Running a 200 miler is a big effort, funny that, and as such requires more than one post. I had to stop for a cuppa’ and a biscuit so am now refreshed and ready to push on.  The link to my first post is here in case you missed it, https://www.runbkrun.com/2026/05/08/how-to-run-a-200-miler-ultra-part-1/

To sum up Part 1 I highlighted how important sleep is, something a lot of 200-mile runners forget which comes back to bite them towards the end of the event, as well as nutrition, basically eat a lot and often, looking after your feet, mental preparation and finally crew.

First thing we need to talk about is your why?  This is the reason you are putting yourself through the pain and pleasure that is a 200-mile foot race. This is important because somewhere along the way you are going to need this to help keep moving you forward when every ounce of sense in your body is telling you to stop. In a 200 miler all runners will experience this, be it the front runner racing the clock or the back of the pack runners being chased down by sweepers, we all need our why.  I’ve seen runners write their why on their body, or extreme cases, tattoo it, so it’s there as a constant visual reminder when needed or a piece of paper they can bring out in times of need.  It doesn’t matter where it is it just needs to be available when you need it most. A powerful why statement can make a massive difference and be enough to keep you moving forward.  For a 200 miler you must have a why, period.

Next is the distance itself. You can’t start a 200 miler and think the finish line is 200 miles away, that is just running suicide. The way to run a 200 miler is to break the distance down into smaller more manageable ‘chunks‘ and the best way to do this is by daisy chaining aid stations and concentrating on the distance to the next aid station only. This way you also achieve small milestones more often rather than a start race, finish race, with nothing in-between.  I even break down laps in backyard ultras and they’re less than seven kilometres long. For Delirious there’s nineteen aid stations, so I have nineteen smaller races to run, between ten kilomteres and twenty four, with an aid station at the end serving great food and my reclining chair waiting for me. It’s a wonder I finish within the cut off with so many excuses to drop time and sit down and eat.  This way you can always see the next finish line, albeit it’s an aid station until it’s not and it is actually the finish line. I remember when I ran my first 200 miler I didn’t have this mentality and we were about eighty kilometres in and I was totally trashed and I remember thinking I have hundreds of kilometres to go, when I should have thought it’s less than five kilometres to the next aid station. Total different way of approaching the same issue but you can see the difference it would make mentally.

Next is training or in my case probably lack off.  As with all things running you more you put in the better the end result but for ultra races there is also the mental side which plays a big part, so funnily enough your training for ultra’s doesn’t have to be as on point as shorter distances, as strange as that sounds. For example, a good friend of mine John Herzfeld finished Delirious West 2025 with no real training at all bar a few park runs and general fitness, John is also a vintage runner similar to me. What John does have though is mental toughness and he basically did enough to finish.  He admitted to me post-race he felt a bit embarrassed as he knew he had no right to be there, at the finish line, really.  He originally entered to keep Gabe Alves company to the finish, but Gabe dropped out and John just kept on trucking to finish in ninety-six hours.

I’m similar in that I trained very hard on the trails for three of my finishes, but the last two years have done very little trail running at all and no long runs of anything more than low twenty kilometres.  I have averaged less than eighty kilometres a week and ran four to five times , around ten kilometres each time.  I have added in gym visits which included pilates reformer time and some weight work, so trying to do something every day.  My friends reckon its muscle memory that gets me to the end of Delirious these days, not my training, and they could have a point. I feel with my experience and general fitness, combined with mental preparation, trumps general running fitness acquired by running, a lot.  Of course, I wouldn’t recommend my approach to the first-time athlete and would always do as much as you can, but if you can’t do as much as you’d like you can concentrate on other ways to stay fit and also work on your mental strength game.

With breaking the event down into aid station hops you only need to be fit enough to get to the next aid station, there you can recuperate, refuel and go again. These mini breaks can help you run further on less fitness; you’re not running a 200 miler you’re essentially running twenty smaller races?

Remember you won’t be running the full 200 miles; there will be times when you need to hike and practicing hiking is also important as you’ll be using different muscles. With a trail ultra it’s all about the quads, work on your quads as you’re constantly stepping, you very rarely just cruise along like a road marathon when all the muscle groups are utilised evenly. Quads, quads, quads and one more time quads, get to that quad rack baby and get squatting!

Another important part of a 200 mile is actually enjoying the journey, being ‘in the moment‘ and not over thinking things. Sometimes just stop and look around, breath in the sunsets and sunrises and let the scenery wash over you, it makes a massive difference to your mental well beings if you let your surroundings invigorate you. Several times during all my 200 miler events I will stop and just take it in where I am, just enjoy the moment of solitude and in my case normally take a photo or video but it never does that moment justice. These moments are the ones you remember, just you and the trail.

In the article below by Rachae Entrekin training is highlighted. https://ultrarunning.com/featured/how-to-train-for-200-milers/ Worth a read.

Let’s cut to the chase here. No one is talking about this topic. And, yeah, you can hold onto your flimsy idea that “200s are just fast hiking” all you want, but: a) this doesn’t necessarily have to be true, and b) shut up.

Below, you’ll find “Rachel’s Nearly Foolproof Guide to Running Your First Super Long Event.” While I’m certainly not going to claim to be an expert here, I’ve at least figured out some stuff, and honestly, we should be talking about this. Clearly, the drive to go these distances isn’t going away, and if we want to turn around the dumb narrative that these can’t be competitive, we’ve got to start sharing secrets so that they can be.

