April 2025

Delirious West 2025 post 2

So at the end of post 1 Charles and I arrived back in Mandelay from Broke Road around 80km into our journey and decided to have a three hour sleep break.  There was a couple of reasons for this , first Charles had stacked it twice on the last section and both times fell heavily on his left shoulder. I have dispensed some ibroprofen to help with the pain but we both decided a good three hour rest would be a better alternative. Also the next section, Mandelay to Mount Clare,  was a particular difficult section and best tackled on fresh legs , and in daylight. Mark set up the swag and I drifted off into a resltess sleep, not the deep one I had hoped for but enough that I felt refreshed when I awoke three hours later. It was also cool to lay in the swag when we had a sprinkle of rain and I enjoyed the view of the stars from the comfort of my swag. Sleeping in a swag really is a wonderful experience and I always look forward to my ‘swag time‘  albeit this is the only time I ever use the swag ? The Matthews family are certainly not campers.
Leaving Broke Road after Mark’s homemade Spaghetti Bolognaise, heading towards Mandelay for the second time.

Mandelay -> Mount Clare I woke before the alarm, by about two minutes, had my morning weetbix and tea, changed my clothes and off we scuttled into the dark albeit with a sunrise fast approaching.  Charles had certainly perked up from the previous evening and the rest had helped his shoulder issue. He was particularly keen to talk to the the Yelo crew at 7am, as it traditional  on this run.  He had never been able to do this as he was either volunteering or had been out of range of phone coverage in previous years. Luckily we found ourselves on top of a hill at 7am and he got to call the guys drinking coffee at Yelo in Perth, this call always cheers me up and it was no different this year although looking at them drinking quality coffee while I stumbled around in the bush can sometimes be testing.

The boardwalk out of Mandelay, looks so much better with the sunrise but not this year.

Heading out of Mandelay back onto the boardwalk I was disappointed it was still dark. On a couple of occasions I have headed out into a sunrise and the view is spectacular, if you check out my posts in 2021 and 2022 I reckon you’ll get the idea.  Sometimes being faster is not always a good idea as your views change with the time of day , or night. This has a knock on effect of coming into Peaceful Bay at night which can be a bit sketchy across the last beach sections, also any beach running is so much better in daylight.

On the bright side we only had a few hours of darkness to run through and running is so much easier when the sun rises and your batteries recharge.  We passed the ‘insta’ bench but its not half as good at night, although Charles insisted on a photo.

Passing the ‘instagram’ bench but this time just the two of us and darkness.

For the most part now Charles and I were alone and could see no head torches ahead or behind us. After an hour or so though we did spy a light on the horizon and we chased it down to catch Laura Firth, a good friend of both of us and a runner aiming to finish Delirious for the first time after a DNF. Laura has her own medical issue to deal with and is an inspiration to all who know her. She runs the Bravehearts seven marathons in seven days for charity every year. ( https://bravehearts.org.au/support-us/777-marathon/ )  If you could spare some coin for this great cause I would really appreciate it , as would Laura.  She wasn’t feeling great when we bumped into her but after a selfie and a chat I hope we helped her on her way, she finished on Sunday , great work Laura.

Bumped into Laura Firth just before sunrise and stopped for a chat and a photo. Laura would finish on Sunday after a DNF on her last attempt. She slayed Delirious in 2025.

After we left Laura and bumped into Sarah Kaesler,  nursing a bad knee,  the sun awoke and all seemed better with the day. Charles was in a particularly good mood and skipped along the trails while I was still in my second day ‘funk‘ where I question my life decisions. Eventually , post Yelo call, I had to let Charles go and it was obvious I was holding him up. He promised to wait for me at Mount Clare as he bounded away but I wondered how long that wait would be as I was struggling. To be fair the first fifty kilometers and the early part of the second day I always seem to struggle and I knew if I kept moving forward , eating and drinking, I’d eventually come right, just a matter of when not if.

Sunrise on Thursday morning heading towards Mount Clare.

I made the suspension bridge at the bottom of the Mount Clare climb at 8:17am, one of the benefits of taking photos is the iphone gives to time and place details, and started the steep ascent to the aid station. This was brutal , even on semi-reasonable legs, and I stumbled into the aid station ready for a ‘power nap’ and some good aid station tukka.

