A Day (and a bit) I'll Never Forget
It's the moment you've all been waiting for, the full race recap of my epic adventure at Ultra Trail Kosciuszko, thank you for following the journey!
If you can dream it, you can do it.
Enzo Ferrari
It’s Sunday afternoon, approximately 35 hours after I finished Ultra Trail Kosciuszko 100. The race itself is still fresh in the mind, but I thought I’d set the scene on race day with the video put together by the organisers, but if you want the longer more sweary (parental advisory warning) version of the race recap keep reading!
Ultra Trail Kosciuszko 100 Recap
I arrived at Bullocks Flat to pick up my gear at about 1pm on Thursday, with the race set down for 6am the next day. Organisers had already decided to change the course due to snowfall at Thredbo, which saw knee deep snow all the way to Mount Kosciuszko.
Feeling pretty good about the new course due to the lack of the initial climbing, I went and saw Nat and Jess who were staying not far from the finish line, Will was also there and presented me with a ‘beast’ hat, after reading my Stromlo blog, where I announced ‘I was a different beast’ to earlier in the year.
It was a relaxing atmosphere, but it reminded me we were all here on a mission. I was impressed with how organised Nat was with her drop bags, and how Jess was putting her things together knowing she was going to do all of it unassisted without crew.
Each of us had a different journey to UTK, which makes trail running so special, these races give you an opportunity to truly test yourself no matter your background. I was none more so reminded of the odds that were potentially against me when I stopped in for lunch in Jindabyne, and the bloke I’d struck up a conversation with at the café told me “no offence, you don’t look like a bloke that can go 100 kays.”
No offence taken my good man, I’ve learnt over the past year looks can be deceiving and you’d be a bold person to bet against me finishing the race. I’ve learnt to let these type of comments slide, it’s from an outsider looking in who knows nothing about what I’ve gone through to get to this race.
He doesn’t know my back story or who I used to be.
It’s not his fault, in many cases people only see the outside, he hasn’t seen the early mornings, or late nights resulting in thousands of kilometres run, mountains climbed, trial and error with nutrition, and even then it might not all go right on race day, it’s a fucking brutal sport, but it’s why I love it.
I checked into Stillwell Hotel at Charlotte Pass and went upstairs to get my gear organised, I was trying to work out my new predicted pace based on my Garmin Connect GPX file (big mistake as we’ll learn), and started packing my Salomon Advance Skin 12.
I went down stairs and kept it safe with hot chips for dinner, I’ve done this before and was an easy way to get plenty of carbs in without potentially getting food poisoning! I went back upstairs and got a bit of shut eye before my crew got in at about 9pm.
We put together our game plan which was important for a crew with zero running experience between them. The team was compiled of my girlfriend Cassandra and our two good friends Anna and Ed. My ultimatum to them was they couldn’t let me quit, unless I was truly cooked.
Once I triple checked I had all of my mandatory gear in my pack (great use of sandwich bags to squish everything down) I set out my starting clothes and went to sleep. I had a pretty good sleep, but could see my heart rate was elevated when I woke due to us staying at the highest hotel in Australia.
What I also saw when I looked out my window was snow and my first thought is ‘it’s the middle of fucking December.’ It is what it is though, I’d trained in rain, we had snow at Bright Four Peaks, so this was just something to deal with.
I opted to wear my thermal first up with shorts, I located spots where I’d had chafe and blisters previously on long runs, and put preventative measures in place to stop them happening before they could stop me, spoiler alert I got basically neither!
The crew made sure they had everything and we were off at 5:15am for the short 10 minute drive down the road. I took in all the scenery on the way down, realising I would have to run this road back up to Charlotte Pass and on to Seaman’s Hut.
The line for the bathroom was long at Perisher and I think with some people driving 40 odd minutes extra than they were anticipating the race was pushed back 10 minutes. I found Nat, Jess and Richard who were all running the hundred from our Elevate crew, which helped calm my nerves, and some friendly faces from the Canberra running community.