Note: I’ll be mostly discussing fixed-distance races, because that’s where it seems like there is the greatest potential for growth within the sport when it comes to participation and sponsorship.
Other note: My multi-day experience consists of four 48-hour races and three fixed-distance 200(+) mile races.

Training

Here’s where the back-to-back training runs come into play (or, if you can swing it, the back-to-back-to-back training runs). I think stacking weeks of a couple 6-8-hour/25-30-mile days in a row is the most beneficial way to get used to running when you don’t want to run. Friday, Saturday and Sunday consist of doing anywhere from 20-40 miles, at least three weekends out of a month. Practice fueling, moving your legs when they feel like they weigh 600 pounds and just being out there, for that long and then doing it again. And again. And again. Weekend after weekend. Stack. Those. Bricks.

That being said, I tend to not go hog wild with insanely high mileage during my training – probably 75% of my weeks were anywhere between 80-90 miles, with a handful of stacked 110(+) mile weeks. I think it’s pretty healthy to have one week a month where you “take a break” and do a lower mileage week (again, relative) of 75-80 miles. Trust me, when your usual week is 100 miles and suddenly you’re doing 75, it really does feel easy, which is exactly what you want.

Training specificity also matters. Think about the trail conditions of the area you’re racing in. Is it exposed? Rocky? Humid? Figure it out and try to simulate those conditions, particularly during your longer runs. Also, and I feel like this goes without saying, but learn how to run at night. You’ll be doing it at least twice. Don’t make the first time you realize you’re afraid of the dark (or the animals that live in the dark) be during the race. Also, at some point during the race, you’ll likely find yourself eating what could be considered “a meal,” then needing to keep running. Maybe, you know, practice that. Running after you’ve eaten is worth trying out prior to the race so you know how it feels and can get your gut used to it.

And, say goodbye to your social life, you belong to running now. I highly recommend finding friends who run.

Bonus Section: Training Races

There are few things worse in life than lining up in the starting corral next to someone who says “Oh, this is just a training run for me.” But now, you get to be that person.

I find that doing a few stimulus races during your build can be incredibly beneficial. However, be smart about placement of them during your training. I tend to do a larger effort run (18+ hours) and at least a couple moderate effort runs (8-12 hours) during my buildup to the multi-day and honestly, I treat them like they’re standalone events. Don’t forget though, you can’t thrash yourself so completely that you now have to take weeks off training. The goal of a stimulus race is finishing, but feeling like you could’ve kept going.

Another Bonus Section: Course Recon

If you have the opportunity to go and check out the route, great. If you don’t, there’s tons of stuff out there to glean information from – race reports on Reddit to full-length films, in some cases. Do your homework, however that looks for your schedule.

Sleep

I think there’s two schools of thought here:
a) Plan sleep (around weather windows, time of day, known circadian rhythms, larger fueling times).
b) Do not plan anything and sleep only when you’re essentially a health and safety risk (aka, my strategy).

Obviously, know thyself. If you can fall asleep on a dime (literally, what is this expression?) then maybe planning sleep would work for you. It does not work for me.
My usual rule of thumb for deciding when it’s time to sleep is if caffeine, food, pacers and/or daylight/adjusting your headlamp brightness don’t help, plus you’re slowing down, stumbling a lot or legitimately feel like you could fall asleep standing up, then you need to take a break and try sleeping. Don’t wait for the aid station. Curl up under a tree on the side of the trail and snooze for 5-20 minutes. If you’re at an aid station and your crew can use the time you’re sleeping to do additional tasks for you, maybe snooze a bit longer. It’s all about efficiency and multitasking.

In talking with others throughout my own experiences, I also tend to encourage holding off on sleep as long as possible. Sleeping during multi-days appears to be similar to “breaking the seal” in that once you start doing it, you really want to keep doing it. (But obviously, stay safe out there. Don’t zombie-walk off a cliff.)

Fueling

Multi-days are not casual. They are long, grueling, insane feats of human accomplishment, and you cannot do this on stupid race fuel like gels and sugary garbage, alone. If you do this, you will be throwing up violently or otherwise aggressively ill by mile 110. Gels, drink mixes and chews are great to snack on and keep handy because they’re light weight, usually have sodium and/or caffeine and are calorically dense. But unless you want to destroy your will to live by the halfway mark, I recommend figuring out what real foods you can take with you in addition to the traditional race fuels. Whether it’s McGriddles, mashed potatoes or milk, you need variety, and that means eating protein and fat in addition to carbs. You’ll want to practice beforehand, so you can determine how your body responds to larger meals while still needing to move forward. Don’t forget another one of the basics: electrolytes. Think in terms of IV drip speed, not avalanche, and try to get salt in your real foods.

Pacing

Okay. Controversial opinion incoming, but if you want to win the race, stick your nose in it from the get-go. I’ve spoken on a lot of podcasts about “barely manageable” pace utilization during these things, and honestly, this is something that you have to learn how to do during either fixed-time racing, 100-mile race efforts or long back-to-back days. If your plan is to “conserve energy until the end of the race, then pick off people who started out too fast,” I have news for you: the leaders have already finished the race by the time you reach the last third of the course. Do not “conserve energy for your future self.” Manage your pace so that you don’t crash and burn, obviously, but you aren’t going to feel “fresher” 186 miles into a race because you did a 15-minute pace for the first 100 miles. You’re just going to be 7 hours behind the front of the pack. It’s much easier to set the tone early than it is to try and rally late. Again, I am in no way endorsing starting off at a pace that you haven’t experimented with during training or other races. It’s not advisable to average an 8-minute pace when your usual is a 11:30-minute/mile. Don’t be dumb, but don’t hold yourself back, either. This is a race. Figure out what’s barely manageable and hold on as long as you can. It’s probably going to be about 180 miles longer than you think it’ll be.

