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Race Report: Delirious WEST by Kevin Matthews
delirious west - 7-10 february 2024 - south west WA
contributed by kevin matthews, aura member (city beach, wa)
So off we go again, Delirious West 2024.
Absolutely stoked to be back running this beast of a 200 miler supported by the best crew in WA, maybe Australia, Mark Lommers. As is tradition Mark drove the trusty Audi Q5 and early Monday afternoon off we drove , Pemberton here we come. This was Mark’s third time supporting me and he now knows what I need before I do. He is calm under pressure, never flustered and a pleasure to be around, the shining light when you are in a very dark place. He also cooks a mean spaghetti bolognaise and an incredible steak, with onions. The boy can run a bit too and continually pushes the boundaries of pace and beer competing, and dominating, the bogan run.
We drive down Monday and stay in the Pemberton area so we can climb the Gloucester tree. Unfortunately this year it was closed so we decided on a long breakfast instead. Shannon Dale organised the gathering and before we knew it it turned into a mass event full of nervous and excited runners. So much fun and so much laughter. That’s the point of Tuesday, just meeting your fellow runners, checking in, bogan run, pub meal and an early night. It is a great day and never disappoints. So many stories which are added to ever year, Delirious is the event that just keeps growing.
I went hard on the first day settling into the lead group and just enjoying the banter albeit always wary of what was ahead.
It was good to run with a small group albeit Tristan jumped off the back before Dog Road aid station and Simon and Aaron left me at Dog Road so I was alone at 50km. We hit the first aid station as the lead group or close, I think Phil Fowler and the ‘Malaysian Missile‘ Andrew Farmers were ahead of us at this point. The first aid station is a good distance, about 25km, and no crew are allowed so I would not get to see Mark until Chesapeake East around the marathon mark.
I always find day one the hardest at Delirious and a lot of runners DNF late in the day, close to Mandalay or Mount Clare. The early part of day one is good trails mixed with some sand running, shade and open sections. A good mix and the heat is turned down as you’re still running in the early morning. From the start to the first aid station it was humid but not uncomfortable. Early on a bit of sand but no real elevation to talk about, a good start to the event.
Day one has some good runnable sections which is more than can be said for later in the event. You can also find some good shade pre-Dog Road aid station which offers some protection. Unfortunately post Dog Road aid station to Pingerup aid station (around 16km in the heat of the day) is open and you basically cook. This year was hotter than normal with temperatures reaching 41c, unusual for this part of the world.
After Pingerup there is a nice trail before you hit Broke Inlet aid station around 16km later, good for 90km total. You’re normally racing the sunset and the challenge is to get to the aid station and have dinner in daylight. This year I made it and enjoyed Mark’s spaghetti bolognaise while waiting for Simon to come in and run the next section, to Mandalay, with company.
I was a bit disoriented starting the Mandalay leg and felt myself leaning to my left and having to right myself before repeating the whole process. I suspected vertigo but as I’d never had this issue before I wasn’t sure. In the end I decided I was just fatigued, under hydrated and cooked from the days adventures and just tried to concentrate on staying upright. Coming into Mandalay later than planned and still in a podium position. Simon was quite a way behind and Phil came in but wanted to sleep so I was pushed out of the aid station onto the beach alone. This was not ideal. Mandalay to Mount Clare is the worst leg of the whole event, in my view, due to the elevation, terrain and you’re attempting it at your lowest ebb. I wanted to wait for Simon but Mark insisted I go on, sometimes having a crew can be a curse.
Mandalay Beach to Mount Clare tested me and distance dragged while time sped up. I’d planned to reach Mount Clare by 2am but was looking like 3am would be more likely. The terrain is brutal with many climbs and stairs that go on forever, stairway to heaven on steroids. The legs were also starting to complain and I was going through fisiocrem quickly. The suspension bridge is a sign the final climb is about to start and it is a serious assault.
I had just arrived at Mount Clare at some ungodly hour and a lot later than first envisaged. I stumbled into my swag and was asleep before my head hit the pillow. After what felt like five minutes, but Mark assures me was longer, I was back up and raring to go. A change of clothes and it was up for the next stage, a 10km hop to Walpole with some nice running terrain and downhill as you run off Mount Clare. The distance between Mount Clare, Walpole and then Tingle Tree is about 10km or less so you get to see your crew a couple of times before a big hop to Tree tops and the halfway point.
At Walpole, I was in and out in a matter of minutes and heading toward Tingle Tree. There is some elevation after a flat start but it was good to be out of the sun and as I said earlier it’s a very beautiful place to be. I stumbled up towards Tingle Tree and I had my first hallucination. Ahead of me I saw Simon taking a photo of Tingle Tree and called out to him. As I neared the tree I couldn’t see him, a quick walk around confirmed he wasn’t there. ’m always amazed what the mind can make you see.
Tingle Tree aid station is on the side of the road and unfortunately there was little or no shade. Dave and Bella Kennedy had set up the aid station but I had Mark there so was well looked after. As part of the Delirious West 200 miler ( and the 100 miler) you walk the Tree Tops walk. It’s an incredible structure high above the ground, as the name suggest you are walking in the tree tops and it is very high. Finally we made it to Peaceful Bay where Mark prepared his famous steak and onions supper.
We left after eating a steak supper at Peaceful Bay caravan park and preparing for the next hop to Boat Harbour, an 18km leg. First thing was a jet ski ride over the inlet.. The tide was rushing in when me and Simon got to the inlet and there would have been no way we’d make it across without help. We left Peaceful Bay on Thursday night with the plan to get to Parry Beach for sleep early Friday morning. We reckon we’d make it to Parry’s about 3am, unfortunately we were a tad optimistic. The trail to Boat Harbour was testing mainly due to sleep depravation and by the time we finally reached Boat Harbour both of us needed sleep.
