in January.
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The Choo Choo run has been going for around 10 years, a Simon Coates idea, but its been more of an underground run until last year when Irwin Swinny put out the word and the runners came, in droves. This year was no different and what a turn out. When we arrived at North Dandelup train station it looked like a car park at a mall in Christmas, cars everywhere. I have no idea what the locals thought, I reckon we doubled the population of Dandelup that morning ! (Funnily enough I have no idea why the station is called North Dandelup, trust me there’s no South, West or East Dandalup, it really is a one horse town and probably a pit pony at that !)
The image above is not the passenger train returning to Perth but an commercial train, probably mining, with about 100 carriages, estimated ! It was starting to get light before the last carriage passed us. In Australia we do big trains ! Great selfie by Mark to capture the image by the way.
This year we aired on side of caution and decided we were all nowhere near our fitness levels of last year so left just past 7am , giving us just over 3 hours for the 33k trail run. In our defence it had been raining for like weeks and the trail was going to be soft underfoot. No record breaking times this year and this seemed to be the case for all runners, it wasn’t a case of racing a train more like running between two train stations comfortably. This will need to be addressed next year with fines for arriving too early at Serpentine, maybe arriving 10 minutes or more before the train will attract some form of forfeit !
We were the last to leave and had a good group consisting of myself, Mark, Cedric, Tom, Mitch and ultra Jon. (I say ultra Jon as this is the bigger, and happier, version of marathon Jon, who is lighter and always grumpy!) The group set off at a good pace and this was to continue for the whole journey.
The start of the journey is a 6-7k uphill climb as you move from the bottom of the scarp to the top. This is mainly on road and being in the country you will be taking your live in your hands as country drivers make Lewis Hamilton look pedestrian. I suspect most of them are returning home from a ‘quiet night‘ , which probably involves drinking their own body weight in spirits ! You need to be very wary and always have an exit plan which would normally be a quick dive into the nearest field ! I was feeling brave so took a photo as the sun rose over the scarp, as always the photo never does the scene justice.
We continued on at a good pace until we had the compulsory photo at around 26k, you’ll see the same shot in all my posts on the Choo Choo runs, we are stickler’s for tradition. (or just boring as my many Daughters would say?) Funny story at this point, in the first few years of the Choo Choo Simon Coates use to leave water here but one year we turned up and it had been stolen ! What are the odds, on a Sunday morning, someone driving by and spotting bottles of water hidden in the undergrowth and then taking them ? ! Only in the country…
After the compulsory water stop (if there is any water?) it’s probably the best running part of the route before the drop off the scarp which is worth the attendance fee alone. If you have anything left in the legs that drop into Serpentine is a thing of natural beauty. By the time I arrived at the top of the hill I was goosed so stumbled down at just over 4min/k pace, the guys had left me in their wake and were recording low 3min/k’s , at the end of a three hour run ! This more than makes up for the morning climb up the scarp three hours earlier risking life and limb with the Sunday Formula One drivers !
After a slightly hair raising run from the bottom of the scarp to Serpentine via the local main road it was time to regroup for the compulsory Serpentine General Store photo before ambling to the train station. As you can see a lot of very happy runners, refueled on chocolate milk, crisps and just about anything with carbs or sugar. Albeit we had to leave some space for the post tukka get together at North Dandalup Station, it’s tradition.
Next to the train station where we had another traditional photo before boarding the 10:21 train to North Dandalup, late as always by about 10 minutes. Next year I may factor in this 10 minute buffer and really make a big effort at leaving very, very late, albeit I’ll probably drop a car at the station in case I miss the train as there is no way I’m missing the post run food smorgasbord.! It’s basically the previous shot but at a train station rather than outside a deli.
Finally the best photo of the day by a country mile, Transperth had reserved one of the two carriages for out 9-10 minute journey from Serpentine to North Dandalup, how good was that !!! Gold , you couldn’t make that up !! It was the coolest 10 or so minutes of the whole day, imagine that you’re own train carriage with your friend , priceless ! I reckon next year we could be in trouble as I’m not sure they’ll put on another carriage for us runners but you never know unless you join up and see for yourselves. Keep an eye out on facebook and an ear to the ground and be part of the coolest free trail run globally…Choo Choo 2022 ! All aboard….
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