This is the bridge at the foot of the Mount Clare climb, a bridge I normally encounter at three in the morning.

Mount Clare to Walpole Although the next aid station was less than ten kilometres away I was unable to continue and needed some food and rest, the climb has taken a lot out of me. I settled into my chair and had a power nap while listening to Charles get ready to leave. Eventually I started to stir and when I opened my eyes was faced with a burrito and a hot cup of tea, love being crewed, As you can see from the image below Charles was ready to go as I tucked into my tukka with a scowl on my face. I let Charles go ahead as I finished my food and begrudgingly  got ready for the next section into Walpole.

One grumpy old man with a burrito and Charles.

Once I got going I seemed to find some energy , must have been the burrito, and I made good time to Walpole, passing Suki Singh India’s hardest ultra marathon runner,  apparently, and a great guy. He would set a good PB for the event, top work Suki.  I made Walpole and after a quick pit stop headed off back the start of the event , Giant Tingle, another quick ten kilometre hop albeit this time mainly  uphill, the theme for the rest of the day. Charles was suffering with food issues and throwing up so had decided to stay at Walpole for a tad longer. I’d see him again at Tree Tops but he would need rest so wouldn’t see him again until the finish which was a shame as we were having a great time together.  It’s hard to run together for long periods of time as one of you normally feels good while the other can be deep in the pain cave, you would need to adjust your pace accordingly and over time this can start to have an adverse affect on your race. For a 200 miler you need to run your own race and if company is running the same all well and good but it’s dangerous to adjust your pace for other runners.

Heading towards Walpole, Thursday morning. No poles, no problem.
Walpole is a lot closer than the North and South pole.

Walpole to Giant Tingle Giant Tingle was next , post Walpole, a quick hop albeit mainly uphill. This is a glorious section of single trails running through dense forest,  covered with seriously big trees.  I was making good time and even caught four runners at the aid station all devouring the best egg, bacon and hashbrown wraps swimming in salt. These were seriously good and I set off for the next leg with a ‘pep in my step‘ and a smile on my face albeit I knew this next section was long and steep, in the wrong direction, i.e. up  Tree tops was the halfway point and post Tree Tops is the best part of the course, in my opinion. Plenty of time spent on deserted beaches and also some good trail without the steep rises.

Frankland River, heading towards Tree tops. Thursday afternoon.

Giant Tingle to Tree Tops.  This is a long section and I was racing a sunset, determined to reach the aid station in the light of day and beat the 100 miler runners who were starting at 7pm. I wasn’t running much at this stage but making good headway ‘power hiking‘ and enjoying the scenery, as much as you can. I bumped into James Sawyer and Ben Nielson, who were in a similar state to me, so we joined up and suffered together,  all retiring from this silly event. The final few kilometres always take the longest and at every turn we were disappointed to see more tails and not an aid station, eventually though we made the top and sanctuary .

Mark set my chair up in the car park but a nap was difficult as the 100 milers , who started from Tree tops , were all milling  around and you could sense the anticipation. I’m sure I had some food but for  the life I me I can’t remember what it was ? There were a few runners resting at Tree Tops including Chris Gerdei, under the watchful eye of his beautiful Wife Jenny, Dougie Bartlett, again with his Wife watching on, James and Ben and their crew and Charles arrived as I was just about to leave.  I could persuade none to leave with me so I headed on the compulsory Tree Top walk alone and just beat the sunset before setting off to Conspicuous Cliffs with a forty minute head start on the 100 milers.

Towards Tree Top, late Thursday afternoon.
Tree Top walk, just before sunset on Thursday afternoon.

Tree Tops -> Conspicuous Cliffs   I always enjoy this section from Tree Tops to Conspicuous Cliffs as its a good downhill , runnable, trail after an initial rise to the highest point of the event.  I was feeling good at this point,  after a good feed of whatever I had? , and some sugar treats and made good time only passed by the first two 100 milers as I closed in on the aid station.  I enjoy running at night alone, don’t judge me, as the conditions were absolutely perfect, a still evening with cool conditions. The plan was to make Conspicuous Cliffs and then refuel quickly, with Mark’s famous steak and onions, before a good sleep at Peaceful Bay and a  shower.