Before I had time to think what happened, I walked outside to the start line with Nat, Richard and Jess and we were suddenly off and running. The first kilometre felt fast, normally I’m running in a t-shirt and shorts. I had the shorts on, but the thermal and gloves had me feeling a little bit warm, I am of the belief though this kept a lot of heat in and avoided me getting cold sweats.
The first nine kilometres felt like a long stretch of road, we had just driven it as a crew, so I tried to distract myself and take in all the surrounds. I got through the first check point in an hour and 17 minutes. Slower than I hoped, but I just wasn’t feeling as fresh as I thought I would.
Coming up was a 12 kilometre out and back following the Old Kosciuszko Road to Seaman’s Hut, it was only moments into this section that visibility was getting a bit sketchy, throw that into the fact the lead pack was making their way back from Seaman’s Hut and I was perhaps feeling like I bit off a bit more than I could chew.
My game plan during this early section was to survive, I decided to go with liquid nutrition to the 21 kilometre check point, but realised I probably needed a little bit more to get me over the line. So I had two Maurten 320 drink mixes and a Spring Energy Awesome Sauce.
205 grams of carbohydrates in the first three and a bit hours and my stomach felt good with that, so at Charlotte Pass at 21 kilometres I went to a combination of 50 grams of Trail Brew and one Awesome Sauce an hour giving me 90 grams of carbs.
At this point I gave up on chasing my friends who I calculated had about half an hour on me, I was now alone and running my own race. I got a huge high seeing Jasmina running her miler and looking strong in the snow.
It was not long after this checkpoint I got hit with how savage these races can be. I’d been working out who would be around me early on in the race, and started making conversations, one woman who’s named *I forgot called me her ‘new trail running bestie’.
As I headed down the trail to the cheese grater like trail that started the next nine kilometre section to Guthega I found her face down on the grate being tended to by two medical assistants. Seeing her face down and race over in the blink of an eye sucked the life out of me, I made the decision I was just going to get through this section and keep my body intact, it meant the next ten kilometres would take me an hour and 40 minutes, and suddenly my goals were changing from time based to just finishing.
*editor’s note: Post race I’ve found the woman - Angela Brady, fell on the cheese grater. She was cleared after 45 minutes by medical and made a valiant effort to get to 85 kilometres and check in just before 3:30am. Sadly she’d sacrificed too much to the trail gods and couldn’t finish the race, but I’m ridiculously impressed she came back from being face down on the cheese grater. All heart this one.
At 31 kilometres it was the first time I’d seen my crew all race, seeing Jasmina also coming out the other side of the section near the checkpoint was awesome, my original plan of hoping to keep pace with my friends was out the window, my pace goal was ripped to shreds, but the reality I worked out at this checkpoint was my pace was based off a GPX file that only had 1,400 metres of elevation across the course, the actual reality was 2,100 metres or so.
My crew rallied around me and told me that I’d never run this distance before, so it was going to be a slower pace than anything I had run before, and that just finishing would be an epic achievement.
After getting some salt and vinegar chips into me, a toilet stop and a top up of Awesome Sauce, my water bladder and Trail Brew I was off again. This next stretch was testing, straight out of the checkpoint it went straight up a brutal ski slope with a 25 per cent grade.
I was feeling good in the stomach and had no dramas over the entire race, but I just didn’t feel like I was moving well at all, I’d already built up a bit of time on the cut off, so I made it back down the hill and Ed gave me a pep talk to ‘just keep grinding’ and ‘move forward’.
Things change so quickly in these races, one minute you’re riding tall and the next you’re down in the gutter. I kept telling myself that I had plenty in the tank and to just keep chipping away at the target, it became a bit of a game, in training I used to turn long runs into backyarders and just hit smaller targets of five or six kilometres in the hour.
Keep the heart rate low and get to Sponars Chalet at 49 kilometres was what this race came down to. I stuck with my 90 grams of carbohydrates goal, this 18 kilometre section contained some nice climbs, about 600 metres over the section, but some narly down hills as well.
