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2025 UTA Preview: 100km + 100 mile Course and Field Analysis
527 Plays16 days ago
We’re diving deep into the 100km and 100-mile races for part 2 of our UTA 2025 preview.
In this episode, local Blue Mountains runner and course expert Tim Locke returns to walk us through the biggest endurance challenges of the weekend. We break down the sections that test your patience, the climbs that break your legs, and the tactics that separate a strong finish from a long day out.
We also preview the top contenders in both men’s and women’s fields, from returning champions to rising stars making their debut at these distances.
Key Timestamps:
- 00:42 - 100k Course Preview
- 15:05 - 100k Mens Field Analysis
- 29:50 - 100k Womens Field Analysis
- 48:05 - 100-mile Course Preview
- 64:29 - 100-mile Mens Field Analysis
- 78:05 - 100-mile Womens Field Analysis
***Don’t forget, use code PPP at Bix’s website for 20% off Bix products, exclusive to PPP listeners!***
Thanks for tuning in to Peak Pursuits! Connect with us on Instagram @peakpursuits.pod to share your thoughts, questions, and trail stories. Until next time, keep hitting the trails and chasing those peak pursuits!
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Transcript
Introduction to Peak Pursuits Podcast
00:00:15
Speaker
Welcome back or welcome to Peak Pursuits podcast preview for UTA. a Today we' will be going into the 100k and 100 mile fields. If you haven't listened to the 50k and 22k and that's your distances, please do go back and listen to there.
00:00:29
Speaker
And also Tim Locke is helping us break down the courses going 22 into 50 into 100 into 100 miles. So if you want to catch the first 50k of the 100k or 100 mile courses, do have a listen back to that one.
00:00:40
Speaker
Otherwise, let's get into it.
100k Course Breakdown with Tim Locke
00:00:42
Speaker
Tim, so now let's go through the hundred k course. The back 40k is essentially the back 40k of the 50k course and the 100k starts the same way as the fifty k it just keeps going. So, guideline's gone off, you've started moving forward from the point that the 50k would then turn around. If you can take us through the 100k course from there, please.
00:01:05
Speaker
Yep. So the course basically replicates what we saw last year with the the slight change in the end with instead of going up giant stairs, um you're continuing through the forest to furber stairs. But um it's a pretty classic course, I think. it's ah It's a funny one. I think we spoke about the stairs in the 50K being a bit of a...
00:01:26
Speaker
a potential cruxy point and i think when people think about uta traditionally the first thing that comes to mind is stairs but it is still very much a like a running race and there is a lot of running in uta particularly uta 100 and if you don't have the capacity to yet to run well over hilly terrain of a varied terrain um then it doesn't really matter and what happens when you get to the stairs because you're probably going to be a bit cooked anyway um So that's one thing to know. There's a lot of running, particularly in this first loop that we'll speak about.
Challenges and Strategy in UTA
00:01:57
Speaker
um Narrowneck, I guess, is the the the first part of the course that and we think about when we think about being able to run well. So, um you know, for those of you that have run Narrowneck, you know that it's ah just a beautiful ridgeline, true to name, um kind of undulates um out and down towards, um towards ah I guess, a gap in the cliff at the very end, like a pass in the cliff there.
00:02:22
Speaker
um And there's a lot of, i guess, free Ks there in Narrowneck where you're able to actually get into like a pretty good rhythm. You're not having to worry about space on the trail. you're not having worry about, you know, maybe conga lines behind people if you're up towards the front of the field there.
00:02:38
Speaker
So it's it's really nice running early on. And I think it really sets the tone for a lot of the running that you get in that first, you know, roughly 50K of the 100 course. um the I guess when the the race kind of changes a little bit, um it kind of throws, I guess, little jabs at you in between sections there.
00:02:58
Speaker
So coming off narrow neck, heading down towards, Medlow Gap, um you're basically dealing with a little bit of single track there. It's a little bit slower going. So the pace definitely slows down through that section.
00:03:12
Speaker
um But by the time you're almost into that rhythm of navigating the single track and getting in the flow of that, you spat back out onto Firetrail. So similar to what we spoke about with the 50K and it feels like a bit of a fartlek, I guess that's almost a bit of a section where you you can change rhythm um before getting back into that rhythm that you've established on Narrowneck.
00:03:31
Speaker
And the stretch from Medlo Gap, where the aid station is this year, through to Foggy Knob is actually really nice. So just undulating hilly, I guess we'll call it, fire trail.
00:03:42
Speaker
Again, not having to worry about your footing. There's no technicality to it. It's just a good opportunity to be able to work out Coming back to that point, how how are you going to use your energy today?
00:03:53
Speaker
Like, am I running too hard in this section? Is this is this costing me too much? You know, what will this effort look like? 80K is time. um So that's something to think about through that first section there.
Climbing and Scenic Highlights
00:04:04
Speaker
um Probably the the second section that a lot of people...
00:04:08
Speaker
think about and you often see a lot of media from it um is the out and back you do on iron pot ridge so um it's technically not technically you're not meant to be out there outside of race day because you uh like traversed your private property um it but the actual um little climb up to iron pot is quite steep um and that's basically a hike for everybody And then you've got a really nice sort of back, quite a short out and back on a rocky plateau on Iron Pot there with beautiful views looking, i guess you're looking south, southwest um out towards the Wild Dog Mountains and Kanangara Boyd Wilderness, which is really beautiful.
00:04:48
Speaker
And then before you know it, you back down off a steep descent and then back out onto that fire trailer again. Yeah. again, back into shifting into that rhythm with fire trail running and working out, um you know, how you're going to use your energy on these climbs.
00:05:02
Speaker
um the There's a section probably, so it's going to be 35K-ish where there's, with is a pretty decent climb up on fire trail.