Another night of trails, heading towards Conspicuous Cliffs on Thursday evening.
Another great moon as I head towards Conspicuous Cliffs.

 

The image does not do the steak justice, it was incredible. 9pm Conspicuous Cliffs.

Conspicuous Cliffs to Peaceful Bay  Again I set off into the dark on the beach alone. I enjoy this section bar the final few kilometres into Peaceful Bay on soft sand and some technical beach sections, great in the day light but not so good alone at night.  I managed to catch a couple of runners and used them as beacons to guide me to Peaceful Bay. There’s not much more to say truth be told for this section, I can’t think of any highlights and didn’t take any photos or video, just head down to the next aid station and a good sleep. I was pretty fatigued by this point in my defence.

The highlight of this section was the shower (although not a great shower?) and the best three hour deep sleep I have had for many years , tucked up in my sleeping bag and cocooned in my swag, just bliss.  Mark woke me as agreed , around 4am, and I begrudgingly got changed , had some Weetbix, sweet tea and was off into the dark towards the jet ski and river crossing ,after some beach running.

Peaceful Bay -> Monkey Rocks.  There is around six kilometres of sand running before you see the jet ski camp lit up on the horizon. I had my Hosi biscuit ( a project leaving present of my friends image on a biscuit) to use as payment for the crossing and it was eagerly accepted by the ferryman and his apprentice. I was allowed on the jet ski and we were off to the other side, as the video below shows.

Right, that’s enough for post 2, I’m on the other side of the river crossing , friday morning early ,  just before sunrise, heading towards Monkey Rocks, feeling great after the best three hour sleep for many years , a great steak sandwich and an awesome Jet Ski ride, life was good.

Paying the Ferryman, a Hosi biscuit.
Jet Ski over the river crossing. Image thanks to @ourphotostories
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Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.

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!

Great hydration.

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’ !

Fractelhttps://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.

Fractel headgear, just ace.

Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )

Best running headphones EVER !

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/)

Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! .  ( https://coros.net.au/ )
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Delirious West 200 miler 2025 part 1

So here we go again, Delirious West 200 miler for hopefully my fifth finish. All the other posts on this event can be found on the blog , even has it’s own category, so if you have a spare hour or three to go through them, there’s always a few good stories when you run a 200 miler and I’m sure 2025 will be no exception. So settle down with a good cup of tea and a biscuit or two of your choice and let’s get into it.

There are two ways to run Delirious, crewed or uncrewed (or ‘screwed‘ as Shaun calls it?)  I tried uncrewed in 2020 and failed abysmally, DNF’ing at Mandalay , around 114km into the event. That night sitting in Felix’s car at 2AM I had no real reason to continue, my quads had seized solid due to little or no training and even less hydration and nutrition, a recipe for disaster.  The last four years my good friend Mark Loomers has crewed for me and it’s like business class for trail runners. As you can see from the image below I don’t travel light and all this is available to me at just about every aid station, sheer luxury. There was nineteen aid stations in Delirious and Mark can get to about seventeen of them. I reckon I changed my top and socks at just about every one with several complete change of clothes throughout the event. Add in one shower and two three hour sleeps in my swag,  as well as a couple of hour or so power naps in my reclining chair, yep, business class please , all day long.

Trail running done right, business class.

There are many traditions when it comes to Delirious and the first is the photo of Mark and I leaving my house, which over the four years together has been at three different locations. This year we left Scarborough Monday lunchtime for the five hour drive to sunny Northcliffe and dinner at the hotel.  I like Monday evening in Northcliffe as it’s a lot quieter , just the hardcore runners with a few finishes under their belt, the usual suscepts of good friends gathering for the calm before the storm that is a Tuesday evening race briefing.  Most of the competitors turn up for the compulsory Tuesday race check in and briefing on Tuesday afternoon, Monday is a lot more chilled. Monday evening is also a good time to spend quality time with Duncan and Helen, the owners of the hotel, before they are literally ‘run off their feet’ organising the bogan run and evening meals on Tuesday.  It’s a chalk and cheese situation Monday and Tuesday.

