Transcript
Speaker: Hello and welcome back to the Peepersuit podcast. My name is James. I'm joined by Brodie for another preview, this time for the Grampian Peaks Trail 100 mile and fifty k which is also part of the World Trail Majors, the second last stop for the series.
Speaker: And once again, just like for roller coaster, we are joined by the amazing Sophie Broome. Thank you, Sophie, for coming back to do this with us again. Thanks for having me on again. I had a lot of fun going through the rollercoaster fields, so excited to go through this slightly more international field this time.
Speaker: Yeah, this is quite a different field compared to rollercoaster. It's quite fun seeing so many names that we haven't seen over here before and some that we have come back to it. Brody, how are you doing? Ready for another one?
Speaker: Yeah, pretty good. um Yeah, like you said, GPT's changed a little bit since I ran the fifty k in 2024. um Yeah, big field ah in both the 50K and the 100-mile field. Like, good good ah breadth of Australian runners, but also some, like, very good international runners coming across. So, it's very exciting. It is. would you say, for all of our previews, does this feel like the most international scene we've had? Oh, that's a good question. Versus UTA...
Speaker: Probably more internationals, less Australians than UTA um in terms of like the very best of the field. um I guess that's because you have less. ah You've only got the 50K and then nothing else, sort of one hundred k or less. So obviously 100 miles, different sort of racing. Maybe that's part of it. um Also, a lot of other Australian racers on this time of year. so But, yeah, I think from an international point of view, there's definitely, yeah, I think there's probably more big names than UTA attracted. And I guess you've got a weird question.
Speaker: I was just going to say with GPT, like i always have this chat. I think it's interesting because – It's so brutal that I just couldn't imagine there's only a certain number of people in Australia who are going to take it on. So the internationals don't know what they're getting in for. Yeah, well, I mean, like, they attract internationals each year, like, new international people each year, although we do have some returners this year.
Speaker: But, like, I just wonder, like, what are we in, like, the fourth or fifth the running of this this year? And, like, are we getting towards the, like, end of the...
Speaker: number of Aussie like runners at the very top of the field who were gonna who were gonna do it who were gonna tackle it um so maybe like more and more as time goes on we'll we'll see this trajectory continue where we have more international runners coming and maybe less Aussies because all the crazy ones have already done it I do think it's a sort race you do once and never do again so I think so that's what I've heard most people say yeah This has really started off well as an advertisement for going and doing GPT. You're going to be so scarred, you're never going to go back. right
Speaker: i I do think it's interesting, obviously, see being a World Trailman major as part of the series, people that are able to and willing to come down under to race. We're seeing that that there is quite a few people that are doing their second race here, or maybe they're going for what they might seem see as a relatively easy podium or even win to get some more points for that series, hence the internationals. But it is curious that we, as you'll get to in the...
Speaker: previews we have so few runners i do think this year is impacted a lot by the asian pacific champs as well and how the 50k doesn't fall into that that your no you know doesn't fall into the window brady can you confirm is it three weeks yeah i believe i think so i think the fifty k is maybe be just okay you could do it yeah don't quote me on that But it's still, it's pretty close when you're putting all your eggs in that basket and being a 50K that takes even for the top men four and a half hours. Like it's not a fast one. So that tougher terrain, bit more to recover. We historically have seen some pretty tough conditions as well. So it could be a trickier one to do. So yeah, I do think that is impacting it. And then...
Speaker: we don't have that many technical trails over here. So Cosby probably looks a lot more appealing to a number of races. So it is ah it it is an interesting one and it it will be curious to see how that changes over the next few years if this just does become something that we get the top of the elite side international, but we don't really get the domestic scene, which i know for you guys, you're both, well, Sophie, I'll go to you because you're more relevant than Brody is right now. i don't mean that in a mean way, Brody. No way.
Speaker: Is it enticing for you? Like obviously you were planning just to to to start the race, but aren't going to be. But knowing that it's going to be these internationals, is that something that entices you onto the race regardless of the terrain? Definitely, yeah. I mean, I'm not really too two put off by the terrain for the 50K. I was signed up to the 50K this year, but I'm um dealing with some footniggles. just like it's such an unforgiving course that it's yeah not one to...
Speaker: go in too lightly so um I've wanted to do this every year it's been on but it just hasn't quite lined up with other things and I thought this year would definitely be um the time to do it but um yeah I mean it's not really often you have UTA um in May when you get to line up with good international fields but um this field it's always really competitive and it's a good opportunity to race, um, really competitive fields in Australia. So, um, yeah, I think for the 50 K I'm definitely intrigued and i i do love the addition of the 33 and the 14 this year. and I think that just adds another, um, slightly more approachable race for people to do.
Speaker: yeah, the miler is and not on my radar at the moment. I think I've never run a miler so I think it just I would need a little bit more or I would want to have a bit more experience I think and before going into this one. I just have done all the bits of the course individually and I just can't quite see how I could put them all together in one go at the moment so yeah um respect for everybody everybody who does it because it's a huge challenge but I mean like an amazing challenge as well and um really something that everybody who even starts it should be really proud of themselves for doing that
Speaker: Definitely. I think it's one of those courses where we don't we we still don't have that many milers in the country and not that many that are run at this sort of scale as well. So it is something that entices people to do as the first one because they maybe have come through the single track event ranks and they this is the one they want to take on. Obviously, they now have Alpine Challenge, but very different vibe. But it is it's it's ah it's a tricky one.
Speaker: And you might think, oh, it's not at altitude. It's not for a mile of that much elevation. It's still a decent amount, but it's not crazy for what it could be. But yeah, the conditions, the terrain, there's some pretty slow-moving sections out there, which means that yeah what might might take you 30 hours could take you 40 very easily if you have have even just a small rough patch. So with that glowing review for the easy and ease of this course,
Speaker: um Let's move forward. So we're going to start with the 50K courses. Just had a quick look. Weather's looking nice. Obviously, as you said, this has historically been a bit up and down with the weather. I think last year was the most stable, albeit still warm, but not nothing crazy.
Speaker: Kind of looks like that this year, Thursday for the 50k, highs of 15, lows of 5 in Halls Gap. A bit damp this week, which would probably quite nice for the trail condition, but nothing bad, like nothing much either. um And the only thing that I can see really is the humidity is high, which, yeah. We feel like we're getting more and more used to that now, but is a clear consideration given that we're still still coming out of winter and into this. And a a lot of us from the Southern Hemisphere aren't used to this these conditions yet.
Speaker: Let's start off with the women's fields. And we've got a nice mix here of domestic and international. Brodie, looking at the international names, who's the first one that jumps out to you? Yeah, look, there's a there's ah definitely some good runners coming from overseas. I think the one that jumps out at me is around my Buddha. She is a very good runner from Nepal. And like, I'm not exactly across all of her results of all time, I'm not sure what her best one is, but she's definitely Um, probably the, the biggest, would she be the, um, would she be the biggest threat in this field? She was first recently at the Vietnam mountain marathon 50 K. So that was also one of the world, ah world trail major races. Um, so yeah, I think she's probably the one that I got my eye on the most. Um, yeah, not sure if you had any other thoughts on that one.
Speaker: Sophie, anything to... Yeah, she oh she's definitely definitely going to be one to watch. um I think um I was using the UTMB index to kind of put a little bit of context onto some of these international runners. And Hanoka Akiyama has the highest UTMB index, I think, from all the female international runners. So and she's going to be another one to watch. But um yeah obviously Ramayabuda coming over from Nepal is going to be ah definitely going to be a factor um I think Hanoka was over for Tara Wira and just ran sub 13 hours at CCC as well so um as long as she's um recovered well from that effort in Chamonix recently I think she'll um she'll go really well
Speaker: Yeah, Ran Mai is an interesting one. see She's only actually been on the scene of what I can tell in the last two years. She does have a ah result on it back in 2019, but it's really been 2025 and 2026. And I'd say in terms of level, either her win at Hong Kong hundred fifty k or Vietnam Mountain Marathon, part of the World Trail Majors,
Speaker: what, last month, to two months ago now, I guess certainly in November, so September, would definitely be standouts. But her sister is one of the the best in the world, Sumaya. So she has good good genes and clearly is the the younger sister, new into the sport. What I'm expecting for her is almost every race, she just takes another level and another level and another level, getting a bit more experience. But Sophie, I do agree. To me, Honoka Akiyama is going to be the one that I think is going to be taking it out.
Speaker: definitely has ah from the international side of things is it is definitely has the most experience and at like the high level of internationals like her 12th at uh world mountain in the long trail it's very impressive from that like and we know how hard last year was from a terrain perspective so she's going to think gpt's flat road race but it is going to be fun to see how you got like the likes the likes of of herself who's very experienced you have sort of the the fresher Ranma coming into it um and then our Australian contingency as well. But before I get to the Australian contingency, the other name that I'm curious to see is Ivana from Slovakia.
Speaker: Someone i would say that looks like when... when she has a good day, she could be right up there. Recently in 18th at OCC, seventh at Leverado, is previously podiumed there back in 2024.
Speaker: This was like a top 30 finish at both Golden Trail World Series finals and also World Mountain Short and the Euro Off-Road Trail 50K. So sort of in in that...
Speaker: near the top end internationally, but that kind of top 30 ballpark, which probably is just behind on paper where Honoka is. And I think potentially where Ramire is, and that will also put her in a similar ballpark to especially our, yeah, ah the top of Australia.
Speaker: don't know if you guys got anything to add to that, Sophie? Yeah. No, i think you summed it up pretty well there, actually. and James, that was really good. i don't have too much more insight on Ivana either. um Yeah, it definitely looks like both and her and Ramayabuda are, like, sort of specialised in this sort of, like, 50K distance and particularly, like, those really tough 50K races. yeah.
Speaker: This might be like right, yeah, right in their sort of sweet spot um with Honoka being sort of like more, there's ah definitely a lot more sort of 100Ks and 100 milers on her resume. So um yeah, I think it'll be very interesting between them. One additional note, Honoka Akiyama is running Asia Pacific Champs in three weeks, I guess that is. um Cool. After the race. Must be bang on three weeks, maybe three weeks in a day. um So, yeah, she's the one that is because Renmaier would be eligible, but I don't think she's on the list. um So...
Speaker: Yeah, just an interesting little knuckle, although the Japanese runners are pretty good at running lots of times. Yeah, don't it's going to face her. I'm sure she'll that fine. don't think she'll be holding any punches. No. But yeah, it's exciting to have those three very sort of high-quality runners coming across.
Speaker: But also, like, it's nice having that level. Like, whilst they're really, really good, um the Australian level is increasing, and it's sort of getting to the level where these sort of runners are the ones that maybe we can – we can sort of throw some punches with, especially when you've got someone like Lucy Buffall and you're towing the start line. Yes. And I just had to look at Hanaka also did age specifics in 24, which granted is a while ago now, but for reference, she finished seven minutes ahead of Patricia McGibbon. It's Trish. So for a bit of sort of reference, I think some of her more recent results have said that she's definitely stepped forward in that. The only other thing I had to add, which is just going back through my notes is that Ivana,
Speaker: Something that found interesting was that she has essentially never raced outside of Europe. And I think you can't underestimate the challenge of coming down to Australia, long haul flights, getting used to that time zone change.
Speaker: Even when you're here for week, it's still like you spend the first three days, four days recovering. It's harder to come this way. So I do think that could be could be a challenge. And that's actually and another half for a few runners that this does look like their first time going definitely to Australia, but doing the bigger international races.
Speaker: That's so true. Yeah. I think about how I felt going the other way and going over to Europe and yeah, even after a week over there. And think it is a little bit easier to travel in that direction. So um yeah, it will be interesting to see how they go. I don't know when these guys have arrived. um i know that a few of them have landed into Melbourne sort of this week. So um yeah it's not a lot of time to adjust to get over the jet lag um i think they say you need one day for every time zone that you travel um so i actually don't know anymore how many time zones it is between here and and where well japan maybe not so bad ah but slovakia definitely
Speaker: um And as well, it's it's just this course is so unique that if you haven't had a lot of time over here to get eyes on it because you're in a taper when you arrive and you're over jet lag and things like that um that, that will definitely present another challenge and hopefully give our Aussie athletes a little bit of a leg up as well.
Speaker: That is actually a good point. Brody, you've done the whole 50K in a ah race. When you think about the sections of the course, you've got ah Mount Zero to Guard Trailhead, Guard Trailhead to Mount Difficult, Mount Difficult to Halls.
Speaker: What sort of runner suits each of those sections and how might you think about that favoring different types of athletes, different experiences? Yeah, the first section is... i I would say fairly runnable overall. um It's not very, it's not too hilly undulating at best. um And most of, there's a the more portion than any other part in the race that you're running on actual flat single track. um There is still sections where you're running across sloped bare rock, which is generally in the 50K, even compared to other parts of the Grampians is the
Speaker: is the sort of character of the first 50K of this course is that it is a lot of cambered granite slabs you're running on. um You do that a little bit further later on in the Grampians, but the character of the trails actually changes a bit. But in that first section, it's a bit more runnable. um So I would say that, yeah, it it lends itself to... If someone's fit enough, it lends themselves to actually...