Know the course well enough to strategize, whether you’ve been on it or not. Know where the climbs are, so you can fuel appropriately. Know what sections look runnable on paper but are actually rocky, technical hell-holes. Know where you’ll be around what time, so you can have appropriate gear and not die of exposure or cold. Will there be filterable water? Are my feet going to get wet? Not knowing these things will slow you down. Someone who knows these things, but maybe trained a little bit less, will go considerably faster than someone who trained a ton but knows nothing about how the course flows. Be smarter than them.

Crew

Yeah, I don’t know how people do multi-day fixed-distance events without a crew, so we’re going to assume that everyone reading this is interested in having support. Here are some short and sweet tips:

• Pick people who won’t baby you. They will see you at your worst, and it’s their job to keep you going.
• Pick people who you can argue with (and who can argue with each other) but know how to apologize and continue working well together.
• Pick people you are excited to hang out with. You’re going to be spending a lot of time together.
• Pick people who will take care of each other while crewing.
• Pick people who will kick your ass out of the cozy van at 3 a.m., who will keep their personal drama to themselves because they think it might affect your race and who willingly do whatever it takes to get you to that finish line. Your crew is the backbone of your race. They will be your brain when yours has left the chat. They are your spirit when you feel like death. They will keep you moving when you just want the race to be over already. Choose wisely.
• Bonus Tip: Have pre-race meetings to discuss your goals, fears and needs. Let them know, to the best of your ability, how they can manage you efficiently. It’s like a middle school group project, except you’re the project. Tell them how to earn an A.

Aid Station/Race Vehicle Management

Don’t camp out at aid stations. While you’re there, you don’t have to run, which is great. It’ll be tempting to hang out because snacks and friends are there. But you have to leave. Strategize to determine which aid stations are the ones where you’ll be spending longer amounts of time and stick to the freakin’ plan. Spend the preceding miles before hitting aid stations thinking about what you need to accomplish. Change of clothes? Eat hot food? Go into the aid station with a plan, and don’t assume you can figure it out when you get there.

It’s easy during the race to let everything get messy and out of control in your race vehicle, but digging through dirty clothes at mile 185 trying to find clean socks is not ideal for anyone. Keeping the race vehicle tidy is more of a crew task during the race, but organizing gear before the race even starts is on you. Also, I rent a camper van, which is expensive but worth it. It’s a home on wheels. While you shouldn’t be spending that much time inside, your crew will be making it their home while you’re off hallucinating in the desert/woods for days. Give them somewhere to sleep, shower and get some privacy, that isn’t on the side of the trail or in a creek.

Mental Resilience

Events like 200-milers are wild. You can’t conceptualize them as just two 100-mile races run back-to-back. They’re compounded, significantly. Everything can and probably will go sideways. You’re going to encounter new and exciting issues that you can’t even fathom. I don’t say that to overwhelm or frighten, but to encourage preparedness. You can be afraid of the challenges that are going to happen, or you can choose to look forward to them. You’re going to emerge from a multi-day race a completely different person, and you can be mentally and physically more capable than before, or the opposite. It is, quite literally, your choice. Mindset is everything, and I have found that it’s the most important thing – even more than physical fitness. You have to believe you can conquer what’s out there and embrace that you’ll be learning things along the way.

The Little Things

Study the maps. Read the race reports. Watch the movies. Plan the accommodations (in advance). Don’t forget to order shoes, and honestly, order extra pairs. Get your gear in order and have backups for everything. Use your gear, and backups, before race day. Prepare, rehash and prepare again. Have a medical kit, and don’t assume the race will provide you with first-aid supplies. Pack your car early and make sure everything is in there, that way, you’ll realize you forgot literally all your nutrition at home and can save $300 by not buying the same crap that you already had the day before the race. Everyone’s little things are different. Know yours and address them.

Have fun. Or something like it.

Follow me on

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

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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I have finished seven 200 milers, the Delirious West 200 miler six time in Western Australia ( https://www.deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) on the Bibbulmun track and the Unreasonable East in the Blue Mountains outside Sydney once. I’ve never finished outside the top 10 overall in any of the 200 milers I’ve finished with a couple of podiums thrown in good measure, so I know what it takes to be successful at this distance and will try to explain in this post my tips for not just finishing a 200 miler but enjoying it.  (Note, I say enjoying it in the broadest sense of the word)

First thing and perhaps the most important is sleep.  Sleep is the superpower of endurance runners, those who excel use it to their advantage, those that don’t become what I term ‘zombie runners‘, they move forward but creep (at best) rather than run.  I can never understand when runners think it’s better to run long distances without sleeping and wear it like a badge of honour but then end up finishing towards the back of the pack and shuffling in. I’ve seen this at so many finish lines over the years, the eyes are open but there is no one home. Compare this to a runner with a good sleep strategy as they bounce to the finish line full of the joys of spring, similar time but whole different experience.

