7 YEARS OF WTF (WATEROUS TRAIL ON FOOT)

Contributed by David Kennedy, WTF Race Director

I decided during the lead up to WTF to get in touch with the 50 & 100 mile winners over the past 7 years and do a bit of a flashback segment. I ended up posting their stories on Facebook in the order they got back to me but here they are reposted in a nice neat countdown format back to the first race in 2013.

(2019)
2019 100 mile winner Sergio Gustinetti
What was my highlight of the day? It is always the volunteers. Why? Reaching the aid stations feels like crossing the path of angels, waiting to selflessly nurture you back onto the trail. I never underestimate the effect of their altruism, it propels me forward at my hardest times on race day, and in my opinion they are the glue that holds the tribe together.
Any lowlights? Running!
What are you up to now? Enjoying a somewhat more normal lifestyle than the past couple of years of heavier training. Still working towards my performance at a few more events of course i.e. UTMB but in a far better setting down in the beautiful Margaret River region, hibernating with my partner.
Any advice for first-timers? Respect the training, preparation is everything, especially mental. Other runners are a wealth of knowledge, ask questions from those you interact with. Accept pain as your new best friend, get comfortable with it in different forms. Anxiety beforehand, pain during and if you manage to pull it off…enjoy your reward of well-deserved PTSD. Show gratitude to the volunteers because they give up their time around the clock, to tend to your broken body and mind, prepare and clean for the race and generally selflessly support our individual goals.

2019 100 mile winner Jen Millum
The best part was when my pacer, Lisa, and I took a wrong turn. When we found the course again, we were unsure of how many females had over taken me. Sergio told us there was a ‘Jen’ in front of me. We spent the rest of the leg chasing her down, passing her and running away from her! Only to find out she was a pacer named ‘Lisa’. We still giggle about the whole episode now!

I hit a low coming back on the power lines the second time. My pacer, Jason, had to work hard to keep my mind in the game…it was tough! I’m still loving my running, sad I couldn’t do WTF this year in 2020, but I messed up my 24hr track race a few years ago, so I needed to sort that out! Advice: good luck with those power lines of joy and have fun

2019 50 mile winner Mick Francis
Highlight of the day for me was definitely getting through the powerlines section unscathed, a couple of out of control downhills but I was delighted to get through without breaking my neck. Lowlight, I guess with 8km to go and in the lead, I started cramping badly in one hamstring which brought me to a standstill. I had to really slow down just to make sure I could finish and all the time thinking I was about to get caught. I was so relieved to get to that finish line.

I’m still running and enjoying racing as much as ever. I recently retired from work and now am concentrating on my coaching business which I started 18 months ago. This is something that I am absolutely loving and I am getting so much out of watching others achieve their goals I still have a few goals of my own as well to knock off yet before I finally hang up my running shoes. Advice for first timers? Prepare well. I really believe you can’t just wing it in a race of this length. Enjoy the occasion, trust your training, and know that if there is a bad patch in the race, don’t panic, work through it and you can usually come back. Oh and remember to smile and not fiddle with your Garmin when the finish photo is being taken.

2019 50 mile winner Sarah Dawson
Running WTF in 2019 was a highlight in itself. I was fairly new to trail running and decided to push myself a little further than the 50km races I’d been doing. I was a little late in finding WTF and not being properly integrated into the trail running community, I didn’t even know what a reccy run was or the importance of doing one.

Before trail running I was a 10k a day runner and spent a year in Thailand where hiking was my primary hobby. When I saw the Powerlines of Joy, my first thought was “This is fantastic, I LOVE hills”. The entire race was brilliant, being surrounded by so many incredible runners I managed to chat with quite a few, heard some amazing stories and made new friends. The volunteers deserve a special mention, my turn around in aid stations never exceeded my required rest time while they ran rampid to refill my bottles, feed me oranges and offer me a hand in all that I needed. I’ve never felt like such royalty before!