Speaker: get going a little bit. Um, like theoretically you could run too hard, although I think the terrain would be pretty hard, uh, to run too hard cause it's sort of so windy and, and that sort of thing. So I think it, it, it lends itself maybe to the more runnable, ah athlete. Then the second section is that is, is, is the sloped granite section.
Speaker: i have, uh, bad memories of that section because it is also if this is warm it's like an oven because you're very exposed and you're up high there's nothing to shield you between the rock but the sun bouncing directly onto you but then also reflecting off the rocks back onto you um and there's a lot of cambered run running on um granite there as well or running on the rocks um There's also probably the biggest climb of the course at the start of that section. um The climb is generally fairly easy. um It's not the hardest climb. As the Grampians go, then the climbs aren't crazy, but it is the most significant climb probably in the course.
Speaker: um But yeah, I think the fifty k is less characterized by the climbs and more about the actual sort of technicality of the terrain, and that section is is the hardest. So it will probably...
Speaker: lend itself to more of the technical runner and then the last section is about probably who's most durable who's managed to sort of keep it together enough because you can actually run pretty fast once you get over the first little hill um and then you sort of descend off that it's a bit technical once you drop cross the road and you drop off like the face uh back down towards hills holes gap it's runnable single track mostly like I think ah I ran it in the stage race and I was probably running I don't know the exact speed but it'd be sub four minute K's along there for sure um so if you've got legs that's a place that you can make up time it's also if you're struggling like I was in 2024 it's a place you can lose a lot of time um on other people so um yeah that's probably the the rundown of the three parts Sophie, you've done from Gar to the finish. Is anything you'd add to Brody's analysis there?
Speaker: I would agree, Brody, about not being afraid to bank maybe a little bit of time at the beginning. I would never usually say that about a fifty k ah But when I have run this course in and in the past – it's just so hard to express your fitness on this trail because you're never really running at a speed that um is, you know, like maximizing your, um your fitness and letting you express that. So because it's so technical and in places and I think it really lends itself to the durable runner. Like it, it moves your feet and your legs and and your body in just such a,
Speaker: and unique way and like ah yeah I remember we we ran this a few weeks ago as a bit of a training run and I like my core was so sore by the end of it like I was just just yeah holding myself in such a different way than I would usually so I think the durability factor is definitely important but not being afraid to just like um yeah get moving on the the first section you'll probably even recover just a little bit on the section in the middle where it's a bit more technical um and then yeah kind of send it down into Hall's Gap after you um cross Mount difficult um road um but yeah and then i think one other thing to just be wary of um maybe doesn't affect some of the guys who are up at the front but
Speaker: There is a significant section of this course, I think, that has really limited water. I know they hike in um a bit of water. um And last year, it was restricted to just one bottle potentially each. and So worthwhile just checking that out before you start, and especially for those guys who think they're going to be out for a bit of a long day um because yeah that it's it's really minimal water on some of those sections so you've got a stock up at the gar trailhead um don't get caught out because um know a few people who've been on the aid stations up there and it can be a little bit chaotic yeah like that section for the for the leaders is taking two hours if not more um so if you extrapolate that out and and and you're doubling the time of the
Speaker: of the um of the leaders or even more than then you're going to be out on that section for four hours. And it's like I said, that's that that was the oven in the year I did it. It was exposed. It was tough. um carry more it's it's hard because you like you start that climb essentially like you so you leave the first aid station with a big climb and like people be hesitant to pick up lots of fluid um but i think if you if you're yeah especially the mid to back of the pack you you got to take it because it's it's going to be a long stretch between there and your next water stop I think it's a great point. And i tend to say if if you're umming and ahhing about whether you should take a bit more water, just take the water.
Speaker: Like even even when you're you are racing at the front, I've just got some of the splits up from last year. And in the women's race, Fuzhou who won, her splits didn't work. So I've got Lucy who she was second. And it took her two hours, 23 minutes to go from Gar to Mount Difficult. But then it was still another 80 minutes to get to the finish.
Speaker: So you've still got a lot of running to go in that section. And that's where Lucy actually went from first to second as well in there. yeah When you look at the men's, it's the same similar story in the sense that Peter Frano went from having quite a decent lead seven minutes over Dan Jones. to ending up only having two minutes by the finish and Dan was running the stage race so if you look after yourself early there is a lot of time to be made up so if you're right at the front that's a a good thing to remember but if you're mid back of the pack like make the decisions that look after yourself for that last bit and don't just kind of be death marching it in which definitely can happen with the level of exposure and the type of terrain that's out there and dehydration is not fun
Speaker: Yeah, definitely. And actually, i always get lulled into a false sense of security on this course that once I get to the Mount Difficult Road intersection where the aid station is, that I'm going to start going downhill into Halls Gap. And you absolutely don't.
Speaker: it's still a significant amount of time before you start the descent and like i'm i'm surprised actually james he said it's 80 minutes from there to the finish for the leaders but um yeah there's still a significant amount of running still to do between the aid station and the start of the downhill it's pretty technical in that little section once you cross the road still so it's not the quickest ah moving terrain. um So yeah, just don't get too frustrated that you're not already on your way home just yet.
Speaker: No, firm for reference, so you passed Mount Difficult A station at 35k, you keep climbing to 37 a half, sorry, and a half.
Speaker: drop for a little bit but you don't you then do a bit more climbing all the way to 41 and a half k before then dropping down to about 49 to the finish so there is a lot still going on after that point and it's not completely smooth underfoot either for that whole downhill section despite brodie being able to run nice and fast it is it is not necessarily easy going it's not three k's from that point um so no it's a as we said it's a it's a challenging course it it means that you do have to look after yourself. You do have to pace yourself, but you also have think about where you might be able to bank a bit of time, bank a bit of energy, because you know that you're going to be moving a bit slower.
Speaker: Going forwards, that was a bit of an aside on the course, but hopefully that has been helpful to anybody that is going to be taking this event on or is curious about it. Brody, you've already mentioned one of the female ladies from Australia in the field, Lucy Bartholomew. Obviously, we know Lucy very well. Second place, as I said, here last year in a really impressive time.
Speaker: she's doing the same thing in the sense of roller coaster, granted a different distance, into four peaks, into GPT. Do you think we're going to see that same level that we did last year from Lucy this year? I guess so. It's like i'd use that I would say like on paper, I'd be like, no.
Speaker: It surprised me last year how well she ran, to be honest. Because she came off four peaks and she came off roller coaster and there she ran the 46th. Um, so I wasn't expecting her to run that well and she ran really well. So I, I can stop.
Speaker: I should stop getting surprised by Lucy backing up. Um, so I'm assuming yes. Um, this time she's done a marathon, then rollercoaster, then four peaks, um, four peaks finishes two days before this race, which I thought was a questionable choice last time, but look, she pulled it off. So, yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, i'm i I'm fully expecting her to at least fight for it, whether she holds it and maybe the the durability piece plays out. But Lucy is pretty durable. So, um yeah, I think she's probably probably going to be there. I do think the marathon bit is a ah a change in in this build that you really can't underestimate. that Like the recovery of a road marathon is very different to the recovery of the trail marathon, especially one that looks like Felicia did start fast and slow down. So that's a pretty, the recovery of that sort of positive split is always trickier as well than ah than a race that's gone a bit more smoothly. So, but and and I know ah ah know day one of
Speaker: four peaks this year's lucy was a few minutes maybe four minutes five minutes off her time from last year currently trying to find the get the results up for this year's one uh sorry for the for for day two but yeah i think we've we've learned to never bet against lucy as you said a marathon might be part of it but she did run paris marathon about three weeks before she ran transvolcano earlier this year and came second so she also ran that one fairly hard yeah but she wasn't doing that one like she wasn't doing Paris off the back of a miler like I think that's that's ah that's an extra element I think she did Paris off the back of like a 200k 8 day training period or something yeah but yeah but yes i it's different to doing 100 mile race I get you yeah yeah
Speaker: Yeah, I think um I would love to see Lucy do really well here. I think I would love to see um one of the Aussies and claim this victory. um i love it when, you know, the internationals come over and the Aussies really hold their own. So i' would love to see her go well. I just um raced against her at Rollercoaster And she was tired. and She was, you know, she was a literally ah like she's human. She was a week after Melbourne Marathon and and only a few more weeks removed from an amazing performance at UTMB.
Speaker: um So and then she seems to be on a bit of a rinse and repeat from last year where she went roller coaster into four peaks. um and then into GPT and then into Kosciuszko. So maybe we'll see Lucy at Kosciuszko this year as well. I do love it that she kind of comes back and just has fun and just like wants to be sort of part of it and part of the community. And um so I do really like to see that. But she was...
Speaker: tired roller coaster and i saw she took a bit of a fall on the way down from mount buffalo on the first day of four peaks so she had a big knee sort of like gash in her knee looks like she's recovered fine from that she was first up feather top yesterday and first up hotham today although i do think um there's a bit of attrition in four peaks as the weekend goes on, like people have to get back to work and stuff. So sometimes people will just go and do the first two events and then and there's a few less in the later events. But um yeah, i I think it could go sort of ah either way for Lucy this weekend. i would love, love, love to see her do well and really think obviously she has the capacity to run super fast on this course. Yeah. She has so much course experience having done the majority of the miler a couple of years ago and then an amazing time in 5.15. And she also ran the 50k the first year as well. So she's really, you know, done a lot. She's always on the training camp as well. So she knows this course at the back of her hand, but
Speaker: It's just such a toss up. You just don't know how your body is going to recover from these things. and If anyone can do it, she can. But let's see. Yes. And I've found 2025's result from day three, which is up to up up on a core spur.
Speaker: And she matched her time this year to last year. So that's a good sign that A, her knee isn't getting in the way and B, she's in a similar shape and almost getting stronger as the days go past. So yes, no, we've definitely gone past our days of betting against Lucy. Not that we ever want to bet against Lucy, but it's hard when you see a training racing density that we're not used to. She tries to get bet against her with the amount of running she does. And running down Buffalo, that's unnecessary. You don't need to run down Buffalo. You can drive down Buffalo.
Speaker: I'm pretty sure she did the same thing last year as well. It's just a big training weekend for her. She tries to get us to bet against her, but this time I'm not falling for it. I reckon she'll be in the mix. She'll definitely put herself in the mix to start with. Yeah, anxiety exactly. She'll put herself there. So fingers crossed. Other women we have in the field, Sarah Levitt is a name that I'm really excited to see re come down to race GPT. I think this terrain does really suit her. This distance really suits her. We've seen some good races from Sarah this year with a fourth at Hounslow and a ninth at UTA 50, but I think there's a bit more in there for her um i don't think she has been down before so again when we're comparing it to say the likes of lucy it's definitely is an advantage to know this course as we just said there isn't there is some intricacies with pacing it and understanding where to push and pull on the terrain but there's also lot of information out there um obviously you have the podcast that listening to right now but there's also
Speaker: single track do a good job of putting out some course info which hopefully can mitigate that but yeah I'm i'm very excited to see how she goes and then a lady who we've kind of seen coming back more recently is Meg Bullen or Meg Coffey think it was her previous name um who is our winner of UTA Milo 2025 and which was an incredibly good performance back then. I'm not sure what sort of shape Meg is in at the the moment. I know she's of been training well, has done some local races, but they don't look or done a local race sort of August. um I don't know if that was all out for her. I would say that it's off off where she's been if it was or if it was a bit more fun, then definitely there's some more in the tank. But
Speaker: yeah the the Megazara addition to this field I think will be great to see how that plays out yeah I agree yeah I agree um James I think um just that UTA Myla performance just really made a statement after she hadn't run for a couple of years um or had hadn't raced I mean for for a couple of years so she made a big statement coming back with that win at UTA Myla and then um that's just ah such a tough tough myla to do it in the blue mountains so she can obviously and yeah she can obviously suffer so hopefully um we'll see make have a good day and similarly with um sarah levitt as well um i think probably the blue mountains terrain does cross over quite well with the grampians so um
Speaker: Hopefully Sarah will have a good day too. Brody, anything to add? No, no. I think that covers it. Like I agree that the terrain, if anywhere, is similar. um being Being able to run in the Blue Mountains and and sort of cover that terrain is is ah somewhat ah relevant, I think. um And, yeah, one other person, I don't know if you're about to mention her as well, but Jay Bucklow, is she still running? Or have I missed that she's pulled?
Speaker: Yeah, no, she's still running. No, she's running. yeah Yeah, so Jade has run a lot of races, I guess, mostly in Victoria, but she's run quite a bit um over the last few years, a lot of different races and got a lot of like podiums or just off the podiums. But ah ah probably the main thing to note with Jade is her most of her races have probably been on more runnable type terrain. So she's done surf coast, roller coaster, cosy, lot of those races, maybe little bit more runnable. Buffaloes.
Speaker: Probably a bit more technical, but I'd still put that more in ah in a more runnable sense. It's maybe just mountainous runnable. um So, yeah, I think that'll be the main challenge for Jay, but she'll definitely be adding some quality to this field.
Speaker: Yeah, and Jade is originally from Cape Town. So she I think she's just spent the last but little while training over there on Table Mountain. So hopefully... That looks pretty relevant. she's got the technical down at the moment. Yeah, she's got her eye in over in Cape Town and she's coming back to apply it to GPT, I think.
