The Transcend Ultra is a beast of an ultra. Sixty-five kilometres but nearly three thousand metres of elevation and trust me that is a lot. Looking at the graphic above you can see if you’re not going up a very steep hill you’re stumbling down the other side. This means the quads and hammys are being continually beaten. I was better prepared than the first time I ran it last year where a lack of training and a sprained ankle had me stumbling home in just over eleven hours. It’s worth a read so here’s the link to the post :- https://www.runbkrun.com/2025/08/20/transcend-ultra-2025/

This year I was consistent in my training in the fact I did something most days but that something more than not involved going to the gym, hitting the Pilates Reformer machine and a 5k treadmill run before a few weights.  Not ideal preparation for a sixty-five kilometre ultra with some serious vert on trails.  This year I think I’ve been on trails twice, once for the Delirious West 200 miler in April ( https://www.deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) and then again for the Cape to Cape miler in June. ( https://www.cape2capeultra.com.au/ ) This seems to have become a thing lately, just no time on the trails bar long multi day’s events. Funnily enough with muscle memory, experience and general fitness I find I don’t need any trail or even elevation training and by not running on trails when you actually do it make the whole experience more enjoyable? Logic in my madness, not so sure.

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.

I was a lot happier this year compared to last year when, by this stage in the race, I was hobbling on a ‘bung ankle‘ and with no training questioning my life’s decisions.  This year I was chasing my mate Sheng as he had indicated he was after a sub nine-hour finish, which I was also targeting, why not sit back and let the young fella do all the pacing work.  The first section contains two steep ascents and one seriously testing descent, which Sheng was taking at break-neck speed.  Because we were pretty bunched up, being so close to the start, you always had someone right on your tail which make you push that bit harder. My descending skills are similar to Bambi on acid, not an ideal situation. It would have been so easy to go over and do another ankle. Luckily, I survived and was actually relieved to see the waterfall ascent because at least I was probably not going to fall.

Post waterfall climb you run along a ridge, through some single-track trails and before you know it, you’re at Aid 1, which as you can see from the image below, I was pretty stoked to be at. This time last year I was contemplating pulling out, this year I was feeling good and ran through after filling my drink bottles, leaving Sheng in my dust. With hindsight I should have waited for Sheng and maybe I could have dragged him to his sub nine-hour finish, he finished twenty or so minutes past the hour.  Truth be told I never looked at my watch the whole-time, bar checking my kilometre splits, so when I did finish under nine it was a total shock.

AVON RIDGE ESTATE TO WALYUNGA SCENIC LOOKOUT 13.3km +636m

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.

The next section is undulating with serious climbs and descents built to take out your ankles (this seems to be a common theme of this event?) and I saw a few runners go over, which always focusing the mind.  I was expecting Sheng to come and pass me and just got my head down. I always find the later stages of an ultra easier than the initial ones, later in the game muscle memory kicks in and your legs normally ‘wake up’. You also get into a routine of suffering I suppose and towards the end, when you can see the finish, the mind starts to release more resources to get the job done. It stops trying to protect you (with its best mate fatigue and self-doubt) and concentrates on ending the pain as quickly as possible?

The water crossing was fun and with my Altra Olympus 275’s not a problem (thanks https://www.tribeandtrail.com.au/ ) as they miraculously dry themselves very quickly, this paired with Injinji socks means no issues post water crossings. I have no footage as my GoPro decided to start playing silly buggers and switched itself off, or probably I did something I shouldn’t have, more likely?

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.

Post Aid station two you are spat out into the best part of the event, in my view. Beautiful single trail, switchbacks and running next to creeks. It really feels like you’re in Europe, without the snow.  The only downside is stairs, lots of stairs going down and up. You start this section around twenty-five kilometres in to the  event and this is where it starts to hurt as you still have just under a marathon to the finish, so your mind is in protection mode rather than finish mode.  On one of the steep ascents I videoed myself and I think that was my last video, I needed to concentrate on the race itself, I couldn’t video and race, I was buggered. Ten minutes earlier I was hurtling down some switchbacks having the time of my life, that’s ultra running I suppose. I’ve attached links to both videos below.