Traditional leaving home photo. DW2025.

Next photo is the driving down image which needs to be published in the facebook page so everybody else can do the same, another tradition of course, and how many times have I said ‘runners love tradition’.  Looking back at these posts over the last six years all I see is my beard turning grey more and more each year, the joys of aging gracefully ? Mark on the other hand seems to look the same every year, probably because he’s crewing and I’m running 200 miles, logical really. ? Ultra running is not the best activity for keeping your ‘boyish,. boy band ‘ good looks it seems, another sacrifice you make for the sport you love. I always make an effort to get out the RUN TRC top over the event, a tip of the hat to the Running Centre in Perth. ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ ) . These guys, along with the Tribe and Tribe shop ( https://www.tribeandtrail.com.au/ ) have been good to me over the years and I highly recommend both establishments.

Traditional ‘in the car driving down photo. ‘

Another tradition is the Coles stop on the way down at Manjimup where I normally spend three figures on food I never eat although there always seems to be a large proportion missing at the end of the event. This year I was determined to spend less at Coles and take advantage of the aid stations, and Mark’s impressive cooking skills. To this end I managed to scrape under $100 albeit by less than $10 and I didn’t seem to have much in the trolley, this cost of living crisis is real it seems. I mentioned to the cashier I had the feeling I had been financially raped, she laughed and agreed.  Thankyou Coles.

During the event I did take advantage of the aid station food more than the last few years and it really helped eating good, honest food compared to the sugar intensive gu’s and sweets. No upset stomach and no feeling of running on empty, a big bonus and the food was so good this year as aid station crews learnt from previous years and experience allowed them to perfect their offerings.  Every aid station was special but some more special, well the ones I tried anyway. Highlights included the home made pumpkin soup as well as the pasta and mince at Denmark, the bacon, egg and hash brown wrap at Giant tingle, the burrito and the chicken and pasta soup at Lowlands, the bean curry at Boat Harbour and of course Shelly’s,  the mango chicken as well as some maple syrup and waffles for good measure.  Most cooking at the aid stations was home made and it was just so, so good, albeit I’m sure the hunger a runner experiences running for three days straight makes all food taste so much better than normal.  Actually no, it’s just good home made cooking. Funnily enough I sold the event to Michelle Frost ( https://fitmindfitbody.co/podcast/ ) as an eating and drinking competition with running between aid stations but she lost her appetitive and never really took advantage of the great food.

The traditional stop at Coles on the way down and for the first time I spent less than $100. (albeit there ain’t much there ?)

So where the heck is Northcliffe ? it’s a small town right on the bibbulmun track  ( https://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/ ) and the prefect starting point for a 200 miler, point to point,  to Albany.  Shaun Kaesler, the founder of the Ultra Series company found this pub and its incredible landlords, Duncan and Helen, when he was looking for the first 200 miler to be staged in Australia in 2019. He found the perfect small town, he perfect starting location and the perfect hosts for the race briefing and bib pickup and of course the infamous bogan run, the race that stops a small town.  All the stars aligned.

Where the heck is Northcliffe? After six year’s I should know..

The Northcliffe hotel is like so many hotels in small towns around Australia, grass roots Australian, from the great pub grub to the warmth and humour of the landlords and patrons, if you’re looking for what is Australia, the Northcliffe Hotel is right up there.  It is perfect for the starting point to this epic adventure that is Delirious , as much as the Earl of Spencer, in Albany is perfect for the after party on Sunday evening.  Good stories need good locations to tell them and the Northcliffe Hotel and Earl of Spencer are purpose build for this purpose, sprinkle in some alcohol and good grub and the stories flow.

The infamous Northcliffe Hotel, the calm before the storm, Monday evening.

After dinner on Monday evening , a bloody good steak sandwich with all the trimmings, Mark and I retired to Pemberton, another small country town about twenty minutes from Northcliffe. Tuesday morning is always spend in Pemberton having a good brekkie at the ‘Wild at heart’ cafe and we book out most the venue for pre-Delirious chatter over good coffee. Ultra running does seem to rev9olve around pubs and good cafe’s serving good coffee it seems, food plays an important role in this sport, that and drinking from shoes it seems.

