We were back in Kilcunda for the coastal half marathon and it couldn’t have been more different from last time. I had booked this race in on my 2022 Race Schedule and I was keen to do well.

The usual crew, (Lachie, Matt and I) along with the family headed to Phillip Island for the weekend.

We visited Phillip Island parkrun on Saturday morning for an easy warm up ahead of the half marathon on Sunday. It’s a gravel course around Churchill Island. I highly recommend all park runners add this one to their parkrun tourist list. It’s stunning!

Early Sunday morning we left for Kilcunda on a cool morning but significantly warmer than the conditions in 2021. We arrived early to registration, picked up our race bib and headed on a warm up run. A warm up is an essential part of my running preparation. It helps to get my body warm and ready for the task ahead.

After congregating near the start and chatting with friends, the countdown began. 3, 2, 1, GO! I started toward the front of the pack (maybe 25th position ish?) and quickly settled into a group of 4 other runners. We were running around 4:05 mins/km (miles) pace which felt firm. The first 5km is a flat out and back toward Wonthaggi so we could pick up the pace.

As we passed the starting point, we needed to turn off toward the coastal path however it was not immediately obvious as to where we needed to go. We got to the Bass Highway and we knew it wasn’t right. Looking around, we headed back toward the starting point and the coastal track became clear. Taking it, I was frustrated but concentrated on the task ahead.

In the initial stages of the event I thought I might be able to sneak a top 10 finish but with the minor detour, I felt that this was now not achievable. Ah well. I pushed on with the aim just to enjoy the rest of the event.

I ran along the cliffs, faced with the spectacular views. I had forgotten how amazing they were! The weather had also turned it on for us. The sun was out! It wasn’t hot yet but it would become more so later on. One foot in front of the other. Let’s go!

I moved quickly, passing several people who had not taken the wrong track in the early stages. I took on some fluids using my Salomon soft flask which I had stowed in my Naked Running Band. A very useful bit of kit for training and races.

I was having a bit of drama with the GoPro. It wouldn’t turn off. I made a few minor adjustments and it sorted itself. Come on. Focus!

I continued to make my way through the field and felt good. At the 10 km mark, my average pace was 4:21 mins/km (7:00 mins/mi). My goal for the race was to complete it quicker than the year before (1:49:38). I was fairly confident I could do so. The fact that this was my second attempt and was more familiar with the course had to help!

As I neared the turnaround point, I continued to pass others. As this section was also an out-and-back, I counted the runners ahead. I was in the top 10! Maybe around 8th place. I pushed ahead but tried to manage my energy exertion. I was becoming more tired. 

I filled up my bottle at the turnaround point just to ensure I was carrying the necessary fluids to make it to the end. There were 2x fill points on the course which was more than enough. Every runner was required to carry a water bottle or container as it was a cupless event in order to minimise waste.

At the 15km mark, I was maintaining a 4:36 mins/km (7:24 mins/mi) pace. As the first 5 km was so flat and fast, I expected my pace to drop. The course had a number of big hills that the majority of runners were walking and a stretch of soft sand that was difficult to navigate. 

I ran past Matt coming in the other direction and he mentioned that Lachie wasn’t too far in front of me. I was surprised at how close I was to him. Game on! Maybe I could catch him? I pushed ahead and could see him in the distance. I narrowed the gap as we moved down the steep slopes and back onto the beach for a second time.

I ran alongside Lachie, chatting briefly. It was nice running with a friend even if it was for a brief time. 

We moved into the hills again and Lachie pushed ahead. I couldn’t stay with him. We could now see the outskirts of Kilcunda. I continued to keep up the pace to try and catch him again but as I was nearing the main rail trail, my ankle rolled. Ouch!

I wasn’t too far from the finish line but I was feeling very frustrated at my ankle. I walked the uneven ground up to the trail trail and tried to run again. On the level ground of the trail it was manageable. I ran gingerly down the hill, past the general store and into the finish. I had done it in a new best time of 1:48:23, 4:43 mins/km (7:36 mins/mi) pace – and that was with an additional 1.1km detour!

Lachie and I waited for Matt to finish and headed back to Phillip Island for lunch at the pub. We would surely be back again!

Tips for those considering the event:

• Stay close to Kilcunda. It’s a long trip from Melbourne if you’re coming for the day.
• It’s a scenic course – take a phone, camera or GoPro!
• Don’t be surprised when you need to “power walk” up some of the hills.
• Run with a running band (‘Naked’ running band or similar) along with a soft flask. A vest is not necessary unless you like to carry lots of gear.
• The sand was very soft. Not compacted. Although there is maybe 1 km total distance of beach running, do not be deceived – it was much tougher than I had expected.
• Trail shoes are preferred but road shoes with a bit of grip would be fine.

Stats

Distance: 22.96 km 

Elapsed Time: 1:48:23 

Pace: 4:43 mins/km (7:36 mins/mi) pace

Weather: Overcast, 15°C 

Nutrition/Hydration: SIS Gels, Water. 

Gear: Ciele Cap, Garmin Fenix 6X, Salomon Speed Soft Flask, Patagonia Strider Pro Shorts, Salomon running Shirt, Stance Socks, ASICS Fuji Trabuco Lyte.

Finished: Position 8 out of 78

Strava: Check it out Here