This weekend is the race that I have ran the most in my running career, the infamous 6 inch trail ultra, ( https://www.6inchtrailmarathon.com/ ) 47km of beautiful trails on the (  https://mundabiddi.org.au/  ) Munda Biddi  trail, which runs over 1,000km from Kalamunda just outside Perth to Albany.  We are truly based in Perth with the Munda Biddi and the Bibulumun track , the running version.  ( https://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/ ) . I first ran this event in 2008 when it was an fat ass , i.e. no entry fee and you look after yourself. I hadn’t looked at the trail and there was no GPX file available, needless to say I got lost and finished swearing to never run the event again, actually I tried to cancel my Comrades entry for the following year, I was done with ultra running.  This seems to be a theme with races that I have either not enjoyed or DNF’d. The 6 inch, Feral and Delirious West  are probably my three favourite events where as they all destroyed me the first time I ran them, go figure ?

This year we have Myself, Adam, Mark, Scotty and Bartsy in the full while Rob continues his love affair with the easy option and is entering the three inch. The word on the street is the biggest and meanest hill has been bulldozed , the infamous escalator, which is a real pity as you hit this hill around the 35k mark and it has destroyed many runners over the years including my good mate Michael Kowal, who has never ran tails since.  Maybe this is the year for a good time ? Temperatures are looking good at the moment after a very hot period in the middle of the week.  Last year we were so lucky with temperatures that would have cancelled the event on the day before and the day after, it looks like we will be lucky again for 2024.

This event is special due to it’s proximity to Christmas, it’s a final long run with friends before the madness of the festive period really kicks into gear. The finish line of the 6 inch ultra is a special place to be, everybody has just finished their last race of the year (normally) and it’s a time to either reflect on the year while also looking forward to Christmas and the next challenge in 2025, in my case that’s 24 park Runs in 24 Hours , January 11th.  It’s also great to spend time with like minded people and because the event is in Dwellingup, a small rural town (village?) a few hours from Perth most people hang around for lunch afterwards, at the Dwelling pub.  (Which does a Chicken Schnitzel bigger than Bartsy!)

The post from last year , 2023.

The 6 Inch trail ultra marathon is one of those races that you keep going back too for a number of reasons. Number one is Dave , the RD, gives you a red spike for 6 finishers ( a trophy for twelve), two is the unique atmosphere of an event so close to Christmas and three is the trail itself, just incredible.  This year I was so close to missing out due to a hamstring tear but I was confident that I could finish after two good weeks of semi-reasonable training post a six week layoff.  I was prepared to roll the dice because it’s the 6 inch and it’s tradition. As I have said many times runners love traditions, it’s in our dna.

This year we had Rob driving again with Adam, Bart’s , Scotty and I running. Rob was also giving massage’s at the finish line as part of his work with the Tribe and Trail shop ( https://www.tribeandtrail.com.au/ ) and The Long Run physiotherapy ( https://www.thelongrunphysio.com/ ) .  If you’re a trail runner in Perth you need to look up both these businesses and get behind them.

Next on the tradition list of things to tick off was the stop at Baldivis BP garage and get a photo under the Truckers Lounge entrance. One day we might muster up enough courage to try and actually go into the Truckers Lounge but some things are better off unseen, for the moment we are happy enough with the photo outside. Maybe we’ll send in Bartsy next year , albeit I don’t think he’d ever come out ?

Moving down the traditions list next we have drive to the top of Goldmine Hill and take a photo. For those who don’t know Goldmine Hill is the first hill at the start of the 6 Inch and it’s a big one with some serious vert sections. Just the thing you don’t need at the start of a 47km ultra. This hill has broken a number of runners over the years making the next 45 or so kilometres unpleasant. Back in the day I use to run this as Dave put on a KOM trophy for the first male to the top, those days are long gone and this year I walked the first kilometre for a very pleasant eleven minutes  chatting to friends. With hindsight I could probably go a bit quicker next year but it was a nice change to amble into a race.

As you can see from the image below not all native animals survive on Goldmine Hill and this Kangaroo had seen better days.  As Australians know a rotting Kangaroo is not pleasant on the nose and this bad boy was no different. I’m sure quite a few runners would have put on a spurt while passing ‘skippy’.

Top of Goldmine Hill photo, tick, we were moving down the tradition list at a great rate of knots now. The conditions were warmer than we expected but luckily these disappeared over night and , for the event, we had perfect race conditions.

After the traditional speech at the Forrest Centre by a panel of top runners it’s time to put on ‘Run Fat Boy Run’ and enjoy one of the funniest films we know with several scenes that just continue to raise a giggle.  We even brought our own version down as the one at the accommodation had seen better days and we were forced to watch a different film last year.  This did not go down well with the crew, remember, runners love tradition.

Post Run Fatboy Run we retreated to our room for the evening.  Somehow Barts had snagged the double bed while Scotty, Adam, Rob and I shared two bunk beds next door. Needless to say four nervous runners sharing a room is never going to end well and I don’t think any of us got more than an hours sleep, albeit Barts had set his alarm for 2:30am so we were never going to get eight hours ! Rob also didn’t help the situation by trying to watch the English Premiership on his new iphone with the volume turned up. Luckily the internet is a new thing in Dwellingup and not very reliable so he gave up quickly.

Next on the list is the traditional start photo of all the runners and then off we all go up Goldmine Hill and off to Dwellingup via the Munda Biddi trail ( https://mundabiddi.org.au/ )  Luckily we had our own cars at the finish line so drove to registration at the North Dandalup village hall before the short trip to the start line. Dave puts on buses to move the runners from the finish to the start as it’s a point to point event so it requires some logistical planning, we have always taken care of ourselves.  There are some funny stories about this but not for the general public, lets just say if you’re going to run a point to point race do not leave your car keys ,  parked at the finish, in a bag in the car parked at the start. !

The race itself was always going to be testing, it’s an ultra marathon after all. Add in the nearly thousand metres of vert over the distance and some hot temperatures and you’re in for a hard day at the office whatever happens.   I was coming into the event off a hamstring tear so in the previous ten weeks had only ran three of them and really only the previous week of any note, distance wise. I had actually unregistered myself with the RD but with a few good weeks of run/walking was happy to roll the dice and risk my hammy for another finish and time with the boys.  This was another reason for my eleven minute first kilometre, time spent socialising with friends rather than racing Goldmine Hill.

Eventually though I knew I had to kick on and left Barts and Scotty and worked my way through the field. I really had no idea how’d I go after my long lay off and injury. Initially I just wanted to finish, then it was finish under five hours and my top goal was break my time from last year, a personal worst time of four hours and forty eight minutes.  Without the good training base I really had no idea what to expect. Undaunted I set off in pursuit of the next runner infront of me and used this as motivation to maintain a good pace but not too good leading to a blow out.

I always break down this race into three sections. The first section is the first 23k to aid station one. You then have another 14k to aid station two at the top of the Escalator hill and then the final 10k sprint (?) to the finish.  I always enjoy the second half more than the first and post aid station one start to relax a bit knowing I have broken the back of the event. With the next aid station only 14k away it coms along a lot quicker then the first one and then it’s a ten kilometre section , albeit a nasty section, the the finish where you choose how much pain you want to endure. (Albeit sometimes this is worked out for you if the race has gone badly)

This year I was consistent the whole time, no walking bar the first kilometre and the Escalator Hill (which is unrunable) and just keep moving forward at a good pace but nothing that is going to lead to a blow out or hamstring damage.  As I said earlier I just kept chasing the runner infront of me, I’d pass them and then onto the next one.  This kept me honest and I really enjoyed moving through the field, chatting to a number of runners as I passed them.

As the Escalator Hill is an out and back section you get to see whose just infront of you and can use this as either motivation if you’re chasing someone or a reality check, come warning, if someone is chasing you.  As I  Neared the top of the Escalaor I was surprised to see Sarah and Adam coming down less than three hundred metres ahead of me. I had written off any chance of catching these guys as they had set off with the lead runners and both were targeting far quicker times than me.  Seeing them so close was all the motivation I needed to rush through the aid station and start my pursuit.