Speaker: um so excited we have to ask her i wonder how uh i wonder how much cambered running there is in cape town obviously world champs is in cape town next year so maybe the grampians will be a good place to train the opposite way for people who are going to um cape town yeah yeah agreed she's definitely um definitely the one to to talk to about um running in cape town It's it's definitely a result I would be looking at if you're looking at potential trail specificity to to Cape Town, looking the other way, obviously with KMR in there as well. But I think it's it's also, if you if you were able to do this, say you're not going to Asia Pacifics and it does work for you, this feels like a good lead up race for KMR. But that is an aside.
Speaker: I think for me, guys, that's all the ladies that I've got my eye on for podium potential in this race. Sophie, anyone else that's caught your eye? No, that was everybody I picked out as well.
Speaker: Brody? Yeah, yeah, that was, I'm sure there's others in there. If we've missed you, I'm sorry. But um yeah, that's who's jumping out. I'd hope by now people know that if we miss you, it is not intentional and we love to be surprised by a name that we haven't heard before.
Speaker: Yeah, it's great. It's it's it's a good feeling. Okay, men 50k. For me, the the first thing jumps out to me, because I'm excited to see what he'll do when he's not doing the whole stage race, is Dan Jones. As we said last year, 4.31 on this course, which aside from Peter Frano, who's also back, was is now the second fastest time, but he did that closing a gap, as I said earlier, by about five minutes in the final section. Dan then went on to run three more days and the rest of the 100-mile track. So it's You obviously going year to year, you're not sure the the shape, but it looks like he's been training well. Recent sixth at CCC, which is such a like the the competitive depth of that race is incredible. Obviously, all the UTMB finals are, but...
Speaker: yeah without Without having to put any brakes on and think about the next few days, which I'm assuming he he had to at least have a little bit of self-preservation last year to manage backing it up. It's going to be really interesting to see how fast he can go. i did ask Billy Curtis, who we're going to talk about in a sec. He thinks 4.18 to win, which would be pretty impressive. I think if the conditions look favourable,
Speaker: then hey, you never know. But yeah, whether it's quite that fast or or not, I think Dan is for me, the person i'm I'm expecting to see out the front, pushing the pace and and hopefully bringing the the rest of the guys with him, but really taking charge.
Speaker: sophie you're nodding away as i speak there you agree with those points i definitely agree i do think dan is um dan's probably the favorite coming in after such a amazing performance last year just two minutes behind last year's winner um and we all know his pedigree um he's just yeah so strong um peter frano coming and back over from Slovakia as well he ran 429 I just would love I just I'm so curious where Billy's pulled 418 like it's 11 minutes faster than Peter ran last year I mean like he has course knowledge this time the conditions can be different but i just I really want to know where he's pulled that from where are they gonna I'm just curious
Speaker: to understand where they could find 10 minutes and on the course. Like I'd love to hear what they thought of it last year. and Maybe Peter will pace it a little bit better if he did lose a lot of time and to Dan in that last section. um And then you've also got last year's third place coming back as well. Riccardo Borgiali is back over from Italy. So full men's podium from last year coming back, which is really exciting.
Speaker: It is a different Riccardo. Oh, is it? Churta last year, think. Churta, yeah. Just another Italian Riccardo. You know, their intro indexes are probably very similar because there's so many good Italians. Yeah, well, he's he's a good good pedigree. with They have a lot of good Riccardo trail runners in Italy that's good. Yeah. Yeah, they definitely come out strong there. But it's, yeah, it is interesting with Peter. I think that, to me, that time, I think it can come with conditions. It can obviously come with course knowledge. i think if if we do look at how Dan did close that gap, it would suggest that if he was racing, maybe there's at least five minutes in there. So then now we're talking...
Speaker: 24, 25, 26, year fitter, a year stronger. um Yeah, I guess it's it's, I think to run that time, it's going to take someone to be with him or somebody to take it out hotter than say Dan would want to take it out and then he just has to keep up and push forward and that's assuming that Dan's the person that that is to do that but I think it's going to need somebody to go okay I'm making this aggressive from the gun like I'm I'm going to choose pain here and go straight up the slab that GPT starts with full noise and let's just see what happens but Brady we also we mentioned a couple of names we can go deeper into Ricardo as well but who's who's your your eye being drawn to here
Speaker: Yeah, I guess just quickly on the the times, like I think last year, I don't know, James, exactly what time we predicted, but I feel like maybe it was 420 to 425. I'd be surprised if they go sub 420. I think there is a limit, the speed you can run on this course just because of the trails.
Speaker: i'm I'm assuming Billy's got into the details of it, so maybe we should trust his 418, but... Yeah, there's an argument Peter maybe it wasn't pushed as much last year and therefore there wasn't that competitive element and maybe with that he could have run a little bit quicker or they did slow down. um Yeah, my guess is around the low 420s rather than under but um I'm willing to be surprised um with Peter and Dan running. I know Peter's not afraid to sort of put himself out there. He was at the front running at the front of CCC a few years ago. um
Speaker: he yeah he definitely will be out there and Dan Dan has sort of shown to sort of push hard from the front at UTO the last couple of years in Australia um so I think those two will be going quick and then you throw in a couple of others like uh Koken Ogasawara from Japan he has some very good results over the last few years um I don't know the best one, but he was second at the Asia Pacific champs back in 2024. That probably wasn't the most competitive field. Like I think Koken's good. um
Speaker: I think you were sort of saying that Billy has him picked as maybe the winner. I'd be surprised to be honest. If it was him, I would have thought he might be maybe a step down from that, but he is a very quality athlete. He was 14th at the Golden Trail Series in 2017. in Japan recently. He's had some other fantastic results across the years. So I think he will definitely challenge and he will. My guess is he will go out with the Japanese runners, not all of them, but a lot of them have been known to sort of go hard from the gun. So I wouldn't be surprised if he's at the front and then Yeah, Ricardo, the other Ricardo. He will have some points on his mind. I think he's – we haven't really talked about how the points play out for this, but maybe when we talk about Billy, we can. But he's got one – believe is it one result in the World Trail Majors? Yeah, he's the biggest at the moment. Yeah.
Speaker: and he and he came second there. So if he gets another so if he gets another podium, he can get... and and And the closer is to first, the better. um The top five of the overall series get cash. So I'm sure he's sort of...
Speaker: thinking about that if he gets himself another second place he'd be equal with Billy in the overall series um so I'm sure he will be he's not just here to be a participant he's here fighting for a for points um so my guess is he will he will also be in the mix um I guess they're the they're the big overseas ones and then and then Billy Curtis I think for other of obviously some other Australians as well but for Billy if we're talking about the world trail majors like he's got some skin in the game with that in terms of if he can get himself some points here, he can he can but do really well in the overall because he's sitting third at the moment. So going on Kochen, Billy's reference, because I said to him when he told me that Kochen was the one he has his eye on, I said, what am I missing here? Because he looks like a really a really good runner and some of his results, especially on the more technical terrain, do look impressive. But
Speaker: despite how we are saying this is a technical race, in the grand schemes of technicality, it's actually not that crazy. And so i thought I think if you're relying on your technical skills as an international level athlete, this probably isn't technical enough to really let that shine through. And if you guys disagree, please do. But the race that he told me he said He said, actually, check out his Strava file. So if you need to get an idea of Billy Curtis, that's his his level of analysis. um He's pretty all over it.
Speaker: He raced at the Gorge Waterfalls, which is a race put on by Free Trail and Daybreak Racing over in the States. Earlier this year, he did the fifty k And you'll need to have an understanding of American trail running to kind of get this reference. But Koken won the race in 3.40. Anthony Costales, 3.48. David Norris, 3.56. Liam Miro, 3.57. Jacob Banter, 3.58.
Speaker: So those names I've just said are some of the best trail runners in the States at the moment, especially Anthony Casales, Liam Myra at the 50k distance, they all are. um and even that's ah And that's a pretty fast runnable course with some technicality to it.
Speaker: And a fifty k in 340 is always fast, regardless of the the technical terrain. So that also doesn't show up on ITRA or UTMB, hence why a little bit tricky to see it. So potentially, he could be the one that we're not looking at, that we should be looking at.
Speaker: I think what you said earlier Brody about the typical racing style of the Japanese, which is go out fast and hold on until you can't would suit perfectly for us seeing a fast race that if you're Dan and Peter and maybe Billy, if he's feeling curious, just follow and keep going until coconut either breaks you or you're able to get past him as as he slows in that final section. But It's definitely going to add a ah fun element to the spectator side of this.
Speaker: Yeah, definitely. The is Oh, sorry, you go, Sophie. oh sorry you guys sophe and I was just going to say he he was kind of one of my um ah like UTMB DNF pivot athletes. There's like a few athletes in this field who like were at UTMB in August, didn't have a great day, DNF'd and then probably went home and was like, what else is on this year that's going to be competitive and and maybe I can make a little bit of money and stuff. So he had a DNF
Speaker: OCC but then I just looked and he's already run 100k between then and now so and he's already done his UTMB pivot race and now he's back ah on form Brody. Yeah. He's like a couple of things. I think like GPT is not necessary necessary it's not your sort of traditional technicality in the 50K at least in terms of that sort of like really slow terrain, but it is more of what um it is more of what Sophie said in terms of it's that unevenness the entire way that challenges your running in a different way. And if you don't normally do a lot of that type of running,
Speaker: you might be less good at it in general plus less able to ah be durable over the whole distance. And maybe that's where... Not that Peter's run it before. um Dan has also run it before. But maybe this is like if if he is a good technical runner or he's used to running on terrain that does throw him around a little bit, this does... He may be good in that. But like you said, he's yeah he's quick as well. um He seems to be the sort of runner who has...
Speaker: a fantastic day and then some really average days. Um, so I think that fits with the, maybe he goes, goes out and some of them stick and some of them don't like that gorge waterfalls. Looks like it definitely stuck. stock Um, he's run another race. I think actually i was looking at a head to head with him and Billy. In 2025 in Japan, so in on his home soil, um he was about, it was a 30k race and he was about a minute behind Rui Ueda, who's arguably one of the best Japanese ah ah athletes of all time and very good on that sort of terrain. And he was 10 minutes ahead of Billy over two hours, 52. So like Billy is also a different athlete to what he was then, but it does show that in the right races and the right terrain and when it sticks, um he's going to be in the mix, I think.
Speaker: Definitely. And I'm sure Billy would like us to point out the fact that he did also beat him by 23 minutes. Billy beat Kogan in Cozzy in 2023. So currently it's four one apiece.
Speaker: So we see how that went. Yeah, I reckon did they also run Asia Pacific? So maybe Kogan got that one. Oh, yes. it's 2-1. Yeah. 2-1. yeah two one sorry See how this little mini rivalry now created. Yeah. So I think, and speaking of Billy, obviously so we may mentioned his name or not a lot. From the Australian side, he's definitely the name that has the potential to fight up close with these guys, at least for a significant part of the race.
Speaker: He, on his trip down, as he moves from Queensland to Tassie, he did stop off in Halls Gap and look at the core. So he understands what he's going into. This is the sort of terrain that he thrives on.
Speaker: He's currently standing third in the World Trail Majors short series. He does need to win to improve his score. So that's a pretty hard thing to do And he'd be the first admit when you look at his Vietnam results and his Madeira results, yes, they were seconds, but there was a decent gap to first. So think it would, and you guys can completely correct me if I'm wrong, i think be unfair to expect Billy to be up fighting against Dan and Kogan all the way to the end.
Speaker: But I am really curious to see how he's going to do and how close he can get himself. And we also have the historic times of Thomas Banks in here as well. He had a great run last last year to sort of see where that falls. And from memory, Thomas was about 436, I think. Yeah, I've just got it up because that's what I was using as my... comparison piece to figure out where Billy fits in this for and Thomas Banks is for a 38 and I think previously to that Mikey Demiantis had run about 436 437 so a two Aussie sort of benchmarks
Speaker: Yeah. so I think if you're if you're Billy coming in, that's definitely where I've got my sights. I would say that Thomas and Mikey, like when Mikey put that run in, we were all kind of taken away from it. I think Thomas' has run last year, we had a feeling something might be there and then he just went off in a big way and really made us pay attention.
Speaker: I think this terrain, the form Billy's on, the way he's been training at the moment, and just like you see how happy he seems down in Tassie, just playing around in the mountains. And and he obviously is is structured in that play as well. But yeah, i I think for Billy, I would be thinking if I can get somewhere into that 4.30 realm, I would have a very, very good day. And I would definitely be eyeing off Mikey and Thomas' times as like, cool, that's my that's my benchmark. That's the Australian standard. But let's see how how much I can let these other guys pull me forward as well.
Speaker: My guess he runs low-flow 30s. Yeah, I think Billy can probably go into this race feeling like he really doesn't have anything to lose like he and and a lot to gain. like He's up against some of these like legends in the sport, Dan Jones, last year's winner, Koken, who is obviously a really, really high-caliber athlete.