00:05:13
Speaker
um And it tends to be ah a bit of a sticking point for a lot of people if they're pushed a bit too hard, you tend to see a bit of action happen there in terms of people maybe moving back or pushing forward if they've managed their their energy well.
00:05:25
Speaker
um And off the top of that, you get a really nice descent, like a really good flowy descent that starts on dirt and then transitions to kind of tarmac, um beautiful country road heading down towards the six foot track aid station. So it's a bit of a punchy climb, but you have a really fast descent off the back of it.
00:05:44
Speaker
So again, it's working out how do you use your energy properly. on that section. what you know If you're giving stuff, what's it going to take away from you later on? Nice.
Course Adjustments and Extensions
00:05:55
Speaker
you're youre you're You're definitely selling the course very well.
00:05:58
Speaker
I like this. that Honestly, the first the the first loop of the 100K is beautiful. I think it would be a loop that people would run every weekend if it didn't involve having to do like 45Ks or doing a car shuffle.
00:06:10
Speaker
you know, or um or having someone pick you up maybe three quarters of the way through the run. um Because if you are doing a loop, you're basically committing to the distance and you do have to come up um up the six foot track, either up Nelly's Glen or up Devil's Hole or something like that.
00:06:26
Speaker
ah But it's just unreal running. It's actually, yeah, one of my favorite sections of the course. It's just running through country farmland, excuse me, running through farmland. And um yeah, it's just beautiful. It's a beautiful stretch.
00:06:38
Speaker
Wonderful. And so we've come six foot in, it has this kind of nearly a loop back on itself before heading back up the valley. What's that section like? So that's the only section of the course I haven't run. It was the section they introduced last year.
00:06:54
Speaker
um By all accounts, it was a a mix farm track and i've got a little bit of undulating fire trail. um So I haven't actually seen the loop in terms of had eyes on it. I know where it is, but it it looks reasonably difficult. Like thinking about what it replaced, I thought potentially they were just going to ah map something that might have been a bit of a gimme at that stage, but it does look challenging enough to be to be tricky.
00:07:20
Speaker
um And particularly for those guys, will speak about who are doing the 100 miles the loop that they do in there is actually a slight extension um and takes you all the way down to the river uh before coming back up on the six foot track so and that's for anyone that's done like mega long mega or just done much training out on the six foot track the stretch up from the uh the creek back up to towards the cemetery there is really difficult but we can save that chat for the 100 mile.
00:07:48
Speaker
um So yeah, the 100K guys have, ah I guess, an abbreviated loop through there um before coming back through six foot the second time, um back into that water point there around 50K-ish there. um From there, so I guess from six foot, it's a bit of a slog. So you're basically pointing due north, heading back up towards Nelly's Glen. So the first part of that climb is...
00:08:13
Speaker
Pretty nice fire trail. Again, if you've used your energy well, you're running pretty much everything to the base of where the Nellies Glen single track starts proper. um So it's reasonably good going, good footing up through that section.
00:08:28
Speaker
um But the climb definitely does pack a punch from Nellies. So it's single track. um the The good thing about it is it's um shady and there's plenty of water that runs through there. So if you are hot or you're on a hot day,
00:08:43
Speaker
there's opportunities to cool off in there and make the most of that. um What you are doing with though, they've done a lot of great work, excuse me, with Nellies. um But what you are doing with there is basically the the first of a lot of stairs.
00:08:56
Speaker
Okay. at At varying heights as well. So I think depending on, um you know, who they have working on ah on a set day, um depends on how high the stairs are.
00:09:08
Speaker
But um there's definitely like a ah varied width. stairs that are quite short, some some bigger ones that maybe suit a longer stride. But it's a pretty punchy climb. um And it comes at, I guess, a pretty pivotal point of the day where you're probably probably starting to accumulate quite a bit of fatigue post 50K.
00:09:25
Speaker
um and And you generally know if you're on a good day at that point, um judging by by how you're feeling coming through Nelly's.
Technical Comparisons and Strategies
00:09:33
Speaker
And up to this point, poles, what are your thoughts? Would would you have brought them out already?
00:09:38
Speaker
do do you think they're not needed? Probably not, to be honest with you. um i think coming back to that first point, there is there is so much running in this race. um I think the use of poles, it's such a personal thing and I don't want to offend anybody, but if i if I was running, I wouldn't be using poles.
00:09:58
Speaker
I think you can definitely get away with with focusing on running and then hiking anything that needs hiking. um Yeah, not not just really on this course. They're probably not that useful going up something like Nelly's, which is really the the biggest climb on that first loop just because of the nature of the track.
00:10:14
Speaker
um Yeah, that's my take on it, but I guess each to their own. Mm-hmm. No, I feel like it's a divisive topic at the moment in trail running, the use of poles, when, who, but it is, you're right, people that have trained with it become sort of reliant in it in a good sense.
00:10:32
Speaker
um For those people, definitely go for it. but But you think the either the trails are too narrow or stairs to suit it or they just don't really require it in that first 50? Yeah, I think so. I think that but you know there's a few stretches like the Maybe the climb out of the farm that I spoke about earlier before coming into the descent to six foot, maybe you might benefit from using poles, but the climb's not awfully long.
00:10:56
Speaker
um And i yeah, again, each their own. I don't want to step on anyone's toes, but um maybe up six foot, people might enjoy whipping out the poles. But on stairs, pretty varied terrain.
00:11:10
Speaker
Yeah. I've just come off speaking to Mikey about his Canyons run and we were talking about UTA as a bit of a comparison point. And something that struck me is that he was saying how Canyons was definitely more technical and UTA in my head was, I think because people get so focused on the stairs was technical, but he said like, it's a very fast race. It's just got stairs. So it's.
00:11:32
Speaker
I agree with that. Yeah. I think my, and Mikey showed that last year. He's obviously like a great athlete with like a pretty wide skillset. um But at the core of it, he's a very good runner.
