THE BRILLIANCE OF KUNANYI MOUNTAIN RUN

Contributed by Geoffrey Langhans, AURA member (Happy Valley, SA)

KUNANYI MOUNTAIN RUN 67KM, HOBART (TAS), 24-26 March 2023

Simply spectacular. The kunanyi Mountain Run was more than a race. It was a humbling, challenging and incredible experience that I am lucky to have had.

I first heard about the kMR Ultra Solo in November last year and it seemed like the perfect excuse to go to Tasmania for the first time. Everything I had heard and seen about the state had got me itching to go explore the trails but little did I know that all of my expectations and hopes were about to be dwarfed by the shear brilliance of kunanyi. The kMR starts on the fringe of suburban Hobart and quickly ascends to the pinnacle of kunanyi/Mt Wellington before meandering up and down each of the major valleys that radiate from the mountain across 68km with nearly 4000m of ascent.

The first wave assembled for a 6am start. A smoking ceremony conducted by local First Nations members was offered to cleanse the runners before a big day on the trails. It was still over an hour until sunrise and the temperature wasn’t much above zero, although still much warmer than what was waiting for us at the summit. It was certainly a brisque start but the weather forecast was near ideal: no rain and light winds made for comfortable running. The ascent was a mixture of runnable trail, technical rockfalls and steep climbs. Once the sun rose, we were greeted by clear views over Hobart and its surrounds. I’d been running with a great guy by the name of Johnny Weeks who had completed the event last year and he was kind enough to provide advice on what was about to come and when to pause and appreciate the moment. It was a race but having never been here before, I wanted to take in all that I could and be as present as possible.

The summit greeted us with windswept chill and phenomenal views. Checkpoint 1 was within the pinnacle lookout and after 12km and over 1300m of ascent, I was still feeling good so quickly refilled my hydration pack and was off again. From the summit we followed a stretch of bitumen road before cutting onto a wide, runnable fire trail. This then turned into a narrow (and I mean narrow) boardwalk over a highland swamp. I was only perhaps 17km into the race and was surprised at how diverse and beautiful every new section was. Not long after, we reached the first significant technical descents and it was here that the wave 2 leaders who had started half an hour after wave 1 passed me. I knew that downhill technical running was not my strength but to see how the wave 2 leaders floated down such terrain without any apparent effort was astounding. A shout out to my fellow bearded runner, Justin Dyer, for his kind words of support for both my running and my beard.

Checkpoint 2 was at the end of a couple of kilometre out and back stretch down a fern lined gully. It gave runners a chance to say hello and offer encouragement as they passed other entrants heading the other way and it was great to see just how supportive everyone was. The ultra community never fails to set itself apart from other sports with its unparalleled comradery. My feet had gotten a bit wet in a creek crossing and I had a fresh pair of shoes in my drop bag, so a quick change and some chips and I was back on my way. Section 3 had about as much up as down and was a mix of technical descents and climbs, undulating but runnable fire trail, and some of the biggest trees in the world. I’d buddied up with Cradle Mountain running legend David Cole and it didn’t take him long to convince me that the Overland Track run was another event I’d need to come back to Tas for. As we neared Checkpoint 3, David pointed out a mountain to our left as the 800m climb that we would tackle next and a number of runners had made remarks about it being “the bad climb” or similar. My technical running might be relatively slow but Lofty and Pengana repeats back in Adelaide had set me up well for the climbs and I made the ascent in good time. What came next though was a whole other world.

The ridge. When I came across the course video on the kMR website, I was excited by a steep sided ridge in section 4. The video didn’t convey just how steep and challenging this section would be though. Scrambling up and down large rock faces on all fours became the norm. Apparent dead ends were common typically required turning into a mountain goat to progress. At this point I was with a different Tassie runner, Ashley Bosveld, and we reached a significant rock face with no obvious path so I turned to Ashley and said “Do you think it’s up?” A voice then called down from above us, “Yes, it’s up!” The voice belonged to an adventurous photographer who had put in the effort to get himself to a great spot to snap photos as runners tackled this tough section. Eventually the trail opened up and we got to run properly again, following a large rocky river to Checkpoint 4.

Another shoe change and I could feel the end of the race approaching. There was still about 18km to go but most of the climbing and technical terrain was done. A short 300m ascent was followed by the Pipeline Track, a smooth gradual decline that was heavily shaded and a welcome relief after the challenges of the previous section. The course had returned to the fringes of Hobart so the trail was busier but still not congested and most of the remaining route was fast. It was here that I started to reflect on the day. All of my expectations had been greatly exceeded. Everything about the race had been amazing. The beauty of the course, the atmosphere of the race hub, the support and generosity of the volunteers. kMR gave me so much that I will retain forever. If you get the opportunity to run it, do it. If you don’t get the opportunity, find a way to make one.

Finally, a thank you to all those involved. Thank you to the event organisers and volunteers for everything they did. Thank you to my fellow runners who I enjoyed chatting to and learning from. Thank you to Dad for looking after my dog and being the airport transfer service. Thank you to my partner, Ursula, for being happy to get up 3 hours before dawn to see me off and then be there at the end with bakery delights.