In my first 200 mile finish I ran just over eighty-three hours, by less than a minute, rookie error, and my mate Rob Donkersloot compared my moving time to the winners, Shane Johnston, who finished nearly a day ahead of me, we both have the same time.  The difference was I slept three times and spent way more time at aid stations with my crew feeding me, could I have gone quicker, 100%, but I wanted to finish but also enjoy the experience.  If I had limited my sleep and rest time, I would have finished quicker, but it would have been so much harder and at that point it was all about finishing and enjoying it rather than a specific time. My strategy was to start slow, bank sleep, and gradually work my way through the field.  It worked perfectly and I finished 9th overall, 6th male, making up places in the latter half of the event fishing up with a ten kilometre sprint with my mate Paul Hopi Hopwood (which I lost.)

For Delirious, as with all 200 milers, I have always had crew, and this has allowed me to sleep when I want. My crew set up my swag, and I just rock up into the aid station area and sleep, simple.  With Delirious this has been useful as the first sleep station is around 140 kilometres into the event and I feel just too far for most runners. By the time they get that far they would have been running for nearly thirty hours plus. I tend to set up my first stop at Mandelay car park which is around 110 kilometres from the start, that extra thirty kilometres makes all the difference.

Actually a funny story here, one year I had slept at Mandelay but the crew and I had assumed each other would set an alarm, no one did. I remember waking up and seeing daylight when we had decided to start again later before dawn. It turns out we were virtually last as we had overslept by about two hours.  In the end this worked out to my advantage as the extra sleep had reinvigorated me and I skipped past the field while they adopted the zombie shuffle.  In a 200 miler we’re talking finishing times in days and hours, so you have time, as long as the sweeper is not to close.

My strategy for a 200 miler is to try and get between two and three hours sleep on the first two nights and then dose up on caffeine tablets to get me to the finish, so normally around six hours sleep total.  I find I can normally make it through the final night as your body has adjusted to the sleep deprivation and you can see the end, so to speak.  Of course, planning for sleep and actually sleeping are two different things.  I’m lucky that as soon as I get in my swag, I’m out, no matter what I’ve eaten, drank or exercised previously. In my favour I’m normally pretty cooked by the time I try to sleep so as long as I avoid too much caffeine sleeping isn’t a problem.  I do know of runners who can’t sleep, and they just keep going until they eventually drop on the trail for a dirt nap.  In WA this is easier said than done with the trail floor normally alive with ants or other beasties who see you as a meal but when you’re dog tired it doesn’t matter. Personally, I’ve only has one dirt nap, in the Irrational South 200 miler, when I was falling asleep walking and just had to stop, I had no alternative. The four or five minutes was enough, and I was then able to motor to the finish at a good turn of pace. I was with Sarah Niven at the time, and we both got out space blankets and just hit the dirt, good times.

Obviously for the front of the pack runners sleep is a luxury that they may not need, if you can finish a 200 miler in less than sixty hours you can probably get away with a few minutes at aid stations but for most sleep is a necessity. Adopt the right strategy and you’ll always be continually energised, get it wrong or just ignore it, and you’re crawling to the finish line. Sleep is right up there with hydration and nutrition, ignore any of these three factors and you just basically stop, simple.

To sum up sleep, do it early and often. 

Next is your feet. These are paramount to 200 miler success, funnily enough, and need to be treated as such. I’m talking pre-race care with strapping and balm, to during the event with constant checking and changing of socks at aid stations.  Blisters have ruined many runners’ dreams of finishing ultras or made the whole process so painful they never return. You’ll know before the event what type of feet you have, i.e. do they blister easily or can they go forever, with little attention? I’ve been pretty lucky in the fact I’ve never really suffered with a blister bad enough to warrant discussion. Before any 200 miler I’ll use Du it foot balm and lately I’ve been taping my toes with fixomull. 

I change my socks at every aid station, which for Delirious is about fourteen times and each time I check the toes and whenever I can wash my feet. Clean feet mean no sand which means no fraction, and friction is not your feet’s friend.  From friction blisters come and we don’t like blisters. As I said earlier I’ve been lucky with blisters but you’ll need to do your own research on the strategy to deal with them if they rear their ugly head. basically, to pop or not to pop?  For Delirious we are blessed with Kath Booth who is a feet fetish queen who likes nothing more than treating our feet issues, everybody needs a Kath.

My next tip on completing 200 milers is a subject all real ultra runners care about, nutrition. Yep, that’s right folks the good stuff you get at aid stations and for Delirious West 200 miler this is taken to a Spinal tap eleven. Shain Kaesler, the race director, gives each aid station caption $400 for provisions but most of these captains must then spend the same amount again as the food is gourmet level.  I seriously reckon I put on weight running Delirious, I’m being serious. If you really think about it you are probably eating at every aid station, which I reckon it about three to four a day minimum, and then in-between you’re snacking off anything available in your pack. Your taught to eat constantly while running ultra marathons and some ultra-athletes take this to extreme. I remember stories of aid station volunteers kicking runners out after they’d overstayed their welcome reminding them it was a race after all.