00:11:43
Speaker
And he showed that what a very good runner can do on this course in terms of keeping a pretty high average pace all day. um So yeah, I definitely agree with that. Perfect.
Checkpoint Strategies and Weather Concerns
00:11:53
Speaker
Anything else on the 50K, sorry, the 100K that you feel like we should talk about?
00:11:57
Speaker
I think one of the most important things is that when people get to the aquatic center checkpoint, um that tends to be a bit of a ah crux for the race and a turning point for a lot of people in that,
00:12:09
Speaker
um It's generally the first time that a lot of people have seen crew if they haven't been down to six foot track. um You're back in kind of society for the first time of the day.
00:12:20
Speaker
um So you're closer to those comforts that maybe you're longing for a little bit. And it's a really, it's a bit of a, I guess, a dropout point for people. It tends to be a bit of a sticking point for a lot of people in that they get a bit too comfortable.
00:12:33
Speaker
They realize the pain they're in and and they think, well, it's pretty easy to drop out here. I'm only a K from where the car is parked. um So that's a, it's for me in terms of planning with clients and and even thinking about in terms of racing, it's a point that you get to and you just use as any other A station, removing any thought of comfort, any thought of this is a great place to drop. Oh God, I feel terrible.
00:12:58
Speaker
um Just to move in and out as quick as possible. that's That's basically the the the notion with Aquatic Centre. Perfect. I that's, this is very good piece of advice there. Do you, do you tend to try and get your athletes not to sit down in these sort of distances? Uh, it depends. So I think, yeah, I think seeing a chair, um, or seeing something like a heater on a hot day, one of those standing heaters, those type of comforts can really lure you in.
00:13:25
Speaker
Um, Yeah, I mean, in terms of aid stations, the best thing you can do is just get in and get out, get what you need. Most things you can do while you're walking outside of filling up water um or, you know, refilling food and that sort of stuff. So yeah, generally we like to remove as much comfort as possible in these things because they're inherently difficult. And I think the more you lean into that difficulty, the better the outcome.
00:13:53
Speaker
and Yeah, that's ah it's a good question though. Chair or no chair? Maybe we should put up a poll. um And you've mentioned already that the weather actually could be on the warmer side, especially for this time of year.
00:14:05
Speaker
If there was a section that was likely to get hot, whether it's exposed or it's a bit higher up, where would that be, do you reckon? So the Megalong Valley, once you're descending off Naranek, the elevation's obviously say a little bit lower or much lower, about 400, 350 degrees.
00:14:23
Speaker
four meters lower thereabouts. um So it can kind of throw inverse weather at you. it can be quite cold in there, but on the contrary, it can be really warm. um And so quite exposed as well in terms of like less tree cover when you're out on fire trail.
00:14:39
Speaker
So that can get quite warm through that section there, particularly on a day, you know, maybe the day's reaching 18 degrees. Like that's definitely warm enough to make a, like a meaningful impact on your performance if you're not managing your pacing or everything else that goes with it. So probably that first stretch through Megong Valley all the way to the Basinelli's, I'd say.
00:14:59
Speaker
Okay. Beautiful. All right, Tim, thanks for
Men's 100k Competitors Overview
00:15:02
Speaker
that. We'll catch you again for the 100 mile. Brilliant. All right, Brady, hearing that 100k course and looking at these fields, again, it's just another one that's stacked and it's going to be a great race to follow along.
00:15:15
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. if If we start with the the men's again, um I'm super interested to see, we know Mikey had an absolute blast on that course last year and and he, i think me and Sim gave him a performance of the year for that that race and I think it was super quick, but I wonder if with the the field that's been assembled, whether they can go close or even beat it this year. Like, I think that's that's what I'm really excited about is, like, the field is so good. Like, what time can they throw down?
00:15:46
Speaker
Mikey was running solo last year, whereas you could have a bunch of five, six guys running together um at a really high speed. So, yeah, it's going to be very interesting, I think.
00:15:59
Speaker
um I guess headlined by... Now, i don't know going to say this right, is it Zhisheng Shen? Is that how you say it? All the way around. Shen Zhisheng. sent Shen Zhisheng. Yeah.
00:16:11
Speaker
Okay. Why have they got it in the app that way? um that's how i've always That's how I've always heard commentators say his name. So I'm going run with it. Interesting. Correct me if I'm Okay. Well, we'll see.
00:16:22
Speaker
Sorry to Sheng Zhisheng. The YouTube app got me. yeah But yes, he's he's our headliner. He's from China. Very accomplished runner. um Has the highest UTMB index um in the field.
00:16:36
Speaker
um Most recently, he races a lot, doesn't he? He does race a lot. and For a Chinese athlete, like they they race a lot. He actually races on the less a lot c side of things.
00:16:48
Speaker
Yes. Okay. Yeah. Like he had fifth at Hong Kong, hundred K and then two first back to back at a 20 K and a 30 K so same weekend. But that's cool. that Yeah, it is. ah But it's actually not that much.
00:17:02
Speaker
Um, my, my notes for him, aside from some results, just literally say machine full stop, because that's that's what he is. He's raced a lot in, in China, but he's also done a lot of races overseas.
00:17:16
Speaker
Um, ah varying done varying well but last year was eighth at western states in 1509 which is a very quick time and that was a very fast year uh for western states um so yeah he'll be an interesting to one unfortunately dnf that utmb last year um but um Yeah, it'd be, ah do you know if he's running Western States this year? as far as i As far as I know, yes, he took his ticket.
00:17:44
Speaker
um I will double check that as we talk. But yeah, you see, this says something about States and I feel like i you can't really escape Western States at the moment. But yeah fourth in 2023 in 1519 runs 10 minutes faster and goes backwards four places.
00:18:00
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And he'll probably run a bit quicker this year and come fifteen yeah Because this year, I think this year is even crazier, unless he can step it up quite a bit. yeah Yeah, this year, unless they all blow each other up, which I just don't think the sport's at that point anymore, we've moved on.