My favourite section was a large fire trail road which is my favourite type of surface to run on, but I was starting to feel the pinch I got back onto Kosciuszko Road, I came across a couple of experienced trail runners Brett and Joanne who said this was one of the most testing race they had ever been in. Their hands had blown up like sausages, I looked at my own hands concerned, but I had just my regular chubby fingers.
It was around this time I opened my phone and saw heaps of messages of support. I knew there was about three kilometres on an undulating Kosciuszko Road I needed to navigate to get to my crew and my first seat of the afternoon, Joanne got into a good rhythm and Brett stayed with me, after looking like he was going to pull the pin. It became a game of run and walk, one minute on and 30 seconds off, a bit like a really slow interval session, but before I knew it we were at that iconic Chalet and in the safety of my crew.
Sadly Brett got medically withdrawn at Sponars due to concern about his oxygen sats and Joanne left and I didn’t see her again, but she managed to rally and finish under 20 hours. When I get back to Orange I look forward to enjoying a run on the trails with Brett.
My crew could see I was beat up nine hours and four minutes into the race, I was deflated, and my lower back was giving me grief. Despite the messages from people I was receiving, I considered pulling the pin, as my time was slower than the Stromlo 50k I recorded earlier this year when I was at my absolute sickest in a race.
My crew rallied me and told me I was only half an hour behind my now ‘flawed’ pace goal I’d set pre-race, had virtually run an ultra in the alpine country above 1500 metres, and was three and a half hours ahead of the sweepers.
It was nothing but love from them and they made sure that I had everything I needed, and what was inside if I felt like I wanted that instead. I really didn’t have to think at all, and after going the longest amount of time on my feet it was exactly what I needed. Without them I was done, the guillotine was going to drop and I would’ve recorded my first DNF.
I picked myself up off the ground and into new territory. I’d never gone further than 52 kilometres and suddenly that was wiped off on the downhill section of Kosciuszko Road.
My running mum Danielle K checked in on me after I messaged her saying ‘it’s not planning out how I wanted, but it is what it is haha.’
‘You’ve got this kiddo. Trust the training. Just one foot in front of the other and repeat.’
Simple and effective message, there was a few other messages in there including Bon Jovi ‘Living on a Prayer’ (half way there) and then chip, chip, chip which is what our coach Shiree says.
I kept scanning my phone looking at all the love from people, and I realised how ridiculous I was being. I’ve told people for months I’d crawl to the finish line if I had too, and I’m whinging about a sore back.
I found some company as I was heading into the last bit of trail before Sawpit at 63 kilometres with a guy called Julian, he’d only recently joined Elevate and hadn’t been able to hold anything down beside water for close to a marathon worth of kilometres (and it ended up being two marathons worth of only being able to drink water, but he finished incredibly! Such a strong willed bloke.)
There are many stories told on the trails, some people don’t give you much, others will tell you their life story. Julian and I made a promise to just keep chipping away, he’d pace for a couple of kilometres and I would then try and keep a pace ahead of the cut off.
The sweepers weren’t due to arrive at Sawpit until 10:10pm and we arrived at 6:30pm, I saw my crew and I was in much better spirits then I was 14 kilometres earlier, but I was still in pain. Cassandra did the team thing and removed my shoes and socks and freshened me up with some new socks and shoes, as well as some patch work.
Anna worked back to the car to get them for me, while I was eating and I put a fresh shirt on as well as my fleece. Across from me a bloke was wrapped in blankets with his crew urging him to get up, he did but he looked a little worse for wear.
It started to get cool and I needed a new feeling up top, I did keep my shorts on (and did so for the entire race without a change). While all this was happening and I was getting changed Ed gave me a shot of whiskey which numbed my back pain.
This was the last time my crew would see me until the 85 kilometre mark, little did we all know it would take me seven hours and six minutes to get to that Bullocks Flat checkpoint. I had kept my nutrition up in this section and passed seven runners that called it quits. I wasn’t going fast, but I was going and I wasn’t cramping.
Prior to this race I went out running with the Lazy Glutes, Sarah told me ‘from the 60 kilometre mark it’s all mental’. I didn’t know how right she was, it started to get dark as I made the 4 kilometre trek to Trout Hatchery, Dan D, Nik B and Kym R had told me to just keep moving, and just chip away at the kilometres.
