Ultra Trail Australia 2018 Race Report

Ultra Trail Australia 100km 2018 Race Report

The Blue Mountains - stunning... 

I'm definitely no stranger to this one, with 2018 marking the 8th time I would have taken on the 100km. However its no secret - really feel like I still haven't had a decent race here. Something always seems to go awry - sickness is a usual occurrence, I think because of the timing of the event - Sydney weather is just starting to turn a bit cold and little bouts of flu and head colds are rife. If not sickness, a little flare up of an old injury will happen, or nausea, or blisters the list goes on. This year though I finally got to the start free of any lingering illness and injuries.

I had also been contacted by the organisers prior to the race to ask for an athlete profile to go in the event program! I can't emphasise how incredible that was - although in the end I didn't make the cut (lets be honest there are a lot of faster guys out there), the program was something I used to look at when first getting into ultras and I used to think everyone in there was a hero. I idolised Brendan Davies and Andrew Lee (still do, with good reason). If I had actually made it in there, small as it may seem, it would have been a real life achievement for me... Ah maybe next year????? :)

I was a little fatigued from UTMF which was 3 weeks earlier - and subsequently a little bit of dampened enthusiasm, but I just thought relax and enjoy the day. Who knows what will happen?

The Course

No change from previous years - last year saw a last minute course change cutting out Kedumba and the hike back out of the valley. This year we were back on track to do the original unchanged course - no surprises.

The Plan

I had zero expectations this year, since being somewhat tired from the 170km caper around Mt Fuji a few weeks before I just decided to start easy, see how it went and enjoy the day in the beautiful Blue Mountains. I was also going back to Altra Lone Peaks after a bit of a hiatus - I had recently took delivery of the 3.5 versions, and I was keen to show they were a serious shoe after joining the Altra Red Team earlier this year.

The Raidlight Olmo pack is becoming a favorite of mine now, and this is the second one I have bought of the same model - which means it ticks a lot of boxes and does everything right.

1. Gear:

Pack: Raidlight Olmo 5l
Clothing: Salomon S-lab shirt, Compresssport Trail shorts
Shoes: Altra Lone Peak 3.5
Rain Jacket: Outdoor research Helium


2. Nutrition:

I've started to come off Tailwind now, as I find I simply can't use it all day. I decided to try something I picked up in Japan which was actually a freebie - it consisted of gels, and a maltodextrin drink. It seemed like a good time to experiment a bit with something new (really, during a big race???). I also found some Nutri-Grain pouches in the supermarket the night before and after sampling one I thought they would be good for the race. They weren't too sweet and and the taste wasn't too strong so I thought they might be palatable after a good few hours on the trail. It's not nectarine season anymore, so went with grapes for some aid station fruit.


3. Race Strategy:

Relax, take it easy and just try to stay consistent. That was the only thing going through my mind, and I was going to stick to it. I still had my usual 3 goals:

1) Finish the race
2) Finish time: Anything sub 12 hours would be good (10:30 has ALWAYS been my goal time for this one but it's constantly eluded me)
3) Top 30 would be pretty good

The Race

As usual it was nice and chilly at the start, and I couldn't wait to get going just to warm up a little. I was very conservative at the start and went out as comfortable as I could be while staying towards the front of the group. I found the first 5k hard - my legs were definitely still a bit tired and heavy and I was thinking that the day would be another hard slog. The weather was great though it was looking like a fine day, so in terms of having fun - well, that looked like it could be possible! Hitting the trail and the first few flights of steps, I started to get used to the leg tiredness, which was actually a good sign. :)

Heading down steps at the start - nice leap Kevin! :-)

After negotiating landslide which is one of my least favourite parts of the course (its just slow going), we eventually hit Golden Stairs which is always a slow, punishing unrelenting hike... This year something strange happened though. Just as I started to get a little tired of pulling my small frame up those big steps, I suddenly realised I was at the top and it was over! I think the gigantic climbs at UTMF had somehow desensitized me, and I had expected the climb to go a lot longer than it had. This was a massive mental boost - I suddenly started thinking ahead, and if I would find any of the other climbs a little easier than before...? I climbed out and got to CP1 feeling very comfortable and ran straight through...