Funnily enough we had been talking about the race a few years ago when Scotty has passed Adam with two kilometres to go and gave him a pat on the backside as he did. Could I catch him and join this exclusive club ? This was all the motivation I needed, it was on like Donkey Kong.  These sort of silly thoughts are sometimes all you need to switch through the gears and any thoughts of just finishing go out the window as the competitive juices start to flow.  I caught Sarah on the next hill and ploughed on to eventually catch Adam with two kilometres to go, perfect pacing and timing, I couldn’t have been happier. Another tradition has now started, someone needs to catch Adam at two kilometers from the finish and give him a tap on the backside.  If that someone is reading this please let me know the details, in 2024 Adam better watch his butt , remember now it’s tradition.

After passing Adam on the final section of four kilometres or so,  of slightly uphill , undulating , single track I bumped into Mr. TRC himself Sam Simsek, running his first three inch trails half marathon.  Had to stop for a selfie with this legend as The Running Centre and Sam in particular have supported me for many years.  ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ )  Again runners in Perth get behind these guys, they are legends. It was then time to race to the finish and put number fourteen to bed, a raging success as I finish in just over four hours and thirty five minutes, thirteen minutes quicker than last year. I have Sam to thank for putting me into a pair of Hoka Mach X shoes which were brilliant for the terrain, although not a trail shoe the carbon plate protected my foot and the extra bounce helped keep my hammy in check.  The trail itself is very runable and this explains the quicker finishing times of the top runners and also the domination of road runners over the years.

I nailed the race with a no-expectation attitude and was never hurting too much, there were periods of self doubt as there are in any ultra but these are followed by periods of feeling great. Keeping on top of the hydration and nutrition also helped and it really was just about the perfect day. Even now as I type this race report the next day I’m looking forward to number fifteen in twelve months time, it’s tradition.

Finally we had the final two traditions to tick off the list, one is the finishers shot with all the runners at the finish line and finally the shot of all runners who completed  the event in their new Six Inch Ultra tops. I must compliment Dave on this years tops, they are very good and I love the colour, very cool. Once we completed these it was off to the pub for a great lunch and the journey home, mission accomplished for 2023.  I think this is now another tradition as the normal venue , the Blue Wren , upset us on Saturday by shutting early, we’re a fickle bunch runners.

So that’s Ultra marathon number 46 which now matches my number of marathons I have completed , giving me a total of 92 events, eight more to go for the the one hundred marathons or longer total. If I have a good year in 2024 maybe I can reach the total at this event next year, that would be cool making the event even more special. Either way I’ll get to that elusive number sooner rather than later, why wouldn’t you ?

Next on the radar is either the Australian Day Ultra ( https://australiadayultra.com/ ) or the 24 parkruns in 24 hours ? ( https://ultraseries.com.au/24-parkruns-in-24-hours/ ) before the big one in February , the Delirious West 200 miler. ( https://www.deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) , now that is a tradition.

fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered.  It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.

The 6 inch post from 2022 with links to many more :-

Running is all  about traditions , runners love doing the same thing over and over. That may be training routines, entering the same races or just spending time with friends going to the same location for runs. After a while all these routines turn into traditions, and then they have to be adhered to, it’s tradition. The 6 inch ultra trail marathon  ( https://www.6inchtrailmarathon.com/ ) is one of many traditions that the lads and I love to adhere to, albeit it use to be a family tradition (yes, you can involve the family) but the kids all grew up and no longer wanted to spend time with old runners. We took that on the chin and just stopped inviting them, it had now morphed into a lads weekend away. (I say ‘lads’ in the broadest sense of the word, our average age is well over fifty these days. It’s lucky Michael Kowal is still scarred by the escalator on his one and only 6 inch attempt a few years back or the average age would be in the sixties!)

To get a feel for the event I recommend trawling through my blog to get some old posts , I’ve attached a few links here. This will help with the post I’m about to recount.

https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/12/23/6-inch-race-report-warning-contains-images-of-trail-runners/

https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/12/13/its-that-time-of-the-year-6-inches-of-fun-fun-fun/

https://www.runbkrun.com/2018/12/17/middle-of-december-6-inch-time/

https://www.runbkrun.com/2016/12/19/sometimes-6-inches-is-enough/

https://www.runbkrun.com/2016/11/14/look-busy-the-6-inch-is-coming/

Right now you’ve caught up with the history of this event it time to way lyrical about the 2022 edition. Due to various reasons we have a small starting line up this year. We lost Marky ‘Mark’ Lommers to a twisted ankle, Adam to gastro, Bart’s to a family holiday he had to take in Noosa and Scotty to long term injury. This left Jeffrey , Jon and I to toe the line at the start with Rob (poorly achilleas)  again driving us to the start Sunday morning at some ungodly hour. (Remember it’s a point to point and we stay at the finish) After I persuaded Jeffrey to drive (remember we lost Adam to gastro and apparently if he can’t go to the event his 7 seater Prado can’t go either, a tad selfish me thinks!) we were off , high noon on Saturday, the day before the event. Jon would be joining us down there as he loves to hoon in his BMW and would prefer to do it alone apparently, less eye witnesses is probably safer for all concerned.

Right back to tradition, for this lads trip there are a few. First we always stay at the Jarrah Forest lodge , Jon always books the family room , and pays, thereby ensuring he gets the double bed (being the smallest) while the other room is shared with the lads (there’s two bunk beds). This room has the benefit of air conditioning in both rooms. I always stay in room 16 , a single room with a bunk,  the farthest from the toilet block. This has no air conditioning, actually just a bunk bed, you get that prisoner cell block H feeling about the place.  It’s clean and that’s all we need for one night. We use to go the pub the night but the meal portions are so large that it affected the running performances the following day. Bart’s was still eating his chicken parmi post race Sunday afternoon. I was above this of course and always take my own meal for the Saturday night, it’s tradition.

My favourite tradition is watching run fatboy run after bib collection on Saturday evening, we must have seen this movie at least five times but it still gets the same laughs in the same places, so good. Due to the set up at the lodge it can take anywhere from 15 minutes to nearly an hour to get the video working. There is an amp, a switcher box, a projector , at least two DVD players and cables everywhere. Things were looking good this year when Jon got the DVD talking to the TV, with the right input, in a matter of minutes but , as is tradition, things didn’t go that smoothly and the DVD had been played to death, literally. It was finished so after a brief interlude we selected another DVD, Will Ferrel in Semi Pro which , although not a run fayboy run, was a pretty good alternative.  Never fear thought we have ordered Run FatBoy Run on DVD so will be watching it next year and we will bring all our own equipment !

Post DVD the boys scuttle off to their luxurious, for Dwellingup remember the town has a population of population 524, family room complete with air conditioning while I hit my jail cell, alarms set for 3am. This year I was lucky enough to have a very keen runner next door to me (?) who had set their alarm for 2am as they were catching the bus. Great, I get to get up an hour or so earlier than planned. It gets better, I was also next door to a snorer and the walls are paper thing, it felt like we were in the same bed ! When you hear someone snoring you cannot unhear it. Let’s just say I was sleep depraved while I ate my weetbix and drank my cup of sweet tea in the communal kitchen at 2:15am. Not ideal but I’m a big believer in it’s the night before the night before which is the important time to sleep, anything on the evening before the event is a bonus.  Once the boys rose, an hour or so after me, we all got into the car as planned at 3:45am for the twenty minutes or so drive to the start and check in. The drive to the start is always a tad worrying as Kangaroo’s aren’t car friendly and if we were to hit a roo it wouldn’t end well for any of us. Luckily we didn’t see any albiet last year we’re sure Bart’s killed a bandicoot on the way to the start, something he still denies.

As the image below shows we were last to arrive at the pre-race check in but we have a car so the drive to the start was only a few minutes away and we arrived with minutes so spare, more than enough. Unfortunately we were carrying a goody-pack for my mate Tristan who was running the 12 inch. This is another tradition of runners running from the finish to the start the night before (47km) and then leaving with the race at 4:30am and returning for the medal, another 47km; hence the name 12 inch.  We managed to get Tristan his drop bag albeit a few minutes from the start, sorry buddy, it obviously wasn’t a problem as he ran the 12 inch in around 13 hours.

The plan for this race was to finish under five hours, not walk, bar the monster hills,  enjoy the event and keep Jeffrey behind me to keep my 20 year or so winning streak. Jeffrey is now over 60 and running very well, he came close to pipping me to the post in Melbourne in October and had been training well since with Bart’s preparing him for battle. My running had been down the toilet since September due to over training (or over racing?) and niggles including tight hamstrings and a probable tear under my right knee. Weekly I was getting dropped at the Yelo Thursday morning gathering and my training runs in the hills had all been thirty minutes or so longer than last year.  The smart money was on Jeffrey for this one. Jon was expecting another sub four hour finish but a nasty cough had me questioning his optimism.