Traditional brekkie at the ‘Wild at Heart’ cafe in Pemberton.

Normally post brekkie we climb the Gloucester Tree but it has been closed since 2023 so we needed another activity to keep us busy pre-bib pickup later on Tuesday afternoon. Last year we finally discovered the Pemberton pool so this was penciled in for the late mornings activity.  This pool is nearly 100 years old, man made and I reckon the coldest water I have swam in. Jamie dived in first and didn’t give the game away so imagine my surprise when I dived in and nearly had a heart attack as the cold water took my breath , and other parts of my anatomy, away ! It must have been above freezing but only just !

Pemberton pool. Water temperature , just above freezing.
At this point we had no idea what we were about to let ourselves in for.. Jamie, Mark and I.

We survived , and yes survived is the right word, the Pemberton pool before scuttling off to the Pemberton Hotel for some more good Aussi’ grub , albeit in this case a Nasa Goreng swimming in satay sauce, it was very good.  Post lunch we got all our mandatory gear together and drove to Northcliffe for check in , bogan run and race briefing.

Bib pickup, image thanks to Astrid of @ourphotostories

After bib pick up its the traditional photo with my crew and then the bogan run kicks off and Northcliffe comes to a standstill, truth be told its pretty close to a standstill at any moment in the day or night. I’m not sure any locals even realise the bogan run brings Northcliffe to a standstill, they just think its business as usual, got to love small country towns. In previous years the bogan run distance , and course, has remained a mystery even it seems to the race director, it’s very ‘fluid‘ shall we say, with drinking quotas and the course itself changing on the fly. This has resulted in many contentious decisions so this year Shaun made the bogan run a beer mile , plus or minus a few hundred metres and with the running around the keg ten times thrown in for good measure.  Mark, my crerw, had won the bogan run a few years ago but for the first time abstained as he has the Gold Coast marathon in twelve week and takes his training very seriously, unlike just about everybody for Delirious !

This left the door open to Shannon Dale to rise to the top of the bogan’s but although he looked the part he melted into a pool Emu Bitter and hot chilies and disgraced his runner, the infamous Hooter Hunter, Darlene Dale, (four time finished) by finishing near the back of the pack. Actually looking back I’m not even sure if he complete the four laps, a very poor performance; similar to Carlton in the AFL 2025.

Shannon Dale becoming the ultimate bogan.

Post bogan run and pre-dinner is the photo Infront of the hotel of all present , an image you need to get into, it’s tradition. Another Astrid photo @ourphotostories.

The before shot, although this year we missed the post event photo due to adverse weather conditions. @ourphotostories

Post bogan run it’s race briefing armed with another steak sandwich of course. You’ll notice I was using my knife and fork while Mark went all ‘Aussi’ and used his hands.  The Northcliffe does bloody good grub.

Another steak sandwich please… so, so good. Love country pub food.

Race briefing is the final activity for Tuesday before everybody scuttles off to their accommodation and tries to get a good night sleep, their last for at least three nights minimum. I don’t usually have a problem sleeping but for some reason I struggled and probably only got three to four hours. Not ideal knowing what was coming, no worries, it would make the hallucinations stronger, earlier ?  I planned three hours sleep Wednesday and Thursday night and a couple of hours Friday before powering to a Saturday morning finish. This proved to be the case with my Thursday sleep, after a shower at Peaceful Bay, totally recharging my batteries ahead of a fast finish, but thats a few posts away.

Race briefing , post bogan run.
Handing out the prize for running the bogan run and winning the heads or tails competition on stage , a free entry to DW2026.

Wednesday morning came soon enough and we set off from our digs in Pemberton to get to the Northcliffe for 6am for the traditional pre-race waffles and coffee. This year the race was actually starting at  Giant Tingle at 10am due to fire damage on the first sixty kilometres of the original course  but I wasn’t going to miss my waffles. We then drove back to Pemberton as Mark forgot his pillow, had another coffee before driving to the start, a two hour drive. We arrived with thirty minutes or so to spare.