00:18:16
Speaker
the If you're not running 1430, you're not coming in the top 10, which is just... Yeah, yeah. Anyway. Yeah. Anyway, it will be so he's using this, I guess, as ah as a build-up race, which is is is very cool to see.
00:18:29
Speaker
Maybe UTA will see being used as this a little bit more in the future. We can see Dan and Caitlin and Shen doing this race as a build-up to UTMB. I mean, sorry, to Western States.
00:18:42
Speaker
um Maybe we'll see more of that in the future. And it sounds like from Mikey's interview earlier, about canyons that actually he found that UTA was less technical and and I would have thought the flip.
00:18:56
Speaker
So maybe it is it it is still a very runnable fast course that it is good practice for something like Western States. Definitely. And he did take his ticket. So he'll be returning.
00:19:08
Speaker
So take his M8 bib. I think like having runners from New Zealand is sort of like expected. We've seen those people come across before. like We've seen Scotty Hawker. We've seen Ruth Croft, I think. um We've seen people from New Zealand come and race.
00:19:24
Speaker
um But I think having some more people from Europe and Asia, um it sort of obviously it being a major this year has led to that. um And hopefully, most likely, we'll keep that major status, hopefully for at least a few years, that we'll get these great races happening, um which is yeah I'm super excited about. It's going to be awesome to see someone like him there.
00:19:46
Speaker
Definitely. And in the past, I think we have to look back to when it was the North Face 100. We've had the likes of Dylan Bowman, Tim Tollister. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Killian's come across for it.
00:19:58
Speaker
Yeah, I think so we were talking about that when I talked to Mikey last year about the 100. And in the 50, you've had people like Thibaut Barone and Run as well. um Yeah. and and I think Francois has been here.
00:20:10
Speaker
Yeah. So we have had it in the past, but maybe not for the last few years. Yeah. So the reason I mentioned that is how good would it be if we started seeing that caliber of athlete come back over? Imagine if this was just like the Western States training race.
00:20:23
Speaker
yeah Yeah. Yeah. Unlikely given we're in Australia, but it would be. Try out canyons and get this one. Yeah, exactly. just just Just give us that last ticket. Six weeks. That's plenty of time to train. Yeah, exactly.
00:20:35
Speaker
yeah ah But speaking of international, the next name that I'm excited about, because I did i did have him picked for my ah and in my free trial fantasy at Chianti, is Luke Grenfell Shaw. So he DNF'd at Chianti, which was the golden ticket, raised um but he's ah too fair to him he's had a mix so he DNFs at CCC last year eighth year before he won Mozart 100k which is another UTMB race typically very competitive so when he's on he's on and he has a slew of other results as well yeah he Valderan last Valderan
00:21:14
Speaker
which I think is the major of Europe, maybe. They keep changing it. It's really hard to lose track. don't know which one it was. Maybe that one's the major. But yes, coming first at that is pretty impressive. They definitely have good fields at that race in Spain.
00:21:29
Speaker
And I'm curious what brings him here. He's had the DNF at CCC last year, so potentially it's to get the CCC ticket for 2026. Obviously with Chianti going... Yes, i guess to 2026, yeah. yeah Yeah, and and I've got to assume that since he DNF'd at Chianti, he would have only been there for Western States.
00:21:48
Speaker
is my my take so he's had he's had to pivot um but regardless of why it's definitely throws another very very high class name into this field which is exciting yeah he does seem to like to travel a bit like he has races plenty of races outside of europe um in terms of racing ah canyons in america he's running china he'd run thailand like end of last year so he does um He does get around a little bit. um So yeah, maybe he's just adding another destination to the resume.
00:22:25
Speaker
Moving then on to the Australian names. Again, it's good to see some of these names back up there. I think one one name that's lower on the indexing but probably one of the highest or my but has the potential to perform here is Macrian.
00:22:40
Speaker
He's been building back this year i looking at his Strava and it's just this nice progressive build and had a quick chat to him and he just essentially said it's been going really well putting all the pieces together and it's just about bringing it all all there on on race day.
00:22:55
Speaker
Matt's previously had a 7th and a 4th at UTA if you take off three more places from his fourth, that's a first. So you never know. It might work like that. But yeah, Matt's, if Matt's in shape, he's going to be definitely one to keep an eye on.
00:23:13
Speaker
Um, it's just a matter of managing nutrition and pacing across the hundred K. And if he's just had enough time to build back his fitness to where he can be. Yeah.
00:23:24
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. know Matt fairly well, we like run together. i haven't run with him for ages actually, but, um, keeping contact. Um, and like, he's had lots of great races in Australia, but I don't think he's performed at his ability at UTA. So I reckon he's, he's keen to sort of get a good UTA on the board.
00:23:42
Speaker
Um, And then on top of that, like what you were saying, I spoke to him the other day and he said he feels the best prepared for a race um in Australia at least um that he that he ever has. So, yeah, and and he looks, his training has looked really good.
00:23:59
Speaker
um So, yeah, I'm really excited to see how he goes. He's obviously a close friend, so I want him to do really well. But, yes, he also looks like he's in, he looks like he's in really good shape.