One hour and 27 minutes to do four kilometres to get to Trout Hatchery checkpoint. But it was done. I think this section threw off the dot that a lot of people were following for my run, because my average pace in this section was it’s slowest across the entire race.
I got my night gear on and was ready for the 18 kilometre stretch to Bullocks Flat. People had already spoken about how tough the Thredbo Valley Track was, 600 metres of gain over this part and undulating surface, which on tired legs could quickly bring you unstuck. If I was going to call it again, this would be where it was going to happen.
This is where I’m most comfortable though, in the night. I’d spent months out at Mulligan’s Flat on a Tuesday training with Lizzy, we’d get our head torches on and do the section of nearly 10 kilometres of undulating trails, and this is one of the key reasons I made it through this section.
I also got a message in from Toby Steele, an incredible trail runner who just finished Coast To Kosci, we struck a friendship through instagram and finally met a few weeks back before his epic run when I was up in Queensland.
His message:
If you read this mate, keep fucking trucking. You got this, one foot in front of the other that’s all you need.
For a bloke of his calibre to support me leading into the run in the way he has I’ll be forever grateful, the timing of the message was perfect and gave me a huge boost as I left the Trout Hatchery.
There was a few miler runners who passed me, but I made two places as another couple of runners called it quits. My mind started to wander during this period, I turned it into a game of trying to count the pink ribbons, which turned into a game of counting the endless slugs that were bound to be squished on this track.
Dani K sent me a few more songs to listen to and reminded me I’d gone further than I ever had before, a few more messages came through of people following my dot. I now had this fire in my belly to keep moving, I arrived at Bullocks Flat at 1:30am and the first person to greet me was Jin Kato.
There was a bit of shock and disbelief on his face, as the app was saying I wasn’t due for another hour, which I think was based off my last checkpoint pace between Sawpit and Trout Hatchery.
My crew was huddled around the fire, and Anna was having a sleep in the car, it was as big a day for me as it was for them. I was well ahead of the sweepers, so I sat down and composed myself, across from me a miler runner called it, and another runner doing the hundred was on the brink of having his race ripped out from under his feet.
It’s brutal to think you could smell the finish, and have it taken away from you so quickly. I for the first time all race couldn’t think about having another Awesome Sauce or Trail Brew, flavour fatigue hit me 19 hours in, so opted for one and a half litres of coke, 500ml of which I drank with two shots of whiskey before leaving the checkpoint, and a cup of noodles.
I filled my bottles with coca cola, and one with water and after some rallying words from Jin, Ed and Cassandra who composed me when I’d been awake for close to 21 hours and running for 19 and a half, I was off. Gingerly at first, but it was the home stretch just ‘three laps of Yerrabi Pond’ as Ed put it.
In total I spent 90 minutes in checkpoints, for my first 100 kilometre race I found the checkpoints a good time to compose myself and make sure I had enough fuel to get me through the next section.
This last leg was the muddiest section of the course. I’d nearly fallen twice on the course and saved myself, during this little nasty section I had three near misses, it’s not that I wasn’t paying attention, it’s that my legs didn’t have much drive left in them to get me out of the mud.
My head torch called it quits, so I got the reserve one out, and made my way down to what I thought was the final section of the course, I’d made it nearly a kilometre in when a miler guy passed me and said I’d gone the wrong way as ‘this is a 14 kilometre loop.’ I went back that kilometre and further to a volunteer.
Another woman was in hysterics that she had been going around in circles (it was 3am), disheartened a senior marshal said we had gone the right way and had to go back and do the six kilometre loop and we were done. I’d already done 96 kilometres to this point, but I was not about to DNF.
About this time I text Cassandra and told her what happened she said:
almost there babe you’re doing great.
It was around this time I looked at my phone and saw Helena from Elevate who won the 50 kilometre race the day before had also sent through a message of support. I just gritted my teeth and put one foot in front of the other.
