Delirious West 200 miler, here we go again. ( https://www.deliriouswest200miler.com.au/  ) My seventh time running this beast of an event and without doubt my all-time favourite running event, ever.  With five top ten finishes it’s probably one of my most successful as well, only beaten by my five podiums in a row at the Lighthorse 24-hour race. ( https://lighthorseultra.com.au/ ) This event has everything I love about running,  it’s very, very long and you’re surrounded by likeminded people all working towards getting you to the finish line.  Add in some seriously great food at aid stations and all the boxes have been ticked.  It’s the one week of the year you can forget about the outside world and just immerse yourself in the running community that is the Ultras Series WA. ( https://www.ultraseries.com.au/ )

This year my support crew, Mark Lommers (and his also-ego Warwick Crapper)  was unable to join me until late Wednesday afternoon, at Broke Inlet, so I enlisted my Wife and eldest daughter , Jasmin, to come along and be part of this madness for the first four days.  As is tradition we drove down Monday morning to meet the hardcore event team at Northcliffe Pub for the first of many great pub meals, served by Duncan and Helen. We then scuttled back to our accommodation at Pemberton to prepare for the traditional morning breakfast at the Wild at Heart cafe, Tuesday morning.

I normally, post brekkie at Pemberton, either climb a very large tree or swim in a very cold outdoor pool. Both were shut this year, so we just walked around a bit and chilled pre-race check in late Tuesday afternoon. I’m hoping the Tree and Pool are both open next year? Eventually we drove the thirty or so kilometres back to Northcliffe for race check in and the traditional race that stops a small town, .  This year was quiet compared to previous years and I feel Shain Kaesler, the race RD and Ultra Series owner, needs to make this event compulsory for all crew like it was back-in-the-day.  Highlight was Ben Ridley, supporting his wife Karin, who had a few spectacular tumbles post running around a keg ten times. He was sporting various bandages over the course of the next week protecting his wounds, outstanding work Ben. Albeit the sight of Ben in T8 support briefs will go with me to the grave !

Pre- race briefing it was bib pickup and merchandise, I love my new Delirious West t-shirt and truckers cap.  I did offer to buy Karen anything she wanted but it seems running clothing is not her thing.

Shaun gave another inspirational speech at race briefing as we tucked into some good old fashioned pub grub, before we all scurried off into the night to prepare for the race start 7am the next morning. Funnily enough I didn’t get a great night’s sleep, worrying about the race I suppose. Although I have completed Delirious five times, I still understand the effort involved in finishing a race this long, it’s testing and all runners will face their demons somewhere along the route, that’s Delirious. I was the same at breakfast as I gorged on my waffles, Karen, my Wife, picked up on my mood but I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread. Last year I finished in a reasonable time, but it was hard, really hard and I certainly didn’t enjoy it as much as previous years. Was I in for the same journey this year? I made a mental note to enjoy this year and just go with the flow, no pressure, make it more about being in the moment and just one foot infront of the other until you reach the finish line, simple really?  I had done a reasonable amount of training the previous ten weeks so was physically ready, it was just that feeling of dread that I couldn’t shake. No worries, I perked up when I saw the start line and felt the nervous energy and with a bib on my chest and a tracker on my shoulder, I was ready to go.

The start line of the Delirious West is a magical place, you’re surrounded by love, truly magical. Running a 200 miler is an adventure shared with great friends and volunteers, simple really. People ask why I run these long distances, and the photo below sums up why.

First video, 10k in and feeling the love with Tristan and Tim, last year’s winner.  It must be early as I’m running, mostly.  The start to the first aid station Chesapeake West is very runnable, and the longest gap between stops, just over twenty-three kilometres.  There’s then an eighteen kilometre gap to the next aid station where crew can help out, at Chesapeake East. I normally breeze through both of these as I’m still digesting my double waffles from the Northcliffe pub pre-start. I target Dog Road, at fifty two kilometres in, for my first sit down and without Mark this year I had organised a drop bag (my only one) with a change of clothes and some hydration and nutrition.  I would take whatever the aid station had to offer in the way of nutrition and was lucky enough to get a lovely cup of pumpkin soup as well as a sweet milky tea, perfect, my two favourite go-to items at any aid station.

We trucked along nicely for the first two aid stations, passed by Chris Atkinson who would eventually win the event, the Mexican bullet JP Rodriguez and Jake Ward, as well as the first two women Carien and Ella.  Paul Watkins, a runner from over East, was keeping me entertained with his tails of ultras in very cold climates and much, much longer than Delirious. He certainly inspired me to look further afield for adventures, just need to convince Karen to come along and support me. Paul would eventually drop off the pace as he was targeting a time slower than Tim, Tristan and I and he had the experience to know you can’t run too slow at the start of these events, only too fast, which can, in the end, come back and bite you.  It’s a pity we dropped Paul as I was loving his stories and time and distance disappears when you have something interesting to listen to.  (Hence why I love a good podcast or audible book)

We passed JP Rodriguez  post Pingerup aid station, in great spirits, and came into Broke Inlet as a trio. Tristan and Tim decided to roll on through, but I was not missing my home-made spaghetti bolognaise cooked with love, and carrots, by Mark Lommers. I gave them a twenty minute head start and continued on with Carien, the second female at the time with Ella, the lead female, just ahead of us.  Carien and I made great time and caught Ella and the boys before Mandalay aid station, this would put us all in third or fourth overall. As we arrived in Mandelay ahead of schedule we weren’t allowed a sleep stop, our crew, and partners, pushed us back onto the beach and onto the slog that is the Mandelay to Mount Clare leg, my least favourite part of the course.

Tim left us at Mandelay, he had been cruising the whole time and just casually changed gear and moved to the front of the field. It was left to Tristan to set the pace with Carien and I settling in behind him. Between the three of us we managed to keep ticking the kilometres off at a reasonable rate and we picked up Jake a few kilometres out of Mount Clare, for the final push to the summit.  It was still a slog albeit a slog with company which makes all the difference in the dark.  My swag was calling so I just got my head down and got this section done, simple really, keep moving forward.

We’ll leave it here for post one of the Delirious West 2026 race recap. Summiting Mount Clare and tucked up in my swag for a well-earned two hour rest before charging to Warpole on sunrise of day two.

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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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