Lowlight for me, it was hot. I had not trained in such heat in the lead up and grossly underestimated my need for water and wanting to keep weight low, I didn’t take extra. I ran out 3 times – only the last leg had I enough but I was already very dehydrated by this point. Only lowlight was my own poor planning. I asked 2 people for water along the way and they too had run out, one even resorted to filling his bladder from a small stream. I was not that bold. But seems that year not enough water was an easy mistake to make. Now, I have moved to the Netherlands. I continue with trail running when I can but it’s mostly flat road here. My goal is to run the Kerry Way Ultra, which is 120 miles in Ireland. I am unsure if this will be in 2021 or 2022, but I am excited to push myself the bit further. If I were in Australia still, I would be running WTF again as I love that course, maybe I will do it again when I visit home some day.

If this is your first time running WTF, my advice is: during training listen to your body, if it is too tired to run, know that is a warning sign. If something is niggly or hurting, see a professional. Small things remain small over short distances, but over a long distance may get the better of you. Have your nutrition sorted, train with it and know what you can tolerate. For me, that is very little so this is of major importance. Check the weather, make sure you have enough water and get on the trail for a reccy run. Your best chance for finishing strong in any race is to know the trails and know the conditions you’ll be running in. Train in all conditions over the year to properly prepare. Make sure you train with people and also alone, long races can leave runners spread out with lots of time without seeing anyone. Late in a race this may be hours. You need to be able to stay positive and say nice words to yourself while being alone in your own head. Learn to turn “This is impossible” into “I am strong for going so far and can push further”.

Most of all, enjoy it. This is an incredible race, the ultra running community is fantastic and you’ll find all the love and support you need along the way. Everyone wants to see you succeed and will help you every way they can.

(2018)
2018 100 mile winner Stephen Redfern
Highlights were being able to break the CR and get a massive trail miler PB by over 2hrs, whilst still being able stop and chat on the return journey to all the great runners out on the course and seeing them all smiling and enjoying themselves. Also having you come and find me after passing through the check point too early and before it had a chance to get set up.

Lowlights being what I would call the absolute perfect race for me I didn’t have not one low moment throughout the entire race, I couldn’t fault it in any way. These days I’m enjoying running some bigger ultras like the Larapinta 230km, the HK4TUC 300km and hopefully a chance to get a spot back on the start line for this year’s Coast 2 Kosci. Also I’m giving race directing a go with my own race putting on the newly returned Sydney 24hr Track Ultra for June next year.

Advice for first timers? First and foremost just get out there and enjoy yourself, pace yourself steadily from the start as the race doesn’t really start until after 100km. Most importantly keep the nutrition up for the entire race even when you’re not feeling the best, because the energy is what’s going to help you get to the end. Amazing it’s been 2 years, so much has happened since then, hopefully one day I can get back to taste the new course you have.

2018 100 mile winner Angelique Plaire
I ran this race in 2018. A great experience. A difficult course because of a lot of road and few mountains. I am an ultra trail enthusiast with a lot of mountains so this race was a novelty. A great organisation with a great spirit. I think that to go do this type of race (long and fairly flat), especially on a return trip, you have to work on your endurance and work on your mind. I am still a runner and sports coach, a mom for 6 months. I am taking back the sneakers for 2021 on the next ultra trails.

2018 50 mile winner Michelle Brown
2018 was a great year for my running, so I decided running the WTF 50 Miler for a bit of fun was a good idea. I spent the first 35kms making new buddies and chatting non-stop (sorry Nathan and Clint), the next 20km super pumped and excited for Goldmine Hill and seeing the 100 Milers on their way out, then a very lonely few hours, before missing the final turn adding a couple of extra painful kms. I still consider myself an ultra-newbie, but my advice to first timers would be to respect the distance and have a strong sense of why you’re out there – the highs and lows can be intense. I’m still running. I just survived Busselton Marathon and hoping for a return to decent form in 2021.