The 6 inch starts with Goldmine hill, a beast of a hill that has destroyed many a runners dreams. If you’re not prepared it can derail you very early in the piece, trust me if you are goosed after two kilometres the next 46 or so are challenging.  This year me and Jeffrey decided to walk most of the hill with the masses, saving our running legs for the beating that was ahead. It was quite nice to enjoy the hill for a change,  although I say ‘enjoy’ in the broadest sense of the word.?  We summited full of beans and changed up through the gears cruising along in a group of about ten of us, mainly women surprisingly ? The event itself is held on the mundi biddi trail, a thousand kilometre offroad bike trail from Perth to Albany, so pretty good running. David Kennedy, the Race Director, reckons you can add about an hour to your marathon time to get an estimated finish time, he’s probably right.

The 6 inch has an aid station at 23 kilometres and then again at the top of the escalator hill, around 35 kilometres. There is also one with four kilometres to go but when you’re that close why would you stop?  I ran with Jeffrey until the first aid station where he complained of a sore knee and walked into the aid station.  This was my chance and , as all good friends do , when I sensed weakness I pounced or in this case left him.  That was the last I would see of Jeffrey , or so I thought. My confidence was knocked  by Mick Francis, the aid station captain, who mentioned I was limping and he’d  pull me out if he was RD.  A tad harsh I thought as I thought I was going ok ?

After aid station one there is another large climb to the highest part of the course, the 3 inch version of the Goldmine Hill I suppose. I half walked and ran this and took a few more positions as I started to warm up, after twenty years in Western Australia I’m now half lizard and love the heat.  Once I get to the highest part I tend to flick over into finish mode and chase down the back end of the half runners and fellow full runners. As I mentioned at the start of this report this race was about finishing and having fun, as much as that is possible. I was feeling good enough to up the pace and started to move through the field albeit nothing to previous years but nice to be moving up the field none the less.

I climbed the escalator hill to the second aid station, filled my bottles and then started the last ten kilometres to the finish. It was here Jeffrey reappeared and all of a sudden my relaxed cruise to the finish changed to a very stressful run being chased by a motivated Jeffrey Wang.  I managed to maintain the pace for the final ten kilometres and with the experience of twelve previous finishes I knew when you push and when to hang on.  It wasn’t easy or pretty but I managed to finish in four hours and forty eight minutes and change. My new personal worse by thirty minutes but mission accomplished, sometimes it’s the journey that’s important not the time taken to complete it. As you can see from the smile below I was stoked.

All that was left to do was the traditional esky photo, if you know, you know, don’t judge me. Thanks Nathan Fawkes for supplying the ice shower, may add this to the tradition for the esky photo, always keen to add more traditions ?

One final tradition is all the boys (and driver) who completed the course to put on their finishers shirts and get a photo. I have so many of these and enjoy looking back at all the lads aging gracefully and back in the day we’d even have a few kinds with us, they are all far too cool to have their photos taken with us these days of course.  A small gathering this year but I’m confident there will be a bigger group in 2023.

So that’s it for 2022, what a great year, ten ultra marathons and one marathon , I’ve been busy with over two thousand kilometres racing with a bib on my chest and another three thousand kilometres training. 6 inch number thirteen completed and I can’t wait until I;m back at the bottom of Goldmine Hill facing another 47 kilometres of the munda biddi trail , sleep depraved but excited about what lays ahead, why wouldn’t you, after all , it’s tradition.

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/

Two weeks post Feral Pig 100 miler I had another chance to pin a bib on my chest and race another ultra. This time with a tad less elevation, well actually no elevation. The concept for this event is simple but so brilliant. You start at 2am at the old Dunsborough boat ramp ( I assume there ‘s a new one somewhere?) and run 25 kilometres along the beach to Bussleton Jetty (Again I assume there’s only one as this is neither old or new?) , turn around and return to the start.  As the event is on sand you are at sea level continually, perfect , zero elevation.   The website explains the concept ( https://www.alongrunonthebeach.com.au/ )  and the two maps show the simplicity of the event. The race directions are pure brilliance, ‘First 25km , keep the water on your left. Next 25km, keep the water on your right’   To make a good event better the race director schedules the event around the full moon so for 2024 there has been two events, one in February and this one in November. (Next year I think the event is planned for December 5th?)  The full moon is the icing on the cake, it gives the event it’s 11 status on the Spinal Tap rating. (When you know, you know.)

So how had the legs recovered from the Feral pig a few weeks earlier ? I took a whole week off running post Feral as I even found walking tough. My quads seized solid towards the end of Feral , just before the 36km death loop, and they took just about a week to recover enough that I could even thinking about running. As you can see from my Strava extract ( You are on Strava right?  https://www.strava.com/  ) for the period once my legs did recover I was able to get a few runs in pre-event.   Maybe the double days early in the week was a tad over zealous but as my good mate Dave Kennedy says ‘you don’t taper for an ultra‘, not sure there’s any evidence for Dave’s claim?

It was good to see so many WA runners embracing this event and especially good to see Matt and Chris at the start line. Chris had also ran Feral two weeks prior and was originally running in a duo but his running partner broke her wrist at Feral so he stepped up for the full event. Matt is an ultra running machine and he’s finished Delirious many times as well as quick Feral times over the years, he’d also ran this event in February this year so would complete the Sandman twice on one year, a rarity due to the timing of the full moon and the congested racing calendar win WA these days.

Finally a massive shout out to Vici Richardson returning from a long injury lay off to take out the female win, and also kick my ass by five minutes, being part of the Yelo running crew it also means she buys coffee on Thursday morning.  Beautiful trophy. Well done Vici.

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/

I’ve ran the Feral Pig 100 miler three times previously.  The first time in 2020 I got back to the start line at around 130km but couldn’t get back out for the final death loop, a 36k loop of probably the hardest trails of the whole event.   You can read about the whole sorry affair here https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/11/13/another-lesson-learned-ultras-teach-you-stuff/ 

I returned in 2021 for my redemption run and with the help of Andy and Cam managed to finish the event. https://www.runbkrun.com/2021/12/13/feral-pig-100-miler-in-case-you-missed-it/ and I even returned in 2022 to go 2-1 up against the pig .  https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/11/17/beating-a-pig-feral-2022/ By this stage I was feeling so cocky I ran Hysterical Carnage Backyard Ultra in South Australia a week after.  ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/11/18/back-to-back-milers-and-grand-slams-hysterical/ )  I’d come a long way from my DNF in 2020.

In 2023 the event was cancelled due to fires on the track,. a pretty good reason in my view, so my entry was rolled over to this year. This was actually ok with me because I had to pull the pin anyway due to a torn hamstring , I instead offered to volunteer.

For those readers to lazy to read my previous posts here’s a quick run down of the event. You meet up at the Perth Discovery Centre (PDC) in the Perth hills for check-in and then board a bus for a 130 or so kilometre drive to the start of the event, somewhere on the Bibbulmun track ( https://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/ )  just off the Albany Highway.  The bus leaves the PDC at 9:30pm and gets you to the start just before midnight. You are then given some encouraging words from Shaun Kaesler and off you go, back to the PDC , which you should encounter around the 125k mark, leaving you around 36k for the ‘death loop’. As the name suggest there is nothing fun about the death loop, it’s probably the hardest part of the course and you are forced to leave the safety and comfort of the event village to then go and run around in the dark for a very long time ! You can see why it’s called the death loop ! (or DNF LOOP) 

The Feral Pig miler is a very, very hard race, probably the hardest one I attempt. It’s a combination of the midnight start , elevation and the stinking hot conditions combined with minimum aid stations due to the remoteness of the location. It really is the event that just keeps on giving and not in a nice way but that’s also the attraction. With most other events, well all other events, I look forward to race day, it’s what I do but with Feral it’s a mix of nervous anticipation and fear, more fear truth be told.  I suppose the ghost of the DNF in 2020 has never really left me even after two successful finishes.

Right better get into it then, strap yourself in for the Feral 2024 roller coaster.