I must mention the aid stations before I continue. Shane and Mitch, the Race Directors, must have serious sweet tooths because the aid stations are like sweet shops on steroids, so many options and to contrast the sweet options they even had pickles. I always grabbed a handful of sweets and oranges to compliment my Bix Gu’s, and this was enough to get me to the finish feeling good, nutrition wise. This together with the tailwind, for hydration, was perfect fueling. Section three is hard and I mean hard compared to the rest of the sections of the event, which are also hard, but three is harder. If sections were people section three would be Chuck Norris, that hard!

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 but also the most runnable as you have a large section of fire trail or wide-open road like trails, after a nice descent post aid station. You could get the poles out and virtually run the whole section, which I’m sure the front runners did. I ran the flat or descents but any slight ascent and I was walking, saving the legs for the final stage and the king of the mountain hill that just goes on and on. You also start to think about the finish on this stage as you know when you get to the final aid station there’s only just over twelve kilometres to go, albeit a large proportion of that is uphill.

My good friend Nancy Shaw was on the mike for aid station four and hearing her voice put a pep in my step as I rounded the corner and saw the aid station. At that point I knew I had the race in the bag, and it was just a small matter of the king of the hill climb and then 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.

Once I left aid station  four I was in finish mode, just the king of the mountain hill to conquer, a small but steep incline, a creek crossing and then some single track to the finish, simple. My legs were behaving and I was able to power hike up the hill passing a few runners along the way. I was able to take a few more souls on the final incline and then a few more on the last single track. I’d actually not lost any places during the event and moved up the field at every aid station, a perfect scenario.  Maybe I should have went out quicker initially, but Sheng was setting a good pace, I don’t think I could have.  I think I paced the event just about perfectly and got the result I was chasing, without constantly checking my watch, just running by feel and as fast as I could.

So, what did Transcend 2026 teach me?  I need to train on the terrain I race on, an obvious statement and I knew I was coming in under trained on any terrain. Muscle memory and racing multi day events often can get you to the finish line of just about any race, but you won’t get the time you could if you train, another obvious statement. Transcend comes at the end of a Perth Winer, which isn’t that bad in the scheme of things, but you get used to nine months of perfect conditions and the three months of inclement weather, at best, if enough to give you an excuse to scuttle off to the gym. I find after the Cape to Cape ultra marathon in June I always drop my training totals. Post Transcend, with the weather improving, I tend to step it up knowing the Feral Pig miler is incoming in November. Post Feral Pig I target Herdy’s in March and then Delirious West in April, Cape to Cape in June etc. I am a runner who likes routine.

Next year though will be different, at the moment I’m signed up for the Winter Spine in January ( https://www.thespinerace.com/race/montane-winter-spine/ ) and then the summer version in June ( https://www.thespinerace.com/race/summer-spine/ ) and I’ve also shown interest in the new Montane race the Wrath in May, basically the whole Cape Wrath Trail virtually unsupported.  That may be a bit too much truth be told but I’m keeping my options open. If there’s a good refund option, I may enter and re-access after the Winter Spine. Four two hundred milers and then some, (the Spine is 268 miles), including probably three of the hardest races in Europe, in six months, too much? Probably.

The main issue I will have for the Winter Spine will be training in a Perth summer, with no altitude to speak off, for a race in subzero temperatures and eighteen hours of darkness. This is where I hope my general cardio fitness and muscle memory come into play. Can I finish the Spine using more mental toughness than physical conditioning? After all I don’t expect to be running a lot of it due to the terrain and the conditions, it’s just a slog where it’s you against you and that’s the point of this event. Funnily enough in the middle of the day, after a few coffee’s, I’m mad for it and can’t wait but getting up early to run in the dark and I think I’m mad, why put yourself through it? Again, that’s the point, do hard shit while you still can. I’ll be taking on the Winter Spine a few days short of my sixtieth birthday, I haven’t got time to pontificate and try to enter in 2028, to quote Elvis ‘It’s now or never’

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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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