Transcend Ultra 2025
I had ran the Cape to Cape miler at the end of June ( https://www.cape2capeultra.com.au/ ) and had hoped to kick on and train hard for this race, Transcend Ultra, and ultimately Perth Marathon in October. ( https://perthrunningfestival.com.au/ ) Unfortunately, I seem to say that word a lot in my posts recently, my legs never fully recovered from the Cape to Cape and as you can see from my Strava extract for the last six weeks my training has been minimalist at best.
It all went wrong when I tried a double run day a week post the miler. The second run was a disaster and I stumbled home very slowly. This set the tone for the next six weeks unfortunately. (There’s that word again!) I made my weekly Yelo run the following Thursday but even bailed on that the next week. The only reason I ran on the Sunday was Strava informed me I had exercised at least once a week, every week , for the previous 99 weeks, a streak of sorts albeit a very, very weak one ! The following week was the Choo Choo run (post all about that here :- https://www.runbkrun.com/2025/07/29/racing-trains-choo-choo-run-2025/ ) and then a five kilometre race, which didn’t end well. One more Yelo run which ended very badly with me being dropped and stumbling home (I seem to type that a lot these days as well, unfortunately ) and that was my seven week training block for this event. My total for the seven weeks would be what I’d call Thursday back in the day.
For most events I could probably get away with a long taper, shall we call it that ?, but Transcend isn’t a normal ultra. As well as distance it has elevation and it s has it in spades. As you can see from the Strava extract below, over 3,000 metres of elevation. To the uninitiated that’s a lot. This event has been gaining traction year on year and this was its fifth time and there would be over a thousand runners over various distances. Of course I was running the longest, why wouldn’t you although after a kilometre or so I regretted not entering the kid’s one kilometre dash, I wonder if there is an age restriction. !
WALYUNGA – AVON RIDGE ESTATE PARK 12.6KM +604m
Walyunga stands for ‘happy place’ so what a great place to start! As the sun rises over Boongarup Pool the runners will start their journey on the Pilgrim single track along the river banks of the Avon river, heading down stream. They will then face a steep incline up to the ridge line of Mt Mambup with the Perth city in view and the beautiful Avon Valley behind them.
The descent is on a mountain bike track, which does get technical at points so take your time. It won’t be long before your reach the river again and re-join the Pilgrim Trail for a nice flat, fast and technical section to the Bells Rapids bridge, which you cross and make you way over to the Orlov Bridal Trail Tunnel.
From here it is a reasonable climb and then a drop into the valley where you meander up along a creek that takes you to the breath taking Bells Falls.
Walyunga may stand for ‘happy place‘ but I was certainly not in a happy place at six in the morning in three degrees temperature. Rob drove me to the start and I persuaded him to hang around so I could keep my coat on, it was baltic. Unfortunately (love that word!) I had to take it off a few minutes before the start and I ambled to the front of the start line, in hindsight a mistake with hundreds of faster runners behind me and kilometres of single trail ahead of me. I was soon to become the human road block.
The start line was buzzing and the Transcend crew certainly know how to get the competitors jumping, even in the dark and three degrees. The great Phil Gore had my race bib as I was unable to pick it up on Friday evening , otherwise engaged watching my beloved Fremantle Dockets lose to the Brisbane Lions. Phil had just set the World Record for the number of backyard ultra loop a few weeks earlier , 119 laps ( that’s 119 hours and just shy of 800 kilometres) , still humble enough to grab my bib. He was using this as a training run but still managed seventh overall, incredible athlete and one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. I’ve been racing Phil since he first started his journey (now it’s more about meeting him at start lines, the days of racing Phil are long gone ) and watching him set world records while still working full time and supporting a family is inspiring.
I also bumped into the WARP boys, Simon Pham and Chris Shaw , they were running Transcend as a team in the relay, which I regretted not doing so myself halfway up the first climb ! ( https://warunningpod.podbean.com/ ) They had Dane Sproxton as their fifth runner so they’d be a show in for a top five finish.