I always try and get some shut eye on the bus for a couple of reasons. One I need sleep as the midnight start means by the time you finish you’ll more than likely have had two days plus of no sleep, this can be a problem funnily enough. Secondly the bus driver is normally a wanna-be formula one racing driver who didn’t quite make it but still has delusions of driving large objects very quickly in confined spaces. i.e. large coaches on country roads.  This year we were doubly blessed with a coach demister which seemed to have given up the ghost so the driver was staring into a small clear spot on the window while we assumed he was using the force to get us to the start, because he couldn’t be using his eyesight ! Best thing was to close my eyes and if I opened them later it was a bonus.

It’s normally quite chilly when you are kicked out of the coach, not this year, it was very reasonable, no need for a jacket although I kept mine on just incase.  We had arrived to the start late due to roadworks apparently or the fact the coach driver couldn’t actually see out of the front window ?  This wouldn’t be a problem as Shaun decided we would cut short the initial out and back loop , this way the half-an-hour delay wouldn’t be reflected in the overall time and volunteers could get home at a reasonable hour without working another half-an-hour due to a coach driver inability to work a coach demister ?  I was stoked because it meant the aid stations all got about 2-3 kilometres closer.

The midnight start combined with the long distance to the first aid station, just over forty kilometres, and then another thirty kilometeres to aid station two makes the first night challenging.  The first thirty kilometres pre-Mount Cooke is also very runnable and flat so you can burn yourself out very easily, you need to show some restraint.  I normally try and get into a ‘train‘ of runners for conversation as it’s quite early in the race and people still have the ability to talk and run at the same time, later in the event this is not possible. On the bus I sat with my mate Andy Thompson who I had ran with the last two times I had finished Feral. He is a ‘bus driving‘ machine and I booked my ticket for the third time, funnily enough I didn’t actually run with Andy until around the 95km mark but then stuck with him , mostly, to the end with Glen Smetherham, Felix Meister and Tristian Cameron and a cameo appearance from Jutta Kober. In these events company is important, that or a good pair of headphones and the complete works of Taylor Swift.

The perfect conditions didn’t last too long, a few hours into the race the heavens opened which for Feral, ran in a late Perth Spring , is unheard off. By this time I had ditched the rain jacket and never stopped to put it back on, there was always a reason why I couldn’t stop and unpack my backpack to fish out my jacket. It wasn’t a problem initially but moving forward wet shorts would come back and bite me , painfully, later in the event. On the bright side , for the first time in four years, there wasn’t a typhoon on the top of Mount Cooke. It’s normally still conditions at the base of this summit and then you’re fighting to stay on your feet at the top, probably one of the main reasons I don’t mountaineer !

As I said earlier the first night racing Feral is brutal. The midnight start and the long distances between aid stations , runnable conditions and one brutal climb all combine to make the start one of the hardest in the Ultra Series calendar of events.  I had a drop bag for the first aid station at Sullivan Rocks containing my weetbix breakfast, I hoovered this down and moved on chasing Glen and Felix up Sullivans Rock and beyond. The plan was to also change my top but the inclement conditions didn’t bode well for a singlet so I stuffed it inside my backpack, considering the Feral was postponed last year due to fires this year really was not expected.

Eventually Tristan caught us and we all arrived at my favourite aid station in this event , Brookton Highway, to feast on a veritable smorgasbord of ultra running goodness provided by Shannon Dale.  By the time you reach Shannon and his aid station you are famished and you gorge yourself on bacon, eggs, pancakes, and anything else offered. I managed a bacon and egg muffin and an Acai bowel, of sorts, which was very good.  Unfortunately for Glen it was too good and he over did the nutrition, letting his stomach get the better of him. This would come bite to bite him on the next leg of our journey as he suffered the consequences of over eating and then running. Once you get past Brookton Highway the aid stations come thick and fast until the finish, with the biggest jump abut 15k from Allen Road to the PDC. Post Brookton it is was only 12k to Mount Dale Aid station and then another 11k to Beraking Campsite. A big change compared to the initial 41k from the start to Sullivans Rock and then another 30k to Brookton highway.  I think that’s another reason you enjoy the food at Brookton Highway because you know you’ve broken the back of the event with the additional aid stations facing you.

The first Feral bus before Andy joined us. Glen , Felix and I enjoying Shannon Dale’s , and family, cooking.

As with all areas with a Mount in their name we had some serious climbing to do as well as some good running terrain. It was about this point I noticed some chaffing going on and this would soon start to become a painful problem. I had ran out of time getting changed at the start and didn’t have time to apply sudocrem to the family jewels. Rather than take the small tub with me in the bus I put it in a drop bag for Beraking , around the 95k mark. Problem was I was now around the 70k mark and things were getting very painful, very quickly. By the time I got to Mount Dale I was really suffering. Luckily Matty Peirce was there with a tube of Lucas Papaw ointment which got me to Beraking aid station and my sudocrem.  Unfortunately by this point the damage was done and I was contemplating pulling out, it was bad. I did set off with the usual suspects but had to duck off into the bush and apply another good helping of sudocrem to the affected area. It was enough to keep me in the game but I would regret that small oversite for the rest of the event, and believe me that is a long time suffering.  In an ultra one small mistake can have huge consequences.

Once I managed to get ontop of the pain in my shorts due to chaffing challenges the Feral train continued to Allen Road aid station. From here I was in very familiar territory, I’d probably ran this part of the course nearly a hundred times over the years.  I left the train so I could get to Helena Hut, about four kilomtres away, to use the drop toilet. For some reason every time I have left Allen Road I feel reinvigorated, maybe it’s the quality tukka at the aid station or just I’m now in very familiar territory ?  I was finally running at pace and decided to continue to the Perth Discovery Centre another eleven kilometres where I would pick up my pacer for the final 36k death loop.  As the sunset I was flying and reeling in 50 mile runners quickly.  I made the Discovery Centre, where the event started the previous evening, in around 24 hours, 9pm.

Unfortunately this is where my race got totally derailed.  I was running well into the Discovery Centre and my plan was for a quick pitstop to pick up some spare batteries for my second hand torch, change of shoes and straight back into the night for a longer break at the next aid station, Camel Farm,  eleven kilometres away.  This all relied on my pacer being there for me as I wasn’t keen on the death loop along.  My pacer had other ideas it seems and didn’t show up as planned, this threw a curve ball into my plan and I decided I’d wait for the Feral train to catch me up,  which they did about thirty minutes later. Add in their time to get ready and I was at the aid station for nearly an hour. In that time my quads seized probably due to insufficient nutrition or hydration , coupled with the brutality of the terrain, either way my race was now over for any sort of reasonable time.  Instead I hopped on the back of the train and we hiked most of the next seventeen kilometers to the Kalaunda aid station where we would be reunited with Shannon Dale , his wonderful Wife, Darlene, Peta  and glorious cooking.  The image below shows the scene as we rested before the final push to the finish, now only seventeen kilometres away.  I had the best pumpkin soup I have ever tasted albeit at that stage of the race all food tastes so good, but knowing Shannon it would have been incredible. Glen managed to keep his stomach under control this time, still harbouring memories of Brookton Highway aid station a lifetime ago.

On the way back from the Kalamunda aid station we were passed by Felix who we had left behind at the PDC hours earlier as he needed sleep and had walked int the aid station looking like a zombie, and a tired one at that. After he slept for thirty minutes he was like a new man and caught and passed us like a rocket, it seems sleeping is his EPO or I want a drug test so I can get some.  Tristan also left us at Camel Farm aid station on the way back as he wanted a sub thirty hour finish. Andy and I had ran sub thirty hours in 2021 and had no desire to repeat the process this year, Glen just wanted to get back to the finish. So the train was left with just the three of us and we hiked, slow jogged to the finish, together.

Couldn’t resist getting one last photo in the race at Golden View and it certainly lived up to its name with the sun just poking it’s head above the horizon, glorious. Coming into the Golden View my quads were absolutely destroyed, each step down was so painful, I was done, the tank was well and truly empty.  The death loop had beaten me again, I had hiked most of it and would hate to think how long it took, it will be a very long time. I wonder what would have happened if I had ran though PDC as I wanted to do instead of waiting an hour ?  The only thing that would make me think  about doing this event again would be the opportunity to put the death loop to bed and run it similar to my 2021 effort.  Also maybe try and get a gold buckle for a sub 26 hour finish, runners love buckles and gold ones are special !

So the train got to the finish, lead by Andy  for the third year, the boy is a diesel van of the highest order.  Lock in a pace and distance and let him do his thing. Myself , Glen and Andy all finished together while Felix and Tristan finished thirty minutes ahead of us.  Another good year for the Feral train, with all five of us making the top fifteen.

