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When it doesn’t go according to plan
Contributed by Clifford Jones, AURA member (Qld)
XTERRA MALTA GOZO 50KM TRAIL RACE, BALZAN (MALTA – ISLAND OF GOZO), 6 May 2023
This was supposed to be a race report for the Xterra Malta Gozo 50km Trail Race detailing the amazing sights, scenery and the glory of finishing an event in a beautiful location in the middle of the Mediterranean.
Unfortunately, things don’t always go to plan and sometimes you need to accept it wasn’t to be.
But first, some background. I am an older runner; been running since 2018. I started off with Couch to 5k, then parkrun, then a running course with a local club who convinced me that a half marathon was something I could aspire to. After six months of training I completed the inaugural Cairns 7 half marathon, marking the transition from non-runner to runner in less than a year.
After doing more half marathon events, I was persuaded to look at trail running by a friend and discovered that this was where my heart was. Road is okay, but as my hoodie says, Bitumen Is Boring. It wasn’t long before I completed my first trail marathon and then my first ultra, the Kuranda to Port Douglas 64km in 2020. Pandemic or no pandemic, I was now hooked, and the next year I completed 3 Marathons in 3 Days and was in training for the Scenic Rim Ultra in September, which was derailed with a viral heart condition. Undeterred, I took on a coach, Joshua Duff from Smurf and Smurfette Endurance Coaching; he was able to get me through a series of events in 2022 and whilst my results were never stellar, you couldn’t doubt my commitment and determination. Josh allowed me to reach my potential, gave me confidence and nailed my recovery to the point where I never felt sore or damaged after an event.
2023 was to be the year of some great races – tackle Noosa 50 in March, Gozo 50km in May and then aim for Surf Coast 100 in September with a few other events thrown in for good measure.
Surf Coast was always the A Race, with Noosa and Gozo being good trial events for base fitness. Noosa was somewhat of a disappointment. I’d altered my hydration and nutrition plans without telling my coach and suffered dehydration and vomiting on the day. I learned a lot that day and Gozo was to be next test. It was also to be my partner’s first ultra marathon.
Whilst Liz had done two trail marathons before, she would never describe herself as a committed trail runner and definitely was not a fan of technical or gnarly trails, whereas I’m happy to tackle tree roots, rock climbs and loose surfaces. Gozo was marketed as ideal for a first ultra with a 10 hour cut-off and support throughout the course.
We read the (sparse) Athlete Guide and became concerned when the link to the map didn’t work and the GPX file was for a different year with a different Start/Stop and with no markings about aid stations. I reassured Liz that it was an international event and I am sure it would all be sorted.
We arrived in Malta the week before, did a few runs beforehand, caught the ferry to Gozo to check the island out (Liz is from Malta but we weren’t sure where we were staying and the start line). All prepared, we went on the Friday to get a good night’s sleep and then start at 9am the following day.
It turned out the good night’s sleep was the first issue. The town becomes an open air nightclub from 7pm, a fact we were not aware of beforehand and even though the music stopped at midnight, the noise of people didn’t subside until 2am. I’d found my noise cancelling headphones and got a few hours of sleep, but not the amount I wanted. Nevertheless, I also knew the rest the day before was the critical time and wasn’t concerned.
Arriving at the start line we were informed that there were some course changes, that some red dots were not the right red dots (for course marking) and that if we got lost, just back track and find the new markers. Okay…
We set off and all went well. The course is beautiful, taking you on a circumnavigation of the island of Gozo with small detours inland, but the bulk of the trail being the edge of cliffs, via farmers’ fields and ancient tracks. At around 11km I came across the first aid station and refilled one water bottle. Progress had not been fast, but I wasn’t last and was making gains on some runners ahead of me. The station was on the corner spot in a small village and whilst not easy to spot, you could not not go past it and remain on course.
With full water bottles I ran off and made my first major error by missing one of the course changes, which wasn’t really a change, but the marking was very poor. I was now running with a small group of other runners and felt good. Hydration was good, the nausea that I’d come to expect wasn’t there and my pace was controlled and I was looking forward to a pleasant but long day.
And then it happened.
I have a reputation for being able to trip over my own shadow and I have the scars to prove it, but this was next level, even for me. I’d tripped on a loose rock and gone head, head and forearm down into the sharp stones, doing some major work on my left hand, right forearm and damage to my nose from the sunglasses being smashed into my face. Dazed and now very confused, fellow runners came to my aid, donated me their first aid (mine was in my pack but I was so confused I couldn’t explain where to look).
The race director was called and we then contacted the medical team for support. I came to fairly quickly and realised that my legs were fine, it was just my hands and arm that hurt (and did they hurt!). For the first time in my short career I recognised I needed proper help and worked with the medical team to rendezvous to receive treatment.
Whilst receiving attention, Liz came into view. Due to some issues with one of the aid stations, we swapped hydration and I said I was going to continue on, but I was going to stay with her until we got to Aid Station 2. We had no map where this station was, so we contacted Race Control to advise we were continuing and to make sure that the station remained available.
The next part of the course was a rock climb, hands and knees (my hands were average at this stage, so more like hand and knees). Liz was feeling sick so we made slow progress, always looking for the aid station. We could run, but by now we were both low on hydration and we wanted to make sure we re-filled before making further decisions.
Concerned that we hadn’t found the second aid station, there was a natural point where we could pull out and get back safely to our accommodation. This point was past where we expected the station to be based on distance and we weren’t prepared to go on.
One short bus ride back, we were showered and ready to call it a day on our little adventure. We learned a lot this trip.
Not all races are as well organised as you get here in Australia. The team in Malta did an excellent job with minimal resources, but up to date maps and GPX downloads with marked points of interest are essential, especially when and if things go wrong, they can go wrong in a big way.
For me, my first DNF was a disappointment, but I was doing this with Liz and to complete it without her would have been a hollow achievement. I’m not a professional athlete and this was supposed to be fun (even if it washard) and by the time we withdrew, it was no longer fun.
The opportunity to participate in these events is a privilege and I will never not be grateful that I have the means and capability to participate. To do so in a beautiful country with amazing people is just the icing on the cake, regardless of the result.
I recommend Malta as a holiday destination for it’s amazing landscapes, buildings, weather and wonderful people. Add it to your list of destinations and if you’re game, perhaps even the Gozo Ultra Trail (just make sure the map is updated!).
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