I have avoided writing this race report for a number of months. It has been honestly difficult and, to some extent, painful to write due to the way in which my race turned out. Some days things go to plan, other times they don’t. This was one of those days.

This was my only ultra marathon planned for 2022 (unless you count the 44km Great Ocean Road Marathon!?), I wanted to make it count!

I made the drive early to Warburton on Saturday Morning. After almost hitting a deer which had wandered onto the road, I arrived safely. I went to race registration, picked up my race bib and headed back to the car to stay warm and get ready. This was my second time running at the Warby Trail Fest, having completed the 25km Redwoods Rush a couple of years earlier.

All runners congregated near the cricket oval as the buses rolled in. They would be taking us to Powelltown for the start of the race. After the short 25 min drive, we arrived, ready to begin the 50km journey back to Warburton. The announcer went over some of the finer points of course navigation as well as what we would need to do to cross the Yarra River section. I was nervous but excited. I had been wanting to do this event for a couple of years now but due to COVID19 and other events, this was my first chance. 

The race began with Beau Miles, YouTube Self Proclaimed Backyard Adventurer, woodchopping the tree to get the race underway. Before this took place, I plucked up some courage and went over to him for a chat. We discussed a couple of his videos and he left a great impression on me. What a great guy!

After the final announcement, Beau began to chop the tree to get the race underway. It looked exhausting and after a big build up from the crowd, we were off and running! It was a scattered start as there wasn’t really a clear start line but we settled into a natural rhythm. We ran along some 4WD tracks to begin and then onto some narrow single track. In these early stages it was VERY muddy and sloshy. I was especially glad that I was wearing trail shoes. Road shoes just wouldn’t have cut it in these stages!

I completed the first 5km in 27:53 and found myself in a nice little group which was moving well through the trees. We had been told that the track had been cleared so a course record was likely! Not by me, but maybe by the elite guys up the front! The leaf litter over the track was tremendous. It was very thick with fern branches, small sticks/twigs and leaves. 

The next few kms, I was able to continue to move along a relatively flat section at 4:50 min/km pace. I was feeling good, but conscious of the fact that the big climb of the race was coming up. I was keeping a bit of energy in reserve. I moved past the 10km mark in a time of 53:54.

I moved across a particularly uneven surface around the 12km mark, and noticed that my race bib was broken and hanging down. As I was trying to fix it up, I stepped on a branch and rolled my ankle, badly. 

I had rolled my ankle a month earlier at the Kilcunda Coastal Half Marathon. In hindsight, I had obviously not allowed enough time for it to heal. 

Frustrated, I just started walking to see how/if I would be able to continue. I was nearing the steep, almost 400m elevation gain in the space of 1.7km (23.5% grade!). It was definitely one of the toughest hills I’ve ever had to climb. My foot wasn’t hurting as I was moving slowly. 

Once I reached the top of the climb, I decided I needed to bandage my foot to provide additional support. I managed to bandage it with the mandatory bandage we were required to carry but it didn’t help. I had done it too tight. I did it again but the bandage was too long and wouldn’t fit in my shoe properly. 

Runners passed me, offering assistance which I gratefully declined. I always try to offer assistance to injured runners when possible, so I was glad that others were doing the same for me.

I hobbled into the aid station at the 16km mark and asked if anyone was a medical officer. I also asked if there would be a lift back to Warburton shortly, in the event I couldn’t continue and needed to pull out. They said that there would be once all competitors had been through but that may not be for several hours. I decided to hobble on.

I moved slowly. Very slowly.

I passed through the 15 km mark, walking or jogging some sections of the trail slowly. 

At the 20km mark, I passed through another aid station, asking similar questions to what I had before.There was a medic but no lift back to Warburton. He bandaged my foot again which felt better. I decided to give that a try and keep moving. There was a short out and back to the Ada Tree, a huge Mountain Ash, found in a remote section of the Yarra State Forest. It was huge!

I passed back through the aid station and continued on. I kept moving at the same slow and steady pace. The bandage was beginning to hurt. It was too tight. I took it off (again) and discarded the bandage. I wanted to keep moving.

For the next 20 kms, I moved slowly but managed to run sections where the ground was even and there was minimal leaf litter. It was the uneven sections that my foot couldn’t take. It hurt with every uneven step. At 31.5 kms, I passed through the Starling Gap Aid Station. I filled my drink bottles and moved on. I could have dropped out here. There were a number of people around and one of them would have been able to give me a lift back to Warburton. My foot was feeling better though and it was all downhill from here.  

The trail itself was amazing. Huge trees as well as low hanging ferns that had been there for years. The sunlight peeked through the branches and provided a welcome relief to the chill of the day. Even as I was painfully moving through the forest, I was still able to appreciate the beauty it was bringing me. 

I longed to be able to run this downhill section faster. The gradual descent would allow a more uninjured body to build up quite a pace. Instead, I had plenty of time to admire the greenery! 

I started to move more quickly. By km 38 I was running and at km 39, I reached Mississippi Creek Road and was able to run freely. I passed several people through the next few kilometers as I felt EXTREMELY well rested with all the walking that I had done. People were beginning to fatigue. The sun was out, the day was warming up and this section was relatively unshaded.

I reached the river crossing and crossed with relative ease – although I did almost drop the GoPro in! I was glad for my height, as my shorts still got a little damp. It can’t have been easy for those shorter runners!

I continued to run quickly through the Warburton caravan park, township, along the river and across the bridges. I was running at around 4:40 min/km pace. Surprisingly, this was making me even more frustrated. I knew my ability was better than what my final result would be. It just felt as though my body had let me down.

I passed people making the most of the weekend in the sunshine along the river. They gave me funny looks as I ran past. I was finishing at a pace that was much too quick for my 50km ability. As I had walked half of it though, I had plenty of energy left.

I ran through the finishing arch, relieved to be finished. Overall, I was disappointed at how my race had turned out but glad to be able to finish. I moved away from the finish line and found a place to sit. I wanted to leave Warburton quickly as I was still embarrassed at what had happened. 

Some days, particularly trail running, are just not your day. This was one of those for me. The more I run trails, the more I have things go wrong or obstacles that need overcoming. I was able to solve the problems in front of me to ensure I got to the end, even if it didn’t give me the final result I wanted. I was still able to finish.

I’d like to tackle this event again. It’s a beautiful area that I’d love to really push myself to have a fast, enjoyable race. I know I can but maybe next time I’ll be a little bit more careful… and strengthen my ankles before I do so!

Race Specific Tips

Wear trail shoes – particularly the early stages of the event were quite muddy and wet.

The hill at 12.5 kms is huge! No one is running up it. Save some energy.

Watch out for sticks/ferns etc. that cover the trail and could result in injury. I learn the hard way.

Download the GPX file onto your phone/watch. There are a couple of sections near the Ada tree that are a little tricky directionally.

Get the bus to the start line from Warburton. Everyone does. It’s a good service they provide.

Go easy on the river crossing. It’s a little tricky.

The last 20km is a long downhill then flat along roads. You can definitely pick up time in this section.

Elapsed Time:     6:25:26      Pace:      7:08 min/km

Overall 60th Place of 114 Competitors

Strava – Check it out HERE

Check out my Race Schedule for more detail on other events I’m looking to tackle in 2022 and beyond.