00:24:10
Speaker
But there's a couple of things really good Aussies, or we claim George Murray is sort of an Aussie, but he's from New Zealand. George Murray is also running, who him and Matt have raced each other a few times. He's a previous winner of UTA 100. He's, yeah, definitely a very well-credentialed longer distance runner uh wreck gibson um the same he's had a lot of good races over that sort of longer 100k distance on his um on the utmv side there's little quirky it's got all the people's sponsors below um and uh wreck gibson says not at the moment but it makes it look like he's well when i first read it it makes it sound like he's not that interested in the race like he's just like he's not there for it but i assume the opposite assume he's very ready
00:24:59
Speaker
I like that as a quick shout out to any sponsors yeah you see Rhett's advertising that he's a a he's free agent yeah um and and you've also got Mike Carroll in there who I think um has also he trains really well he's had some good races but a lot of I don't know if I've ever seen him like I haven't that many times seen him have like a really really good race and I know like Some of the Canberra boys like Charlie and Mikey, they really rate Mike. And every time we talk about an upcoming race, they're like, don't sleep on Mike Carroll. So maybe this is the one for Mike. um
00:25:34
Speaker
He's definitely had some some really good races in the past, um but he doesn't always have a good one on the day. So hopefully this is the one. Definitely. was interesting listening to reading his post Buffalo Stampede 100k DNF and essentially started well and then got dizzy at the chalet.
00:25:55
Speaker
So you've got to think, yeah, his pacing looked good because he was moving up at that point. um Potentially something like hydration going on there. And he has had good results at UTA itself. He's had fourth and a second at hundred k but then dnf last year dnf buffalo dnf that you ah at cossey as well he we should also give him a shout out they welcomed a new baby yeah april 29th so we talk about these people like they're professional athletes but they've got a lot going on in their lives as well they have a lot going on for sure but congratulations to mike for that but that's obviously it's something more tricky to train around as well yeah exactly
00:26:38
Speaker
So yeah, Mike will be interesting. I think if if Mike, as you said, Mike puts it together, I'm definitely on not going to be so sleeping on him.
00:26:49
Speaker
It's just the question of can put it together? Yeah. Yeah. And George, George is one that you see him win 2023 UTA races. Yeah. smaller races He's done really good performances again. He's won at Guzzler.
00:27:03
Speaker
He won at Blackall after UTA. The bigger ones, GPT, DNF'd, UTA, DNF'd, it kind of makes you wonder if something flipped a little bit. And then I saw in his Instagram again, he's been working with ah sports psychologists recently and just quoting him, he says, examining my beliefs and ideas around running and training, challenging some small narratives, setting clear goals,
00:27:28
Speaker
and building a process to achieve them and navigating the mental side of performance so it does sound like there was some stuff going on but that he's actioning that and so we might see a much more mentally resilient as well as physically resilient george murrow on the start line which if that's the case that's very dangerous definitely he he ran it he ran a quick time in in 2023 as well i don't know It was the exact course that Mikey did last year, but it wasn't one of the modified ones. Like 2023 was back on something of a normal course.
00:28:01
Speaker
um He ran nine hours 30, which would have put him in second behind Mikey last year. There's that big gap. But I think, yeah, if you put him in the right field and he's maybe been working on this sort of stuff, yeah,
00:28:15
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know if he, like maybe some of the stuff in the past is sort of in those more competitive races, gone out too hard. um And maybe maybe we'll see him hold back a little bit in this one um and not try and go out with Shen and Luke maybe and sort of like move through the field later on.
00:28:34
Speaker
um Or maybe it was about something else that he's working on and he actually would just be there. um He could be one, I think, who could be at the front with those other guys at the start. So, yeah, we'll see what happens, I guess.
00:28:45
Speaker
Yeah, definitely. And I think he what he went with Mikey last year.
Women's 100k Competitors Overview
00:28:49
Speaker
yeah, memory I think he He was one of the guys that didn't have that. I think Mikey was even saying that Mikey wasn't leading in those first few Ks, like the first 20 or something. There was George and maybe someone else as well. was I can't remember exactly who, but like there was there was times at the start of that race where Mikey wasn't in the lead. So, ah yeah, it sounded like George went out pretty pretty hard. Yeah.
00:29:11
Speaker
um And like the same thing probably at GPT, George and Matt were out the front and then Michael Dunstan came through them. um So, yeah, maybe he's maybe part of his work is flipping that or maybe it's just sort of keep me he wants to keep going that pace but maybe working on the mental side of being able to continue to perform. But we'll see. Hopefully that has helped and I'd love to see him racing those top guys and and pushing for the win again. Yeah.
00:29:41
Speaker
It was a cool victory in 2023. So maybe he can back it up. Definitely. No, would be great. It would be great to see. Moving then onto the women's field. So there's a couple of question marks here, at least from my end.
00:29:53
Speaker
One note before I do that is that if everybody does show up that on this elite list, we have three returning winners of the 100K for the last three years. So Beth McKenzie, she won it last year.
00:30:06
Speaker
Anna McKenna, she won it in 2022. And then where Emily Brunt won it in 2023. So that's a pretty cool storyline, I think, just to have those three hopefully returning.
00:30:18
Speaker
However, Beth has openly said on her socials that she's had bit of stress response. She said May 1st, which is 12 days ago now, that it's still not a yes or no whether she'll be lining up she has been training I've seen her putting sessions in she has raced so things look good she then also did mention on Strava only a few days ago that she's had some tendon stuff in her ankle so there's definitely a question mark on whether Beth will be there I also get the impression that she won't line up if she's going to really put her body at risk but you never know
00:30:55
Speaker
And then the other name is is Anna McKenna, who, again, if she's there, will be pushing for that win, but also has notes of plantar fasciitis. And you can't see Estrada, but yeah, I don't know how much she's been training recently.
00:31:11
Speaker
So we'll see. Yeah, yeah. And it's going to be Interesting, a shame if ah Anna and Beth can't be on the start line, but um obviously they've got look after the themselves long term.
00:31:22
Speaker
um And I think, yeah, from what I've heard from Anna, it seems unlikely, but um we'll see what happens there. um But yeah, there's ah there's a bunch of other really strong ladies ah behind them as well, um including, like you said, Emily, who is a who's the winner in 2023, think would have beaten Lucy that year, i believe.
00:31:45
Speaker
um So she didn't sort of just get an easy win. She had a ah strong race that year. um Some other really fast ladies as well. got ah one other sort of, well, one, i ah a couple of international runners maybe. I don't know if Eve Moore, is she does she live in Australia or is she from from Britain travelling across?