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/

Backyard Ultra’s are a thing and they are becoming a bigger thing very quickly. Started a few years ago by Gary Cantrell , aka Lazerus Lake, on his property. The idea is simple, the course is 6.7k (4.16miles) and you have to complete the course within an hour, you then need to front up at the start line on the hour and go again, and again, and again, until there is only one runner left, everybody else is a DNF.  At 24 hours you’ll hit 100 miles, 48 hours 200 miles etc; thus the reason for the 6.7km loop; simple math.

Running 6.7k in one hour is easy right ? Well it is to start with but here’s a thing the clock never stops ticking. In a normal ultra, say a 100 miler, you can stop for a good break, even a nap, and then continue on your merry way. In a backyard ultra there is no real resting unless you can finish the lap with plenty of time before the next one starts. Eventually the clock normally wins. To quote Lazerus Lake ‘a backyard ultra is easy until it isn’t’.  Remember this is the same guy who gave us the Berkley marathon so he knows a thing or two about setting hard challenges, with the Barkley marathon considered the hardest event to complete globally.  ( http://barkleymarathons.com/ )

Once every two years there is a World championship called Big Dogs, again at Lazerus’s backyard, where the best 75 backyard ultra runners  compete to see who can last the longest, this was won by Harvey Lewis , for the second time, in 2023 with 108 yards (laps/hours) at the time a World Record.  From the backyard ultra website ‘In October 2025 the best Backyard Ultra runners in the world will converge at the Big Farm in Short Creek, Tennessee (USA) to compete for the coveted title of the Last Man on Earth. Under the watchful eye of the the entire world, they will run laps of the yard until only one man (or woman) can complete the final yard. Every runner in the field will have earned their place at the start line, as champions in their own right. National Champions from the 2024 Team Championships and the top runners from the worldwide At Large List…. This is truly the ultimate test. A test of not strength or speed; but a test of the pure will to win.’ ( https://backyardultra.com/races/big-dogs-backyard-ultra-individual-world-championships/ )

As well as the individual championship every two years there is a World Team Championships (alternate years to the big dog’s backyard) and last week I had the privledge of watching the Australian team go about their business in Perth, my home city, thanks to Shaun Kaesler and the Ultra Series WA team. ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) This format is slightly different in there are 15 runners per country , there were over 60 countries taking part this year, who run laps and their cumulative total is then used to judge the winner. Again the teams keep running until there is only one runner left, their total laps are added together and this total is then ranked.  All teams start at the same time , which was 8pm for Perth, and keep going until fourteen runners stop.

In Australia’s case Phil Gore was the last man standing and he lasted until 8pm Wednesday , after starting 8pm Saturday. Good for 96 yards (laps/hours) ; or four days / 400 miles.  As a team Australia came second behind Belgium,  who won with an astonishing 1,147 laps.

So what makes this race harder than the normal Backyard Ultra, simple, you’re running for your mates and your country so you’re going to go harder and longer than if you run for yourself. The benefits of running as a team are huge but the main one is you want to do well for your brothers , or sisters, in arms and add in the national pride factor and you are gong deep, real deep, into the pain cave.  This was on show for all to see in Perth last week as the fifteen Australian runners went well beyond their personal bests and just kept on digging deeper and deeper in the pain cave. It was special.  When the team was down to just the final two they were behind the States by quite a margin but when the last American finished you knew that Phil and Ryan would do whatever it took to crawl over the line into second place.  In the end this meant Ryan stumbling to lap 95 leaving Phil to take out lap 96 for the win and also second place for Australia, it was scripted perfectly by Shaun Kaesler, the pied piper of all things ultra running in Western Australia.

So there you go, the hardest and one of the longest events you’ve never heard off and you’ll need to wait two years to see its like again. If you fancy competing for your country get onto the backyard ultra website and dig around, you’ll find what you need to get onto your countries team. For me, in Australia, that boat has sailed but if you’re from Mauritius or Zambia there may be hope, and if you can get on your team make sure you do, it really is an incredible format but bring your shovel as you’ll be deep in the pain cave before you know it !

From an article on Harvey Lewis after he won Big’s in 2023 ( https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/ultra/a45850510/bigs-backyard-ultra/ )

It’s a wild race and is founded in ultrarunning, so doing ultrarunning definitely helps rather than ploughing right into it. I do a variety of races throughout the year, and I do races that have a lot climbing in them. So, I did the Canadian Death Race this year, in Alberta, in the Canadian Rockies. I enjoy the trails. But then I also like running on the roads – I did the Badwater 135 – which is in the hottest place on the planet. So those events really help you to get ready for this race. You also have to be strong both on the trail and on the road. So you can be a really amazing trail runner, but if you beat yourself up running on asphalt, it just destroys you, so you have to be able to enjoy liking both.

I run back and forth to work every day

My mileage varies a lot. I run back and forth to work every day. So it’s 5km each way but a lot of days I’ll run further – I’ll do, say, 15km on my way to work or 15km on my way home. Sometimes I run 110 miles a week but [in preparation for this race] I sometimes ran more than that because I did the backyard ultra in Australia – that was 375 miles – and then I did Badwater 12 days later, so that was a really tight turnaround.

I don’t just run – I cross-train too

I run with my backpack while I’m running back and forth to school. And I go to the gym and do some lifting at least once a week. And I also do swimming, seasonally, when I can, and get out with my dog, Carly, hiking. Carly is an amazing trainer. She’s a rescue dog and she loves running so much.

Listening to your body can stop you from getting injured

I don’t have a coach. [US ultrarunner] Courtney Dauwalter and I are very similar in a sense that we go off what our bodies are saying. So if I feel really good, I’ll just go run around for three or four hours. So two days ago, I went out and ran for, like, three hours, just up and down hills, training for the Barkley Marathons. But then yesterday, at the end of the school day, I was just really tired, and I thought, I could injure myself [if I do too much], so I just ran four miles home. I do train every day and I do train really intensely at times, but I listen to my body, and I think it’s more fun that way.

I love the camaraderie among the runners [at backyard races] because, usually, the first day or two, you’re really able to run together, whereas in standard races, most of the time you’re spread out a lot. I like that people can have success with reaching personal bests, just like in any race, but it’s really neat to be right there by their side. So, for example, someone might come in and say, they made their first 80 miles; seeing people keep pushing themselves is pretty amazing to me. I also really like Lazarus, who organises these races. He’s such a very interesting personality and it’s fascinating to be engaged with him. He’s indescribable, honestly.

I paced it off intuition

I go off my intuition. On the first day, I was running loops that were, like, 48 minutes or something close to that, and I would have 10 minutes where I could lie down, and then on the third and fourth night, I was completing loops in, like, 55 minutes. So it was tight, with just five minutes to turn around. So I would have a minute or two to lie down. And it just felt right. It felt good. It was just a mode that I could maintain for a really long time. But that wouldn’t work necessarily for everyone. Because different people respond differently to sleep deprivation and pace.

For the first three days, I didn’t sleep

The night before the race wasn’t a good sleep night. I only got, like, three hours of sleep – that was my third worst sleep ever before an event. And then it ended up that, for the first three days, I couldn’t sleep; I was just lay there with my eyes shut. But then on the fourth night, I got to the point where I could just fall asleep instantly for like a minute or two. So that was amazing. And then I felt pretty good. By the fifth day, I could just take a nap for a minute and it felt like I’d slept for a long time.

I felt I could go on forever

I got into a frequency where I felt I could go on forever. It’s interesting because [in backyard ultrarunning] the mind is ready to go on but the body might be like, I’m done. But the mind is so determined. So it doesn’t matter. You just keep on moving.

Being vegan means I can eat massive amounts of food

I think I just out-eat everyone. I’d definitely say I consumed over 40,000 calories across the five days. I eat all plant-based foods and it really helps me not to get an upset stomach and also means I can consume a massive amount of food. It’s one of the things that makes a big impact.

Self-belief plays an important role

I think a lot of people believed they were going be the last person standing. I imagine at least half the people there probably thought they were going to be the last person standing, or at least 15 or 20 people. I mean, I don’t have an approach of being very outward and saying, oh, I’m going to go in there and obliterate everybody. But in my head, I know what I think.