Personally, I feel it would be rude not to try and sample something from every aid station along any ultra, after all the volunteers have made such an effort preparing these beautiful gourmet delights, one must at least try them.  Even with my crew I always make an effort to find out what’s on the menu and taste something. You’ll find in an ultra your taste buds do develop and food tastes better the longer you run, I’m not sure if this is a scientifically proved fact or just one of my hair-brained theories?  I just googled my idea, and it seems as usual I’m talking crap. The taste buds don’t become extra sensitive over time, but they can start to disagree with your food choices if you overload them with sweet treats, which then accounts for the urge for savory alternatives. What you need is a mix of both.

To sum up how you should approach a 200 miler you need to see it as an adventure, not a race.  Don’t let finishing times cloud your thought process, you just need to concentrate on getting to the next aid station and then daisy chaining along the course, one aid station at a time, it really is that simple. Finally, one last comment regarding mental preparation, in any ultra you will go through dark times, normally around the witching hours, between two am and five am when your body wants sleep, you just need to realise these dark times are temporary and things do get better, normally when the sun rises.  Also these changes in mood happen often throughout the event and you just need to keep moving forward and hang in there, things do get better, eventually, or you reach the finish line, whichever comes first.  Don’t underestimate mental toughness though, the longer the event the more mental prowess becomes important, physical prowess can only get you so far, somewhere along the route you will need to dig deep and drag yourself out of the pain cave or just adopt the fetal position in the cave and keep on trucking.

Follow me on

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

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/)

Follow me on

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

Day two had me arriving at Parry’s ahead of my crew, which is probably the first time in five years I’ve beaten Marky Mark to an aid station. I rang Mark who informed me he was stuck behind a tractor so made myself comfortable at the aid station and tucked into some superb pumpkin soup, the same batch from Dog Road the previous day. It tasted just as good maybe even better as it had matured? and I was hungrier as I moved towards the finish line.

The video below shows me leaving Boat Harbour heading towards Parry’s beach and struggling to talk and think, that’s Delirious.

Had a good run into Parry’s and caught, and ran over,  quite a few 100 milers. As there was only two 200 miler’s infront of me, and by a few hours, there was little catching to be done in my race.  I’d bumped into Graham Merrett earlier in the race coming into Boat Harbour. Left him there with two 100 miler runners and he followed me into Parry’s. He either left before me or ran over the top of me but I wouldn’t see him again until we got to Nallaki aid station.  We then ran together for a few kilometres before I left him again and we met up at Lowlands and together with John Philips, and their two pacers, and Carien formed a great little bus for the Lowlands to Cosy Corner leg, one of the hardest in my view as it’s always late at night on the third night and you’re bloody goosed !

Right back to the race, I left Parry’s beach and headed towards Monkey Rocks alone before Ben Pyman caught me and we ran together for a bit on the soft sand. I was walking for most of the beach trying to conserve some energy for what was to come, another day and night on the trails. I eventually caught Ben and left him as we both came off the beach and onto a nasty hill or three. I’d forgotten how brutal the hills were off the beach and really started to struggle. Ben was also finding it difficult, but he passed me as I sat in a hut and chewed the fat with a hiker and his son.  Eventually I felt good enough to continue and this rest gave me a new lease of life and I was off towards Monkey Rocks, passing Ben for the last time. It’s amazing how sometimes just sitting down for ten minutes can make such a difference, just enough time for legs to reset.  I ran well into Monkey Rocks as I knew Renne and Kris would be there with one of Renne’s aid station meals, in this case lamb and rice. It was spectacular.

This year we had to do Monkey Rocks twice as Denmark Council didn’t want us in the town due to the school holidays.  I had been dreading this as I’m not a big fan of Monkey Rocks as it’s a big climb and a lot of it is unrunable, clambering over rocks, as the name suggests albeit not sure where the monkeys come into it? As it was, once I got over the first climb the out and back wasn’t as bad as I envisaged and I raced back to make the shuttle bus, on the hour, and treat myself to some more lamb and rice. I made it by about two minutes.  As I was on the out section I saw Carien on the way back so knew I was probably about an hour behind her, so still third overall and second male.  I must admit it wasn’t all plain sailing, and I made a video to remind myself how bad the segment was but it’s not for airing publicly.  On the bright side apparently, we’re not running Monkey Rocks next year, at all.

Sometimes on the trail you just need to stop and take stock of your surroundings, Friday night was one of those times.  The legs were behaving themselves; the trail was very good underfoot and conducive to running and the sunset was just beautiful.  Alone with my thoughts and just where I wanted to be, my happy place. These moments make the entrance fee and all that training so worth it, it’s why I do what I do.

I made Lowlands before sunset, just, and sprinted into the aid station, I really felt fresh as a daisy. I was reminded though of a few years ago when I had over indulged at Lowlands and ate another steak when it was pure greed dictating my appetite. Thirty minutes later I was laying on the side of the trail in total darkness regretting my decisions before Alexis Oosterhoff found me and dragged me to Shelly’s aid station, kicking and screaming.  This year I ordered a sweet tea and before I knew it I also had a bacon and egg wrap in my grubby paws, and it was so, so good.

As I said earlier Graham came in just after me and we decided we’d go out together, Carian had arrived before us but was keen for some company so for the third night we’d run together, John Phillips was also there with my good friend Jim Farr as his pacer. Together with Graham’s pacer the six of us set of into the night on the last long leg towards Cosy Corner. The last two years I had struggled with this section and that was with a break at Shelly’s , this year there was no Shelly’s aid station as the council wouldn’t allow us into the car park, so we had to run the whole leg, nearly twenty four kilometres.