00:32:04
Speaker
Yeah. I'm not sure of that one. She's got UK on her. I'll have a look at hers. But while we're talking about that, with there is Naomi Brand, who's from South Africa. I've seen her race a few times at Tarawira, I think. um So she's coming across and racing. She's the third-ranked runner there.
00:32:26
Speaker
um And then the Australian's... We have all those that are living in Australia anyway. um Caitlin Howlett, who was second at GPT. um think she was, can't remember what she was. She ran KMR recently. she came fourth at KMR Ultra 6K.
00:32:45
Speaker
Yeah, second at the last two GPT 50s. Yeah, so she she's definitely um one to watch, an up-and-coming sort of younger runner, and it looks like maybe she was,
00:32:56
Speaker
She potentially may be using that as a race as sort of a build through to UTA. um So we'll see. ah Sophie Broome from the UK but living in Melbourne at the moment, um we interviewed or you interviewed her earlier in the year, James. um She's had pretty good season. I think her run at the Archie was – was it the Archie? It was the Archie, wasn't it? Yeah, it was the Archie you set the course record at.
00:33:25
Speaker
Yeah, and that was that was no slouch course record there either. um that was Was that Kelly's course record? Yeah. Kelly Angels? Yeah. So a strong run there.
00:33:36
Speaker
And I was actually... She's the only one in the field that I know... current fitness because I went for a run with her two weekends ago and she was so strong up the hills. Like I was like, I had went for a run with my friend earlier in the week and I thought we were moving pretty well. And then I went for a run with Sophie and Katinka and our gap pace was faster for two hours. So the the the girls were moving on the uphills and Sophie looked very strong. So she's in good shape. She was sort of starting her taper then.
00:34:05
Speaker
um And I think coming off the back of that Archie run, um into this into this race it could be she could she's one definitely to watch um and then the other one that jumps out at me is probably nicole pattern um who did she was she the winner at kmr okay yeah and um and oscars before that yeah yeah and oscars is the 50 there is that right Oscars is the 100. Oscars is the 100. Archie is the 50.
00:34:34
Speaker
Yeah. And the Archie is fast. Oscars is an adventure. Yes. Okay. So, yeah, she's definitely had some decent runs recently. I think particularly that the KMR runs is pretty good.
00:34:49
Speaker
um So, yeah, it'll be be interesting to see how those Australians mix up maybe against Naomi. Yeah.
00:35:00
Speaker
You got Emily there. got any other insights? Yeah. So Naomi is an interesting one. she She comes across a lot to race. Again, she's one that seems to pop up in a lot a lot of competitive fields. She's had a sixth and a third at UCA 100K.
00:35:15
Speaker
So I think she's definitely one to one to watch. and I'm pretty sure Kelly said that she was training with her a bit in Melbourne. So It looks like she's just finished veterinary school.
00:35:27
Speaker
ah So April was pretty much normal training. But prior to that, i think her priorities was definitely to there. So e whether she's been able to put in what she would want to do for this level of field. But given her past results, you've got to imagine that she's going to She's going to be up there and she had a second ultra trail Cape Town 100 mile as well. So a very top runner.
00:35:46
Speaker
Even more, sorry, I did have her down. She is from the UK. Everything kind of seems to be UK, Europe based. She's another one that's won the Mozart 100k, 6th at Cape Town hundred k But yeah.
00:36:00
Speaker
I couldn't really find too much more on her. Most likely, just given the depth of field over there, that when you're seeing fourths to eighths in those races, they're still very, very good performances.
00:36:13
Speaker
Definitely. bit Adding on to the what you said about Caitlin, so her her notes from KMR was that she started to fade about 40k in, and that was her longest race. up to that day. So my only question with Caitlin, well, the first thing I've noticed about Caitlin is that you look through her Instagram and there is just so much happiness and joy for what she's doing. So you can pretty much just tell she's going to have a great time out there, which for this race is a very good sign.
00:36:40
Speaker
It's just going to be whether she has been able to develop the fitness yet for 100K or if she needs a few more years. um Yeah. My guy is telling me, yeah, maybe if this will be, a if seeing her get to the finish, this is going to be a really great experience.
00:36:57
Speaker
And then if she enjoys that distance and she starts layering in a few more years of training, that's when we're going to see her really excelling at the experience. yeah having spoken to her she she just froth running on trails and running long stuff so i don't even reckon she has her eyes on anything in that in in terms of performance like she's very much enjoyment based rather than performance based whereas whereas ah when when you get to this top end of the field there's Obviously, there is some level of performance focus, but I think out of the out of the people in that list, Caitlin might be the one and in the list that's there most just to enjoy the 100K distance is is sort of my current vibe on and what she's doing. And I think she'll develop into an incredible athlete and she's already sort of partway there.
00:37:40
Speaker
um the The one thing about KMR is that it's probably more like an 80K or an 85K even when you look at the sort of... The climb profile, ah probably 80, I reckon, and the time that it takes for them to run it.
00:37:55
Speaker
um So, yeah, I think potentially it will still be a jump up from that 66, but it might not be as much as it looks like on paper. Yeah.
00:38:07
Speaker
Yeah. I guess that's, that that's always the thing with trail isn't it? It's the distance doesn't necessarily tell the whole picture when she started looking at the time and the challenge of it. So yeah, I, I, I think Caitlin is very quickly showing that she has a lot of potential in trial running and when you're coming at it from a, an enjoyment perspective and that happens to deliver performances.
00:38:28
Speaker
it's a good a good direction to be coming up especially a new distance for emily as mentioned already past winner she recently came second at mount solitary behind so sarah sarah levitt and only four minutes behind that sort of is it probably a course that splits the 22 uta and 100k quite nicely in terms of yeah yeah the time perspective and her training looks really good going through on strava she's A bit like Sophie, actually, just ticking the boxes, looks nice and specific, is obviously training on more technical when you do Mount Solitary, which is a bit bit definitely a different challenge.