(2017)
2017 100 mile winner Keith Holt
It’s difficult to decide on high and low points. I guess the high points to the WTF would be having my pacers join me (Richard Bason & Shan Dally). It was the first time I’d used pacers and it really did help, also seeing my crew and the volunteers at the aid stations, receiving my goodie bags (mainly tangerines) and the general support from everyone. I can’t not say coming away with a result too, because I would have been happy with just finishing so the win was truly a massive bonus.

As for lows it has to be the few days after when everything seems to hurt and I’m feeling what’s next because you’ve been so focused on finishing that one for so long I feel a little lost. Since finishing the WTF I’ve only done a couple of events. Both multi day events,the Way of Legends in Burgos, Spain. Then I decided to spend a ski season in France (Val D’Isère), following that I took part in Cape Wrath in Scotland. Since then I’ve been struggling with injuries but hope to be back someday. We’ve recently moved house so renovations going on at the moment so that’s taking up a lot of my spare time. If I could give any advice for the first timers it would be to really take your time and try to enjoy every moment, be prepared for good and bad times because they both come and go, if you can put your head in the right place you will finish.

2017 100 mile winner Margie Hadley
It’s hard to pick a highlight, there were so many! Probably the best thing was when I was about 15-20km from the finish, my pacer Jenny Taplin and I realised I might make it in under 20hrs. My goal time was 22hrs, so we were pretty excited! The last 3km we knew it would be close and just kept pushing, to make it with a couple of minutes to spare. The lowlight was not feeling great in the first half of the race. Thankfully I had a great crew and they managed to keep me going (good nutrition and encouragement). Once I hit Jarrahdale and turned to head back, everything changed and I actually felt really good and started enjoying it. Currently still running ultras and running a business. Have enjoyed doing some virtual races, but looking forward to getting back out and running/racing with friends.

Advice for first timers would be to trust your training, make sure you have practiced your nutrition and hydration, and if your race isn’t going to plan don’t give up! Anything can happen in an ultra, there are many ups and downs, just keep going.

2017 50 mile winner Ben Harris (2015 100 mile winner also)
Highlight for 2015 would have to have been Alexis catching me on the climb to the radio tower, after a long day the race suddenly felt electric, at the small hours of the morning it felt like I was being hunted and running for my life! 2017 I ran within myself for most of the day and really only had one low spot coming into Treasure Island, the highlight would have to be coming around the corner to the finish under race plan time and seeing my family there to see me finish.

2015 low would have been my headlamp going flat and often needing to toilet, my first time racing that long was hard to understand the lows and how to get out of them. 2017 just the one small slump heading into Treasure Island, seeing that crowd all there dressed up having a great time perked me up as Richard Avery poked me back out with a few stern worlds got me back in the grove.

Advice for first timers, put just as much planning I to your nutrition plan as you to your time goal plans, it’s the calories that will get you to the finish. At the moment 2020 has been average at best running wise, a few small injuries this year and building a new house has limited racing but aiming to get back on track in time for 6 Inch. I also started coaching other athletes for trail ultra events under the Tony Smith banner which is fun and rewarding.

2017 50 mile winner Martine Neild (2016 50 mile winner also)
I think I enjoyed my first WTF the most, probably because I had no idea what to expect and was very new to trail running and the trail community. I hadn’t done many events at all and really hadn’t contemplated what 80km might feel like! My highlight was definitely spending time on the course with Nick Swallow and Scott Bunny. I got a little lost until I found them. Scott had a lot of advice. I hadn’t contemplated how to pace myself and was a bit clueless around checkpoints and drop bags. I also remember Chris popping out on the course, after he’d taken quite an accidental detour! Falling and cracking a rib and not realising until a few days later, was quite a funny experience. Especially, when explaining to the doctor at the hospital that I’d run 80km a couple of days before and he asked if he should expect any more patients. It hurt to laugh when I explained to him that the race was well and truly over! Also, a highlight was knowing Emily was “out there” doing her first miler. I got to meet Kelly Anne and Nathan that day as well as many others, so really, the introduction to the community was pretty special.