One last photo before we set off in the dark in sub-zero (well three degrees) temperatures, as you can see not the best dressed for the conditions. The first few kilometres were challenging but I knew a big hill was incoming and that would warm me up pretty quickly ! I wasn’t disappointed.
From the start I knew I was in trouble. My legs felt awful, nothing in them and it felt like running on wooden stumps. The sort of feeling you get nearing the end of an event, not in the first kilometre. As I mentioned earlier I had started way too far up the field and had hundreds of runners behind me unable to pass because of the single trails. This pushed me along quicker than I would have liked but it meant I wasn’t paying attention to the terrain lit up in my head torch ahead of me. Ultimately my race ended before the two kilometre mark when I sprained my ankle in a puddle I took for firm ground. I came off the path and knew I’d done some damage to the ankle, it was just a case of how much and how would it affect my race. With a large hill coming up I knew I would be ok to hike so hobbled to the start and hiked it up without holding up too many runners.
The next few kilometres I was passed by most of the pack including my good mates Glen Smetherham and Alexis Ooosterhoff . I has spoken to Glen at the start and he , like me, had done little running since Cape to Cape. Seeing the two of them disappear quickly didn’t help my mood as I pondered how far I would get on one good ankle.
I preferred the climbs to the descents because I could hike at a good pace but descending was painful as the legs still felt like wooden steaks, no spring whatsoever. By the time I made it to the first aid station I was close to the back of the pack and contemplating my life decisions. If I’d had support, or thought I could be picked up quickly, I probably would have pulled the pin, I was not in a good space. In the end I decided to take the two tramadol I had for such an occasion and push on to aid station two, assuming the drugs would at least mask the pain.
AVON RIDGE ESTATE TO WALYUNGA SCENIC LOOKOUT 13.3km +636m
Please note the fire trail (easement) below Avon Ridge park goes through private property. Please do not run through their private properties, the course goes down into the valley opposite the park and around Avon Ridge Estate.
Out of the aid station you will commence a decent down into the valley along the creek. The course then turns right to run along a narrow plateau single trail that gives you a beautiful view of the Walyunga valley. You will intersect a gravel track which takes you further down into the valley. You then take a sharp right hand turn, for a steep gravel track ascent that goes over the ridge to a meandering steep descent. Once you reach another gravel track that is parallel to Wooroloo Brook Creek turn right. This path leads to a small water crossing, the Wooroloo Brook Creek Ford. From here you then face a long steep ascent through some beautiful Wandoo Forrest and granite outcrops.
At the top of the challenging climb, you veer left to follow the ridge line that looks over the Avon River and, in the distance, the grassy green slopes of Shady Hills Estate. The track joins on to the Survey Heritage Trail heading up towards Ewing Road. A sharp left turn just before the public road places you on a fire trail that takes you out to the monument cairn marking a survey point by John Forrest from the 1870’s. This gives an amazing view of the valley up towards Toodyay and back to where you started at Walyunga National Park.
Here you are at the perimeter of Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary, which is Noongar for ‘stopping place’. There is a shed and toilet block there that will be the support aid station.
I met my good mate Marty Kallane just after aid station one and it was good to have some company as we both moved forward. I would power ahead up the hills but Marty would pass me as I tip toed down the descents on one good ankle, not a pretty sight. I would continually kick a rock or catch my ankle on a branch , that’s trail running I suppose, but when you’re trying to protect one ankle it’s seems to be continually the one bearing the brunt of any collisions. I was prying there’d be a medic at aid station two to strap my ankle or my race was probably over.
Even though I wasn’t having the best of time with the running bit of the trail race the scenery really just got better and better. I took quite a few photos but in the end had to stop or I’d still be running now, it was picture postcard stuff. Conditions really were perfect and even when it heated up later in the day there always seemed to be a creek you could cool off and wet your cap , so heat wasn’t a problem.
I left Marty about halfway between the two aid stations and for the most part ran alone to aid station two. The day was turning into a ripper and I was determined to keep going using the logic I had nowhere else to be and the trail was just awesome, so why leave early? Coming into aid station two I made a beeline for the volunteers , who were dressed in the beach lifesaving uniforms so I assumed they were the people to talk to ? They were incredibly helpful and I had an entourage of physio’s examining my foot , which at this stage was quite swollen. As they iced my foot I got to work on hydration, nutrition and more drugs, a few ibuprofen to take the edge of the pain. The volunteers strapped my foot with fixomull and it worked a treat, I skipped out of the aid station a new man. The volunteers saved my race, thanks’ Bob’ and her mates.
