Margaret River Ultra, 11th May 2024

It is great to see that the Claremont Road Runners colony “down under” is intact – indeed it is positively thriving. The five recent emigrés keep in touch despite being at opposite ends of the vast country that is Australia, and they came together this weekend to tackle the Margaret River Ultra. Thanks to Maria Duenas for this report:

“The Margaret River Ultra is one of the most anticipated trail events in Western Australia, known for its inclusive and supportive atmosphere. It is held in the southern part of Western Australia and offers an unforgettable experience within the region’s stunning beaches, wineries, and forests of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. The race is divided into five legs, each presenting its unique challenge:

Leg 1 (12 km) starts on the beach and heads inland, with breathtaking sand dunes and technical terrain featuring steep sections.
Leg 2 (16 km) winds through the towering Karri trees of the Boranup Forest on hard-packed trails.
The infamous Leg 3 (20 km) includes soft beach sand running, rock hopping, and trail obstacles.
Leg 4 (19 km) continues with beach running and a beautiful single track along the Cape-to-Cape track.
Leg 5 (13 km) begins with technical terrain, followed by an uphill battle on soft sand, finishing at a winery.

Participants can choose to run the 80 km event solo or in teams of 2-5. Last year, when I came to visit, I had the chance to run Legs 2 and 3. This year, I found myself unable to decide what to do. When Lucas suggested the idea of doing the solo, I thought, why not give it a shot! Meanwhile, Fred formed the “Allez Les Bleus” team, recruiting Alice and Margaux from the East Coast of Australia. Holly L (Fred’s girlfriend) joined as well, marking her first trail event!

With 7 teams and 4 solo runners, we had a massive turnout from our new running group, Run Freo! Each of us had different experiences throughout the day. Despite experiencing some GI distress and muscle cramping during my training, I surprisingly had a great race. As usual, I over-prepared with my pacing and fueling charts. I received so much support during the checkpoints and had the privilege to run the last kilometres with my friend David; he provided great company (at the perfect time) and motivation to push through until the end!

Lucas, who meticulously followed the training plan and had a great training cycle, unfortunately faced some challenges. He started feeling unwell during the third leg around the 35 km mark. Despite these setbacks, Lucas displayed remarkable resilience and pushed through some really tough kms (almost 50 of them!!!). Our dear friend Holly K, who was running as part of a team, saw Lucas four kilometres before the finish line and decided to keep him company during this difficult time. This truly demonstrates the spirit of the running community.

For the “Allez Les Bleus” team, Fred tackled Legs 1 and 5, even recording a video on the challenging rocky terrain. Holly L had an impressive run, pleasantly surprised to find Leg 2 was a kilometre shorter than advertised. Margaux was pleased with her performance, successfully navigating the course without getting lost, only taking a single fall. Alice, on the other hand, was taken aback by the sheer amount of sand on Leg 4.

Overall, it was an incredible day filled with overwhelming support from our new running family in Australia. Crossing the finish line wouldn’t have been possible without their cheers and encouragement. It was a wonderful weekend spent with amazing human beings!”

Maria also added: “It’s great to see how the Claremont community is staying connected even though we’re no longer living in Newcastle. It really shows the impact Claremont Road Runners has had on our lives. We’re planning to keep meeting up for some events (Sydney marathon is the next one planned) throughout the year.”

Personally, I think having to have a snake bite kit in my backpack would be worrying enough even before the thought of running 80 kilometres over such tough terrain. A massive well done to all on such a fantastic achievement.