Ultra Adelaide

I did it. 100 miles in 34 hours and 25 minutes, starting Saturday, July 12th at 12:00 AM and finishing Sunday, July 13th at 10:25 AM. It was incredibly hard, and honestly, it sucked a lot of the time, but the experience was unforgettable.

The Good

The good parts were truly magical. Navigating farmlands, bush, and giant pine plantations by myself through the night was an exhilarating adventure and a meditative experience. Running through the pretty towns and trails on the outskirts of Adelaide was stunning, and people were friendly. Running is always a great way to sightsee.

The Bad

One hundred miles. It's a very, very long way. I knew this, of course, but it didn't truly sink in until I ran a marathon and realised I was only a quarter of the way through, with almost three more marathons to go. And the roads! Some of the Heysen Trail is actually on roads with no footpath. At one stage, I was hiking up a bike lane on a major road – definitely not the trail event I was expecting.

The Ugly

The cold was brutal. The wind was also relentless, making us feel like we'd be blown off the top of mountains at times. Some paths were strewn with wobbly rocks and ankle-breaking holes. Then there were the steep, never-ending uphills and descents where I had to use my poles to pull myself up or keep from sliding down. And don't get me started on the descents on cinder block paths in Adelaide. Eeek!

The Amazing Support System

Amidst all the challenges, the amazing support I received truly made this possible:

• My family: Geez, they put up with a lot! They didn’t really get a chance to "agree" on this adventure, but they took their crewing duties seriously and were ace. Chasing me in the car, getting things ready, sleeping in the car for hours through the night, yet still happy to see me. Feeding me, changing my drinks, filling my pack – just seeing their faces helped me go on. Their before and after-race care was just as incredible. I'm so lucky to have them support my insanity.
• My pacer, Danielle: I truly don't think I would have finished without her. I picked her up after 100km, and she paced me through the night. She kept me moving forward, buoyed my spirits with stories, massaged my sore knees, ensured I ate and drank, and kept me upright when I was exhausted. The terrain from 100km to 140km was vicious; without Danielle, I would have curled up in the bush and cried. Having her there, showing me where to put my feet, was invaluable. She even put her own anxieties aside on hairy heights so I wouldn't freak out, which showed her incredible strength. Thank you, my friend, for your care.
• My running tribe: Oh, the joy of seeing their cheers on the WhatsApp chat! Some even managed runs on our own Mt. Lofty in support and called for a quick chat. When my tracking went down in the middle of the second night, there was still chatter, concern, and love. So blessed to have these women in my life.
• My coach, Kelly Linaker: Several weeks before this event, I had to change coaches. Luckily, Kelly picked up the pieces, navigated my niggles, illnesses, and full calendar to get me to the start line. During the race, when I hit a low spot around the 90km mark, she called me and helped me find positivity again. Thank you for all your wisdom and support.
• My sponsor, Kelvin Yip, Endu1 – Endurance Fuel and Hydration: Kelvin has supported me since Melbourne Marathon last year, providing fuel and hydration for training and races. He's always available to answer my nutrition questions. I used Honey Boost as my sole liquid throughout this race and never got flavour fatigue. It's good stuff! 

The Finish Line Drama

Currently, the results show I've DNF'd (Did Not Finish) this race. This was because we missed the last major aid station by 2 minutes. It was written somewhere, but in my head, I only had the final race cut-off, which was 36 hours.

I actually finished it in 34 hours and 25 minutes. When we arrived at that aid station and they told us I'd missed the cut-off, I just said we were running anyway. We did a quick pit stop and changed to road shoes for the final 19km stretch on concrete. I knew I'd make it by the final race cut-off, and we did. Over 90 mins before cut-off in fact! We also passed 4 other (qualified) competitors along the way, even though I was technically disqualified. (So, take that, cut-off time!)

The race director said he would review my case as others had already protested on my behalf. The funny thing is, because I finished by spectacularly defying their race rules (they wanted to take our bibs!) and expectations, more people know about my story than those who finished before me. Hopefully, they will review their cut-off times for future runners.

Not sure I will do another miler again. This one was more technical than I usually like, and running for me is about enjoyment rather than the grunt. Tackling tough challenges helps put things in life into perspective, and whilst I'm appreciative of this experience, maybe I would choose more wisely next time.