MARIE BOYD DOES IT AGAIN!

AUSTRALIAN 6 DAY FESTIVAL 48HR EVENT, ADELAIDE (SA), 5-7 October 2023

My second attempt at the Australian 6 Day race was just amazing. Held at Thorndon Park in Adelaide’s suburbs, the race venue is superbly suited to a multi-day endurance event with plentiful parking, room for tents, plumbed restrooms, a suitable area for aid station tables, room for the cooks to perform their miracles, and of course, that unforgettable almost 1.5k paved scenic loop, lake and ponds with plentiful native birds, an occasional koala, and the bonus – a bounding grey kangaroo out for a morning hop.

Forty-six runners from all over Australia, India, Japan and New Zealand, and I, coming from California, gathered, and over the 6 days became friends with a common goal. Finishing male and female winners travelled over 700+k!

Committee member Emily Breakwell offered me airport pickup and drop-off, the loan of camping needs, and a home away from home. I could not be more grateful for that support, which made my trip possible. All that, and she participated in the 72 hour event.

Brother ‘Fred Scuttle’ and Ian Lilburn cooked the best race aid station food I had ever seen at a multi-day event. A nightly theme of delicious food choices greeted us at 6pm, with runners eagerly digging into a variety of curries, pizza, Italian dishes, Thai dishes, plus wonderful hot cooked breakfasts, hot soups, cooked porridge and other treats of the day.

The course itself is a paved 1.45k loop with a slight incline that becomes ‘Thorndon Everest’ by about day 3. To some runners, pavement is anathema, but to many of us, the clean and dry footing is to be treasured. No mud, gravel, silt or dust on shoes, feet and clothing makes a huge difference. Well cushioned shoes, and a gentler running pace will see most runners tolerating the hard surface well.

My goal was to fill in the blanks in the Women’s 75-79 age group distance and time records. Happy to leave Shirley Young’s astonishing 50k and 6 hour records to her, for all time I suspect, I focused on the 12, 24, 48 and 144 hours, plus 100k, 100 miles, 200k and 200 mile marks. Fill in the blanks I did, and was finally able to accept that my total of 364k/228 miles was a little less than I hoped for, but again, at 75, I am lucky to be able to continue doing these events.

The weather was quite a unique feature of this race, and Adelaide did its best to impress. Day 1 lulled us into a false sense of security – sunny, mild with a slight breeze, just perfect. Happily I knocked out 80k, right on my plan. Day 2 however, was a horse of a different colour. By late afternoon, temperatures were extremely hot, and I had slipped into Western States 100 mile mode – wet hat and shirt, ice neckerchief and in my cap, plus pushing cold fluids at the aid stations. That evening a storm warning was issued, with heavy winds, and overhead thunderstorms. I stayed put in my tent, which held up well in the wind, and weighted down with my table, chair and any other outside gear. Spending over 7 hours off the course cost me heavily in distance, with only 50k for day 2.

Subsequent days went well, and before we knew it, it was Day 5, heading into Day 6. We had enjoyed wind, heat, rain, more wind, and sunny days. Koalas, kangaroos, a myriad assortment of noisy birds, families of ducks, beautiful plants, trees and flowers all passed before us. We enjoyed seeing the many family groups coming to the park, many with children heading straight to the amazing playground, with the 4 story ‘Bin Chicken’ slide attracting many. As the days passed, we also got to know the many walkers and runners who also enjoy this suburban park.