Daylight started to break over the valley, and I realised it was getting close to 5:30am, finishing officially under 24 hours was gone, but I got through 100 kilometres in under 24, which in my mind seemed impossible when I signed up for this race. I went through the campground and people were coming out of their tents to show support, I got emotional when I was told there was three kilometres to go.
I looked back at my phone and read through the dozens or so messages that had piled up over the course of the day, I’d kept people up and deprived them of sleep, the music started to get louder as the finish line approached, it was a stark difference to the crunch of the trails that broke the silence under my feet for most of the day.
A bloke finishing the miler told me this is what dreams are made of as we entered the finishing chute, I couldn’t believe it when I saw Will and Nat. It was like I’d been shot with adrenaline and all the aches and pain of the day had disappeared.
My finish line song? Skip to 33 seconds to replicate the moment I entered the chute.
I soaked this all up, emotions were running high, I spotted my crew and embraced them all, this was as much for me as it was for them, they all took a day off to look after me and I’ll forever be grateful for that, one last high five to Jin and I was over the finish line 24 hours 10 minutes and 3 seconds after I started.
Cassandra came over and we embraced in a finish line hug, it was an overflow of emotions, a towel and a medal I’ll cherish forever were put over my neck, I’d just moved 102.2 kilometres, my previous best was 52 kilometres but that’s not even the most incredible thing.
Food across the Race
14 Spring Energy ‘Awesome Sauce’
700 grams of Trail Brew
2 Maurten 320 Mix
200 grams of Salt and Vinegar Chips
1.5 Litres of Coca Cola
3 Mini Cheese and Bacon Rolls
1 Cup of Noodz
3 Shots of Whiskey
Credit to the Crew
When I weighed myself post race I was 100 grams lighter than when I started, an absolute credit to my crew for helping me stick to my game plan and proof of how far I have come since March where I was drinking Powerade out of my backpack bladder.
They picked me up multiple times on the track and provided good distractions at the checkpoints. For people who don’t run they embraced the challenge of crewing this race and absolutely nailed it by getting me home in one piece.
I couldn’t have asked for a better day all things considered, my crew was incredible and went above and beyond to make sure I was alright, the messages of support across the day also kept me going when I was at my absolute lowest.
My girlfriend Cassandra has been my rock during this entire training and I was so glad she was able to crew me with her close friends, I signed up to this race with her blessing, and I’m forever grateful to have her in my life, I love her so much.
To Anna and Ed, thank you for what you did across the day, a simple thank you will never be enough.
Cheers to Coach Shiree
Simply though it’s about trusting the process. I was given a program earlier this year to follow by my coach Shiree, it was modified during my football season which saw me running 50 kilometres a week and staying healthy, when football ended it ramped up.
But there was a focus on getting more hills into my training, focussing on my nutrition and hydration which becomes far more important as a heavyweight runner, we had four runners in Elevate do the 100 kilometre race and one do the miler and we all finished.
Helena won the 50 kilometre race, and I’m fair sure every single runner in Elevate made it home in their race including the incredible Lil who broke her arm during the 50, but was determined to not record her first DNF.
This is a credit to not only every single person in Elevate but our coach Shiree, your passion for this sport is second to none and if someone comes to you with a goal you don’t dismiss it, in April I wasn’t ready for this when I signed up, but you guided me over the last eight months to help me achieve this goal and that to me is priceless.
Further Dedications
It takes a village to raise an ultra runner and here is a few other people that have helped me along the way. Grateful for you all.
To my parents for always believing in me, Pat and Deb Ford you raised a tough one! Love you.
To all my training partners I’m grateful you were able to help me Emily Murphy for those long road runs, Lizzy Massey for every single night time run and the Kowen monster effort and Kirstie Fitzpatrick for being my weekly kick starter every Tuesday.