Waffles pre-race, one tradition I will never break. With the landlord Duncan.

This was biggest field in Delirious West history with nearly seventy runners in the 200 miler and similar numbers in the 100 miler.  It would make parking space premium at the first few aid stations but somehow Mark always seem to get the best space , experience I suppose.  We started this year at Giant Tingle and had to run North to Broke Road , via Warpole, Mount Clare and Mandalay aid stations, then a five kilometre loop taking in the Broke Road aid station, moved to accommodate this new out and back section.   Post Broke Road we would continue south back to Giant Tingle aid station and then continue to Albany on the original course.

This new course change, forced upon the event by the first 60km of the course being badly burnt by a fire, was not ideal as it meant we ran , in my opinion, the hardest part of the course , Mandelay to Mount Clare, twice. My plan was to try and get through this in one day but in the end I pulled up to Mandelay later than I had hoped and decided to have a three hour sleep before tackling the Mandaley to Mount Clare section again, twice in one day would be showing off.  My running companion for the day Charles Bosweld aged with me and we both scuttled off to our respective sleeping areas, me to my swag , Charles to the back of his ute.

Delirious West 200 miler 2025 starting lineup. Well at least half the runners ?

Start line to Walpole .

The start line at  Giant Tingle to Walpole is around 10k and all either downhill, at the start, or flat. It’s very run-able heading North and I ran at the front of the pack with Charles Bosweld , Craig Jeffrey, Matty Salinovich , Simon Bennet and Tim Pullen. There would be no aid station at Walpole being so early in the event and we would have to make our way to Mount Clare for our first taste of aid station hospitality .  It’s great to finally get going and the downhill start was a bonus, as were the perfect conditions.

Leading the charge at the start. DW 2025.

Walpole to Mount Clare.  Another quick section of less than ten kilomteres albeit this time with some elevation as we worked our way from sea level up to Mount Clare. Not as steep as the Mandelay to Mount Clare section but there was a few sections where we adopted the ultra attitude of walking the hills. We had a long way to go and no point burning out in the first morning.  The conversation was flowing as we were all like five year old’s on Christmas day, so excited to finally be running the DW 200 miler.

No stopping bar a photo at Walpole this time around.

Highlight of this section was my GoPro switching itself on in my backpack pocket and filming the inside of said pocket for ninety minutes before filling up my SD card and turning itself off, then running out of battery. Once I got into Mount Clare Mark was handed said GoPro and ordered to recharge after I deleted the offending item from the camera. As it was I hardly used the GoPro and all my good intentions of filming this event , yet again, failed. I did get enough photos for the post but video is so much better , maybe next year ?

Heading up to Mount Clare and the first aid station. Craig and Charles in full ‘ultra mode’. 

We hit Mount Clare and decided ten minutes would be enough to fill our water bottles and take on any food the aid station had to offer. It turned out to be quality home made biscuits and I grabbed a few for the next section while stuffing my face waiting for my water bottles to be filled. We departed within the ten minutes and Charles and I found ourselves alone as the other guys had either left even quicker than us or were left behind, as it was they were all ahead of us but we caught them quickly enough.

Leaving Mount Clare full of biscuits

Mount Clare to Mandelay.  What I consider to be the hardest single section of the event, in both directions although south would be a tad more difficult as you’re climbing up Mount Clare at the end. We caught Craig and Matty early and then Simon came back to us just before the beach. On the way we passed Dougie Bartlett but he dropped off to grab some water from a hut so was left to his own devices. The company made the journey a lot easier as we all suffered together, I’m a big believer in joint suffering , it makes the time disappear a lot quicker than being alone with your own thoughts. We were in high spirits and for the first time ever this section passed quickly enough and before we knew it we hit the beach at Mandelay for a short beach section before climbing up some more stairs to the aid station.

Did I mention the stairs ? There’s lot of them on this part of the course.
Breathtaking scenary became the norm.