Speaker: He's... second in sorry he's third in the in the series and needs a win to improve so he's already kind of cemented his performance in the series um so probably really doesn't he's like in a new period of life living in tassie um you know committed to training over there and that goes hand in hand probably with this race so um i don't see why he can't just you know go and have a good crack at it and um He's always got cosy in a few weeks anyway if it doesn't if it goes pear-shaped. Exactly. Yeah, yeah my my guess is he'll go low 330s if not, I mean, 430s if not into the 420s. Like I think he has, I think on the best days of those other athletes, he'll hard to compete. But on their not-so-best days and Billy's best day, I think he can compete. um And I also think he's in the mix for the top three for sure. And I think to get top three, you probably have to run under 30 and I think he's capable of that like he's run the I don't know it was sort of ah a result that went under the radar a little bit when he came back from Europe but he ran the Yandina 50 race 1438 meters similar to I guess the Gorge Waterfalls and he ran that in 353 super fast like he was absolutely moving and
Speaker: Billy as an athlete, I would have said, is less good at the really runnable stuff, more good at the technical stuff where there is more challenge in terms of the terrain changing. So I think this, whilst this course might not be his perfect race, I think it does suit him relatively well. And I think when Mikey ran it, he ran without a watch. He ran by himself. um the conditions weren't super good. They weren't bad, but they weren't super good. um Thomas is a fantastic athlete, had a great run last year, but I just think Billy might be, yeah, he might be in the spot to to to run under 430. I agree.
Speaker: And the mullet is bigger now as well, so that's always going to be an advantage. Yeah, and he's picked up a new sponsor. Arc'teryx have got behind him. He's in a really good spot, like you said, down in Tassie, loving life, living the professional athlete life. Like I think... If he's, yeah, as as Sophie said, he's he's he's in the he's in the, like, why not have a crack? Like, what's the worst that could happen? He comes sixth. If he doesn't if he doesn't give it a shot, he'll probably come sixth. If he gives it a shot and he he crashes, he probably comes sixth. Like, it it probably doesn't make a huge difference. But if he has a shot and it and it pulls off, he might come third. He might come second.
Speaker: might come first yeah and i think that would be interesting because i wouldn't say billy strikes me the sort of person that's likely to go off really aggressive and take that shot at least i i can't think of a race where he's done that but you're right that that yandina result and from memory it was pretty torrential weather i think both the men's male and female course records got set that year and it was pretty like it was appalling um so he's done that in in subpar conditions. And yeah, I think that the Ricardo, ricardo I think will will feature for a while. And then I have a feeling he'll drop off. He's another one that except for a race in Seoul in South Korea that he's done, he's never really raced outside of europe I'm going to call the South Downs way in the UK, not really traveling because it's not exactly far for him to go to there. ah But that he was second, 10 minutes behind Antonio Marta Perez in in that race. so I think that Ricciardo probably falls into the same sort of pace category. I would have saw in that kind of 435-ish range. um And I think Billy can definitely go past on on this sort of terrain when he's got that familiarity. the Yeah, the Dan, Peter, Koken battle.
Speaker: i'd I'd personally love to see Billy just give it a shot and go for it and trust his his training and and his ability and his potential because we we keep seeing that he's getting there. and He had a a good run at Transcend. He was with Charlie for a long time, had a few few issues there that meant that it ended up being a bit of a bigger gap than I think we expected, but that definitely isn't where his fitness is at. So,
Speaker: Yeah, excited to see. Another name that we haven't really seen on an Australian start list for a while that I honestly have no clue what sort of shape he's coming into this with. George Knight is obviously he's our Buffalo Stampede winner from this year who set an astonishing time going sub 10 hours. i think we all were watching that going what is happening right now is the from an ITRA perspective, the only Australian to ever break 900 points, which was yeah it's a world-class performance he came back and had a fourth at uta 100 and then it's he's had a few injuries had a 13th at vietnam mountain marathon 50k this is the event that billy came second and then a a recent run in china at ah quite a quite random 20k but not seemingly the george knight performance that we're we're potentially used to so
Speaker: Not sure if George is going to feature. Obviously, last year we saw him go out with Caleb Olsen and they came through the 50k mark in an incredibly competitive 50k time. And he did go on to to stick an incredible result. that Obviously, that's what put him onto all of our radars properly for the first time. I'm just getting it here, actually. So he came through Halls Gap yesterday. in 4.48.
Speaker: four forty eight So he obviously went on to do that to the whole mile. So if georges George is in that shape, he should be in that conversation with Billy and the rest of the guys. Recent form would suggest he's not, but we don't know how he's been approaching those races. It have just been a fun holiday and he's just gone and done and done a jog. So I know he has been building back, but um yeah, I don't know. Brody, anything to add on George?
Speaker: No, not really. like I feel like, do we preview him for rollercoaster, but then he didn't end up running rollercoaster? And then it looks like he's dipped off to China and done this race. Like that was only like last weekend. um So, yeah, I don't know. i know he's been injured. it definitely doesn't. Since since ah Buffalo, we haven't seen the George that we sort of came to expect from both Buffalo and GPT. Maybe a little bit too much on the plate, injuries, all that sort of stuff has played into it it. doesn't look like he's probably had his normal consistent training that –
Speaker: He has led to those other two great performances. So, yeah, he's a bit of an unknown. But like you said, he came through in 4.48. That's, I don't know, 15 minutes faster than I did it when I did the 50K. So that time is still mind-boggling to me. um And, yeah, I think he will, yeah, if he was fit, I would have put him in the conversation with, again, getting closer to that 4 hours 30. But, yeah, I'm guessing maybe that's not the George we see.
Speaker: Yeah, I saw him at rollercoaster and it didn't sound like that it was anything too serious why he wasn't running, but he'd been away and picked up some bug or something. So like had a bit of a virus and just wasn't recovered in time to run rollercoaster. So nothing like too major.
Speaker: um But I agree. I think, yeah, just like probably a good thing for George to just keep the pressure off for the rest of the year and get back to some good training and good health and,
Speaker: ah yeah reset for the next season and Brady we did have him he was entered for the 46k at roller coaster so yeah it's um yeah I didn't actually see him there so I didn't know if he was there or not in the end but there you he was he was there but just not not running It'll be great to see George back when he is because obviously that run at Buffalo and then even backing it up into uta And I feel like there was a another international result that didn't go amazingly for him in between that. i know when we had him on the podcast, he was talking about an incredibly packed schedule, which yeah has hasn't come to fruition, but um he's he's one of the country's best when he's in shape. So hopefully if it's not going to be on Thursday, it's ah it's it's going to be in 2027 and we can see him doing something like that.
Speaker: Again. He's going have many, many years ahead of him, I think. Yes, definitely. Brodie, any other males that you've got your eye on for the fifty k Yeah, so this is Jack Harris from New Zealand. Jack is a pretty strong New Zealand athlete. He's got a lot of wins and podiums over in New Zealand. ah This year, most recently on ITRO because I can't get onto UTMB, he came second at the ro Root Burn Classic, which he won the year before. And I have a feeling I was watching this one because Nathan was running, and I think it was a sprint...
Speaker: finish He looks like he's been nipped by seven seconds from someone from ah Great Britain as well, which is quite rude. But, um yeah, so he he's ah he's a great ah New Zealand athlete. um We don't have a lot of context outside of New Zealand from ITRA apart from World Trail Running Champs in Spain where he came 98th. So not ah that must be maybe 10 or so places behind some of the Australian runners probably yeah Did Billy finish? I can't remember if Billy finished. He has the anaphylactic reaction. But let's say compared to Blake and and Vlad, I think they were around the 80s or low 90s. So he's he's a bit behind that in that race for them and they didn't have the greatest race. But yeah, it's hard to hard to get context outside of New Zealand, but he's definitely... um yeah He he's wins a lot of races there and good ITRA scores as well. so i think he will be in the mix. I don't think he'll be right up the front, but in the mix for sure. Zach Newsham we talk about quite a bit. we hear We've talked about him a few times this year. He um ran roller coaster just off the podium in fourth place there, but the three in front of him were very good runners. so Again, maybe a good build race towards this one. I think this might be the
Speaker: the a race at the end of the season potentially for zach i think he may have been building up towards this one so yeah i'm excited to see what he does another one who i don't think will be right at the i don't think he has the as much of a chance as billy in fighting with those others but i think he'll be maybe there to mop up some of the pieces if if too many of them blow up No, I agree. they that Those are the same names that I had. And just because it was annoying me, ah George had a DNF at Mount Fuji 100 mile between Buffalo and UTA, which is relevant because another male we have in the 100 mile here won that race. But yeah, so he had a big start to the year. A lot of travel as well. You look at how many countries that George has been to. He's he's been all over, which making the most the opportunity, I guess.
Speaker: um Sophie, anyone else in the men's field? No, I don't think I had anybody else that jumped out at me. um no I think that was pretty thorough. I think we did comment for Zach when he was doing roller coaster that we pondered if he would have if he had something longer coming up. And here we are. He's in the 50K. So nice sense again, super young. So and just some good experience, I think, to be racing against these guys and taking this opportunity to line up against some really, really strong competition. Awesome. Okay, cool. Let's move on now then to the 100 mile fields. We're going to start with the women's.
Speaker: When I'm looking at the women's field, there's a few names that I'm getting really quite excited about. One, Sophie, that you've had a bit of time of chance to spend some time with recently as she's come across to Australia. So why don't you get us started with the women's 100 mile field?
Speaker: Yeah, sure. So um I had the pleasure of having Marilyn Nakash come and stay with me for a few days when she landed in and in Melbourne. And I invited her out for a run with us on Saturday. We went out and did like a little bit on the two bays course.
Speaker: And I'm glad that I only looked at her UTMB results page after we got back. um like yeah and just like in preparation for this today just like we've chatted about a lot of the races that she's done and like she's she's uh won marathon de saab she's um traveled all over the world um racing she was actually supposed to come last year um to gpt but broke her arm like a couple of weeks before the race so um delayed coming over to this year
Speaker: um but she's um yeah just so so experienced um travels a lot for races so is really not um you know perturbed by this long whole flight and she knows how to land somewhere uh you know get organized and and run um so she sort of landed in on Thursday and then on Friday went out for sort of 20k came out with us for 20k on Saturday and um went to the speed session on Sunday so I think she's feeling good um she lives sort of like in her well has lived sort of in a in a van and in the south of France um and just bought a yurt in the French Alps. So is, yeah, just really loves being in the mountains, loves being outside, loves traveling and is really looking forward to the race. One thing actually I thought would be a good talking point is she asked me –
Speaker: about polls in this race and um i had to defer to kelly because um having previously won this race we were out for a run together on saturday um her advice was to carry them but actually they just kind of got in the way I assume Marilyn will be extremely ah gifted with Pulse, having spent a lot of time training and racing in European mountains, and having run Marathon des Sables multiple times. and
Speaker: But yeah, that was something that... and was interesting. I'm not sure how many people in the past have used polls. I think they were pretty popular last year. and So jury's still out on that one.
Speaker: and But I think Marilyn will be yeah really and one. ah She'll definitely be up there. And I think based on her sort of analysis of the course, we'll be looking at the course record depending on um conditions on the day. um so yeah, looking forward to seeing how she goes. Yeah, I think anyone that's put in the sort of level results that she has at the variety of places, like a second place at Diagonal Defoe, first at Marathon des Sables, as you said, like there they're legitimate races. we We hear about how hard it is for the best in of the in the world to get Diagonal Defoe right. We saw this with Tom Evans this year, but I don't find it really impressive that
Speaker: from a world trail major's perspective, she's done the South Downs Way 100 mile this year, which is an incredibly fast race. When you're looking at the times, I was just getting up here because I listened to, there's a podcast in the UK called the Centurion and they put on this race and the race director there, owner, James Ellison, who's talking about it, Sarah Webster, who won for the women's, did 100 miles in 1427.
Speaker: which is faster than what Tara Dower's record is at Javelina 100, which is another incredibly fast 100 mile trial race. I have a feeling that might have been a British record as well.
Speaker: Marilyn was only an hour back from that. So for somebody that is so mountain focused and like has done, as she said, so some of the hardest events there are to be running 1539, she's clearly quick as well. I think that is give or take the same time that Beth McKenzie ran at Javelina last year as well. So, um, obviously different conditions to different races, but just for a bit of, a bit of reference. So I think that she, she, she comes in very impressive. I think on your polls, um, I definitely, the climb up to Mount William is, is, and we were talking for the the front of the race here, the climb up to Mount William is, is the one that immediately shouts out to me and some of the climbs definitely in the last, maybe 50 K that you might not need them fresh, but when you've got 110 K, 120 legs, you, probably very much appreciate them at that point. But it is an interesting one because that terrain isn't the easiest to use poles on.
Speaker: Yeah. and can you carry can you pick your poles up? at an aid station or do you have to carry them from the very start? I should have looked into this beforehand. I think Kel said that she picked hers up.
