Contributed by Stephen Redfern, Race Director at Southern Sydney 24hr Ultra 2021
Southern Sydney 24hr Ultra, 5-6 June 2021, Barden Ridge NSW
With our first ever race report for the Southern Sydney 24 Hour Ultra Race event, it has taken me a few days to fully take in the whole race weekend and to be able to put it all together.
This race was born from my passion for 24 hour track racing, and not wanting to see NSW and Sydney lose what has been part of the running scene and community for a lot of years.
This starts with going back 2 years, and hearing that Sri Chinmoy who had successfully run the race in Campbelltown, Sydney for so many years was moving its 24 hour event to Canberra to be incorporated with the 48 hour that is traditionally run in March.
This had left Sydney without a 24 hour track event on the running calendar. Having raced in this event a number of times, I realised how important it was to keep it going here in NSW. From here, I started to look into creating a new look race for Sydney, and with this my first opportunity to give race directing a go.
Out of this the Southern Sydney 24 Hour Ultra was born. The race was developed over the last 12 months, and with a new name, a line-up of distances and also location up at the Barden Ridge Athletic Track, the event was created.
It was kept at the same time of year with it traditionally being at the start of June, and with Sydney putting on its glamorous weather, the race weekend had arrived. As dawn broke over a stunning day up at Barden Ridge, the runners started to arrive one by one ready for their race with their setups and enthusiasm to get out on the track to enjoy a perfect weekend of racing.
The new line up consisted of 6 races being hosted over the weekend, the main race being the 24 hour, and also traditionally a 12 hour and 6 hour race. To compliment the 3 timed races we also included a small field for a 100km, a night marathon and for the Sunday the new addition of a 3 hour race to support the main event and bring home the runners with a new lease of life.
24 HOUR RACE
The main race being the 24 hour competing in lanes 1 and 2 started on the Saturday at 10am, and continued through to 10am Sunday for the finish. This race proved to be very popular as soon as entries opened. It was sold out with the maximum field of 41 runners before November last year, where it continued with a waitlist as it had massive interest, with the list growing to over 25 runners wanting to join the event.
We would have loved to offer spots to everyone; however this was never going to be possible. With movement’s right up until the close of entries, we were able to offer some places to a few runners from the list though.
6 HOUR RACE
The 6 hour race which started at 12pm and sharing lanes 3 and 4 saw a stellar line up of runners, which produced amazing performances.
One of the stand out performances for this race goes out to the ever graceful Tia Jones of Qld. Feeling right at home Tia, who has competed for Australia in both the 24hr and 100km distance, took out the win with an impressive 69.774km. Not only achieving the outright win in the race, Tia also went on to break 2 Australian W55 Age Group records in the 6 hour (this being her own record) and less than 2km from the world record and 50km (both pending ratification). Second and not too far behind, and also an Australian 24hr representative, went to Simone Hayes with a total of 66.188km, this on the back of being at the track from the start to help set up and staying afterwards for the entire event supporting where she could. Rounding out the top 3 went to Dianne Sheedy with 58.216km and racing in the 12 hour for the first time.
The male top 3 were all close together. First place going to Baiqi Cheng with a total of 68.517km, followed by another Australian representative Matthew Eckford, who is normally at home in the 24 hour distance, but choosing to enjoy the 6 hour with a total of 66.03km. In 3rd place and still very close behind with a strong finish was Glenn Gielissen with 63.429km.
As part of the 6 hour race we had 2 very special entrants who were competing as walkers. Heather Lee at 94 years of age achieved an amazing 26.358km and Margrit Smith at 86 years of age achieving 17.138km completed their 6 hour races with inspiration. They both had motivated everyone out on the track. It certainly shows that age is no barrier and with a positive outlook you’re able to achieve anything.
3 HOUR RACE
The 3 hour race was our only Sunday starting race, with the runners bracing a very chilly morning and heading out onto the track as the day was breaking with a new lease of energy for all the 24 hour runners who were now into their last hours of their endurance performances. This race had our second biggest field of runners, with so many local members and dominated by the ladies, coming to enjoy the atmosphere and support this event.
The male’s race started out with 4 of the runners all pushing each other along, until our first place winner Jason Keane broke free to put some laps on them and finish with an ultra distance of 42.335km, achieving a sub 3hr marathon result.
In second place was Jeremy Francis, who just fell short of achieving the distance of a marathon, but still ended with an impressive 41.62km. Rounding out the top 3 position was fellow Aussie Runner Podcast member Geoff Millar finishing less than 1km behind with 40.847km. The 4th person in that initial group Scott Richmond, who was instrumental with all our race designs, cruised home with a total of 35.605km.
Our top 3 female finishes had a fantastic race, all finishing within less than 600m of each other, with first place going to Sarah Grealy with 33.176km. Second place to Angela Chew with 32.586km and just a mere 35m behind was 3rd place finisher Sally Hinchey with 32.551km, and enjoying her first outing on the track.