I was just willing to go as long as it took

I was prepared to keep going for as long as it took

I had no idea how long he [Ihor Verys, who finished second, or as ‘the assist’] was going to last for. And I wouldn’t ever want to predict that because I was just willing to go as long as it took. But I actually wasn’t expecting it to just end. It kind of took me by surprise. I was prepared to go a lot longer. It’s very exciting to have that dream and have it come to fruition, though. I had so much gratitude and said a positive prayer on that last loop coming back, I just soaked it all in. I was just so grateful after all the time and energy I put into my preparation.

I teach my students that we have a lot more in ourselves than we realise

The idea that we have a lot more in ourselves than we realise is a big thing for all of us. So it’s the principle of perseverance; you don’t have to be the strongest, the smartest, the wealthiest. You have to be the most determined. Just the power of pure determination and how that can play out, that’s definitely a strong lesson I like to convey. I struggled in school. I really was a bad student, all the way up to my junior high school. So I really try to bring the point home that, whatever it is, you can overcome it with enough energy and time.

In long-distance running, you need to be patient

For me, it took a long time. I’ve actually been running ultras for 27 years. When I was first running, in middle school and high school, I was in the back of the pack. And it took years and years and years of grinding it out. But now I’m arguably the strongest I’ve ever been as a runner. It’s kind of wild that it can happen when you’re in your 40s. A lot of times people expect things to happen in six month or a year. And they would think it’s impossible some of the stuff that’s happened, but it is possible.

I’ve ran 10 backyard Ultras in the last four years. Birdy’s Backyard Ultra  three times, 24, 28 and 36 laps (hours). Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra four times 47, 34, 28 and 24 laps. Hysterical Carnage twice 37  and 27 laps and finally No Time to Die 33 laps (for my only win) .

That’s a total of 318 laps (hours/yards) and 2,130 kilometres, over 13 days running around in circles. That’s a long time running around in circles but the format is so much more than that, it’s the ultimate social ultra.  Every hour , on the hour, you get to start at the front of the pack and it’s the runner who finishes last , not first, who takes out the win. Basically taking racing and switching it on its head, taking out the physical benefits and substituting them with mental toughness (albeit you still need to be able to run 6.7km loops in the hour of course.)

In case you’re sitting on the fence regarding this format I’ve written a post on each BYU I’ve ran,  plus a post on the growing popularity of the event. It’s becoming a force of nature…

Backyard Ultra’s

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/08/01/backyard-ultras-the-new-marathon/

Herdys 2021

https://www.runbkrun.com/2021/04/04/herdys-backyard-ultra-probably-the-run-of-my-life-so-far/

Herdys 2022

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/03/27/herdys-frontyard-ultra-2022/

Herdy’s 2023

https://www.runbkrun.com/2023/03/23/herdys-frontyard-ultra-2023/

Herdys 2024

https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/03/31/herdys-frontyard-ultra-2024/

Birdys 2020

https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/08/16/most-fun-you-will-ever-have-in-running-gear/

Birdys 2021

https://www.runbkrun.com/2021/08/30/birdys-backyard-ultra-wow-just-wow/

Birdys 2022

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/08/18/birdys-backyard-ultra-2022/

Hysterical Carnage 2021

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/03/01/hysterical-carnage-backyard-ultra/

Hysterical Carnage 2022

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/11/18/back-to-back-milers-and-grand-slams-hysterical/

No time to die 2022

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/09/25/no-time-to-die-it-wasnt-and-i-didnt/

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/

I’ve ran 10 backyard Ultras in the last four years. Birdy’s Backyard Ultra  three times, 24, 28 and 36 laps (hours). Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra four times 47, 34, 28 and 24 laps. Hysterical Carnage twice 37  and 27 laps and finally No Time to Die 33 laps (for my only win) .

That’s a total of 318 laps (hours/yards) and 2,130 kilometres, over 13 days running around in circles. That’s a long time running around in circles but the format is so much more than that, it’s the ultimate social ultra.  Every hour , on the hour, you get to start at the front of the pack and it’s the runner who finishes last , not first, who takes out the win. Basically taking racing and switching it on its head, taking out the physical benefits and substituting them with mental toughness (albeit you still need to be able to run 6.7km loops in the hour of course.)

In case you’re sitting on the fence regarding this format I’ve written a post on each BYU I’ve ran,  plus a post on the growing popularity of the event. It’s becoming a force of nature…

Backyard Ultra’s

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/08/01/backyard-ultras-the-new-marathon/

Herdys 2021

https://www.runbkrun.com/2021/04/04/herdys-backyard-ultra-probably-the-run-of-my-life-so-far/

Herdys 2022

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/03/27/herdys-frontyard-ultra-2022/

Herdy’s 2023

https://www.runbkrun.com/2023/03/23/herdys-frontyard-ultra-2023/

Herdys 2024

https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/03/31/herdys-frontyard-ultra-2024/

Birdys 2020

https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/08/16/most-fun-you-will-ever-have-in-running-gear/

Birdys 2021

https://www.runbkrun.com/2021/08/30/birdys-backyard-ultra-wow-just-wow/

Birdys 2022

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/08/18/birdys-backyard-ultra-2022/

Hysterical Carnage 2021

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/03/01/hysterical-carnage-backyard-ultra/

Hysterical Carnage 2022

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/11/18/back-to-back-milers-and-grand-slams-hysterical/

No time to die 2022

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/09/25/no-time-to-die-it-wasnt-and-i-didnt/

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/

After last weekends 24 park run in 24 hours  ( post here :- https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/01/15/running-in-a-furnace-for-a-great-cause-24-park-runs-in-24-hours/ ) what better way to prepare for the Delirious West 200 miler in a few weeks ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/  ) then another ultra, this time on tired legs.  I have ran the Australia Day Ultra three times in the past , the 50km option the first time (2016) and then two 100km events. (2017-18)

The first time I ran the 100km Rob Donkersloot produced a video on the event ; worth a look …

Looking back at this video its funny to think of where I am now compared to then. In the video I was still a marathon runner chasing the elusive sub 2 hour 40 minutes marathon time, where as now I’m an ultra runner,  100%.  In the back of my mind I had  visions of taking the 55-60 AURA age group record , to go with my 50-55 time set in 2018,  but knew this would be a big ask after the previous weekends racing.  More important was just finishing and using this as my last long run before the big dance in a few weeks at Delirious.

I couldn’t persuade any of the usual suspects to come along so had to drive myself the two hours to the start, leaving Perth at 8pm to arrive at Australind just after 10pm to pick up my bib, chat to the Race Directors, Ron McGlynn and Chris Lark, and move my gear to the middle aid station where the lovely Charlotte would look after me. I was also lucky enough to have Mick Francis and his partner Val there to give me a hand. Being a 6.25k out and back loop meant that having my gear at the middle aid station I was only ever a maximum of just over six  kilometres from it. My plan was to run through the start aid station and also the one at the far end and just use the middle one.  I had adopted this strategy on the three previous times I ran the course and it worked a treat albeit I tended to stop at the aid station both ways when initially I intended to only stop one way.  If I’m going to break the age group record I’ll need to work on my aid station strategy and employ a dedicated crew with a plan, release the inner ‘Phil Gore’. 

The race kicks off five minutes into Saturday morning in an attempt to avoid runners turning up Saturday night for a Sunday morning event, this has happened a few times and is always a risk with a midnight start.  There wasn’t a big field this year and truth be told since the race decoupled itself from the the Ultra Series WA umbrella numbers have dropped.  The 100k ( eight laps of a 6.25k out and back loop) and 75k (six laps) runners started first with the 50k ( four laps) starting at 3am and the 25k (two laps) starting at 6am.

It was fairly quiet for the first three hours and I put on Spotify and Taylor Swift to keep me company.  Laps one and two were reasonable enough although I wasn’t hitting the pace I needed for the age group record so put that one to bed early.  I had talked about cruising through the night at less than 5 min/k pace , banking time in the cool evening conditions, this didn’t happen.  I wasn’t surprising really and I turned my attention to plan B, enjoy the event and finish strong.

Lap three and four and the wheels started to fall off. The 50k runners joined us but were running far too quick and just added to the feeling of slowing down. At one point I talked myself into finishing at 50k and ticking the ‘last long run‘ before Delirious box without doing too much damage to my legs. With this in mind I finished lap four (50k) but then had a change of heart, if I could make sunrise and maybe score a cup of sweet tea there was a chance. I also think a couple of No Doz tablets , combined with a  paracetamol tablet or two, also helped, don’t judge me.