As a group we were setting a good pace and were placed just off the poduim, probably around fifth place. We ran when we could, walked the hills and just breathed in our surroundings, it was special and that’s the point of Delirious , you really are surrounded by the most majestic conditions for a trail runner. Of course this section is hard, in both directions, but it was nice to run it on good legs for a change instead of the zombie like hike which is the norm for this bad boy, after over 115 kilometres in the legs and twenty hours plus of running.

The famous bench a few kilometes outside Mandelay.

As you can see from the image and the video we were stoked to make the beach albeit we still had to make the return journey on tired legs later in the evening or early morning.  The plan was to make this trip in the evening or early hours of Thursday to sleep at Walpole. As it was we arrive back at Mandelay around one in the morning and decided the best option was sleep for three hours and then tackle the section to Mount Clare as the sun rose.

Right that’s enough for the first post. We are currently sitting at Mandelay about 85k into the event, with just under 250km to go, I better make an effort to cut down my posts or I’ll be writing up this adventure all year.

Happy to make Mandaley beach image @Astrid @ourphotostories
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or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/

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Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.

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!

Great hydration.

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’ !

Fractelhttps://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.

Fractel headgear, just ace.

Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )

Best running headphones EVER !

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/)

Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! .  ( https://coros.net.au/ )
Feel free to follow me on Strava.


Follow me on
Strava

or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/

or facebook  RUNBKRUNOZ

Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra 2025

Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra 2025 was to be another attempt at 48 hours (laps) having coming so close in 2021. That was my second backyard ultra and truth be told I haven’t come too close since. An assist to Phil Gore at the Hysterical Carnage event in 2022,  at 38 hours,  was as close as I’ve come which with hindsight was a mistake as I was fresh enough but had promised my daughter a trip to Adelaide so pulled the pin early. A 36 hour PB at Birdy’s in 2023 was another race where I could have gone further but an incoming storm was all the excuse I needed to scuttle off to my car and a well earned sleep.
Runner down! . Rob was my knight in shining armour, well an Alfa Romeo. Picking me up and driving me to my car.

Unfortunately a week out from Herdy’s I’d pulled up lame running my usual Sunday morning long run with the BTRC (Ben Tay Running Club) About 12km into my run my calf tightened to a point I had to stop , hobble to the nearest cafe, order a coffee , and call my mate Rob to come and get me.  This gave me less than a week until Herdy’s and I was gutted. Calling our tame Doctor I got a referral that evening and got a ultra-sound Monday afternoon , confirming no tear. Great news, Herdy’s was still on but I couldn’t run. Lots of foam rolling, strong anti-inflammatories and a good dry needling from Rob had me at Yelo the day before the event for a test 10k. I got to about 500 metres before hobbling back to Yelo, my tail between my legs.

Not one to give up easily and also a no refund policy , I took more drugs (don’t judge me) , more foam rolling and the calf seem to come good early Friday morning, just in time for a 4pm kick off.  Was I mad to attempt this less than three weeks out from the Delirious West 200 miler? Probably, but that’s how I roll, love competing and especially love competing at  Herdy’s.

Th traditional starting photo with my good mate Simon Bennet

So I got to the start line for the fifth time, keeping my streak of not missing an event, starting with an assist in 2021 in the inaugural event. (2021) I Wasn’t sure how far I’d get as the calf was untested since the Yelo run the previous day. I did tape the calf , add compression socks and took more anti-inflammatory drugs. Funnily enough for the first three laps I was running smoothly with no issues with the calf but this soon changed from lap four onwards.  I was soon unable to run freely and started a hop, limp gait to get through the laps, not the best look but managed to come in around the fifty minute mark. My targets changed on the hour, initially my 48 target was halved to 24 hours, then 100 kilometres (15 hours) and eventually double figures , 10 laps.

The BTRC crew where out in force, Grazer, Andy and Haydo.

Herdy’s was yet again the largest backyard ultra in the world with over four hundred starters, beating the previous years total by around fifty runners. Pretty cool to run the biggest backyard ultra in the world, around one of my local haunts surrounded by my good friends, love Herdy’s. Shuan Kaesler, the owner of the Ultra Series WA has created a monster of an event. (The website of ultra running in Western Australia https://www.ultraseries.com.au/ )

Shaun Kaesler laying down the law and winding up the crowd.