Speaker: um So I think you probably can, yeah, you you definitely don't need them before you get to Hall's Gap. so Yeah, I normally single track say that you can use the poles, so you can pick them up um along along the way. i'm just on the frequently asked questions. Yeah, think that's case in Buffalo. Yeah. that's that that's then their normal one they don't say in their frequently asked questions like they say polls are allowed uh you can use polls in any race just be mindful of how you use them they don't say about picking them up or dropping them off that being not allowed so uh which i'm sure they would there it was so
Speaker: Yeah, I would be i would definitely be picking them up at Borough Huts and having them to Mount William and then probably getting rid of them, especially if you're more confident on technical terrain, maybe carrying them through just in case something goes wrong in that next section, which is pretty pretty slow going, pretty hard hard stuff. but Yeah, it's it's a good it's a good question from her. Yeah, and you want rubber tips, Kel also said. For sure. So for everyone planning to use poles at GPT, see if you can get your hand on some rubber tips because, um yeah, on the rock, it's just so tough with poles. Yeah, not only are they hard to use, but you'll scratch the scratch up the rocks. So probably nice to leave the trails in better condition. um Because I think, yeah, and most of the climbs, especially that that Mount William one, is like the time when you're climbing where you could use poles, you're on bare rock pretty much the whole time. um So it's a good gradient to use it um and clearish because you're on a big flat rock. um But yeah, you definitely want the rubber tips if you're going to use them because you won't get purchased and you also scratch up the rock. um
Speaker: So yeah, I don't have a lot of experience with using poles of like from a to hold yourself up at the end of a mile purpose versus a performance purpose, because I don't know apart from Mount William, there's many other places where you would use them from like ah improving your performance point of view but if in terms of like if you were going to make it to the finish at your um and you weren't starting to suffer um i think mount william might be one of the only places where it's actually easy enough to use them but like like you said if you're in that back half and you're really struggling um you might use them to help you get up those final climbs they're punchy they'd be hard to use but maybe you're crutching your way up I think polls, and Sophie, sure you can speak to this as well, it's one of those things that the more efficient you get, the more you become comfortable using them. Even if it is a shorter period, you do feel like they give you benefit that it makes it worth taking them out or carrying them along. I think everyone's very individual here, but I know personally,
Speaker: i when i'm training with them and i'm getting used to them again find myself using them like really frequently even something that i maybe don't need it i just feel more efficient it keeps me in a better posture i feel more powerful when i'm using them enough it gives you that little so and i'm sure someone like marilyn who's done a lot of races that would be the pretty much entire race would uh would be very comfortable and confident with them or she might just find this flat like you never Yeah, I'll be interested to see what she goes with after, see because she's she's already in the in-holes gap now. and She went there yesterday, so she'll have a little bit of time this week to just and probably see like the most crux parts of the course and um make a decision on it. But, I mean, some of them are so light now that probably doesn't really add that much to just bring them. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, we'll see. on On that note, before we move on to some of the other things, what is the crux of the course? Like what what are what are the key points of this 100 mile course? Because ah like it's hard because the whole thing is pretty demanding. But is it more to do with like when you hit certain sections? Yeah, I mean, from what i understand of the the course, I've done probably 80% it, but I don't think I've done the hardest part, which is, I think, the Mount William climb at night. um I have done the section that goes downhill from Mount William from mount william car park on, and but that really like sort of really rocky section between, I'd say it it gets pretty hairy from Hall's Gap
Speaker: to sort of like Jimmy Creek, that's middle sections, really tough, pretty rocky. It's night. So, and the weather can be um quite challenging there overnight. I know there was a couple of runners last year who DNF with some hypothermia at that point. So it's just like, you really do need to take care of yourself in that section. If it's raining, if it's windy.
Speaker: um Then once you get to Jimmy Creek, it's pretty um there are some rocky sections but there is a lot of like runnable stuff um like a lot of sections in the grampians you're running like 30ks in like five or six hours but that section from jimmy creek at least to like cassidy gap um i can't really speak too much about the last 30 of the course because i haven't done it but There's a lot of like really runnable sections through there. The light tends to come up again, like for the front runners there, it turns today.
Speaker: So I think, yeah, first 50 is just like autopilot, try and keep a lid on things. Don't run it too fast. I know couple of um guys who've won it in the past have said they've done that first 50K a little bit too quick. um Then from Hall's Gap to probably the Mount William car park, I i think I've heard sort of the most horror stories about that section. Um, and then, yeah, I don't think anybody's moving particularly quick once they reach Jimmy Creek onwards. So, um, I think it's a bit more survival mode once you get there. but Um, there are definitely some sections on there that I haven't done. So, um, if you have any other insight, think we, I'm sorry, you go James.
Speaker: I was to say, what you said the time of day is really important. and I just got up our women's course record holder, Manu Chung, from last year. And she got to Mount William at 9.20pm. So this time of year would have only ever had dark for maybe an hour at that point, but then is navigating the most challenging part from Mount William to Jimmy Creek and and and forward the the middle of the night which you can have paces of so you can get to get that help but I think that to me and when I'm getting people that umm I've got racing here ready like that's the bit that I think is the most the most important to to really try execute properly because yes you might not be the most tired going to be from a
Speaker: you're in the middle of the race still, but it's the hardest time of the day. You're in pitch black, you're on really tough terrain. And it'd be very easy to let a bunch of things go, like forgetting to eat for a while, forgetting to drink for a while, rushing and and not getting a foot placement wrong, et cetera. And in this case, you also might, if you're running near somebody and and they are more confident on that terrain than you, and they put a bit of ah a move on, that could be a really hard place or really risky place to follow it if you're stretching yourself. Yeah, and I mean, at that point, you still just have so much of the race left. Like, it's not, it's a really tough section, and it's nighttime, and you could maybe, like, go into a bit of a negative headspace, and then there's so much still to run. So it's probably, it's not like you've, you know, gotten... You're not at that point yet where you're like, well, I've gotten this far, so I might as well keep going. um So, yeah, I think that'll be it seems to be where a lot of people like sort of make a decision one way or the other, whether they're going continue on or, and you know, they forget to take care of themselves and end up having that decision made for them.
Speaker: And I was just looking at the m the distance. So yeah, Mount mount William falls about 87k, so over halfway. But for Manu Ching as well, she got to there in 13 hours and finished in 27 high. So over half the distance, under half time, which is not uncommon for a mile, but I think it does to speak to the the two halves of this course. And bear in mind that the climb from Borough Huts to Mount William is not fast. It's taking you two and a half ish hours to do that 14k for the very front of the field so uh that was and that's why that was george knight's going back onto the wrong person i think it was about three hours for manu so yeah tough tough race anything to add there brodie that we haven't spoken on the course
Speaker: No, I think like like you said, I think that the the crux depends on the the speed that you're doing the course and where you hit nighttime probably. And it's somewhere over that Mount William climb up and go down the other side probably. But ah it really depends on the speed you're going because like i remember seeing some imagery of Caleb Olson last year and I was like I've never seen that before because like when I've been up there has been raining plus the fires had come through I'm interested to know I don't actually know like it looked like it was quick last year I feel like the fires if anything sped the course up a little bit and maybe that will slow it back down a tiny bit it's not like orienteering where you're running through the forest and fires have a big difference it's trail running the trails stay relatively unchanged but I wonder if
Speaker: yeah there'll just be some slight difference like it looks so visible last year and i don't know how much that affects your ability to run on the technical terrain if you can just see everything a bit easier because i remember when i've done those sections the mount williams section i don't really remember seeing much and i did it in the daytime um because like you're obviously in certain spots you get up on top and you get the view but the trees are the small brush and stuff was in your face um so i wonder how much regrowth changes stuff i don't think it will change things super significantly but when we're talking like one percenters or half percenters it might make a little bit of a difference on the times we see no as that's a a really good point and just out curiosity i like what time caleb olson got to the checkpoints and he actually he would have pretty much been in daytime
Speaker: Nearly until Griffin Fireline, which is significant of the way through the course and through most of the, well, at least that. Yeah, because he finished in the, did he finish in the dark? I guess he would have.
Speaker: Yeah, he finished at 5.19 in the morning. So it would have been yeah just starting to get a little little bit of light. Oh, and it's also because did they start earlier compared to they've started midday in the past? Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, so they normally – That's why. I was like, Griffin, how did he get to Griffin? And that makes sense. They used to start at midday. used to start at midday and then they started at 8 a.m., m which I think is the same to this year from memory. Yeah, okay. So that's interesting. And maybe like the top of the field, like maybe in the women's race, which is what we're talking about currently, they are over that Mount William plateau. But in the men's race, maybe they're they're actually off that before it even gets dark. They've already made it to Jimmy Creek maybe, um ah yeah like the the top few men. um so Yeah, interesting that changes the dynamics slightly because I think that Mount Williams section, so hard in the dark for those who did it in the first few years, especially as the storms are rolling through there. um It was it's even just a wayfinding issue of being able to spot where the trail was is really difficult at nighttime in that section. So think, yeah, that does change things a little bit. Yeah, it's a... It's a really basic, of course, the end part, I guess, what you were saying, Sophie, you're not having done before. There is sort of two big or three sort of punchy climbs, but I don't think they change the dynamic of the race so much that you need to that people need to specifically think about them. They just are the final obstacles. But they are sort of small punchy climbs that are quite challenging. um And the 33 course in itself is is actually quite a tough course. But I think in the scheme of the miler, it doesn't actually...
Speaker: make a big difference to the the overall course. Yeah. One thing that you just brought to mind, actually, talking about the difficulty with navigating over that and Mount Williams section. and on in the dark is that um I know it's been really challenging for some of these international runners to find paces this year. um i know Marilyn was putting out the feelers for paces. and I can only assume that a lot of the other international runners are doing the same. and Some of the Aussie runners I know have got a couple of paces to go over that
Speaker: really crook section from up Mount William and then back down ah towards Jimmy Creek. So that could play a little bit into the hands of some of the Australian runners. But yeah, it's been a bit tough to find paces, I think, this year. And like, yeah,
Speaker: after um after a full day of navigating on that terrain, I think it'll be pretty tough. I don't know how well they mark those sections. I'm i'm sure they do a really good job of marking the course, but looking for those um yellow arrows sometimes on the rock in the dark can be can be tough. So it will be interesting to see how the pace of dynamic changes things this year.
Speaker: I know that sea withre they have an accident. I ripped them off for our event here is they use these like reflective tags. So they're amazing, especially under headlight. But the challenge is when there's just rock, it's like, where do you put it? That's actually going to pick up a light and and stay there if if the conditions are bad, because it's so easy for it just to be blown away or taken off.
Speaker: Um, even by wildlife, wow I've, I've had them eaten by cows in the past. Um, One question I then have that I was reluctant to say this, but given that this is such an international field and this is a world trail measure where these points matter, this can be income, this can be bonuses, this could be a sponsorship opportunity for people the next year. Should we not allow PACES if you are looking to compete for a podium, shall we say, if it be, cause it is a, it is a significant advantage for an Australian runner who has lots of friends who are going to probably opt to help them before the international. Is that, is that too unfair in this kind of race?
Speaker: Sophie? Yeah, good question. Hmm. What do I think about the paces? You know, I, I'm not really a Pacer fan. So um I don't think, yeah, I think you make a good point that they're really like obviously a major um goal of the single track team in this race is to attract international runners. And um I just, yeah, don't think that,
Speaker: there's going to be enough local people over um here that have the capacity to, because it just, it starts on a Friday. You have to take a day off work to come and then to come down. Like maybe you want to do the 50 K or you want to compete in the 33. And then it's like, can you really back up after doing a pacing job or like,
Speaker: Maybe they need you to be on their crew and it's just like it it does require quite a lot of investment from people over here to like support all these runners coming over which is like amazing and people always always step up and put on a really good event and things but um I do agree that it just gives Aussie runners a bit of an advantage which I'm I'm in favor of but um yeah I think I don't think that there's a there's so many aid stations um I don't think that there's any real like danger um out there for people um and I don't think it's like a western states where it's like the culture of the race is around the paces and it allows people to experience this like
Speaker: ah very like a race it's really hard to get into and things so I probably would be in favor of removing the PACER um case side of things but um yeah what do you think Brodie? Yeah, i like i ah I guess like being a not a ultra ultra runner, I don't have a lot of experience with pacers or having pacers myself. I've paced for other people. um I think it's an interesting conversation because I actually have nothing against pacers, but where people have equal access to pacers. So something like Western and States, everyone can get a pacer. And my idea would be probably for a race like that, like if someone couldn't get a pacer for whatever reason, the race organization should be helping them find a pacer. um
Speaker: Because if you everyone's going to have paces if they want one, if that makes sense. So I think it it does bring a fairness question in when you say ah if someone wanted a pacer but couldn't get one and then other people can get one, then I think it does...
Speaker: That's the argument against paces that change the dynamic of the race. If everyone has access to them, I don't have an issue with it. But if it's differing access to that potential advantage, then I think that's where it starts to get tricky. I guess with GPT, like having been on those trails, there actually some sections that I would argue are unsafe, not unsafe, but are potentially unsafe. So people in the middle of a miler, I think that changing the 8 a.m.
Speaker: ah to an 8 a.m. start time probably remedies a bit of that because I think some of the most ah potentially dangerous places are on ah maybe in that section between, like you said, Halls Gap and Jimmy Creek. um So potentially that that's an argument for ah like but allowing a pacer is it's from a safety point of view. um But, yeah, I think it gets tricky for these competitive things.
Speaker: Yeah, but I just wonder, like, is this a more dangerous race than some of those European races that don't allow paces? um That are maybe, like, equal difficulty, equal time, like, go over the night.