On the way to Tarros Ladders

I took it very easy along Narrowneck - typically I would go a little faster here but I was constantly telling myself to go a little slower and remain consistent to the the end. By the time I hit Tarros Ladders I was surprisingly feeling a lot better than previous years and an added bonus was that not many people had passed me!

After the ladders, I found that I was able to keep running all the way to Dunphys Camp (I would usually take a few walk breaks along the way) which - again - was a really good sign. I was also really enjoying the run, so mentally it was going great!

After a very quick stop and a generous helping of watermelon at CP2, I started out on the section where I hit a flat spot every single year. After the climb and descent of Ironpot Ridge, I don't think there's been a single time where I haven't hit a massive low on the slow climb up to the Sixfoot Track checkpoint. This year though, whatever had happened on the way to Dunphys Camp also happened here, and I managed to maintain a constant, reasonably slow, but steady pace. Coming into CP3 I was in a great mood - and rather than stop for a longer break here, I just wanted to keep going!

Coming up to CP3 Sixfoot Track

Hitting Sixfoot Track I still kept the pace up, and was running most of the way with Ewan Horsburgh so we had a good chat (thanks Ewan!) and it took my mind off the general tiredness which was creeping in. Nellies Glen staircase is always tough, but again like with the Golden Stairs, it seemed to go by so quickly this time and before I knew it I was making my way into CP4, and this was really turning into a surprising day...

The section through Leura and Wentworth Falls I always find the toughest, so with the day going so well I wondered if I would catch a break on this part of the course. Sadly it was just as tough as before and I found it pretty hard going after descending the Giant Stairs. However I was passing one or two more people and it really was still going pretty well. I saw Ewan on and off again during this section and was getting a little bit of a mental boost as I knew we were coming up to the last checkpoint before the finish. Again, having done 3 milers before this seemed to help massively, and the race simply seemed like it was far shorter than in previous years! I was also aware that it was still relatively early and I was starting to think i might finish in daylight - which was unthinkable at the start!

On (in my opinion) the toughest section of the course

After another short stop at CP5, it was the last 22km - a plunge down into the valley, a big, big hike back up the other side, a slog up Furber Steps and all done! As I left the checkpoint I was still feeling good and thought I would make great time getting down Kedumba. However, the first pain point of the day came up and as I ran down the hill, the fatigue in my legs really showed itself and I began to run out of steam somewhat. It turned into a real battle with myself to keep running - each downhill step chipped away at my tired legs and I audibly shouted with joy as I hit the creek crossing at the bottom.

The classic UTA pic! :)

It had worn me down a lot, and I found I was now beginning to feel the effects of the day quite rapidly. As I hiked out of the valley I could feel the energy levels drop and with about 10km left to go I slowed considerably. Checking the watch I was surely still going to go under 12 hours and somehow beat my best time here (which actually says a lot about how I've never had a great race on this course).  With my "miler mentality" taking over once more I found this 10km to go so quickly and I was at Furber steps before I knew it - just after it got dark (damn)! The climb was hard - my legs didn't feel too bad but I was out of fuel now, and i had to will myself up to the finish. However, I had finished in 11hrs 26mins which is 30 mins off my best time! Who knows maybe a miler 3 weeks before is actually not a bad idea....? I spoke to Brendan Davies (the winner) who also did UTMF (unbelievable) and he said pretty much the same thing. Hmmmm a plan for future 100km races perhaps...? :)

Finish!!!

Summary and Event Review

What a genuinely surprising day it turned out to be. Not only did I take 30 mins off my best time, but I thoroughly enjoyed the run (except the last 10-15km perhaps) and had prettty much zero issues (no illness, nausea, blisters, nothing).

The event is still great - this is my 8th year at UTA (or NF100 if we go back a few years) and the atmosphere is superb. Its a huge event now, I think I heard it was the 3rd biggest trail run in the world which isn't surprising when you see how many people take part or are involved.

Special mention must go to:

1) As usual my support crew (May, Mia and Teddy) were flawless!
2) The Altra Lone Peak 3.5 shoes - I think that was the first time running this event where my feet remained comfortable throughout the day. These will probably be my go to shoes from now on.


Ultra Trail Australia Course Ratings (out of 5):

It's the same as previous years! Check this earlier report for ratings:

http://shortbaldrunner.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/ultra-trail-australia-2017-race-report.html