Running past the middle aid station I put in my request and Charlotte managed to find some sugar in the bottom of her bag and produce a perfect cup of sweet tea. I covered my legs in fisocrem (this stuff is magic ! https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) , downed a yoghurt pouch and with the sun peaking over the horizon started to feel so much better.  Laps five and six I maintained a reasonable pace but around 75k I started to up the tempo. With all ultra marathons you have good times and bad times. With bad times you know the good times will eventually turn up and visa-versa. It’s weird but at 75k into the event I felt better than the first kilometre, this is ultra running.

I was comfortably in third place at the end of lap six but noticed the runner in second was coming back to me. My pace had improved to less than 5min/k and I started to reel him in. By the start of lap seven he only had a few hundred metres on me and before the end of that lap I had moved into second place. I’m putting down my fast finish to all the hours spent on my treadmill in the sauna that is a Perth summer. Recovering from a hamstring tear in October I had spent a lot of time walking and running on a 15% incline while listening to podcasts.  I really believe this helped me improve my fitness when I started to combine these garage sessions with my normal running. Anyhow whatever the reason I finished like a train for a good negative split, going out in 4hours 51 minutes and coming back in 4hours 42 minutes; total time 9 hours 34 minutes, good for second position.

I was presented with my merchandise and medal with a small trophy for second place by the Race Directors as I crossed the line, this it seems was the presentation. As I said earlier a real grass roots event, nothing fancy, a coupe of timing mats, few aid stations, eager volunteers  and that’s about it.  The event just works and I’m really looking forward to going back in 2025 and smashing that AURA 55-60 age group record, why wouldn’t you ? For anybody chasing an ultra PB this could be the event for you. Flat as a pancake and the midnight start avoids most of the heat of the Perth summer albeit humidity can play a part. Next year Ron is adding a 12.5k option ( two laps) to try and entice park runners into the fray and start down the slippery slope that is ultra running.

Finally a quick shout out to the products that have helped me on my running journey lately.  Fisiocrem and Humantecar are incredible products that help massively with recovery or preparation. Both products just work and I used fisiocrem on the run and humantecar bandages post run.  I was back running on Monday afternoon with a spring in my step, ready for another week of training. This would have been impossble without these products.

Bix hydration products kept me fueled and again without Bix I would have struggled. It is my go to product for all hydration while on the run and also recovering. Fractel headgear, T8 clothing , Coros watches, Osprey products , altra footwear (although for this event I used Hoka Mach X road shoes) and shokz ; thankyou.

Right that’s it for a few weeks. I have a quiet week and then one final push before the Delirious West 200 miler kicking off February 7th in sunny Northcliffe. To say I’m excited is an understatement.

fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered.  It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.

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/)

Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )

https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.

Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! .  ( https://coros.net.au/ )

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

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

Day five was ace, running with good friends in perfect English summer conditions was glorious. I had such a great day but unfortunately all that unraveled very quickly that afternoon just before dinner.  I had overdosed on the protein drinks at the finish of stage five, or so I thought, and came down with a bad case of diarrhea  as soon as I got back to the accommodation.   After dinner I did my normal routine of preparing for the next day, stocking up on gels, hydration (including bix tablets https://bix-hydration.myshopify.com/en-au) and a half an hour on the massage gun and human tecar massage spray. ( https://athleticus.com.au/ )  As the night went on I started to feel a chill coming on and decided to call it early and scuttle off to bed. That night I think I probably spent more time in the toilet than in the bedroom which was difficult as I was sharing a three bedroom apartment with two toilets and five other runners.

Needless to say the next morning I was not at my best and after packing (we were moving accommodation that evening) I struggled back to bed feeling very ropey. Eventually I had to leave the comfort of my bed and staggered to the van that would take us to the day five finishing point to start our journey.  As the image below shows I wasn’t looking great and knw I was in for a long day at the office.

Once we arrived at the start I knew I was in trouble. The conditions had changed from day five and we were faced with a very chilly, foggy morning and I was completely unprepared. As the group disembarked I was the last to leave the sanctuary of the van and was soon left behind as I had to make several unplanned toilet stops as my diarrhea had not gotten any better.  With the fog engulfing me and the cold air going right through me I was not in a good place, add in the diarrhea and it was a perfect storm, I was in trouble.

As we moved off Exmoor the early morning fog disappeared and at least I could see my surroundings.  The terrain didn’t make running fun though, lots of stones testing every step.

Coming off the moor we ran through a really cool forest with some great running but by this stage I was leapfrogging from toilet stop to toilet stop and constantly looking for places to answer the call of nature without the possibility of being seen. Around this time Andy Gray did catch me as I was in the prone position and he was backtracking as he was lost, a tad embarrassing for both parties. I explained the situation and he had some anti-diarrhea tablets which I gobbled down. It was good to see other runners and I latched on to the group albeit keeping my distance as I scuttled to yet another toilet stop.

There was some really good running off Exmoor and before the first aid station but all I could muster was a walk and a slow ‘death jog‘ at best. Saying that I was able to hold onto the last group and we came upon aid station one together.  I was going to call it at this stage but a cup of tea with three sugars and the sun coming out persuaded me to continue. I felt like death but what other option was there really.

Eventually the sun came out and things warmed up and the trail just got better. Again I was dropped by the last group and walked more than I ran. I was going downhill fast but just had to keep moving forward.  Unfortunately diarrhea was still a big issue and as I moved through towns and more densely populated areas it was becoming a real problem, for me and the general public.

Just after aid station one I came across a café and decided to get a Cappuccino that I had been promising myself for the last six days. It felt good to sit down in the sun and drink a coffee but this was a temporary reprieve, I was goosed and when I set off went backwards pretty fast. With aid station two coming up, around thirty kilometres into the stage, I ran though a small coastal town and on a whim decided to pick up a COVID test. In the back of my mind I always knew there was a chance I could catch COVID with the flight from Australia and I think I knew , deep down, I had it by this stage.

Not sure what beach this is but there’s a funny story attached to it.  While running on the trail my diarrhea finally got the better of me and I was forced to scuttle off the trail and into the ocean to wash off my shorts. So here am I,  shorts in hand,  unbeknown to me two walkers right behind me. Needless to say both parties didn’t know where to look. Funny now, not so amusing at the time.

I made aid station two in last place and pulled out my COVID test which proved my diagnosis, positive. Devastated doesn’t get anywhere near what I felt. I rang my Wife in tears , my dream shattered, a broken man. Two things would stop me finishing, an injury of course and COVID. I was having such a good time and was living the runners dream, Run Britannia was everything I imaged it to be and more,  and to have that taken from you was just gut wrenching, even now I find it hard to describe the feeling.

I had always said if I did catch COVID during the event I would pull out. I wasn’t prepared to risk possible long term physical damage trying to run an ultra a day while recovering from the virus. Recovering from any virus takes time and the strain on the heart , combined with my age, was a risk I was not prepared to take. It was the right decision to leave when I did and return home to recuperate, the right decision but it didn’t help.

Back in Oz I spent two weeks sleeping more than anything else. COVID drained me physically and I was mentally destroyed leaving Run Britannia early, not a happy chap truth be told. It took me over six weeks to even think about running and I cut myself off from family and friends , working from home but really just existing. What made it worse was I knew the event was ongoing and I cut all ties with social media , it was just too hard .  Dark times indeed.

As the image below shows I was fairly inactive post Run Britannia, physically and mentally broken.  Probably my longest time without running , bar injuries, in the last ten years. Dark times indeed. I also discovered how easy it is too put on weight, without really trying and am now learning how hard it is to shift it. !

The last seven or so weeks I’ve found my mojo and training has stated in earnest for the Feral Pig 100 miler in the first week of November. ( https://feralpigultra.com.au/ ) The best advice when you fall off a horse is get back on , this also rings true for ultra running albeit riding a horse in an ultra will probably get you disqualified ?  Post Feral is my fourteenth 6 inch ultra start in December ( https://6inchtrailmarthon.com ) and then the Australia Day Ultra 100k late January ( https://australiadayultra.com/ ) before Delirious West 200 miler in February ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) , Light horse Ultra April ( https://lighthorseultra.com.au/ ) and Herdy’s Front yard in May.  ( https://herdysfrontyard.com.au/ ) Looks like I’m well and truly back on the horse from a racing point of view.