00:39:07
Speaker
um And she's a relatively high carb fueler. I saw her mention 90 grams. So at least you know that she's getting in a sufficient amount.
00:39:18
Speaker
So, yeah I think that's definitely a name, especially if if if we if we assume that Anna is out and that Beth, even if she's in, is not going to be peak Beth because she has had a few troubles. I think Emily will very much be in that fight for first.
00:39:37
Speaker
And then the the other Australian, as you've we've already mentioned, Sophie, Archie was a great run. Buffalo was a really strong run and that course didn't... She she thinks of herself, or she said to me, that about preferring more of it the the downhill. I think if that Buffalo Stampede course flipped and you ran from Bright to Buffalo, she would have...
00:40:00
Speaker
excelled more so on there and like you said about her her climbing i think that the last 30k is where we'll probably see sophie come from maybe even outside the top 10 and just suddenly end up in the podium position is my is my guess there and she does have 100k experience before so this isn't a new distance to her even though most her races have been that 50k ish she does know what she's doing she did cosy so Yeah, and she's coached by Benny St. Lawrence, who knows the Blue Mountains well.
00:40:31
Speaker
um Also would be working on that, I'm assuming, working on her ah running economy. and And that seems to be a fairly important part of the picture for the 100 course. um So, yeah, I think she you might surprise a few people.
00:40:46
Speaker
um Yeah. that will be It'll be really interesting to see how she goes. What sort of, like we've talked about times for some of the other races. From what I can tell, 10.41 Beth last year was...
00:40:58
Speaker
one of the quickest, if not the quickest on the 100K. Again, there's been a lot of course changes and bits and pieces over time, but it's it's pretty similar to last year's course. What sort of time are we thinking they're going to run? like I guess if Beth's not there, do we think the others will run as fast as Beth did last year? or or are we if From memory, Beth had a very good run last year.
00:41:20
Speaker
and I think even if Beth is there, I don't know if she would be beating her time from last year, assuming the course runs pretty much the same. um Looking, I think, last year as well, Emily, she ran 11.30 for fourth. So i think I think a podium, given that the women's fields or every field just seems to be leveling up, I think we're probably looking somewhere in that 11 to 11.10 to get a podium.
00:41:46
Speaker
I don't think we're going to see, we might see one lady, which would be Beth, go sub-11 if she's there. Obviously, if if an if Anna is fit, I think she'll probably be in that category as well. But I yeah i think it's going to be, if Beth's there, she'll be 10.50 to 11 if the day goes well. And then it'll be very tight in that next field. And I reckon we'll see, yeah, 11 to 11.15. There'll be a few more girls in the than there historically has been.
00:42:14
Speaker
But I don't think we're looking at and anything faster yeah so last year lucy bartholomew was second and 11 uh pretty much dead on just over 34 seconds and uh steph austin was 11 11. um yeah so yeah i wouldn't be surprised if a few go under 11. um but yeah i think uh look like beth had a really good run last year so 10 40 might be a bit hard to run but who knows hopefully we might even see that time go down as well um so yeah
00:42:46
Speaker
Yeah. thought i um Oh, definitely. Sub-11 men or women on the UTA course is very, very fast.
00:42:57
Speaker
And I think when looking at the likes of Steph Austin and Lucy not being able to break that or being right on it, it would really say something about whichever lady is able to go sub-11 that's not bad. Yeah, definitely.
00:43:09
Speaker
Definitely. So it's not out of the question and and it would show and it would be, yeah, I can imagine for some of those women, it would be a big ah game changer for them as well if they if they could do that. And I think there's there's a few that could do it.
00:43:22
Speaker
Definitely. um There's a couple of names coming across from New Zealand. Julia Grant, she just ran 252 at Christchurch Marathon, as well as came third at Tarawera 50k.
00:43:33
Speaker
She, I think, would be a name that, from that perspective, we're looking at another sort of top five in there. And then Jessica Campbell, I couldn't find too much on her.
00:43:45
Speaker
No like particular results to call out, but she is in the long trail team this year for New Zealand. so Yeah, I know Jess's name. I can't see her actually on UTMB for some reason, and um but...
00:43:57
Speaker
ah didn't She was at Skyrunning World Champs last year because I remember her being there. I don't remember exactly which race she actually ran. but um yeah should She ran the 37K. Okay, yeah. um Came 31st and she's done yeah she's also done the short trail in Innsbruck. She came She's a bit since 2019 onwards. There's been good quite a bit since sort of twenty nineteen almost as i said this there's been a few really good New Zealand-based results.
00:44:29
Speaker
But if she was a top three in this field, would be a noticeable step up um for her, which hopefully she can she can do that. So, lovely. All right.
00:44:39
Speaker
Men's 100K. I to go first this time. Yeah, you got this one. Well, I think I've got to pick Shen Jisheng. um And then four.
00:44:53
Speaker
It's hard there. Like, Luke looks like he's on... Like I think both those two are probably on a slightly higher level than our guys. But again, they have the opportunity to race in Europe lots.
00:45:04
Speaker
um So maybe there's some set level of bias there from sort of racing in bigger races and whatnot. ah But yeah, and i think I think just looking through some of Luke's results, I think I'd have to pick him for second.
00:45:17
Speaker
And then I'm going to pick Matt Crean for third. Yeah. All right. I'll mimic your top two with Shenji Sheng for first, Luke for second, and then I'm going to go George Murray for third.
00:45:31
Speaker
Yeah. i I love the George Murray and Matt Crean battle, so it's going to be good. and and look ah And even like Mike Carroll and... Even Rick Gibson, those guys have run against each other a lot and I think they know each other well. and it will be i think that's going to I'm most excited probably in the 100K men to watch what happens there and maybe they're filling third to fifth, but maybe some of them can get into the the top, I'm not sure. But yeah, it's going to be a good battle.
