COAST TO KOSCI NO. 5 FOR PEARSON

Kate Dzienis • December 28, 2020

Contributed by John Pearson, AURA Member

Coast to Kosciuszko, 4-6 December 2020, Eden NSW

The 2020 edition of C2K certainly didn’t disappoint! When I heard the race was back on the calendar I couldn’t wait to apply. The excitement of getting a place at the start line was quickly replaced with an anxious wait regarding the border closers (COVID-19).

After a long drive we were finally in Eden, catching up with many friends and creating many more. My goal this year, on a limited build up, was a conservative run, hoping to maintain a sub 30 streak.

The first 24km to reaching the crew was relaxed and felt good. This continued until around the 50km mark, the legs just felt a little heavy, nothing unusual around that time.

Then 2km up Big Jack I got a sudden calf cramp so I eased the pace back but then got another one on the other leg. I began throwing down extra electrolytes and #infinitoz.

After the 6km climb the legs were giving me a number of random cramps so we slowed the pace even more as we looked to up the fluids without causing any gut/nausea issues. I rolled into Cathcart at 70km, feeling dead in the legs, with the quads joining the cramping fiesta. I told the crew I was having concerns about getting rehydrated, my last pee being over 5 hours earlier, despite swallowing 2 litres in under 2 hours.

The temperature was apparently 29 degree C, with a dry wind disguising the energy stepping warmth. A further 2 hours of slow, laboured run/walking passed before I could finally water the grass. By this stage the challenge was not what time I would finish, but to survive and rebuild, to ensure we reached that summit.

I slowly got some rhythm back in the legs and pushed on from around the 90km mark, enjoying a decent run to Dalgety at 148km.
Craig R Smith and Jack Pearson enjoyed running under the bright stars into the checkpoint, before Dan Symonds took over for the long haul, over the Beloka Range into Jindabyne.

The sun was rising over the lake as we headed into town, normally we are around perisher at sunrise, on a decent run.
At least we got to see a different section of the course in daylight.

It was great having Jack accompany me up the long climb from Jindy, his enthusiasm was so motivating. Dan joined me after Sawpit Creek until a few km before Charlottes. One by one we ticked off the landmarks, pay gates, sponers, smiggens, perisher and finally Charlottes Pass. The crew was ready and waiting, all equipped with mandatory gear and we headed off to the summit in bright sunshine, in shorts, t-shirts and sunnies.

I know mandatory gear is often questioned as being an overkill, especially in such nice weather, but it proved to be so vital just a couple of hours later. The march to the top was slow and steady, my feet battered by the extra walking and gait changes due to the cramping. We finally made it to the top as wind gusts increased by the minute.

A few quick photos and we turned to head back; stumbling over the boulders caused another major spasm fest in the legs.

Suddenly the sky went ink black and the crew decided to get us wrapped up just as the rain started to hit. Within minutes the temperature plummeted to about 10 degrees C, the wind driving the sleet horizontally. We staggered very slowly, bracing against the huge wind gusts towards the toilet block 2km down from the summit.

Not one of us was not shivering uncontrollably as we quickly took off the wet gear and put on any extra layers available before huddling together wrapped in tinfoil space blankets. We tried to get phone calls out, to the race officials but unfortunately had no signal. We sent texts in the hope they may get out. We waited two hours, as the winds and rains battered the steel door.

After a group discussion we decided to push on a further 1.5km down to the better equipped Seamans Hut as we were still shivering and unable to get warm. We were confident we would get phone reception there too. We were greeted by a number of other runners and a warm stove. We were told we should stay there until vehicles arrived to ferry us the remaining 5.5km back to the finish line.

So with 234.5km covered our running journey came to an end.

Eventually a vehicle arrived and ferried groups back to Charlottes Pass. We finally flopped onto the beds at the Jindy Hotel around 9.15pm Saturday, so much had happened since the 5.30am start the day before. Despite all of the above, we all still had such a great adventure, rose to the many new challenges that got thrown our way and most importantly we still managed to keep the smiles…well most of the time.