The low light was probably the following year where I ran a lot of the course alone and felt a bit isolated. I recall chatting to Sergio toward the end and him mentioning it was his first ultra. I think he is smashing out the distances these days. WTF helped me qualify for CCC and CCC led me onto the Eiger. I think I prefer alpine events, so living in Victoria (outside of Covid) is conducive to that. I’m in stage 4 lockdown in Melbourne at the moment. I’d have been in Colorado for most of August if Covid didn’t happen. But for the immediate future, I’m just going to focus on appreciating the national parks in Australia and supporting the amazing efforts of many race directors who’ve had to put races on hold. I’ve got shin splints from too much pavement and as access to physiotherapists are only for emergencies, I’ve taken up ocean swimming to deal with it for now.

Advice for first time runners is just “wing it, it will be fine”! Oh, and don’t wear headphones as you’ll miss out on making trail friends on the course!

(2016)
2016 100 mile winner Emily Laidley (2015 50 mile winner also)
Highlight: was running with my pacers Harmony, Pam and Rachael. Also seeing all the volunteers along the way. I really appreciated the girls and really trusted them with my well-being. On the last stage with Rachael was when I felt the most vulnerable. However just knowing I really trusted her all I needed to focus on was to move. I remember telling her I loved her several times. There weren’t really any lowlights. Just feeling dead by 110km. But knowing I can still make the next 50km okay as the last time I did a 50km training session with my friends at an easy pace I remembered back to that time and how it felt.

I am not doing much running now, just very short distances. I am trying the bodybuilding sport due to the kind of work I do, I’m a FIFO trainer. However having done ultras it has given me the advantage of being able to put that endurance training mindset into my new sport.

Advice for new runners: get advice from seasoned runners. I took advice from Glenn Smetherham as I knew he is a seasoned successful WTF runner. Glenn was so generous with his time and advice. I just followed Glenn on the day as I was still an inexperienced ultra runner. When Glenn walked, I walked. When he ran, I ran. Prior to that I would have just run until I couldn’t and I know that wouldn’t have worked.

2016 50 mile winner Lukas Schieldegger
Highlight of the day at WTF: I started the run easily at the back of the pack. After an hour or so into the race someone in the group asked me about my goal of the day. I said well I wanna win this thing – more as a joke. In the end I did indeed win it. I forgot the name of the guy I talked to during the run. But his surprised eyes when he learnt that I won the race was my highlight of the day!

Lowlights: Not that I can remember. WTF I believe is a must for every runner coming to Perth!

What I am up to now: Since almost all European events are cancelled this year, I took this summer as a chance to try out different things. Bike packing, enduro MTB, road cycling, more beer than usual and anyway lots of fun stuff. I will restart my training in November, hoping that the races are back on in 2021.

Advice for first timers: Chill the first 50km, nothing to lose.

(2015)
2015 100 mile winner Crystal Shui
Highlight – the amazing volunteers, Chris Neilon who was an impromptu pacer and my pacer Kellie Whitfield who I met for the first time, a little delirious with a marathon to go. Lowlights – losing my medal after collapsing near a toilet post race.

Current running life – not much running at the moment as work, study, foster dogs are taking up most of my time, but I’ll be back soon. I DNFed a 120 miler in Canada which I’d been training for about a year, so I was a late impromptu entry to WTF. I hadn’t even sorted out accommodation and slept on the floor of Chris and Sarah’s cabin the night before! I never thought I’d win WTF!! So be open and take everything opportunity as it comes!

