TRACK ULTRA, BUNBURY RECAP BY FIRST FEMALE BRESSER

Contributed by Kerriann Bresser, 1st Female 24hr Track Ultra

24h Track Ultra, 14-15 August 2021, Bunbury WA

This was my first 24-hour track ultra! My longest ever event prior to this was the Race to the Stones in 2019, taking me 16hrs in a fog of jetlag to complete 100kms of the Ridgeway to the stone circle at Avebury UK. So I am totally thrilled to be able to reach 150 kms in this race!

My training for the track ultra was mostly intuitive with many, many hours of brisk walking, at least 1 hour a day. I aimed for a weekly running milage of 50 kms/week, building up to 80 kms at the end of a cycle of three weeks, at 6:40 min/km with little to no speed work but a weekly 6-8 km tempo run (mostly because the slow pace was becoming very tedious).

The race day strategy of 30 minutes run (6:40 min/Km) and 10-minute walk (10 min/Km) worked well for the first half but eventually dwindled to 15 minute shuffles and the walk breaks were getting longer and longer….. and this is where I realised I had neglected my quad muscles in the weekly strength training sessions.

The best part of the experience by far was the comradery from my fellow runners with their endless encouragement and inspiration, as they appeared to orbit and align up with me momentarily, like some strange solar system. Also, worth a mention was being able to watch the sun rise after a long, tough night and that magical coffee from Gabi! Very grateful for all the volunteers who made it happen. Thank you so much!

Looking forward to returning next year to get that 100-mile milestone! Hope to see you there!

A MESSAGE FROM MYRA KEEP, 2ND PLACE FEMALE

Myra Keep – One of the great things about a track ultra is that no matter how far ahead they are, the winners and elite athletes are always right there with you. It means you can be chatting on and off during the race, be there cheering when Dave Kennedy crossed for his 200th kilometre, and it means you can watch in awe as Kerriann Bresser plugged away during the night, for a fabulous win.

Kerriann was one of a group of us “mature” runners, all in our 50s and 60s, who had turned up alone and unsupported, happy to look after ourselves. Our long-suffering spouses had all politely declined to come and sit beside the track for 24 hours (once is probably enough). In addition to Kerriann, Charlotte Rumney, Ian Dougan and I had come across each other before in previous races, and Pamela Williams was a delightful addition to the “seniors strip”, where we all set up our little stations next to each other. The camaraderie was superb, and we ended up supporting each other for the duration of the race. Our little group of “Masters athletes” kept each other going. Well, they certainly kept me going, I hope I returned the favour!

Of note is that the winners of the women’s race have a combined age of 177! At ages 53, 55 and 69, the Masters led the way, establishing our dominance in the “doggedly determined” category. Also of note were some of the rich experiences that fuelled conversation – among our group were World Champion triathletes, competitive powerlifters, and a range of really interesting races (the Berlin Wall 100 miler anyone?). And all this despite various injuries and sometimes life-threatening health conditions.

So I just wanted to acknowledge the tremendous achievements of my fellow Masters athletes on so many levels, and for their wonderful support and camaraderie. Thank you all for being there, for sharing your stories, and for competing despite injuries and illnesses. You made the experience so much richer and worthwhile. It would not have been the same without you.