WALYUNGA SCENIC LOOKOUT TO NISSEN HUT 11.5km +624m
Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary is a single trail heaven! The Numbat track takes you along the undulating valley ridge until you branch off on to the Quenda Trail. These single trails feature small creeks, man made platforms and a monument over another survey marker. There are quite a few steps in this section, so it is a good idea to include some in your training.
The far east aspect of the Quenda Trail intersects with an access track which we will use to direct you to the Nissen Hut on the Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary border near Copley-Dale Rd.
Truth be told I had paid little time looking at elevation over the course , which was a mistake. The first three legs contain most of the elevation and leg three especially is short but testing; albeit also contains the best single trails and some seriously steep downhill sections on testing terrain, a bit of everything really. The trails at the start of this section really are very, very special. Lots of well manicured trails diving into the valley and then loads of steps to come out the other side. Throughout the eleven kilometres on this section you are either going up or coming down , with a few creek crossings thrown, brilliant.
I also bumped into some Delirious West buddies along the way, Martin Von Kaschke and Harmony White, so had great company for the start and conversation as we battled the steps together. It was around this time I started to enjoy the event. The first section had been a disaster and the second section was an exercise in pain management and looking stupid hobbling down hills. With the strapping doing its job and the painkillers doing theirs I was started to move freely and even started to run over runners ahead of me. Being so close to the back of the pack by this stage there was plenty of opportunities to chase down competitors and this helped the kilometres tick along nicely.
Aid station three came along quickly and I was stoked to see Heath and Simone Watkins running the aid station. These guys have run aid stations at Delirious West ( If you’re still reading this post click on this link , change your life https://www.deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) for the last four or five years, they are just the best. A quick red bull and a handful of treats , helped down with two more ibuprofen and I was off back on the trail.
NISSEN HUT TO VALLEY CAMPGROUND 16.4km +499m
Once you pass through the Nissen Hut you are then greeted by a steep descent into another valley with a small creek crossing followed by an incline before making a final descent down to the fire trail (not the ARC Infrastructure Road) that is parallel to the train line. You then follow the boundary track up to the ‘Stronghills’ Private Property. After the campsite there is a small creek. After the campsite there is a small creek and a short distance later you enter the beautiful Avon Valley National Park and continue to run along the undulating access road. At approximately 14km into this leg you will encounter a goat trail through some bushland that involves a scramble up an incline and fairly technical decent. On the other side there is a short section of fire trail again until a right-hand turn which, takes you to the secluded Valley Campground. Here you have the opportunity to refuel or tag in your team mate.
Section four is the longest, just over 16 kilometres, but for the most part along a river so pretty undulating, it would have been a really good section to bring down the average pace if I wasn’t so damn unfit at the moment. (Back to my seven week taper plan !) As it was I was looking for hills so I could justify power hiking but instead was met with long stretches of run-able trails, bugger. I certainly wasn’t setting any land speed records but continued to reel in runners ahead of me including my old buddies Glen and Alexis who had left me for dead hours earlier. I sprinted past them, up a hill, before collapsing on the ground , always playing the fool. It was good to chat before leaving them and continuing on my pursuit of the next runner ahead of me.
This section is the longest and you know when you finish you have less than twelve kilometres to go, the end seemed to come quickly after aid station three ? There is a kicker of a hill before you run into the aid station and I say ‘hill’ in the broadest sense of the word, more like a mini-mountain. I was thankful it was dry as climbing (and you were climbing ) this bad boy in the wet would have been very testing. Post mountain it was a nice single trail into aid station four where I was met by another good friend from Delirious , and current champion, Tim Pullin. Tim looked after me albeit it was a quick stop, I could smell the finish.