The first seven or so kilometres from Lowlands is mainly uphill, logical I suppose coming from an aid station called lowlands ? I knew what was coming unlike the other five runners so warned them that there would be some serious hiking ahead of us before some great running to finish off past the Albany sign. Carien and I were the only 200 milers in the group of six , including two pacers, so we found ourselves at the back of the pack hanging on for most of the time. Remember we had an extra one hundred miles in our legs.  Eventually Carien fell off the back with about four kilometres to go to Cosy Corner. I offered to stay with her but she was happy to let me stay with the bus. That was the last I saw of Carien as she finished a few hours behind me to take the first female and a massive PB, brilliant running!

Post Cosy Corner we mainly walked to Mutton Car Park which was fine with me. The two 100 mile runners, Graham and John, were keen to chase down a few more positions if they could and there was another miler runner behind us. Once we hit the trails the pace quickened and we moved towards the last aid station, Shazza’s.  I held on until we got to the aid station but I was done.  The four of them left me and continued the battle for a higher top ten 100 mile finish without me. I was left to struggle through the last ten or so kilometres alone as the sun rose for the last time.

Eventually I bumped into my support Warwick Crapper and we ran the last few kilomteres to Jeff’s tree together and then stumbled, and I mean stumbled, to the finish line. As it was an out and back we saw Graham and his support runner had gained a few places and John and Jim followed them. They both looked very quick compared to my 200-miler death march, no worries, I was going to grab a well-earned second place and sub seventy-two hours finish. My second fastest time for my six finishes.

The only issue with finishing at the front of the pack is the finish line is almost empty when you eventually stumble over the line. On the bright side at least, it was light as Warwick and I did our celebratory shoey and even added a fireball shot afterwards, though not sure that was a good idea. I dragged Graham and John into the shot round so we all suffered together.

All that was to do now was the public showers in Albany for a hot shower and change of clothes before a full English fry up and then settle back to the finish to cheer on the rest of the finishers.  We hung around for a few hours before retiring to our rental property to prepare for dinner and then a great night’s sleep. Trust me Saturday night you sleep like a baby.

The only time I met the 200-mile winner was at the finish, and briefly as he ran over me about ten kilometres into the event days previously. Chris would have ran most, if not all, of the course alone but he got the job done and was a well-deserved winner. Speaking to him afterwards he has a wealth of ultra running experience and I hope we can race together again soon.  Chris is a teacher from over Queensland and I think next year the dates are ok for him to come over, so I hope he comes to defend his title. Carien has ran Delirious twice now and is looking at other events but Delirious can get under your skin and before you know it, you’re rocking up for an eighth time.

Sunday is all about the award ceremony where Shaun calls up every finisher to present them with their finishers trophy and watching the last of the competitors come home. This is a special day and we were treated to great conditions compared to the torrential rain we had the previous year.  I love Sunday as everybody is together in one place excited about the race and all with stories to share, it’s a magical time with the tribe.

As we finished packing up the event the last runner arrived, shoe less and short less. Jamie had DNF’d the two previous years but this year he made it, albeit a few hours outside cut off, with Delirious this is not an issue and a medal was awarded as well as a finishing time. Jamie is a real character and one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. Everybody who stayed around witnessed what Delirious West is all about, grim determination, getting the job done with a smile. Mark and I drove him to his hotel and made sure he got to his bed for a well-earned sleep. He was in a bad way, but the beer and shots would have helped, initially.  I’m, sure he’ll be back next year and finish well within cut off and maybe with some trail shoes and a pair of shorts?

The last tradition for the Delirious West 200 miler is the photo of Mark and I in the Earl of Spencer pub with a Guiness. Normally I’d finish two pints but the last couple of years I’ve only managed one, a sign of getting older I suppose. As long as my finishing time gets quicker, I’m happy dropping the second pint. So Delirious West 2026 delivered, my second fastest finish and equal best overall position, so much so I’ve already entered next year and I’m extra excited with the prospect of an event sell out as Shaun Kaesler partners up with the Tor de Geants team. It sounds like big things panned for #DW27, see you on the start line.

Follow me on

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

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

&n

The last post had me at Mount Clare aid station about 130 kilometres into the Delirious West 200 miler. I arrived around 4am and leapt into my swag prepared by my crew ‘Marky‘ Mark Lommers.  This was Mark’s fifth time in a row supporting me at Delirious and together we are a well well-oiled ultra eating machine, well I’m certainly an eating machine anyway?  The plan was for three hours sleep before we take on day two but in the end I awoke after two hours and woke Mark to start preparing breakfast, I was ready to go.

The run into Walpole, off Mount Clare, is one of my favourite sections for a number of reasons. Firstly, I’m always fresh after a sleep at Mount Clare, secondly, it’s the start of the second day and the sun is normally shining with a bright, crisp morning making running seem a breeze compared to the slog of the night before. The terrain is also ‘runner friendly‘ which is not always the case on the Bibbulmun track, remember the track is mainly built for hikers.  As you can see from the image below it is very special and the best bit. it’s only a ten kilometre hop so before you know it you’re sitting in a chair at Walpole eating, perfect.