Speaker: Like, we don't typically see um any yeah we don't usually see anything too too bad happening um and like the fact that there are just like so many aid stations along the um the route but like yeah there ah there's definitely potential you need to know what you you're doing and on the gpt course for sure Um, yeah, like I haven't done the whole UTMB loop before, but my guess is there's places like I haven't seen having watched the footage and see and run on some of the trails around Chamonix. I haven't seen the sort of exposed potential like drop offs that maybe exist on the Mount William plateau. Um, yeah.
Speaker: But again, like how much risk is is it their organizer's responsibility to control versus the the individuals deciding whether they want to do the race? um So, yeah, I don't know where safety comes into that conversation. I do agree that there is a potential fairness disparity, um especially with the wayfinding part. Yeah.
Speaker: interesting feel like probably should be sounds like i could have a job if i wasn't injured someone could pay me to be their pacer i reckon maybe there's some stra there's some pacing gigs to be paid for i think and and just to reiterate we're talking about the the front of the field not the bulk of the pack here um the people that are chasing for a podium in western states conversation they're talking about the top 10 because they get the returning ticket I think to me the the standout is that I know that these event organizers they're trying to find paces for people but as you said Sophie there's just ah there's a lack of people that have the availability or the desire or they're not already racing or they're not already pacing somebody else and it is a big commitment it
Speaker: It also goes then, well, who pays for their accommodation? Like that's a lot for that runner to do who's maybe already paid their way over here or at least significantly contributed, cetera. And the argument that I know they've been made around Western States is especially for that person who's trying to break through, like they're, we'll call them a B tier, trying to close that gap on the A tier elite. They are unlikely to have the funds. They're unlikely to have the sponsor support to bring friends and family over to Australia, even if you're just talking from Asia. And so it is a yeah, it's a real disparity and opportunity of what aid you can get. And you're signing up to 100, I'm going around here, Again, for the front of the pack, you're signing it for 100 miles that you know you should be equipped to meet whatever the course brings you. That's why we have a massive mandatory gear.
Speaker: And if you even if you did fall, break your leg, the chances are there's going to be another runner getting to you in the next 10 to 15 minutes or so. um So yeah, I think I've only thought about this from from you saying, Sophie, before I asked the question, but I do think if we're trying to attract an international crowd, we need to try and make it a level playing field to not yeah not make it. and And Caleb Olsen didn't have a pacer last year. no Nobody would have kept up with him, um but he he he he he didn't need to use it. um And so yeah It's ah an interesting conversation that we'll move on swiftly from because we're also very conscious that of the fact we still have the entire men's field to go through. We've spoken about one female so far. So we're doing we're doing well. Okay.
Speaker: Another female lady that I am very interested to see because we've already seen her over here this year taking out the win at UTA 100 mile. Antonia Iwasuna, who I don't know if you guys remember seeing the videos of her crossing the line. Maybe were at the finish line as well. I think I was on course at that point.
Speaker: Just so stoked. Like she had so much happiness and joy for the fact that she had won that race. And I'm sure there was more to it than than just the fact that she won the race. But she then also has gone on to finish eighth at UTMB this year in a 23-49, which is incredible.
Speaker: ah Obviously, we've we've seen... the likes of of of Lucy being in that and that tom top 10 battle for multiple years now. We know the level of athlete that it takes to do that. And we spoke about her previous results for the UTA one, but there has been a lot of wins.
Speaker: Altschel Cape Town had two second places in 25 and 24 were the ones that made us go like, oh, this could be really interesting. And she just had a ah dominant performance. i think it was a 90, it's either 90 minutes or a two and a half, sorry, yeah, 90 minute or two and a half hour gap to Steph Austin in second at UTA. i don't have it right up front of me, but...
Speaker: Yeah. Love the fact that she's come back. That's really cool to see. Obviously enjoyed the Australian experience and will be great to see what she's able to do with the likes of Marilyn and some of the other ladies we have in this this field.
Speaker: Sophie, anything that you've thought about from an Antonio's perspective? No, nothing really additionally on that. and Agree with all your points. And it's nice that she's decided to come back to Australia and and have another go one of the 100 milers.
Speaker: um And, yeah, really impressive, obviously, over at UTMB and hopefully has recovered um well from from that. um And, yeah, i'm I'm excited to see, like, you know, two really heavy hitters up at the front of this race. i think especially on the women's side of things, um having those two pushing each other. I think there's time on the on the course record here, and op for grabs. So I think having um somebody breathing down your neck is probably the motivation you need need to push along this course, because I think it would be easy to just go into training
Speaker: survival mode or coast mode if they you know if there's a massive gap between you and the second place. So hopefully Marilyn and Antonina can really um push each other and to a fast time on this course because based on Caleb's time, and don't know if we have um a female in the race, it's Caleb Olsen pedigree, but um I do think based on the men's men's time on this course, there's there's time on the women's side to to take...
Speaker: Well, I'm just on her ITRA profile at the moment. She has raced the Salomon Cappadocia Ultra Trail 60K on the 17th of October. So what was that? two or Two weeks ago, three weeks before the race. And she won that in a time of six hours. So clearly the legs have come back to her. Hopefully that that's ah a good sign, not a bad sign. But she's ranked ninth overall female world ranking.
Speaker: for can't it's not telling me if that's distance or that's overall but it's saying 930 000 athletes so i have a feeling this could be overall like our ranking is 822 a lot of that is from the the quality of uta and a few other results but i do i do think it it might actually be fair to say that we are looking at somebody who is at that level of of caleb um which is pretty pretty epic that's're and attracting that level of athlete You're right, James. It's ninth overall. And let me give you let me give you that ah top ten. Tove, Katharina Hartmuth. Don't know who that is. That's not a good start. Jennifer Lichter, Katie Scheid. Do I not know? Should I know Katharina? Anyway, that's not what we're talking about. then We'll get onto that another time. Jennifer Lichter, Katie Scheid, Meow Yao. And then equal six is Maude Matisse, Courtney Dalwalter, Rachel Entrican, and then she is ninth.
Speaker: She's okay six behind those other three. So maybe she is a Caleb Levin athlete. I've been well and truly put my place. I was looking at UTA and she was, yeah, and we're going to talk about one of the athletes who was in the UTA miler on the men's side, but she was only, say, a couple of hours behind in that miler and she was a couple ah behind the men's winner and she was ah a couple of hours ahead of,
Speaker: the next woman who was Steph Austin who's no slouch herself so yeah she definitely had a great run there and I think she was three and a half minutes behind Lucy at UTMB Okay, I'm throwing out another tangent for us to go down. and What time are we thinking then for the women's race? Oh, that's a good question. I have not thought about this. so No, neither. but So conditions for the whole week look pretty good. Obviously, it's Grampians and it could quickly change. But let's like assuming that it is a standard weather year and there's not going to be any crazy heat or crazy conditions that mean they've pause the race or anything like they've had to do in the past...
Speaker: ah To me, it comes back to the same conversation about the why most races, but that men's 50K is, is there going to be somebody that can go with her? Is Marilyn able to keep up and to push her?
Speaker: And if she is, how far does that go? um If that battle goes to... probably Jimmy Creek, maybe even Griffin, then I think we're looking at, given that Caleb ran 21.30-ish, I think we could be looking at sub-26, maybe getting close to that 25, which would be taking about an hour and a half off Man Ucheng's time from last year.
Speaker: it's not If you think about Caleb running 21.30, um last year, we won't take this year's UTMB, we'll take last year's UTMB, sort of winning in a mid to low 19, so two and a half hours slower. The women's winner is normally around that 21 22 hour mark. So yeah, it could even be a little bit quicker if she's genuinely in that in that shape. but I think if you if you extrapolate off her UTMB time of 2349, I think that sub 26, if she's in that, if she's recovered well, could be could be possible.
Speaker: yeah Yeah, I agree. It's nice that we have for the UTMB time to compare off and from this year. So yeah, 23-49 agreed because Caleb ran 18 something at UTMB this year.
Speaker: So he's what, like three hours or three hours-ish slower on this course. So maybe, yeah. Yeah. I think he, he would have been right around the 19 hour mark just under, I think. So yeah, two, two hours, two hours, four c let's say to 45 slower. If you add two 45 to, to that, where, where would I say it was? So yeah, 20, yeah. so maybe 26 mid 26 high.
Speaker: Maybe I'm being a bit unfair to Manu Ching's run, but I think there's a bit more. Even if you look at if you look at Lucy from from the year before, she made it to Cassidy Gap before the race got stopped. She ran that in 22-25, which was maybe she was on track for year.
Speaker: twenty six and it was a tough year um maybe a bit more than twenty six but it was a hot year that year Okay, so Man U-Chun got to Cassidy Gap in 2354. So there's at least an hour and a half on this course. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that was the year where it was like they ran in the heat for a long time early on in that race.
Speaker: So it was it was not an easy, it was definitely not an easy easy go before they got to that point. um So yeah, I think my guess is around the, which is crazy because if you think Michael Dunstan did 24 hours in the first year and we're like, wow, this is a great time. um I reckon maybe around 25 hours, if not under 24 and a half, maybe. Yeah. And I think the other side is obviously Caleb was,
Speaker: not trying to chase down the front of the field here. He was solo for quite a long time. was Once George let off and with the best will in the world, why why would you empty yourself and risk an injury or to get another half an hour or So so i i wouldn't be surprised if in a number, in maybe three years time, we're talking about a male going sub 20. And if that's the case, Brody, a lady breaking 25 and getting close to that 24 hour mark is is not out of the question.
Speaker: um It's also a long way to get so much to do with conditions like in a good year. like And I think last year was a decent year in a good year. that That's where it has to be. But if you throw some conditions that are and a moderate and might add an hour and if ah if not more and then if the conditions are even more crazy, it can easily add four or five hours. So yeah, yeah it's an interesting as course records go. It's interesting because the course doesn't really change, but also like every year in this course is so different. nearly as much as like a UTMB.
Speaker: Yes. Maybe hopefully with a few less diversions. i'm not sure where they would be be would be able to divert. Yeah, not the diversions, but I think the weather the weather component, yeah how the weather changes so much. yeah cool i think is this is what we've worked out brodie now is that when you add sophie into this mix we go on even more tangents which is is good it's a world trail major we're allowed to talk for two hours it's okay that's good i think we're going to be here for about two and a half um and if you are still with us well done yeah I hope you're enjoying it. It's it's fun conversations. Okay.
Speaker: ah Let's go, Brodie. Next name on the list that's interesting interesting you for the women's 100 mile. Just because her itra, also I think she'll be competitive, but her itra is fantastic. Wei Fei-Zhi from China.
Speaker: She's done some crazy stuff this year. We thought Marion had done some crazy stuff. um Oh, it's... yeah taught Sorry, go on. Oh, no. Sorry. Again, when I was going through and I was adding up the number of 100 mile or longer, counting TDS as 100 mile. She's done seven of them in the last 10 months, including Tordogon. My personal favorite. So I'll wind us up here. So she started. So she finished last year on Boxing Day with 100 miles. And then since then, she's run in China. She ran...
Speaker: 100 miles on the 20th of March and then she also ran 100 miles the following weekend on the 27th of March and then ran another two in June July and then to top that off she decided she'd run TDS at UTMB and then backed that up what's that must be 20 days later maximum to run Tour de Jonce 25,000 meters climbing So yeah, that's it. That's a year. Yes. Yes. It's not even a year. Like we haven't, I'm sure there's, and there's at least one more thing there. who was i was just trying to remember who, who's the guy we had last year racing a hundred mile Sanjay Sherpa.
Speaker: She's our Sanjay Shubba of this year. Yes, for sure. I think she might even top him. This is, ah yeah, I don't know. This is amazing. I'm big fan. it's um Yes, it is. ands It's a list of something that I could never do. I could barely do one of those races, let alone all of those races in a row.
Speaker: And you look at some of her results. First at Hong Kong 100 in 2023. She's had a fifth in 24 at TDS. She had 16th at TDS this year. Fifth at Diagonal De Fu. She won the Vietnam Mountain Marathon 100K last year and then sixth at Tour de Jean. So we're not even talking about someone who doesn't like... She's she's very competitive. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Tour de Jeunesse is only six weeks ago. i don't know if that means anything. ah probably Probably not. But it is a consideration, at least, that that's a long way and a lot of elevation. um Maybe 200 mile pace is okay to recover from when you have that much in your legs. And I'm sure her training volume is very high as well. So otherwise, I don't know how she would respond to it. so No, i I found that one very fun to look at.
Speaker: The other international name that I'm really curious to see how she'll go over here, Kelsey Hogan. She has had a fifth at Madeira Island, which is another ultra 109K, which is another one of the world trail major races for this year. She she did do Quebec, which is another one, but she did the 80K. I have a feeling that was the Canadian national champs distance where she came seventh, 16th at UTMB last year.
Speaker: But she's the one I put in the category of, like I don't think whatever this race throws at her, a bit like Marilyn, she'll be fine with it. She's Tahoe 200, mild back in 2019, another diagonal day through, Ultra Trail Snowdonia in Wales, which it's Wales. All the jokes you make about England, that's what you get Ultra Trail Snowdonia. So you know that any conditions we see, any terrain, she's going to be set for, I think on paper, wouldn't be...