So that’s it for Run Britannia, didn’t even finish the first week so very disappointed but had so much fun when I was there. Met some wonderful people who I regret not getting to know better in my short time but I always envisages five weeks of togetherness not less than one. The organisation was top class , thankyou James and his crew, and if you’re thinking about throwing your hat in the ring for this beast of an event I recommend you do. Will I go back ? I would love to but the cost and time away from the family is tough to justify two years in a row but never say never, if the dice rolls my way who knows?

Would I like to go back ? 100% yes, it was such an incredible adventure there is nothing I’d rather do but sometimes you’re dealt a hand and you just got to play it, this year I twisted when I should have stuck.

fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered.  It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.

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/)

Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )

https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.

Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! .  ( https://coros.net.au/ )

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

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

We left our accommodation which we had been in  for three nights and boarded the bus to take us back to the finish from day four, which was a carpark outside a pub in Bideford.  Straight away I saw the answer to my prayers, a motorised scooter, just what I needed for another day mainly on concrete paths or b-roads. This was frowned upon by my fellow competitors , and probably the owner of the vehicle, so off on foot I scampered.

The first ten kilometres from the start was on concrete paths that run through stunning scenery. Not quite the coastal beauty we had experienced previously but flat and fast.  It was good to get some kilometres under the belt early and we hit the first pit stop very quickly. I ordered my obligatory tea with three sugars and wolfed down a few Rat Race bars. I had ran with my good mate Dave ‘Dangerous’ Douglas and we shared some great stories and bad jokes, time disappeared quickly, funnily enough like Dave at the pit stop. Dangerous didn’t like to hang about and treated each stage as a mini race, I was more than happy to chew the fat , and drink the tea, at aid stations, after all it was Run Britannia  not Race Britannia.

As well as myself there was one other Australian who had made the long trip from down under, here the two of us ham it up for the camera.

Highlight of day two was definitely spending time with Dangerous Dave. We were room buddies and two peas in a pod, time with Dave passed very quickly despite his very bad jokes. Meeting someone for the first time but instantly knowing you’d be good friends is rare and with Dangerous I had that connection. I have many regrets with leaving Run Britannia early but missing out on spending the extra four weeks running with Dave is my main one.  He killed it of course and was one of the dozen or so runners who finished every stage, despite a dodgy ankle for a few stages where he had to hobble the whole stage and his Father passing away in the first week. Dave is a genuine nice guy, plain and simple. I look forward to spending some time in his company, someday.

Dave was also useful to act as a human shield so I was always keen to let him lead as we ran along the b-road ‘killing fields’ , as I call them.  As I said in a previous post cars aren’t expecting runners on these roads and you really need to approach every corner under the assumption there is a Volkswagen van being driven by a homicidal maniac just around the corner, whose sole purpose in life is to add you to his hood ornament.

Saw this outside a local church and couldn’t resist, you’d be mad not to surely.

Dave and I made our way through the countryside stopping only for the odd photo opportunity too good to turn up.  He has a flare for photographer Dave, as well as running.  How good is the scenery ? Clean streams flowing under beautiful hand built bridges from a by-gone era, so quintessential English.

A Dangerous Dave original; photo.

The day was spent mainly on back lanes with the odd section of b-roads , running through picture postcard English countryside in perfect summer conditions. The organisers couldn’t have hoped for these conditions in their wildest dreams, we were truly blessed.

Leaving the last aid station for the day I started on the last climb and was met with the Union Jack flying in the wind. An in credible view on a day of incredible views, this day really couldn’t have got any better.

The last trail in the Dunkery and Horner wood, how bloody English is that ?  The image below shows the last rise to the finish aid station on Exmoor. Conditions really were stunning and a sharp contrast to the start the next day.  I was just behind Martin and we both finished within a few minutes of each other. There were three or four other runners waiting to greet us, as well as the Rat Race crew, at the finish, hugs all around and then onto the food.

We finished day five on Exmoor in glorious conditions. The Rat Race crew were there and I gorged on protein shakes, donuts and fruit. After running all day it was an oasis of food, just what us runners needed.  My Altra Vanish Tempo’s had been through a rough couple of days and looked the worse for wear but had been a good shoe choice for the day. Probably back to the Altra Olympus trainers for day six as there would be some time on Exmoor, which was mainly single track trail. Unbeknown to me at the time today would be my last full day on Run Britannia and it was certainly a day I will never forget, similar to day six but for completely opposite reasons.

fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered.  It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.

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/)

Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )

https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.

Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! .  ( https://coros.net.au/ )

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

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

We viewed a forty one day stage, mainly on road, as a rest day after three brutal trail days running nearly sixty kilometres each day.  I’d miss the ocean views but not the testing terrain, I was ready for a short (relatively speaking) , easy road day.

After about ten minutes running it was time to say good buy to the coast and we wouldn’t see the ocean again until we arrived in Bideford at the end of the stage.

Once we got on the back roads I even bumped into a deer which I wasn’t expecting so close to civilisation. A surreal moment where we both stopped and just eye balled each other before the deer vanished, pretty cool start to the day.

A lot of day four was on back lanes and b-roads, the back lanes were ok but the b-roads were like the killing fields. Motorists didn’t expect to see runners and drove accordingly, you had to be very careful how you crossed any corners making sure you gave yourself and the vehicles space to avoid a collision. You needed to keep your wits about you that’s for sure and on a number of occasions I was forced to find safety deep in the hedgerow. To be fair it’s not the motorists fault , we were invading their territory. Still made the day interesting.

It was another big day as we left our first county moving from Cornwall into Devon. I don’t think you will ever get those conditions for the Cornwall stage again, they were absolutely perfect. Constant sunshine but never too hot that you couldn’t enjoy your surroundings and what surroundings. I truly believe, when conditions are that good, there is nowhere in the world I’d rather be. If they could just warm up the water , maybe climate change will turn Cornwall tropical , or should I say more tropical?

There really are no words for Cornwall, it had put on a show and delivered the most magical conditions showcasing all she had to offer, perfect , just perfect.

So it was over to Devon and see what she had to offer us, I was leaving my comfort zone as I grew up in Cornwall and we always had a rivalry with our nearest neighbour, albeit I was looking forward to some Devon Scones with Jam and Cream.

Truth be told it was very hard to distinguish between a Cornish lane and a Devon one. You were also just as likely to meet Lewis Hamilton wanna-be’s in their Volkswagen Vans so you still needed to keep your wits about you or you’d end up a hood ornament.

The one oasis of hydration and nutrition , apart from the local village shops or town supermarkets,  was the Rat Race pit stops. These were a gourmet smorgasbord and manned by the best helpers since Father Christmas discovered Elves. We were treated like royalty  and the hardest part was leaving albeit the next one was never far away. The crew were so good and the tukka was delicious , again I must mention the Rat Race bars.

Funnily enough I did manage to miss a few pit stops and this was entirely my fault as they were well marked and before each day we were drilled on their locations. The old adage ‘you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink’… it’s like you can put out a pitstop but you cannot guarantee the runner will stop and find it !

The final part of this stage was the South West Coastal Path which was stunning. We left the ‘take your life in your hands’ b-road , ran over a picturesque bridge (see below) and then followed this path to Bideford. Some great images and I even persuaded a cyclist to take a photo.

The images never do the actual scenery justice, I even went to the expense of buying an iphone 14 pro but still the final photos never show how good it really was. A photo doesn’t show the whole picture so to speak, the summer sunshine warming you as you move along trails that make you glad to be alive, breathing in the beauty of all around you.  I really haven’t got the vocabulary to fully describe the feeling, if there are even words that are available. You just need to get out there and experience it yourself. Crossing this bridge, leaving the road, and heading onto the South West coastal trail was invigorating as I also knew the end was in sight and I was feeling great. No fatigue just enjoying the moment and cruising to another finish.

Although there were sections of concrete the surroundings more than made up for the terrain underfoot. So much greenery, England in full bloom is a glorious place to be.

There was trails as well as the concrete footpath so you were never too far from some great trail running and the odd stile to keep you honest.

When I persuaded a cyslist to take this photo I was close to the finish and feeling so good. The stage was relatively short compared to the previous three days so I had lots left in the tank, it was virtually a rest day as we had also left the testing undulations of the coastal path. It had been a great day.

All that was left to do was get a great selfie with some of my housemates and then all scuttle off to the pub for a good feed, tell a few tall stories of the days adventures and prepare to repeat the whole process the next day, we really were living the dream.

fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered.  It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.

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/)

Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )

https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.

Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! .  ( https://coros.net.au/ )

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

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