Trail Runの Autumn 2020 の目次

AT ALL TIMES, I'VE TAKEN THE SAME APPROACH AS THE ONE I TAKE ON THE TRAILS: CHECKPOINT TO CHECKPOINT, ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER. They say not to try anything new on race day. Wise advice. Advice I think I have ignored every trail race I’ve done! Sure, sometimes the results of doing something new on race day have been disastrous: stomach issues, eye-watering chafing, a trip to the hospital emergency room (a story for another day …). But I’ve always learned something and, somehow, lived to tell the tale. Having said that, I did do something audaciously new on my most recent race day. The race? Delirious W.E.S.T. The new? Editing this magazine. And it wasn’t just one race day – there were five. In case you…

If you’re not afraid of some brutal uphill action, pencil the Tamworth Trail Blazer into your calendar. The 15km loop course crams a quad-crushing 915m of elevation in each lap. Do the lap once, twice, three or four times. Runners who have the grit to do three laps or more climb higher than Mt Kosciuszko, mainland Australia’s highest mountain! In its third year, the Tamworth Trail Blazer is held on single track and gravel trails on private land at Oxley Scenic Lookout, 5km from the Tamworth CBD. Runners get loads of encouragement at the start/finish area, with the event raising funds for local rural fire crews. EVENT Tamworth Trail Blazer WHEN 19 April DISTANCE 10km | 15km (1 lap) | 30km (2 laps) | 45km (3 laps) | 60km (4…

Imagine running on the rim of an extinct volcano. Talk about adventure! The 53km Crater Rim Ultra takes runners on a pointto-point journey around the crater that makes up Christchurch’s majestic Port Hills. With a boat trip across the beautiful Lyttelton Harbour to get to the start line, this is one of the fastest-growing trail events on New Zealand’s calendar. Runners in the 53km ultra, which doubles as the Oceania and New Zealand trail running championships, make the gruelling yet rewarding 919m ascent up Mt Herbert. Novice and intermediate runners are catered for, too, with 30km, 21km and 10km options. This year’s event will be held on Sunday, 18 October. Find out more and register at www.craterrimtrailrun.com…

As a professional triathlete, runner and adventure junkie, Courtney Atkinson has travelled Australia and the planet. The world truly is his playground. Yet, for a long time, Australia’s Red Centre was a mystery to him. “Most people have no idea about the Red Centre,” the pro Red Bull athlete says from his home on the Gold Coast. “I didn’t. Most people think it’s flat and all desert, but it’s anything but. It’s full of surprises.” Atkinson got his introduction to the Red Centre in 2016 when he competed in the sixstage Redback mountain bike race in Alice Springs. It was a revelatory experience. “When I rode Redback, I thought, ‘This is amazing.’ I was blown away. I had no idea there was this massive trail network out there. And the…

I WAS ALONE. It was 4am, pitch black. I was in a kayak trying to cross an inlet. The water smelt putrid as it slopped against the hull. Ahead of me, nothing. Behind me, nothing. All around me was darkness. Fear gripped my throat and I gasped for air, feeling the panic rise. I had to gulp it down. Having already run 212km, I had 138km to go and couldn’t afford to lose the plot now. Forward – although I wasn’t sure if I was going forward – was the only option. So, I paddled. Slowly, the muddy bank materialised, grainy in the dark. I stepped out of the kayak, heaved it out of the water, and trudged uphill into more unknown, into places light and dark. I was on…

Hey, remember Altra? If you are a fan of Altra shoes and have been struggling to find them over the past year or so, you’re not the only one. Due to distributor problems, Altra has been absent from the Australian marketplace for quite a while. I’m happy to say it’s back with a swag of new and updated trail running shoes. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been running in the third version of Altra’s high-cushioned Timp, the Timp 2. I have owned both previous versions (the 1.0 and the 1.5), and the Timp has always been a favourite of mine. The 1.0 was quite divisive in its design, with a lot of people loving it but an equal number of people loathing it. It did have its flaws. The…

There’s a time and place for bouncing. Trampolines, jumping castles and agonising dinners with the in-laws when you’ve just got to bounce. But bouncing boobs during a run? Not fun. Ever. No. Female runners generally want their sports bras to meet two key criteria: minimal bouncing and no chafing. Sounds easy enough to get right, right? Nope! I have spent years battling the bounce, not to mention chafing that’s the stuff of nightmares. Enter the Handful Y-Back Bra. Its simple yet smart design means there are no hooks, zips, clasps or adjustments to dig into your skin. It’s underwire free yet offers full support with a sturdy but comfortable wide bottom band. The critical feature of this bra is its Y back. Similar in design to a racerback sports bra,…

Starting and finishing at the Overflow Estate 1985 (yes, a winery!), the Scenic Rim Ultra is a one-hour drive southwest of Brisbane. The rugged looped course takes runners along Wyaralong Dam, up four mountains, past rolling farmlands, along single track and gnarly private trails, and through the infamous “Loop of Doom”. And just when you think you’ve got nothing left in the tank after the steep climb to Green Hills Road, you’ll be rewarded with sprawling mountainous views. Last year’s inaugural event was held in October on an unseasonably hot day (mid 30s). The carnage that ensued prompted On the Edge Events to cull the ultra-long distance from 110km to 105km this year and pull it forward to August. But be warned: winter temperatures can drop to the minuses at…