Speaker: in that same competitive bracket as Antonia and Marilyn. But then you do look at some of the stuff that she's done and I think she could definitely be be up there. um I think especially if the conditions aren't super favourable. Yeah, agreed. I was looking at um Kelsey's ah race results thinking like, I'm really jealous of this race line-up. Madeira, Trans-Gran Canaria this year, that sounds awesome. UTMB last year. So like, yeah, she's um she's hit some really, really good races. Agreed that term she's probably just in that bracket of ladies where like this may not be the hardest thing that she's
Speaker: ever done um which is probably really beneficial for you at gpt i think um if you just know how to go to that place that you need to go to to get it finished um and like you said dealing with the like i know trans grand canaria madeira can get some pretty hairy weather similar with snowdonia so i think she'll be prepared for whatever is thrown at her i think just similarly like with all these women um how they recover off the plane and how they take to the course having never seen it before be it'll be really interesting i'm going through her ultra sign up sort of what they use over in the states and she has got like there's a very good variety of of locations obviously you have las palmas trans trans canaria madeiras you've got the islands there she's been across to to you to europe but then also did puerto velata in mexico um so
Speaker: yeah i think that going because it is as said it is a big trip across to australia and it can be a really tricky one to get right but when you're looking at somebody who's been racing competitively for the last 10 years and they've done a lot of that internationally i think she'll she'll be able to manage manage that one at least hopefully brody anything to add on anyone we've spoken about so far no no i'm excited to get into the aussies yeah do you want to take us away then Well, I guess i'm I'll probably leave the all the details to to you guys, but I'm very excited to see Sarah Ludoichi run. she We haven't seen her run, I believe, am I correct, in the trail race since...
Speaker: Buffalo earlier this year where she came second behind Fujau. But we did see her run a marathon in the middle of the year, which I thought was super impressive. She ran Sydney Marathon and ran 243.04, Sydney ah being a super fast course. So, yeah, I thought that was super impressive from Ludo.
Speaker: And, yeah, I'm really excited to see. I'm guessing the fact that she hasn't done some racing, that she's been all in on GPT plus she's a mum probably and very busy but um yeah I'm excited to see what all her training is going to add up to um and yeah we haven't seen Ludo on this course before is that right? No no first time.
Speaker: But she's done the stage race relay so she's experienced ah the Grampians before um so yeah I'm excited for Ludo I guess to start with so maybe we can start there.
Speaker: So if you're to be her team? Yeah, I'll be helping Ludo from the Mount William car park to Jimmy Creek. um So, yeah, through some of those tough sections that we were talking about earlier.
Speaker: um And she also has Kelly, previous female champion, here pacing her as well. So I think she's set up to have a really good day. And, like, I've been, yeah, super impressed by Sarah's running this year. Like, she's run some super quick,
Speaker: road times um her half marathon and then a marathon at Sydney was really really impressive so she's clearly fit um and I think she's pretty good on these um tough courses so um yeah it's really nice to see Sarah Ludo back running these types of events again after having her baby so really excited to see how she goes and I think she's probably the um Aussie who's um I'll be yeah most closely watching. I think she
Speaker: um is probably the sort of like most competitive Aussie in this field, I would say. Yeah, I definitely agree with you. And I think that she has she has the credentials over the distance. She has the credentials over the terrain. I do not know this. And Sophie, you might be able to add some insight into it, but I don't know if she would have ever called herself like a fast runner if she was in a field with women that were like quote unquote fast, if she would have put herself in that bracket. But when you go and run 242 and Sydney,
Speaker: Like that's a statement. That's like a real statement. And and yeah, we were speaking on the the podcast at that time. it was crazy impressive. I also really like the fact that she's had a great result at Buffalo. She came through in the final, I think 15K to move into second in the and then pivoted and done this roadblock. So to me, when you go into a hundred mile training, like it's a lot, you've got to be really mentally ready for it and keen and eager. And a really good way to do that is have some versatility in your training. So she's gone in, use the winter blocks to go, great, let's go get fast and do something different. Let's go run Sydney. It's gone really well. Like the momentum she'd carry off that and somebody with her training pedigree as well.
Speaker: Yes, Sydney's only at the end of September. We're talking basically you have October, sorry, end of August, you've got September, October, to get ready for it, which is a little bit on the shorter side, but I don't think that would worry Ludo.
Speaker: And I'm really excited to see what a version of her that knows she can do the distance to the terrain and now hopefully thinks of herself as a beast and then from a speed perspective, which is still relevant because it means she can run at a lower percentage of what is her like her max for this whole thing.
Speaker: um I think it would not surprise me in the slightest if we don't see Ludo right up with these women. Maybe not right at the start, but working her way up to them and um maybe even straight off the gun. But yeah, um I'm very keen and eager and excited to see what she can do here.
Speaker: Yeah, me too. No pressure. Yeah, I really like this. I'll be cracking the whip. Just sprint out of Mount William. Just got to hold on. Come on, let's go.
Speaker: I would agree with what you said as well there, Sophie, that from the female side of things, talking about people that I think could be on the podium, and this is really interesting, but for me, Ludo is the only name that really shouts out.
Speaker: And I think that speaks to the fact that like, Obviously the single track team at GPT has done a really great job of getting the internationals across. There's clearly something that means that they're not coming in, which I think is largely cozy and Asia-Pacific.
Speaker: But yeah, I think it it will be it would be be great for Ludo to be in in this level of competition in her home country where she's only got to drive from Canberra and not fly internationally to race this level of of athlete.
Speaker: Brodie, is there anybody else that that you've got an eye on that we haven't spoken about or anything more to add on Ludo? and Not specifically. I guess, um yeah, I was just having a look through her training earlier today. um Nothing crazy, but just sort of like solid training um sort of since sort of mid-September. she headed it She was over in Bulgaria for a little bit and she's been running there. um it looks like on a little trip. and But then even since she's been back, she's just sort of done some Solid, if not crazy, not crazy weeks. um And I think like just smart, smart training looks like um I'm not a I wouldn't I won't subscribe to say I'm an expert on on my training for GPT particularly. um But yeah, it looks sensible to me. And yeah I'm excited to see she sort of stepped up the distance since ah having her her child. She did Cosi 50 UTK. I mean, sorry.
Speaker: Buffalo 100 and now she's doing the miler. So, yeah, it's it's exciting to see that sort of progression all the way back to the longest distance and, yeah, all the best to her and her team, Sophie and Kelly, ge getting her through the night. Yeah, no, i think it's going to be goingnna be great great one to watch.
Speaker: Moving now onto the men's field. And one thing that I think is before we, like I'm going to mention a few names here, but I'm really curious to see how this is going to impact the way that this race is done is three of the men in the field currently have one victory at a world trail majors event. So Chris Myers, Camille Lesniak and Man Kumar Rokamaga all have one win.
Speaker: Just setting that up in the sense that I really hope this is a a battle, like a a proper go ahead. And I'll but butll i'll start ah start here because Man Kumar is someone we saw across here at Buffalo. He was second to George in that race. He was getting chased down pretty hard by Ben Leeson.
Speaker: But he did hold on. he then went on and ran the Jabalani 45k a couple of weeks later, which I did really appreciate. i think he entered an Alpine challenge before they had the weather cancel, the weather variations. But his run at Vietnam Mountain Marathon 100k was, to me, a very big step up.
Speaker: in performance it was a really dominant race and the second place in that race who we also have here alexey breznav was 90 minutes behind him ah it so and the conditions were tough a lot of people were getting it wrong from speaking to billy who was there it was humid it was i think we're pretty sure it was wet it was was very muddy um but even so i think that like he's like he was only young i think he's 23 24.
Speaker: So we're going to keep seeing these step ups. And when you look at him, like the dude is strong. So when you think about dealing with the demands of GPT for 100 miles in the type of terrain, like he's, he to me, he's built for this kind of thing. Maybe he doesn't have the access to the to this style with the rocks, but yeah, he's he's actually a name that obviously Chris is extremely extremely exciting to have Chris Myers over here. But I think Man Kumar could be one that we might be watching a lot closer than we would have thought at the start of the year.
Speaker: I don't know. Brodie, if want anything to add to that, I've kind of just gone off on a bit of one with him, but I'm i'm i'm excited. I think before Buffalo, we thought um Mancuma would be hard to beat.
Speaker: And I think obviously George Knight had an incredible day that day. um But yeah, I think we can't underestimate the challenge of traveling to a new country and and racing like Sophie was talking about at the very start. for these internationals and and this will be the second time man kuma comes to australia so i can only expect that he's going to be more prepared uh from that side of things um and like you said it is it's not it's not the same type of race as buffalo it's different it's it's a bit more grunty it's a bit more challenging i think potentially it it might be not knowing man kumar in in lots of detail i think it
Speaker: it could be more up his alley in terms of the technicality and that sort of stuff. It might be, um, it, it potentially may be something that he's actually more, um, more confident in. So yeah, I'm excited to see him. Like it's, it's hard to go past Chris Myers. Um,
Speaker: being the sort of global superstar that he is um but yeah there is a few people in this field like you said that are that are in the world uh trail majors overall looking for points um and it's it's sort of cool because gpt might decide the outcome of world trail majors this year which is um yeah that's exciting It is. And it is quite fun that, again, I was listening to that podcast I mentioned earlier, Centurion running and how, because his event is part of it, he was talking about GPT coming up in and Cape Town and saying that Cape Town is likely to be the one that attracts the bigger fields, could decide...
Speaker: the series but because of the way the series works actually I think it is going to be GPT that probably does decide that given that we have multiple people coming in with victories and by nature of being at the end of the year hopefully that gives it a bit of attention which means it gives Australia attention and and we keep seeing more and more runners come over here and use it as a really fun way to finish it off. It's also a hard rock qualifier. So for a lot of people that that is a really big tick for coming over and experiencing it. And I was just just trying to work through to see if Man Kumar has done 100 before.
Speaker: yes yeah and i' done a hundred miles before I think he's only... Oh, no. yet ah Does the Everest race count? i don't know if we can really count that one in Spirit. No, yeah yeah yeah he has done one. um It's classified under a half marathon, according to ITRA, but it is definitely 168 Ks. But I think that's maybe my only my only caveat to him is that from what I can see, he's DNF Chiang Mai 100 mile, and he has completed one back in 2024 when he would have been very young in Nepal. um
Speaker: So maybe that's the that's the the only thing that would be against him. But i don't as long as he doesn't go too hot, I don't think that's going to be too much of an issue for him. Sophie, anything more to add there?
Speaker: I don't think so. I think, yeah, you've added a lot of colour onto Mancomar. I didn't find too much information about him. So, um yeah, it's good to get a bit more insight into him. I am really excited that there are multiple players men in this field who are like this kind of like upper echelon of and trail running quality. So yeah, like you said, hopefully it's a competitive race and they're they're all pushing each other and the um World Trail Major Series deciding and decide adds another factor for sure. and
Speaker: So yeah, excited. I do think this is definitely the most competitive men's 100 mile we've seen at GPT. And when you are looking at some of the names, as I said, you have Chris Mankumar and Kamil Lesnyak, who already have wins at different world trail majors. Plus you have Alexey Bresnev, who has a second at Vietnam. He also was second at UTA 100 mile this year.
Speaker: And there were the two Alexys that basically ran the entire thing together. And then he just got left behind a bit coming out of, um, what's the last climb? Kadamba pass. Uh, so we, we really do have some of the best in the world turning up to this race, which we've seen a few of these people in the past. Causey obviously has brought a few UTA has, we're not, not thinking about the North face version of that, which has definitely had all the, like I said,
Speaker: dylan bowman and killian etc over here but um yeah it's it's it is really cool to see and and ah camille is is well camille is is another name that i feel like his win at quebec megachirt i don't have too much context over quebec as a race and how competitive that was he had a 46th at worlds last year in the long trails so good but not obviously right at the level that we would see someone like Chris racing at but still a win at Quebec is really good he had a 17th at UTMB this year in 2056 so a time that historically would have been been very quick two and a half hours off off Ben Demon's time but I don't really think Ben should be the the the yard but yeah a good way of what Caleb ran and if we're thinking that maybe Chris versus Caleb is a pretty equal or similar battle then probably not quite in in that fight but different race different time of year you never know
Speaker: Yeah, the Quebec I was having a look at, um it sort of looks like the the GPT of Canada if the internationals weren't turning up. So it's ah it's a lot of Canadian runners in there, a few from overseas. Robbie Britton did run from the UK, sort of like a relatively well-known coach, but does a bit of running himself. He was 10th. but not like a super competitive field. um So maybe he, yeah, he might not be on the same caliber as the others. I think that Alexi maybe more so will be. My guess is that Chris, and we probably haven't really mentioned like Chris's
Speaker: credentials for those who don't know him he was second at western states 100 last year which is probably that would be his biggest result ever and he was first at mount fuji 100 earlier this year in quite a quite a good time there as well um so he ran 17 hours 50 for the 165k course which had 6 400 meters of climbing um so like pretty good time there obviously the western states was behind caleb so He's similar caliber. I think the other guys will be chasing, um but it'll be interesting to see how the dynamics play out. Alexi, like you said, he was second at UTA. He was second to Mancuma in Vietnam, maybe...
Speaker: Vietnam is a bit of a outside. It's a bit of a more niche race in terms of the conditions are quite tricky. um So, yeah, I think ah my my guess is Chris is sort of pushing the pace.