2015 50 mile winner Nathan Fawkes
Wow that seems like a long time ago! Highlight: I was neck and neck with another runner at 65k and decided to gradually pick up the pace and try to go for the win. The other guy fell off the pace with about 8km to go and I held on to win in 7:32, a PB at the time. A satisfying victory by just over 10 minutes. Can’t really recall a lowlight, although I do recall a bad patch just after Kingsbury Road when I felt like I was running backwards at times. Now I’m pretty busy with work but running is still my outlet. I’m focusing on getting faster at the marathon under the expert guidance of my coach Mick Francis. I’ve run marathon, half marathon and 10k PB’s this year so it seems to be working. My passion is still for ultras so I’m looking forward to getting back into the longer stuff soon. My advice for first timers is the race only starts at halfway so take it easy. Start slow and see how you feel at halfway. Starting too fast in an ultra will end in disaster.

(2014)
2014 100 mile winner Hunter Dodds
What was my highlight of the day? This may sound ridiculous, but it was definitely the rain, there’s something about running in pouring rain, thorough knee-deep puddles (though one was thigh deep). I’m still not sure what it is about the rain that I love, if it’s the increased perception of solitude, that the suffering starts early, that I don’t run well in warm weather, the smell of the bush, or that it’s you standing out in the middle of the bush with one big finger forced high in the air at the weather gods saying “Really, is that all you have? Because I am still here.”

Lowlights of the day? I seem to have removed from my memory and real low lights but small things still linger. Not plugging my hose into my bladder pack on one of the return legs and because it was so wet I didn’t notice it was leaking, both me and my pacer running on all but dead lights for the last 3 or so km’s we really struggled to see where we were going, and not spending any time at treasure island.

Advice for first timers? If local get out on the course before the event, if doing the 100 mile do some of the night legs at night, and do them alone get used to being out there alone. I am not too sure about the new course but the old course was so easy to access and train on.

What am I up to now? Well I left Perth and went travelling the US for a year and have now ended up on the Gold Coast about to complete my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with Honours. As far as running, I entered a couple of races in the States, from the highs of WTF to the lows of a DNF at Leadville. Won the Arkansas 100 mile LOViT race… another wet cold one. Did some crazy arse solo runs in the States, up to the top of Mt Whitney and R2R2R. Managed to fit in my third and fastest attempt at the Comrades Marathon. Since being back in Australia I haven’t run as much but what I have has been long and tough, and I have found a real love for races in the Snowy Mountains region particularly the Alpine Challenge and Great Southern Endurance Run. For those who know about me and my streak, it still continues, as of writing it was 2369 days.

2014 100 mile winner Anne Ziogos (co-winner with Natalie Wallace)
That was one great memorable day. The fact that it rained all day and got extremely cold was a great memory. The people and all of their support was another factor. I would love to come back and do it again. I have just been held back by so many injuries. Two shoulder operations and plantar fasciitis. Unfortunately, we are at lock-down in Victoria. I would have gone to Chile to run through the Atacama Desert, that had to be cancelled due to travelling restrictions and lack of training. I did G to G Grand to Grand in 2018. It was a self supporting stage race which was amazing but tough. I didn’t train for altitude and that got me. As for 2020 it has been a total flop due to the pandemic.

2014 50 mile winner Josh Garrett
Highlight of WTF was the section of trail from Oakley Dam back into Dwellingup, I think at that point I had realised it was only 16 or so km to go on familiar trails. The high of having it nailed and knowing I was going to make it home was an awesome feeling. It is pretty hard to beat, it can only be described as some weird mix of excitement, joy and relief. The low light was running Gold Mine Road twice. Although I think it helped make me more determined to push hard and gain the lead I had lost back. Also having to chuck compression pants on and fly back to NZ immediately after sucked. There were a few raw bits due to all the rain!

Now, I am back in NZ based in the Hawkes Bay it is an awesome spot, a happy mix of WA sunshine with the slightly cooler climate of NZ. Still running regularly although probably not a much as I was in WA. I am trying to strike more balance between running, cycling and kayaking to race Multisport. Although I still tend to favour running events. Advice for a first timer, would be spend some time and be familiar with the course. Train how you plan on racing, nothing should be new on race day. Gear, shoes and nutrition should all be familiar. I try and work things so these things are almost automatic, you don’t want to be trying to make decisions while running, it leads to mistakes.

