AUSTRALIA DAY ULTRA RACE DIRECTOR REPORT

Contributed by Ron Mcglinn, Race Director, Australia Day Ultra

Leading up to the 4th instalment of the Australia Day Ultra event on January 20, a number of runners had put it out there that they were going to have a shot at breaking various age group records and personal milestones. The fast, flat course did not disappoint once again.

The temperature was predicted to be somewhere around 17C overnight, however the breeze did pick up slightly, and cooled it down to somewhere in the vicinity of 10-12C….perfect running conditions, while being shielded by the paperbark trees along the estuary.

Bernadette Benson had been training to break her own race record set back in 2015 of 8:32:00 and attempting to better her age group record of 8:22 for the 100kms event. Kevin Matthews had made no secret of his attempt break his 50+ age group time set by Bryan Smith in 1995 of 7:58:38, and Richard Avery was chasing that elusive sub 7hr prize after his 7:35:56 scorcher from last year.

As midnight ticked over, Alexis Oosterhoff sent the 100kms runners off into the night, a sea of hi-vis vests and headlights. It was obviously very early on that Bernadette, Kevin and Richard were all smashing out consistent laps with all three looking very good in the early stages, all putting in speedy 12.5kms laps. The mood was light and relaxed as the runners crossed the mat after each lap, however at the 50kms mark, crossing the mat in 3:30 Richard was starting to labour after a nasty fall. At the 62.5kms point Richard regrettably called it a day, leaving Big Kev and Bernadette out there to chase their goal times. Both looked great all the way through with only slight pace drops in the last couple laps, but otherwise dream runs if you were going to label them anything.

As the sun came up over the estuary, Kevin bolted home with a brilliant time of 7:47:33, beating the old age group record by roughly 11 minutes, with Jon Pendse trailing close behind after hanging onto Kevin’s dust cloud in 8:06:50, followed closely by Bernadette (overall 3rd) with a new course record of 8:27:47. Although B missed out on the 8:22 she was after on the day, she had set another Canadian Age Group record and thoroughly showed us she is just lifting the bar with each run.

The 50kms runners were set off at 3am, with a number hoping to finish in sub 4:30 to make the pilgrimage into Bunbury to the local parkrun (which is a bit of a tradition). A last minute entrant, Wayne Spies contacted me to see if I could find a spot for him, as he was in the area, and wanted to use ADU as a training run for an upcoming event. I have to say that it was certainly impressive watching him break the course record and tuck a 3:19:03 into his belt, all the while looking like he was running down to the letterbox to post a letter.

As the sun came up and broke over the estuary and black swans, I was taken back by how many great performances I was privileged to be a witness to. As a race director you quite often get lost in the day to day running of these events which starts months in advance, but having two great friends (Alexis Oosterhoff and Shaun Kaesler) to help race direct on the day gave me the opportunity to be more a part of the atmosphere of the event, and to share in the personal triumphs of the runners as they slogged it out, out there.

Watching Sue Robertson cross under an arch of our arms to a standing ovation for her first 100kms in a time of 14:13:13 was something quite special. To be able to shed a tear with the competitors as they received an award for the Longest Day (last person on course under cut off), and break through a barrier they once never thought they would, was a truly fantastic moment and something that inspires me and the other RDs here in the wild west, to keep investing into the sport and the people.

I don’t know a better bunch of people to hang out with, and here’s hoping the pikers from this year get back to ADU next year and kick the ass out of those barriers. Even those loonies who are backing up for their 5th in a row!

Ron Mcglinn

Featured Picture: AURA member Chris Lark set in a comfortable pace to take second overall in the 50kms event at ADU. Photograph – Supplied.