VALLEY CAMPGROUND TO COBBLER POOL 12.3km +489m
The final leg continues on the undulating access trail until the right hand turn for Quarry Rd. It is here you head up towards the highest point of the Transcend Ultra at 296m. Quarry Rd intercepts South Break Access Road which takes you to the boundary of the Avon Valley National Park. From here you make your way through three private Toodyay properties, which offer a mix of paddock and single trail running. Relay runners can meet their team members at the bottom of the final hill where there will be an opportunity for you all to cross the finish line together.
At the finish line all competitors will be greeted by their supporters and fellow competitors for rising up and going beyond, transcending the Avon Valley on foot in one day! Competitors have reached the Duidgee region which stands for the ‘land of plenty’, here they will have the opportunity to replenish and unwind. Upon finishing, competitors will have the opportunity to give back to the land and plant a native tree in the region to help ensure there is beautiful environment for many generations to experience in years to come.
At the finish line we have entertainment, food and drink vans and we will provide as much shelter as feasibly possible.
The final stage is basically a King of the Mountain climb on crushed limestone road mainly and then undulating terrain to the finish with a few nasty sections to test you one more time.
After a drop from the aid station and more good running trails, this seems to be a theme for this event, you are faced with the final climb of the race, the King of the Mountain. There were four runners ahead of me as you can see for a good distance up the road and I managed to real them all in before the top, albeit not setting any speed records. I was really starting to embrace the event now and even dare I say ‘enjoying myself.’ That’s ultra running. At Aid station one I was contemplating retirement while nearly sixty kilometres later ,at the final aid station, I’m loving life and excited about the finish.
As the finish drew closer I reflected on what had turned out to be a ripper of a day. Perfect conditions, beautiful trails shared with so many friends from previous adventures, that’s trail running I suppose. It’s the whole package, the scenery, the physical and mental test but also sharing the experience with friends , old and new. I really was a little sad the end was coming.
There was some more decent trails in the last five kilometres including some barbed wire crossing, more crushed limestone roads and even running through paddocks. This event just keeps giving.
As the sun started to dip we were treated to more ripper single trails and then a long , testing on the quads, descent into some meadows. It was a special place to be after being out on the trail for nearly eleven hours at this point. You know the end is in sight and you reflect on the journey, all while basking in the evening sunlight.
The finish is uphill , who does that ! and I had one more chance to move up the ranking, s so ran down a runner infront of me with a few metres to go, it is a race after all but really it’s so much more than that. Transcend delivered big time , incredible terrain, perfect conditions and amazing volunteers and tukka. (I forgot to mention Shane , the RD, spends hundreds of dollars on sweets as well as the usual toasties and soup etc. Brilliant) ,surround by good mates, perfect.
Big shout out to Bix products including all my racing clothing and the Bix Big 40 Gel (with caffeine)
…… a sports energy gel that provides 40 grams of carbohydrates per serving.
Here’s a breakdown of what the Bix Big 40 Gel offers:
- Carbohydrates: 40g per gel. This provides sustained energy for endurance activities.
- Calories: 160 calories per gel.
- Electrolytes: 200mg of sodium per gel to help maintain hydration.
- Caffeine (optional): It’s available in both caffeinated and non-caffeinated versions. The caffeinated version provides 75mg of caffeine.
- Flavor and Formulation: It has a natural, light flavor designed for easy consumption during workouts or races. It is vegan and gluten-free.
This gel is designed to provide athletes with a significant boost of carbohydrates and electrolytes to support their performance during intense training sessions or competitions, especially in hot and humid conditions.
As you all know I love my Altra trail shoes but it seems the Olympus model has an issue. On my last three pairs they have split in the same place (see image below) Admittedly on two pairs they had a bit of wear in them but plenty of life left in the tread and if they hadn’t split I’d still be wearing them. One pair was virtually brand new. Maybe Altra will reach out after reading this post and send me some new shoes to test. During the Transcend both shoes developed the same tear , which is worrying. These shoes are now getting up in the $400AUD dollar range, comparable to carbon plated super shoes, so I expect better. I have numerous Altra shoes and only the Olympus has developed this fault ?
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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!
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/)
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About The Author
bigkevmatthews@gmail.com
A running tragic.