Spring-time running along the stunning trails of the mighty Lake Taupō Yes, please! The Taupō Ultramarathon showcases the very best of Taupō, touted as the heart of New Zealand’s North Island. Runners are in for a visual treat, with expansive lake views, soft shoreline trails, rugged mountains, pristine waterfalls, and, of course, the jewel of it all, Lake Taupō. With four distances to choose from, there is something for everyone, including a 100km run, 100km team relay, 74km run, 50km run/walk, and 24km run/walk. The different events have different starting points, but all take in the glorious Great Lake Trail and end up at the finisher’s precinct at Whakaipo. The 100km is a qualifying event for UTMB and sanctioned by the International Trail Running Association. Meanwhile, 74km participants get to…

Towering forests, dreamy white-sand beaches, 600 million-year-old granite, and cliff-top paths winding through swathes of orchids and wildflowers. Sounds like heaven! This is Western Australia’s epic Cape to Cape Track, a recognised biodiversity hotspot in the pristine Margaret River region, three hours south of Perth. The Cape to Cape Track spans 124km, from Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse to Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, and covers some of Western Australia’s most beautiful coastal terrain. You may even be lucky enough to see a humpback whale in the Indian Ocean as you tackle these rugged trails. Ready to go? Cape To Cape Explorer Tours offers a three-day, four-night self-guided trail running experience. The package includes all track transfers, nutritious meals and snacks, maps, guidebook, custom track notes, EPIRB hire, and resort or glamping accommodation options…

A few weeks after finishing her record-breaking run of the Te Araroa (TA) in January, Lucy Clark could barely run 5km without her legs screaming to stop – not because she was injured, but because her body had nothing more to give after her record 66-day sprint along the 3,000km trail. “I’m just really, really tired,” Lucy said. “It’s incredible to think that only three weeks ago, I was running 50km – sometimes more – every day. Now my legs don’t have any power. I wake up tired and am ready for bed by lunchtime.” Before January, there wasn’t a reason why you would have heard of Lucy Clark. But in setting the female fastest-known time, or “FKT”, on New Zealand’s only thru-hike, she has become a trail-running celebrity. Completing…

As trail and ultra runners, we love the feeling of cruising along a fast-flowing single track. We could do this day after day and never lose enthusiasm. However, if you’ve found you have reached a plateau in your performance, it’s likely due to one of two reasons. The first is that your periodisation (structure and progression of your training) may not be right. The second (less commonly looked at) reason may be a lack of deliberate practice in your running. Deliberate practice is when you place focused attention on a specific area of your performance to improve it. This is different from simply running for the enjoyment of it, as is the case if you only go on social runs and never change your pace or style (e.g. tempo, fartlek,…

Completing Delirious W.E.S.T. 350km in February sure would have been a whole lot harder without poles. From the 140km mark, Ultimate Direction’s FK Ultra Trekking Poles did not leave my hands. As my legs fatigued and keeping balance on the technical single tracks and sandy slopes became increasingly difficult, these poles kept me upright and moving. UD’s FK Ultra carbon trekking poles are strong yet lightweight. At just 165g per 120cm pole, the 20mm diameter shaft at the top is thicker than most other poles, which typically have an upper diameter of 13mm-14mm. This provides maximum stiffness and strength. The shaft tapers towards the bottom for a smooth swing weight, with aluminium bushings at the joints providing further durability. Collapsible for easy storage and transportation, the poles have a pin-style…

If you’re looking for a flat and fast course, the South Island Ultra Marathon is for you. The 100km has just 546m of elevation – crazy when you consider that the trail goes into the Southern Alps. The South Island Ultra Marathon is back for its second year after a successful inaugural event in 2019. Held on the lush West Coast Wilderness Trail on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, runners are in for a real treat, with lakes, streams, swing bridges, forestry, wetlands and historic tram lines. There are three distances to choose from: the 100km ultra starting at Greymouth, the 54km ultra starting at Old Christchurch Road, and the 24km even starting at Hans Bay. Runners from all three events have a nice downhill trot to…

We three women stood on a remote beach, golden rays from the dawn sun reflecting off the sand. A warm wind teased the white-capped waves. Over three long days of running, we’d fallen into a routine: roll out of tents, offer hugs and encouraging words, pre-dawn breakfast, blister care, and a quick revision of our liaison points. After announcing I was ready to run, we would form a circle and begin our morning dance. This had become a ritual, marking the first transition of the day before I headed out alone into the vast wilderness. The dance served not only as a warm-up for my tired body; it also lightened the mood and drew on our feminine strength to better absorb the energy from our natural surroundings. As we finished…

We sat on twin boulders, holding our breath in hope that the sun’s light might slip through the clouds to give us a sunrise show over Mount Kazbek. A local dog had followed us to the viewpoint, seeming to mirror our enthusiasm and exhaustion. Every few minutes, as we gazed to the east, a gentle yawn from one of us would set the others off. I hadn’t seen my cameraman this relaxed in the presence of a canine since we landed in Georgia. We were weary from a poor night’s sleep at 3,001m, as well as our pre-dawn alarm to catch this golden hour. We had run from Omalo to Kazbegi, usually a 10-day journey for hikers, but we had neatly packed it into a three-day run. Half of our…

Full disclosure: I’m a chick. Yes, really! And I wear men’s shoes. Why? Because my feet are so wide, women’s shoes just do not cut it for me. I’m talking Hobbit size. So, at risk of confounding you, my review of the Topo Mountain Racers is based on the men’s version, not the women’s. After years – years! – of squeezing my feet into too-narrow running shoes, Topo has been a revelation to me. The wide fit and roomy toe box have eradicated all the hot spots and blisters I suffered as a result of wearing shoes with not enough wriggle room. In the past year, I have bought and worn to death several trail and road Topo shoes, including the Ultraventure, Fli-Lyte 2, Ultrafly and now the Mountain Racer.…