It was great to experience the lows and highs that this event serves up continuously, with such great mates and my son Jack. Thank you, to the great team of race officials, for bringing back this Iconic race and enforcing that vital mandatory gear. Thanks to all the runners and crews, the mutual support and encouragement is always a highlight of this event.

I wonder what Coast to Kosci 2021 has in store.

Pictured: AURA members John Pearson, Simone Hayes and Stephen Redfern at the C2K presentations. Photograph – Supplied.

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Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships 2027

By Jin Kato • July 8, 2026

The world-class trails of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington will play centre-stage for one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, after the Kunanyi Mountain Run (KMR) was awarded the hosting rights for the first-ever combined Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships (AMTRC). KMR was awarded the National Championships after a competitive bid process, overseen by the Australian Ultra and Trail Running Association (AUTRA) and Australian Athletics (AA). AUTRA President, John Claridge, said that KMR “offered everything we were looking for”. “World-class trails, proven event management and a passionate community. It provides the perfect stage for Australia's first combined National Trail Championships," he said. It’s expected that Australia’s elite mountain and trail running athletes, and support crew, will travel to Hobart, as they vie for a spot in the Australian team that competes at the 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. "This is a landmark moment for trail running in Australia,” Mr Claridge said. "We're excited about what this championship represents; not just next year, but for the future of trail running in Australia... helping grow the sport and inspire the next generation of trail runners." The 2027 AMTRC at KMR will be the first time that all championship distances have been held together, at the one festival. “It aligns us more closely with the way World Championships are presented, creating a stronger pathway for athletes and raising the profile of the sport,” Mr Claridge said. KMR, a 3-day trail running festival which has been held annually since 2022, expects to draw more than 1500 runners and hikers from across Tasmania, Australia and internationally next year. The AMTRC will be embedded within KMR’s existing event program, allowing elite athletes to compete for the national titles, while sharing the same spectacular trails and event-experience as recreational runners. “We’re honoured to have been selected as host,” KMR’s founder and director, Lincoln Quilliam said. “KMR continues to welcome runners, and hikers, of all abilities. From the elites who want to represent Australia on the world stage, the group of mates or work colleagues who run the team relay together, the mums returning to running after having a baby, as well as those who are trying trail running for the very first time,” Mr Quilliam said. Tasmanian runner, Jessica Collins, who has represented Australia, said it was exciting news for KMR, Tasmania and the sport. “This is such a great opportunity for Australian athletes. I’ve run many of the KMR events and know the courses and the terrain are on par with what we see at the World Champs,” she said. The City of Hobart has supported Kunanyi Mountain Run since its inception, and Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said she was “thrilled” with the news. “Events like this not only showcase the natural beauty of our region but also reinforce Hobart’s reputation as a vibrant destination for world-class outdoor experiences.” The 2026 edition of KMR brought in $4 million to the Tasmanian economy, generating more than 8000 bed nights across the state, which Alex Heroys, Chief Executive of Destination Southern Tasmania, said was a “significant return for the visitor economy”. “Kunanyi / Mount Wellington is one of Tasmania’s great natural assets, and the Kunanyi Mountain Run shows exactly how powerful events can be in driving regional tourism,” he said. “We have an epic mountain right on Hobart’s doorstep, an airport less than 30 minutes away, and a city that is well set up to welcome thousands of visiting athletes, support crews and spectators.” “This event also reinforces Tasmania’s growing reputation as a world-class trail running destination. With steep, technical trails and real mountain terrain, Kunanyi offers conditions that are genuinely comparable to what athletes will experience at the World Championships, making it an ideal place to compete, train and visit.” For more information: Kunanyi Mountain Run Dates: 19-21 March 2027 Pic credit: David Nolan & Ryan Slater