Heading into the night after three laps I was struggling to stay motivated, coming in towards the back of the pack and also not eating or drinking enough. I was determined not to overdo the electrolytes which had derailed me the previous year but over compensated by eating and drinking very little. Of course this is unsustainable for an ultra runner and I could feel my fight ebbing away, on the hour ,  every hour. The only thing that kept me going was great conversations with fellow runners out on the course, that’s a thing with a backyard ultra it is so sociable, with a bit of running thrown in for good measure.

The biggest starting line up in Backyard Ultra history, until 2026.

Shaun had chucked in $500 for the best themed gazebo this year and Simon and his family were determined to win it. Every lap you would return to the gazebo and more decorating had been added,  giving the affect of a Roman temple. The judging was at 11pm and this was another reason why I couldn’t drop out before that time especially when I saw the A4 laminated description of Simon and I , so funny. (and a little bit true of course?)

This just about sums me up. !

As you can see from the background of our Gazebo we were a shoe in to win the $500 for best themed gazebo, which we did of course. There was so much more but I didn’t get a photo of the finished gazebo albeit one point Simon was getting fed grapes ‘Roman emperor’ style in-between laps.

Simon’s Wife had done an incredible job turning my gazebo into a Roman Temple.

Right back to the event.  As seems to be the way for the last three or four backyard ultras my appetite deserted me , no pun intended. Without food you eventually just grind to a halt and I was close to this point many times during the night. What kept me going was the 100 kilometre , 15 hour, carrot dangling infront of me, it would be a backyard ultra personal worst but I could finish with some sense of pride. As it was the two laps post sunrise were probably my best and I managed to eat some weetbix and finish a nice cup of sweet tea, my go-to combination when all else fails. Thanks Nancy Shaw for coming down with the weetbix, milk and tea, the three laps Nancy crewed for me were my best.

Sunrise on Saturday morning, made it through the ‘witching hours’ or the DNF hours as I call them.

The forecast for Saturday was brutal heat, unusual for Autumn in Perth.  Lap 18 was difficult and I was really beginning to struggle to arrive before the hour mark. I think I was middle fifty minutes for lap 18 and I knew then I didn’t have many more left in the legs. I stumbled out for lap nineteen but soon realised the goal would be to finish this lap , there would be no lap twenty. I came in as the two minute warning sounded in the corral and made no effort to reach the start line, I was done and dusted. This was the right decision as a large total was probably off the cards and in the back of my mind I needed to keep something for the Delirious West 200 miler in a few weeks, this was my A-race. The heat went from ten to eleven in the next lap and I was very happy with my decision as I dozed in the chair post shower.

 

A personal worst for a backyard ultra but managed to kick a few goals.

Herdy’s 2025 was a disappointment but with the calf injury coming into the event I think it was doomed to failure from the start. I got out unscathed , I think, and with Delirious early next week it was the right decision to pull the pin at 19 laps, of course doesn’t make it any easier.  This was backyard ultra number twelve and , as is tradition, I retired from the format. Fast forward a week later , two minutes into registrations opening , and I’m in for Herdy’s 2026 with a new crew, my Wife Karen. Yep, I’m bringing out the big guns for my last attempt. It works for Phil Gore so it can work for me, I hope. ?

DNF number six for Herdy’s .

Finally a big shout to my mate Grazer who ran 24 laps and redeemed himself after dropping out on the tu-tu lap, 22, last year. He had targeted a return and was determined to make the 24 hours, which he did.  It wasn’t pretty sometimes but he got it done with the BTRC crew there supporting him. Love your work Grazer.

Grazer got to 24 laps , 100 miles , after dropping out at 22 last year. Redemption.
This image just about sums up the event.
Feel free to follow me on Strava.


Follow me on
Strava

or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/

or facebook  RUNBKRUNOZ

 

 

Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.

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!

Great hydration.

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’ !

Fractelhttps://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.

Fractel headgear, just ace.

Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )

Best running headphones EVER !

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/)

Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! .  ( https://coros.net.au/ )
Feel free to follow me on Strava.


Follow me on
Strava

or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/

or facebook  RUNBKRUNOZ