Speaker: Maybe the the biggest competitors to him are Alexi and Mancuma. um But there's a few others that are in the field there as well. Some which we I'm sure we'll mention in a moment.
Speaker: I think Chris is going to be an interesting one. i know I listened to some stuff after he did Mount Fuji and he said that he specifically did that one to practice going through the night to get ready for UTMB. He did DNF UTMB this year, but the execution of your of your first kind of through the night, Myler, I think Mount Fuji is a very different experience to to Western States, even just in the way that he ran. And there were some slight cause changes there.
Speaker: I don't know the significance of them, but he was only a couple of minutes off the course record there, which is held by Joaquim Lopez, who is one of the world's best, again, at this distance. So I think Chris, if he's coming in ready ready to roll, I think you have to put him as as the one that's probably going to be dictating the race, at least. I think... if you've got someone like mankumar who's younger we know probably going to excel in the the heart of the conditions probably the more he's going to feel comfortable and excel and be in that battle but i don't think he's he's unlikely in my mind to be the person to take it on especially when you have someone like chris myers i think there is a necessarily an intimidation factor but like it's chris it's chris myers and because we put utmb and west estates on a pedestal like you know these names you know these characters um
Speaker: the yeah where where the other guys drop in is is interesting and then we have and like another name Japanese runner who I don't think is going to be be quite up there um Hajime Mamba but nothing super recently is is like that i'm going to say that impressive in the context what we're talking about but there is a second place in Tauera to Zach Miller in the 100 mile so yeah A little bit of a time gap, but there's definitely some some pedigree there. And if he's coming in that kind of shape, could also be another feature from the international side of things. It's um it's it's an it's an exciting one, I feel like, as we get later into recording this, I'm getting a little more giddy talking about the fields. But it's fun to see see these names, and it's really curious to see how this one's going to play out. Because, yeah, on paper, Chris is by far the best ranked, the best credentialed athlete here. But does that actually...
Speaker: show what's going to happen on the day yeah definitely and like even just like scrolling down all the names that i put like we've spoken about sort of like four really heavy hitters there and then there's still like um woho chung from hong kong uh hajime mamba like you mentioned like it's actually pretty deep um and like there's there isn't just like four really heavy hitters and then a massive sort of like drop off um in sort of like indexes and things it's like they they still have some really good results and um could be there to pick up some carnage so um it's like kind of nice to see the progression of this um elite field and like hopefully this is the start of a bit of a return on investment for the single track guys um in terms of like attracting um a deep international field so yeah it's good to see
Speaker: I've just brought up my notes from last year's GPT and in the men's field, Caleb actually put down their ITRA indexes, which was surprising for me. um Caleb was ranked first, obviously, 939. Then it dropped down to Sanjay Sherpa, 839. But Sanjay was in the mix of running about a million kilometres that year.
Speaker: And then it dropped to the Australians. But it I would say at that time, it didn't have any of our our best either. it It definitely doesn't have the caliber of Chris, who we'll get to in a sec, in terms of recent performances. But it was like the likes of Tom Dade, Ryan Lowe, Jared Owen, Ben Butler. Chris McAuliffe. So like some really good guys, but we didn't have, definitely didn't have that international depth.
Speaker: um Probably what does stand out to me though, looking at this list, because that keeps going down, is that there were, again, a lot more Australians that we would classify as like normally the people we would be talking about winning are maybe slightly smaller hundred miles that we don't have this year.
Speaker: Like, yeah, the Matt Cooper is back from last year. And that's kind of it. So yeah, it is, is yeah, again, just an interesting one to see how that, how this race is evolving and how it probably is positioning itself, even despite not being a UTMB event as our biggest international running event. Yeah, agreed. um Agreed. I do think it does come back to that.
Speaker: um Like we're in the fourth or fifth iteration now and a lot of people and there there is definitely crossover between it's starting to get busy with events. um in Australia but people are doing other things um there's the Asia Pacific so that's really attracted a lot of um good runners across there this year but again like you just yeah it's just it's already kind of attracted some of those like names that you see over and over again at those really tough Aussie races
Speaker: And I'm just, I'd be so curious to get their feedback in terms of like, because I'm sure that you finished this race and think I could definitely shave time off there with experience and and all the rest of it. But and when is it the right time to go back to that race? and And I'll be interested to see how single track keep it going. Like hopefully they can keep attracting these international races and get the fear and get the fields um keep the fields at this, this level. But, um, in terms of the Aussie runners, um, how do they, how do they keep attracting people to come back, um, to this miler, um, will be interesting. think that's very much so. Brody, anything, any thoughts and on that?
Speaker: No, not necessarily. um Yeah, it's, I feel like we've talked about the Australian fields and like what the reasons many times. But yeah, I think particularly the miler, it probably takes a lot.
Speaker: it's ah It's not just, it's a particularly difficult miler as well. um So maybe takes ah a big commitment and and maybe that's part of it when there's all those other things as well. And maybe it's the thing that people do and then come back to in a few years time and so therefore we might see some returning names in in future years but maybe need a little bit of breathing space and then then come back to it no definitely okay men's side brodie looking at the australians who's who's on your lips from the guys that are going to be up there
Speaker: Like as Australians go over the last few years in this race, obviously we saw some very competitive Australian fields in the first few years and we've still seen some good people over the years after that as well. But Chris Lenkik, I'm really excited about actually because like his UTA result in the Mylar coming third there, really not that far behind the Alexi double, I thought was really impressive. So, yeah, I'm really excited to see how he takes on this course because I think, yeah, he's sort of shown that he's not out of the conversation, at least comparing maybe Chris Myers is a bigger gap to jump, but to get to jump to Alexi is maybe not a huge jump. Yeah, no, agree. I'm just going through his Strava again now and he's, yeah, he's been putting in some big training, but I quite like his, I think he's probably just a byproduct of where he lives, but it's a real mix of some flat, like proper flat long runs and then just a lot of hill repeats. Like there's a day, seven hours, 3,700 meters, seven reps his local hill.
Speaker: meters seven reps of his local hill which, yeah, is some good mental training if if if not just for the the body. But he he definitely took us by surprise. I think maybe we gave him a sort of outside chance mention in our UTA preview and then he went and just absolutely smashed it. He did...
Speaker: we We mentioned him in the Hounslow preview where he DNF'd and in that we saw comments on Estrada that everything was built towards this. Looks like having going through, I don't see any comments there saying that he's not feeling good or no reason that there's anything anything going wrong. So yeah, if we can see if we can see that same version of Chris here with another, what are we, six months, five months on from UTA, then this could be really exciting for him and I feel like is kind of the story we've got Ludo in in the women's field and then Chris is kind of that that same character in the men's for me for sure I think if we were talking about an Australian field of like the best Australian milers he would be in the conversation it's just as there's less of those people maybe on this start list um so yeah Yeah, I'm excited to see. I think it's like a shame for him that there's such a good international field, but also maybe a benefit for him that he gets to sort of be in the mix and maybe run with some of those people and be the underdog rather than the than than the the clear favorite. So, yeah, I'm excited to see um how he goes. And it clearly worked for him at UTA. like he came He came into a field where all ah all of our attention was on the Alexis. And I think there were a couple of other characters in there at the time. Yeah, Piotr, who was getting a lot I think we actually might have said that he would win. um and And ended up behind Chris. So... Yeah, as long as as long as he's able to come in with it which whichever approach works for him then, and that's still the same one that's going to work worked for him, I think, yeah, you are even if you are at the same level, the internationals come in, they're naturally going to get a bit more attention because they're they're new and they're shiny. or So Chris can just go under the radar and be like, cool, I'm going to my thing again and make you all watch me at the end.
Speaker: so if any additions there? Yeah, fingers crossed for Chris. um I really hope he goes well. And I think like when you when you have a Chris Myers and some of these other the guys in the field, like there's no pressure on on Chris really.
Speaker: um He can just, you know, hopefully he goes out there and just gets, and yeah you know, the best out of himself. Like he he just has the run that he's capable of on this terrain and like,
Speaker: ah you know everything else is ah is a win. So, yeah, fingers crossed. and Both him and Ludo can take it to some of these these guys. A different guy I had ah from New Zealand coming across, Nick Tipling, that, again, I think from a a potential perspective, it's sort of building up. um I'm not sure where he'll fall in this list, but just a name to watch. He's only got results going back for a couple of years, but in that time seems to have preferred the longer distances for the first at Taupo 100k. He did DNF for Tawera Milo this year, but then had a ninth at UTA 100k, which incredibly competitive so ninth there is is is very impressive uh not not sure where that's gonna leave him in this this caliber field but i think when you start thinking about this is 100 miles it's it's hard it's likely there's going to be at least one of these guys is going to have a bad day and we're talking about someone that could sneak up onto that third place nick might be someone to keep an eye on for that one anyone else you'd put into that bracket sophie ever keep an eye on for that that potential sneak third place
Speaker: I don't think there's anybody else that jumped up to me. Am I missing somebody? i think there's a few that will feel maybe the like five to ten. I'm not sure there's anyone else that I'm jumping out at me that like I think is a chance for for third. Like Jared Owens that run the Grand Slam or the Ultra Grand Slam a few times at Buffalo. He's always sort of done so well there, but maybe his results outside of that I haven't seen as many... amazing results there's Matt Cooper a few years ago ran the stage race in incredibly quick time over four days like if you added it all up like it was he was running really impressively over that I remember because we were running the stage race relay and he was not that far behind us and we were running three guys um so
Speaker: he I thought he would do better last year than he did. yeah So maybe he'll do bit better this year. um Yeah, they're probably the the other ones. John Songai, I want to give him a shout-out because I feel like we read his name out all the time for the South Australian races. So it's exciting to see him coming across. I saw that he did the Wonderland 50K race and came second um earlier this year. So he's got some experience in the... the Grampians. So yeah, he's definitely, I think, top 10 type ah athlete, um potentially pushing up to fifth.
Speaker: Yeah, i think Matt Cooper, it's hard to know what Coops is doing these days, but i I think probably the days of his training to be competitive at this distance is not the priority for him. ah But yeah, has some incredible pedigree. And i just quickly went on to his his Strava. He hasn't uploaded anything since 2020, which was 60K with Mick Dongers and tagging the 10 highest peaks in Australia. So they went up Hanelspur, which anybody who's gone up Hanelspur, I would say it's the hardest climb, at least I've ever done in Australia. And yeah, did a pretty epic loop up up there. I think Jared, Jared's a curious one. I think he's like, he's had a first to Oscars 100K, which Oscars is obviously a very slow 100. Normally one is give or take 14 hours. So to get through that is it is impressive. And a fourth at Brisbane 100 mile.
Speaker: He has DNF'd here and he's DNF'd the guzzler and scenic rim this year 100 mile yeah luckles and black hole so it so that was recently so yeah it's it's hard to come hard to come off a string of results like that and then nail it something like gpt so i think for jared i would say so like you'd love to see him just get the result like done and then build on it but there's a reason why we've mentioned him before because he does have that historical capacity to perform on this sort of terrain especially Yeah. Cool. Yeah, for sure. I think we're done.
Speaker: How about that? that This might be exciting. Yeah. this is yeah This is really cool. I think it would be awesome to see more Australians in this field at that level, but as we've already said, multiple reasons why we don't think that's the case. But like...
Speaker: It is really cool, especially in my era of being in the sport, to see this depth at international levels and the caliber of it. Like getting Caleb last year was a bit like, ah oh, wow. And then they've gone and got Chris this year and then filled it out. Same same in the in the women's field. like we've got the, what was was it, ninth best ranked female in the world now coming across for the second time. which is just so sick. And that's, obviously, we're just talking about the 100 miles here and the 50K. We've got an equivalent level on both the men's and women's side. So, yeah, it's going to be exciting to follow. It's going to make me incredibly unproductive at work from Thursday onwards. So i would really wish events would just do the weekends. But apart from that, it's going to be good fun. Sophie, enjoy your time over there. Enjoy that section that you get to crew Ludo. Remember to send it right from the gun with her. Exactly. Yeah, thanks. Well, she if she can run 242 in the marathon, she can certainly keep up with me.
Speaker: Yeah, no, I hope you have a great weekend. Brodie, fun as always. Yeah, thank you. I'm looking forward to watching as well. It's going to be a good um a good competition. And I'm looking forward to, um like, I feel like this is one that as Australians, we can get around our Australians and they're in the mix, and but it's not just like,
Speaker: it's not It's not often that we're sort of barracking for Australians on on home soil. Like often we're barracking for Australians that are racing at UTMB or World Champs or other big races internationally. So I think that's quite fun and cool even more so than say UTA because like we said at the start, the big international field means that, yeah, and that the few Aussies that are in there and and will be competitive, we're going to be able to sort of get behind and cheer for. Brilliant.
Speaker: Love it. Good place to finish it off. Thank you guys. It's been fun. If you've been listening the whole way through, well done. If you've done your own old ultra, I hope this has kept you company on your midweek run. if you're listening to it before the race and we'll see you for our next preview, which will be definitely cozy.
Speaker: And I'm sure we'll do something for Asia Pacifics, but Sophie, thank you again. It's great great to have you, Brody. Yeah, just normal stuff. Thank you. Thanks, Sophie. Pleasure.