My Red Hill Elevate crew including: Nat Budd who I roped into this adventure and I’m so proud she came along for the ride
Jess Peil who is one of the most giving people I know, Jasmina Svoboda who has always been the voice of reason and one of the toughest people I’ve ever met congratulations on your miler, Jillian Mitchell who has come a long way in such a short time, Ian, James and Tait who love a chat and are incredible runners, the gals of the crew Suze, Sarah, Prue, Gen, Kaz you’re all great runners and even better people. Brad and Kym both have a heart of gold and so generous to help guide me especially down at Four Peaks. Jodie C we'll run a backyarder together soon. The golden children of the crew Richard Barry who is an absolutely incredible runner and my fave Irishman, Helena Michael as well for always inspiring us, pleasure to eat yours and Richard’s dust for months on end!
To the Lazy Glutes, I’m only a baby glute but thank you for your guidance - in particular Dan Donegan, Nik Beauman, Jenni Schofield, Reikonator, Mim Witteveen, Kerron Clare, Cath Lumley, and the incredible Fiona Kilby.
The Rest of Elevate in particular Stacey King who roped me into this club and the wild adventure I’m now on, Will Barlow who has been a huge source of inspiration for a while, P-Mac, Fi W, Danielle, Kym K, Steph P, Jacqui A, Analise A, Andrew C and also Kaye Solari who was one of my biggest cheerleaders across this prep.
Toby Steele for his friendship from afar, he’s going to be one of Australia’s best trail runners one day, and he’s one of the nicest blokes you’ll ever meet, honoured to call him a mate.
Andy Bernal and Jaynie Wignall for picking me up when I was at my lowest a few years ago. You two will always be family.
The broader running community Gretchen Smith has been a huge legend for a long time and one of my biggest sources of inspiration, Ash Milton is also a legend as well.
Britt Harriden for helping me also nail down my nutrition and being a source of inspiration. Shannon Hunter who is her own little mountain goat.
Running For Resilience
, , Breeny, Binh, Singhy, Cam, Dinesh, Liam, Jess F, , Scotty, Ania, Browny, Simmo, Brooke, Ellie, Mel, Mon, Rebecca, Shanice, Ana, Dave, Emily P, Shooter and Sunday and anyone else I might’ve forgotten.Dave Reis, I was inspired by your efforts around Lake Ginninderra, it got me really intrigued by Ultras.
Tony and Maria Wallace, I hope to be as active as you two when I’m your age, hoping to get some parkruns in with you both.
Jin Kato for getting me onto Trail Brew, but also taking an interest in my training and also being an ear to listen to and give advice, seeing you 85 kilometres deep was such a treat.
Andrew Hughes, we’ll do this together one day.
Ben Grimshaw, you’re a running legend and so generous with your time. Roovs I hope to join you for a run another time soon!
To my 2zoners in particular Jamie Bradnam who has always believed in me, cheers to you mate.
James Mac and Lara, thank you for sharing in this journey. Big love to you both.
Luke for getting me onto Maurten, Nate D for being an athletic freak, Adrian for being an awesome trail runner and sharing that with me, B-Sloane for always staying positive, Matty for his love, Butto for crushing his own goals and Andy for being a stubborn bastard.
My Eastlake run club girls you know who you are - Bront, Bridge, Kate, Bushy, Langerz, Chlo and Meg.
Chappo, for your comeback from adversity!
Lauren for your support from afar in Melbourne.
for your epic massage pre-race.Everyone who reads Peak2Soon each week you’re the true believers.
And of course last but not least ‘Mumma Poutine’ Danielle Kuhn, you are not only an incredible runner but a true friend, we are such an unlikely friendship but I’m glad I tried to stitch you up after Running For Resilience one time, since then your guidance has been invaluable. We just get each other and I look forward to running trails and eating poutine for a long long time to come.
Just Getting Started
This is not the end, but after blogging consistently since September and training for this race since April, I’ll be switching off for a few weeks before I head to the Archie in February. I don’t know what Peak2Soon will be going forward, but I know this is not the end and only the beginning.
Well done on achieving this goal, you set months ago, very proud dad moment.
What an interesting and inspiring read Brent. You came, you saw and you conquered! You did an awesome achievement to not only finish a 100km event, but to do it in little over 24 hours. This is something you will treasure in your memory for life! A fantastic job by your crew, which is an extremely important role. You make me feel motivated to give it ago myself one day 😱(maybe)! 💕 LOL!