I always run through Walpole as the next aid station is another short hop of less than ten kilometres to Tingle Tree. Initially very flat before a sharp rise for the last two to three kilometres. Similar to Walpole you seem to arrive very quickly.  I had arranged to meet Karen here with two of my bags which we would transfer to Mark’s car.  I had brought a new pair of Altra shoes for the event and the tongue on the left shoe was causing me no end of pain as it had bruised the top of my foot and continued to do damage. I had helped the pain with some fixamol and plasters to pad the area but this was a short term fix, the long term fix was to change shoes.  The Altra Olympus 275’s have an issue with the tongue it seems as my good friend Andy Thompson had exactly the same problem, bruising on the top of his foot from the ‘tough’ shoe tongue. Unfortunately for Andy he had no spare shoes and ran a four day ultra in them, eventually the area went septic, ouch.  I was very glad to change into an old pair of Olympus 12’s, which sorted the issue instantly.

I ate at Tingle Tree, repaired my foot issues, changed my clothes and I was off towards Tree tops, the halfway point. I was probably about four hours ahead of last years’ time and feeling pretty good.  I always find after a feed it takes a few kilometres to swing back into action but was pleasantly surprised to feel the legs come good early and started to run sections I walked last year.  I remember last year I bumped into James Sawyer on this section of the course and we both retired from running Delirious ever again, it was brutal. This year was a polar opposite, I was running and running well and before I knew it I was sitting down at the Tree Tops aid station eating pancakes swimming in maple syrup.  They were bloody good pancakes and add in a sweet tea, I was in running heaven.

With a full stomach and Carien back in tow, she had caught me at as I wolfed down pancakes at the last aid station, we headed out towards Conspicuous Cliffs chasing the lead female Ella, who I had caught and passed on the way up to the aid station but she didn’t spend as much time eating as me, a rookie error.  Carien and Ella would have a tussle for the lead for most of the event with Carien eventually finishing first when Ella just ran out of gas, mainly due to lack of sleep, the curse of running crewless.  Both ladies ran great races and should be very proud of their podium finishes.  We caught Ella and ran as a threesome for a few kilometres before Carien stepped on and Ella was happy enough to let her go.  After a nature break, I chased Carien down and got to her a few kilometres out of the aid station where my good friend Charles and his family were waiting for me, as well as Mark and a giant steak, with onion and runner beans.

It was great to see Mark and Charles and the steak was up to Mark’s normal high standard. Another change of clothes and I was ready to get onto the beach and head off towards Peaceful Bay, and my second night with Carien as company. At this point Ella was behind us but may have passed us as we spent more time eating.  We were in good spirits leaving Conspicuous Cliffs, mainly due to another full stomach, but the run to Peaceful Bay soon turned ugly with the final three to four kilometres taking a big toll. There was lots of rock hopping, beach running on really soft sand, more rock hopping and trails which seem to be heading in the wrong direction. Add in fatigue and Carien and I were truly spent when we eventually stumbled into Peacefull bay. I don’t seem to remember this leg being quite as bad as this, mainly due to the sand which seemed to be extra soft this year?

I was ready for a good sleep, and this time would take all my three allocated hours. Carien also planned three hours but with Ella coming into the aid station the same time as us she would leave ninety minutes or so before me. We also bumped into Tim Pullin at Peaceful Bay as he had pulled out due to health issues while leading the event. This meant I was now running second male behind Chris Atkinson, albeit Chirs had three to four hours on me.  There were a few other runners also sleeping as I left, with Ella, and I started to think about putting in some quick kilometres to distance myself from third place.

Peaceful Bay to Boat Harbour is a hard eighteen kilometres and I was now running alone in the witching hours, between three and five in the morning. I had a few 100 milers ahead of me and I gradually ran them down, one by one, which kept me honest.  The highlight of this leg is the water crossing which meant a jet ski ride, yep, you read that right, a jet ski ride in the middle of a 200 miler, how good is that?  Luckily, I got there at the right time as there was no queue and the crossing was deep enough for the jet ski, earlier there had been a few groundings apparently.  In previous years we had crossed the river mouth by foot, and this has resulted in a few very deep-water crossings, making it unsafe for the ‘smaller‘ runners amongst us.

Last year Asrid got an incredible photo of me on the back of the jet ski but this year, unbeknown to me, she was sleeping in her swag and missed me. I did get a photo of the jet ski in her absence but it’s not the same.  I say again how good is crossing a river mouth in the middle of the night in the middle of a 200-miler  foot race, just brilliant.  Unfortunately, it looks like next year we will be back to crossing by foot and this is the last year of the jet ski crossings. A big thank you to the jet ski crew who spend many hours ferrying runners from one side of the riverbank to the other, it is such a highlight.

I caught up with three 100 milers coming into Boat Harbour and I entered the aid station in the dark and left in the light of a day three sunrise and renewed enthusiasm, it was now just a short hop to Parry’s beach.  This section had been hard, but I was able to keep myself busy chasing head torches throughout the night and the next day into Parrys’. I made sure no one passed me as I made my way up the 100-mile leaderboard and kept third position, in the 200 miler, well behind me. I would have passed three or more 100-mile runners and exploded into Parry’s beach aid station ahead of my crew who got stuck in road works apparently.

Right that’s it for day two recap… time for a cup of tea and then we’ll start on the final push to the finish line.

Follow me on

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

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/)

Follow me on

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

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.

