AVERY GIVES IT A CRACK AT ADELAIDE 24HR

Contributed by Richard Avery, AURA member, Represented NZL at the 2017 World 24 Hour and achieved 240.431km at Bunbury in 2016

It’s been awhile since I’ve raced interstate. Three years in fact. I love our ultra-community in WA, but I was in Victoria for work and was going to head to Adelaide on the way home to see family. I jumped on the AURA calendar and sure enough, the Adelaide 24hr was that weekend. Done!

It had also been over a year since my last 24hr, and I needed more experience at the format. So I didn’t think too long before signing up, and I’m sure pleased I did.

After being used to WA races where I know most people, and generally try to get to know those I don’t know, it’s funny coming to a race where I don’t know any volunteers or spectators, and only a couple of runners.

Mulling around for bib collection on Friday, then again pre-race on Saturday, I said G’day to a couple of folk and enjoyed the usual running conversation about past and future events.

With the 6 and 12hr runners already running (starting at 6am, us at 10am), the start line was a little congested and we were trying to give room to those already on the track. Then, in typical low key ultra-marathon starting fashion, we were off on the 2.2km loop around the university playing fields. I had run a lap earlier in the week and was surprised at how compact the gravel surface was. The only road shoes I had were pretty minimal racing flats for the Kalgoorlie Marathon on the way home. And the surface was too compact for my trail shoes. So I donned my road shoes and hoped for the best.

I had developed a muscle strain in my foot from walking on my treadmill a month or so earlier. Running slow stirred the pain up, but uphill or faster pace was fine. However, I wasn’t privy to this diagnosis until after the run. At the time it was just an annoying pain that wouldn’t go away.

Right from the beginning, I struggled to find a comfortable pace. A fair bit of this is also due to my lack of training.

I normally like to run with someone, but found myself plodding along by myself right from the start. That was fine, so I stopped to get my phone and catch up on some podcasts. I listened to an interview with Kilian Jornet about his recent FKT on the Bob Graham round in the UK’s Lakes District. Alongside this, I had just spent two weeks in the Victorian Alps and had signed up for Alpine Challenge later in the year, so my mind was still transfixed on the hills, rather than this flat loop we were currently running.

My family, who I was staying with, had come down to watch. They had set up camp for the morning with Crows Clappers and a selection of other noisy cheering apparatus’ and giving all the runners a boost of encouragement each lap. It seemed as though the runners were loving it. In fact, it reminded me of running in Belfast last year, where the noise was so loud in the last hour I could barely hear my thoughts.

The tent area was a bit congested at times, and some spectators would mull around on the track without thinking of the runners. It was a bit frustrating and something I had not come across before. But at the same time, I was trying to remind myself that this low-key style of event is typical for the ultra-scene, and I generally like it.

At one point I stopped to stretch out my tight hips. Felix, a runner from Germany, stopped to see if I was okay. ‘What a great bloke’, I thought to myself. I didn’t need help, but it’s always a nice surprise to see that someone cares.

As the race continued on, I began to take notice of the top runners. Felix, John and Darren in particular, but also Tia in the ladies’ race. They all were so lean and strong, with amazing running economy and efficiency. I love watching these top runners, and was having some severe envy of their efficient movement.

My foot progressively got worse, and since I didn’t know what it was, I stopped as I became concerned it might be something serious. I am enjoying running far too much to trash myself in a race at the moment. If I can get myself in shape for later in the year then I’ll have a crack at pushing harder.

I watched for a few hours in the afternoon. Since the loop was so big, the atmosphere was as lively as the track ultra in Bunbury that I’d been to the last three years. So, I headed home to have a shower and dinner with the family.

By the morning the top runners were super impressive. Both Felix and John were moving, what looked like anyway, effortlessly. Felix had picked up the pace, and by his last lap was absolutely flying. I think I’m right in saying that last lap was 8min 25sec, so sub 4min k’s. Absolutely incredible effort given he was about to clock over 260km for the day. I think I’m correct in saying that his final distance was the fifth best on Australian soil. Mind blowing, and an honour to witness.

I was going to do a couple of laps with him, but he was flying, so I ran in the opposite direction.

Upon the conclusion of the race, prizegiving was a brilliant atmosphere. I really liked that Ben called up all the runners individually to get their finishers medals. I hadn’t seen this before, but I really liked the community feel it brought to the race.

A brilliant event with some world class performances. I’m glad to have been there for it, but this out of shape lad needs to sharpen up before attempting another 24hr.

Pictured: Richard Avery racing at the Adelaide 24 Hour earlier this month. Photograph – Simon Linden.