Rounding out the line-up of races at the event were 2 distances races, with a 100km race starting at the same time as the 24 hour runners and a night marathon starting at 9pm at night at the completion of the 6 hour and 12 hour races.
100KM RACE
The 100km race saw a small field of only 9 runners start as they shared lanes 1 and 2 (with the 24 hour runners). But they didn’t disappoint with all 9 runners putting on a great race.
The finishers were spread out over time, and it was humbling to see that they all hung around supporting the remaining runners in their race after they had finished their distances.
As a race director, it was truly humbling to see all finishers staying to support their fellow competitors to the finish.
First place went to Soonchul Shin who is familiar on the track and completed the event with an impressive time of 9:45:27. Second place went to Rene Collins with 11:52:48, who then braved the cold after his race to cheer on the 3rd place finisher Taehyuk Lim in a time of 12:19:10.
With 2 runners retiring early the remaining 3 competitors, all very good friends had encouraged each other on to enter and therefore had a great time out there racing each other.
First place went to Mary Creagan with a time of 12:47:09, followed by 2nd place Tilsa Collings in a time of 13:49:50 and rounding out the top 3 was Morakot Murphy with a time of 15:18:54.
Fantastic performances and the last we heard, was the 3 of them still deciding who encouraged who to enter.
NIGHT MARATHON
The night marathon which started at 9pm, after both the shorter distances of the 12 hour and 6 hour races had finished, and was a great motivator to the 24 hour runners who had been running for 11 hours by then and were heading into the later hours of the evening. Their energy was a great lift of spirits for all the runners out there. Despite the late start we still had an impressive field of 30 runners on the start line.
The male finishers went to 1st place Ian Richards with a great time of 3:13:07, followed by Andrew Tillman in 2nd place with 3:43:37 and Rick Patzold rounding out the top 3 with a time of 3:49:11. It was so great to see all waiting around in the cool of the night to congratulate each other.
The female finishers were, 1st place Karin Tappouras with a time of 4:34:35, 2nd to Tracie Scarlett-Arundell in a time of 4:38:15 and rounding out the top 3 went to someone who prefers running marathons on the road and trails but needs no introduction – Jane Trumper with a time of 4:53:55.
For the marathon we had some very special runners at the event this year. Two legends of the marathon world with a combined total of over 600 marathons between them – Bob Fickle who completed his 290th marathon in a time of 5:53:52, and even more impressive was Ray James, completing his 334th marathon in a time 6:25:08, crossing the line alongside Wayne Gregory, who wanted to show his support and respect to one of the legends in the running community.
Another special mention goes out to Frank Dearn who at 88 years of age was looking to complete his marathon distance and possibly become Australia’s oldest marathon finisher. He was supported by Glenn and Belinda Lockwood as well as Kathy Johnsun, and started at a special time of 8am with the 12 hour runners to allow the best time available to complete the distance. Unfortunately due to the cold setting in after 10 hours out on the track, Frank decided to retire but not without achieving 35.3km and inspiring so many throughout the day in the other races.
What an amazing first running of the Southern Sydney 24 Hour event brought to you by Ultra Running NSW. There were so many stories and great performances by everyone on the day. I wish I was able to share them all, but it goes without saying that every runner who competed at the event over the weekend was just so very special, and they have given us great memories of the inaugural running of this event.
Lastly, it goes without saying that to be able to run an event of this magnitude, it would not happen without the amazing team behind the scenes giving up their time to support and help throughout the whole weekend. All the volunteers were as inspiring as all the runners and without them the event would not have been what it was. From all the runners, crew, support and definitely the team behind the race, we say a massive ‘thank you’ to each and every one of you, and we hope to build on these relationships into the future.
There are 2 very special mentions that I would like to give with the first to my beautiful wife and partner to this race Penny Redfern, for her never ending energy over the whole weekend carrying out all the support roles that are required to make this event happen and who without, we would never have been able to pull of such a great event for all the runners.
Secondly to our professional timer Martin Fryer from Flyer Ultra Timing, who provided single handedly the most accurate timing system of any event. With all the tireless hours that Martin puts in, behind the scenes, allowing for a flawless recording of all competitors times and distances over all the events.
I would just like to finish off 2021 with saying ‘thank you’ to every runner, crew, volunteer and supporter for being a part an amazing weekend of racing that has left some great lasting memories for everyone.
We have already starting organising for 2022, and will have all the new details out for everyone in the near future. But for now rest, recover and reflect.
For full results of all the races, click here.
Feature Pictured: The start of the 6hr event at the 2021 Southern Sydney 24 Hour Ultra. Photograph – Photos by Fi.
Photographs: Photos by Fi.