Follow me on

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

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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In less than two weeks I get to take on the Delirious West 200 miler for the seventh time, ( https://www.deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) currently sitting on one DNF (my first) and five top ten finishes. This has to be my favourite race due to the distance, company and the food, truth be told mainly the food, you also get to ride on a jet ski. (albeit it depends on what state of the tide when you get to the water crossing and the ride itself last less than twenty seconds, enough time for a photo)

Company wise I’m ably supported by Mark (Warwick Crapper) Lommers and in 2026 he’ll be joining me for the fifth time.  Mark just knows when to be quiet, when to be encouraging and when to kick my ass and push me out of the comfort of my recliner. He also cooks a mean spaghetti bolognaise (for Wednesday night) and an incredible steak and onions which gets better every year! (Thursday and Friday nights)

The company on this event is absolutely top-notch, like-minded runners, crew and supporters all working towards the goal of getting as many runners as possible from the start, in Northcliffe, to the finish line in Albany, over three hundred and forty kilomtres apart.  I cannot talk this up enough, from the bogan run on Tuesday afternoon in Northcliffe to the post event celebrations on Sunday evening in the Earl of Spencer Pub in Albany it is just a runners dream.  So many stories and memories that will last a lifetime, this is why I keep coming back year on year.  It’s also good for a post or three as a lot happens in a week.  I would highly recommend you spend time reading through all my previous posts on the event, that should keep you busy for a few hours.

Before Delirious is the race that stops a small town, i.e. Northcliffe , the infamous Bogan run where the crew of the competitors are put through their paces on what can only be described as an alcohol fueled suffer feast . No one has any idea of the rules or coarse and the crew are just let loose to run amok around Northcliffe while consuming as much beer as humanly possible. All joking aside it does bring the small town to a grinding halt albeit truth be told it’s hard to tell the difference between normal traffic and a grinding halt. My crew has excelled year on year but so far all we have to show is one win, with many podium places.

Another big bonus of a 200 miler is running through the night and coming across all sorts of architecture, flora and fauna. This varies from bridges that seem to just disappear into the blackness to animals that would seem more at home in a horror movie. You also need to remember that in Australia everything, no matter how small, can kill you!  The witching hours allow you to relax from the heat of the day and you can just concentrate on the small bubble of light that show you the way. Personally, I love this time and being alone in the wilderness, kilometres from the next soul, is liberating. How often do you find yourself alone, I mean really alone? Trust me it is a cleansing experience.

Right next we have the beaches. These are some of the best in the world and normally you run them alone, albeit this year could be a different experience as Shaun and his gang at UltraSeries WA have organised the event to coincide with the school holidays?  On the bright side most of the beaches are inaccessible by normal two-wheel drive vehicles so I’m hoping they won’t look like a scene from Baywatch, albeit a Pamlea Anderson type lifeguard chasing me down the beach could be cool. (being happily married I wouldn’t let her catch me of course?)

The race is run completely on the last two hundred miles of the one thousand kilometre Bibbulmun Track from Perth (Kalamunda) to Albany.  ( https://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/ ) How cool is it to have a one thousand kilometre trail from Perth to Albany running through pristine forests, beaches and the best Western Australia has to offer.  We are totally blessed and we even have a version for mountain bikes called the Munda Biddi which is also from Perth to Albany, double blessed.  ( https://mundabiddi.org.au/ )

Sunsets and sunrises, being a two hundred mile race you get to see many sunsets and sunrises and each one indicates a new stage of the event. Each one is spectacular and unique. Each time I try and capture the moment using my iphone but never do it justice, you just need to be there, ‘in the moment’, and let it wash over you. These are my favourite parts of the day, being early morning, after being enveloped in a light bubble for hours, or transitioning into evening and sanctuary from the heat of the day.

After all the running you get to one of my favourite past times, the ‘shoey’, a very Australian thing. Basically, drinking beer from your footwear, it filters the alcohol through the sand and whatever else you have hanging about in your shoes. I’m always doubly impressed by Warwick Crapper who drinks beer from my footwear, that is a mark of a dedicated crew, or maybe an alcoholic one? Either way I do enjoy a good shoey, even for a non-drinker ( bar two pints of Guinness post Delirious in the Earl of Spence pub )

After the shoey it’s time to shower , for the first time in days, and then return to the finish line to cheer in the rest of the field. You’ll see some sights as the clock ticks towards one hundred hours plus. Runners totally broken and then rebuilt into better versions of themselves, the finish line is a magical place to see how far runners can push themselves. We also normally grab a pizza on Saturday evening, and it tastes incredible, as all food does after running two hundred miles.  That’s another bonus of running ultra marathons, the aid stations food just tastes so much better, there must be an explanation for this, maybe the tastes buds are heightened (is this a thing?), either way all food tastes incredible.  I remember at Conspicuous Cliffs one year they were handing out cheese and ham toasties, a simple recipe right, not so it seems. Adam and Dav, my two mates, virtually wet themselves and begged for another portion.  They still talk about to this day nearly four years later. I must admit to having a few favourites when it comes to the aid stations captains, you know who you are.

Aid stations at Delirious are just next level, a little oasis of calm in the chaos that is a 200 miler, with great food, incredible volunteers and locations that you will never forget.

Once again a shout out to my favourite trail store Tribe and Trail in sunny Leederville, Perth.  ( https://www.tribeandtrail.com.au/ ) Wayne and his crew are passionate about all things running and with their expertise will make sure you have all the right equipment to get you to wherever you need to go.

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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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