2014 50 mile winner Nikki Wynd
My highlight of the day was running beautiful unknown trails on my first trip to WA. I ran a fair chunk of the race with Ben Harris and from memory I think it was his first race and he left me for did mid race only for me to pass him later where he told me “rookie mistake” to think I could beat you. The only lowlights I remember was at one point thinking I’d taken a wrong turn and had got lost, only to realise after a few kms all was ok and I was on track

Up to now. Still running! Just did a Virtual 24 hour and ran just under 209kms, working full time at an Allied Health Care practice which I love and just getting back into training for my second trip to the West in Feb 2021 to run the Delirious West Ultra. My advice is to back in your training, do the training and your race will take care of itself, practice gear/nutrition in training and smile and enjoy the whole race!!!

(2013)
2013 100 mile winner Ewan Horsburgh
Original 100 mile course record holder; 3x Coast Kosci champion; inaugural Tahoe 200 mile champion; multiple Australian 24 Rep and 2015 World Team Silver Medallist.
What was your highlight of the day? Being part of the inaugural WTF100 miler and racing some mates from the Australian 24hr team. Was a great out and back course so we got to see the gaps between competitors at halfway which is where the real racing started. Any lowlights? Having a navigational error with about 15kms to go and backtracking till I found another runner (RD Dave who had been chasing hard). We had run there early the previous morning but the spider webs we had cleared were back up making it seem like an unused track.
What are you up to now (running/life)? Still running 24hr races, 100milers and part of the La Sportiva mountain running team getting to race at some of Australia’s biggest ultras. I am giving back to the sport by helping run AURA and supporting our members and events.

Any advice for first timers? Download the course onto your phone or watch so you don’t have to run bonus kilometres after navigation errors.

2013 100 mile winner Fiona Crawley
Highlight – finishing in under 24 hours. Lowlight – around the 110km mark. I was hurting! Had some knee pain which I had never had before. Currently, I’m a mum of an 18-month-old and a 3.5-year-old. We are travelling Australia in a bus, been on the road for over a year. I run most days. I love it, it is my sanity. I love running on trails and exploring new places as we drive around the country. I run 5-10km a day now. Although in the past 3 months I have done a marathon (virtual) and a 55km run (Terrigal Trotters). I really enjoyed the challenge of getting back into some longer distances. Advice – have a pacer for a miler. I didn’t have one and definitely should have! Enjoy your training, get out on new trails, embrace the challenge and experience of running in nature.

2013 50 mile winner Helen Roberts
(And as it turns out she was 2 months pregnant at the time of the race; bubs remains our youngest ever finisher).
Highlight of the day, was the community feel. I felt like every runner and supporter was there for everyone, oh and turning the last corner and seeing the finish line and all the food. Low light was letting myself believe I heard someone say 8km to go, when I knew it was 18km. The last 10 seemed to go on forever, especially after getting lost and already running the extra ks.

I’m in NSW now, spent some time in the UK and dabbled in the running scene there, which was amazing. But living in Wollongong now and my youngest is 2, so feel it’s the right time to start focusing on tackling the 100 miler. I was so inspired and determined to do it after the 50 miler 7 years ago. I didn’t recover so well from the 50 miler, well what I thought was poor recovery actually was pregnancy. Turned out I ran the WTF carrying a bub. So since then I have focused on motherhood and shorter distances. But now is the time, well when the events start up again is the time. Even had someone suggest WTF to me the other day as a great 100 miler.

Advice is don’t over think it all, just get out and enjoy. Your body and mind can go a lot further than you believe.

Pictured: WTF race director David Kennedy with Jen Millum, 2018. Photograph – Supplied/Facebook.