I remember hearing Jen Millum and Alexis Oosterhoff, a couple of the lead 100km runners, come in and was listening to their conversation as I drifted off. The next voice I head was Frank Chauveau’s , who would become the oldest runner to complete any USWA events at over 70, anyhow I assumed he was with Jen and Alexis, not realising I had slept for thirty minutes or longer.
After Boat Harbour it was a 10km leg to Parry Beach and swag time. We eventually made Parry’s and yet again I stumbled into my swag and into a deep sleep oblivious to the surroundings. Following on, I set off with Simon and his pacer Tim and the three of us were in good spirits. Tim was setting a good pace and after an hour or so I had to let the lads go. Monkey Rocks aid station and Mark had yet again delivered, best spot available in the shade. Having too much food and drink at Monkey Rocks cost me my race partner for the event, Simon. I let him go early on in the climb as I was protecting my toes which were so sensitive and climbing on rocks was probably the last place I needed to be at the time. There is a shuttle that leaves Denmark aid station on the hour, every hour, or a twenty minute or so ride to the next part of the bib. I missed one by a matter of minutes but had decided that a better option was to take the full hour allotted me and have a shower, change of clothes and try and get some food inside me. I ended up on the shuttle alone which meant I would be alone at the other end to continue my journey to the finish, not ideal with night fast approaching.
I wasn’t running that well post Denmark, it was getting late and I wasn’t that excited about another night alone , knowing what was ahead. This section to Lowlands is quite non-descript. It’s trail but not that scenic. Coming into Lowlands it was time for more hallucinations. I convinced myself I saw Mark waiting for me at the top of a hill that wasn’t there and also a caravan type structure with people inside also a figment of my imagination.
I was running well but worried about the bakers cyst (we’ll assume that’s what it was.), it did restrict me but positive thinking got me to Lowlands where I was able to vent my frustration at Mark for the headtorch cock-up. This was quickly forgotten once the steak turned up but I made a mistake, with hindsight, by sitting too long and enjoying my meal. I should have ran through, after first picking up some snacks, and caught Simon and Tim.
At one point I just sat down on the side of the trail turned off my head torch and lay there, totally alone and mentally broken. The lead female runner was behind me and I decided to just wait for her albeit she would have got a shock seeing me laying on the side of the trail in the dark. Eventually I gave up waiting for her, got back to my feet and staggered onwards. I was eventually caught not by the lead female but Alexis who had suffered in the heat and decided to run the race in the dark and sleep in the day (I call it the vampire strategy). He saved me big time and together we ran to Shelly’s beach, another aid station where my crew couldn’t get to.
Alexis hadn’t even stopped at Shelly’s, albeit he’d be sleeping all day. When I woke the other four runners had already gone and it was me, myself I again on the short hop to Cosy Corner. This section was extremely runnable and I passed the four 100 mile runners and kept ahead of Tex and his daughter albeit I couldn’t drop them as whenever I added pace my ‘niggle’ reminded me it was still there. Finally I could see the end of this race report albeit in my defence it was a long race.
I was at Cosy Corner aid station at sunrise on Saturday morning, day four on this epic adventure. I grabbed a bacon and egg roll, the staple diet of 200 mile runners it seems, a coffee and changed my clothes and Mark pushed me out of the aid station and onto the beach toward Mutton Beach carpark. This was only a six kilomtere hop on compacted sand with a nice morning breeze to keep the temperature reasonable. Post Cosy Corner you only have Mutton Beach and Sandpatch to go before the finish, the job is done if you’re feeling halfway decent. I was feeling great with sunrise recharging my batteries, I could smell the finish and my double boot trophy.
Conditions were perfect Saturday morning. Coming into Sand Patch I had my first real blister of the event and had to let Tex go as I made some running repairs. A blister on my right foot complimented the niggle behind my left knee and made any sort of running awkward and painful. I was thankful I could smell the finish. Running into Sand Patch always seems to take forever and you can’t see the aid station until you are virtually on it.
Warwick Crapper was waiting for me, as is tradition, and we ran across the line, beer in hand, together. All that was left to do then was a Daniel Ricciardo ‘shoey‘ with Tex, Simon and Warwick, captured by Susan Ryan.
At the award ceremony on Sunday afternoon I grabbed my double boot trophy, a reward for four finishes. This will sit with my double plugger, the trophy for two finishes. The double plugger was special as Jeff Hansen was one of the race directors; Jeff has since left us after a short battle with leukemia. He was a very special individual and there is a plaque and a tree full of shoes in Albany opposite the finish chute, so he can always be part of this event.
My favourite tradition is my two pints of Guinness at the Earl of Spencer pub in Albany after the race. Normally over a mouth watering Guinness and beef pie albeit this year, thanks to Veronika, we missed out, arriving late. Lesson learnt for next year, either pre-order or arrive earlier! The pub is awash with stories from the previous four days and so much laughter as adventures are recounted between competitors, crew and friends. It really is an incredible atmosphere but I never stay past nine o’clock fearing any more Guinness and Shaun Kaesler together, it could end up very, very messy.
Finally, done and dusted Delirious West 2024. Another epic adventure with so many highs and a few lows. Will I run it in 2025 ? Hell yeah, why wouldn’t you, after all its tradition, and what do runners love most….
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