00:45:57
Speaker
And in this 100K realm, you're right, there's like there's a few names in the men's field that we are always kind of seeing pop up. And it'd be funny to look back actually and see what the... what the tallies are yeah yeah yeah i'm sure they i'm sure they know them yeah uh okay women's field are we are we assuming that beth and anna aren't running or are we i think anna sounds unlikely but best yeah i think anna's out based on beth's training i'm gonna say she's in yeah okay so let's go with that or you can choose not to up to you
00:46:31
Speaker
Yeah, look, I think even even if Beth is back, I think this injury might be one that makes a 100k race difficult. If we were talking about a 20k race, it might be a bit different.
00:46:43
Speaker
um But I think, yeah, yeah, yeah, I think that might be a bit tough. So I'm actually going to go... on, hang on, hang on. It's my pick. Wait, am I choosing first?
00:46:55
Speaker
You just took the the men's field. Okay, okay, okay. I was going to do something left field anyway, so I'll save mine. Okay. Well, I think I might.
00:47:05
Speaker
i will We'll see. Okay. I'm going to go for Eva Moore to take the win, ah followed by Sophie Broom and then Emily Brunt. Okay. So not too left field for me, but I was...
00:47:20
Speaker
This is definitely just recency bias to some extent. But Sophie Broome, I think, like just having run with her, I don't know. I haven't obviously run with all the other girls. Maybe that's what I need to do is go for a run with each of them and then I can pick accurately. um Yeah, I think Sophie looks like she's on.
00:47:36
Speaker
um I'm going to pick her for the win. um Then, oh, it's a tricky one after that. I think I'm going to go Naomi and then Nicole. Cool.
00:47:49
Speaker
and the cool Different. I like it. We're not agreeing on everything, which is good. Yeah. um Alrighty. Last course preview. Let's hear from Tim for the final extension part for the new 100 mile course.
Exploring the New 100-mile Course
00:48:05
Speaker
Tim, last one up, the new one for this year, the 100 mile course. This is very much the 100K plus 60K on in terms of what the course looks like. So if you can run us through first of all the the start section, that's the additions. Yeah. so new race this year, as you said, I think, um I think it's a great course, just getting that out there. It combines some of the most beautiful trails in the mountains and just punches them all together in, you know, a hundred miles.
00:48:32
Speaker
So for anybody doing it, I think it's a, it's going to be a great day and night out. um The, so the start, you're basically starting um over on the gross Valley side. So um traditionally UTA hundred and UTA 50K, they work in the Jamison Valley. This time we're on the other side of the highway, basically, the north side of the highway.
00:48:54
Speaker
um So here you're starting in Blackheath, basically, and heading on a little bit single track and doing a loop of the Grand Canyon. So those guys that have done Hounslow Classic will know the Grand Canyon well, or anybody who's trained up in the Gros knows the Grand Canyon well.
00:49:11
Speaker
It's actually a beautiful trail, um quite unique to the area, I think, if you're a trail runner. and just a great addition of the course. I think probably the only caveat to that is starting at 5am, you're probably going to be in the dark for the majority of it.
00:49:27
Speaker
So it'll be pretty tricky through there in the dark. There's a lot of low hanging rock. um It's quite slippery. and There's a few water crossings in there, but it's a really great way to start the race, I think. um And I really, yeah, it's a fun way to start the race in terms of throwing that sort of terrain at to you. It's just a shame that it's in the dark for those people that haven't actually seen it in the daylight yet.
00:49:48
Speaker
From there, you're heading basically along clifftop track that kind of mimics what you see in UTA 50 on the cliffs there. um But this time, obviously, heading out towards Perry's Lookdown. So and mix of a lot of stairs, short, punchy stair sets um with quite a nice section of road um that takes you down to the aid station at Perry's Lufthansa, which is checkpoint two, I believe.
00:50:15
Speaker
um So that's easy running. Once you basically come off the cliffs and head up the little fire trail and hit Hat Hill Road there, you know, That's very nice running, gradually trends downhill, and you've got beautiful views at that time of the morning. The sun will be coming up and you'll be able to see on a good day. You can see all the way to the city. Oh, wow. Yeah, i see the skyline there. So it's beautiful.
00:50:35
Speaker
um You do get a really good look at basically what you're going to be running into there as well. So depending on how prepared you are, I guess that will depend on how excited you are for that.
00:50:46
Speaker
But from Perry's, you're basically descending down Perry's Look Down, which is a steep climb. it's, I would say, mostly stared. So um the footing is pretty good. There's some tighter sections where your pace goes a lot slower just to deal with the technicality of the ah terrain.
00:51:05
Speaker
um But gradually, the general rule of thumb with parries is the further down the climb you go, the more open and runnable the terrain gets. So you You move from slow moving stuff at the top as you're kind of scrambling through the rocks to some pretty open faster running as you get further down um and cross the river there, the Gross River.
00:51:26
Speaker
um The first major climb of the day um is you're heading up Lockley's Pylon. So you'll cross the river. at the Grose River there, which at that time in the morning might be quite chilly, um but a nice way to start the day again.
00:51:39
Speaker
And then you're working with, and yeah, the Lockleys Pylon Climb, which is, I guess the closest similarity might be something like for those people that have done Mount Solitary, heading up the eastern ascent of Mount Solitary.
00:51:52
Speaker
um It's quite unique in that there's not a hell of a lot of stairs and it's still single track. So, It's not as maintained as other sections of the valley, probably because of its location.
00:52:04
Speaker
um And I think it's a great climb in that it's a ah good mix of quite steep stuff with some flatter stuff in between. So you can actually run sections of the climb, particularly if you're thinking, you know, how to use your energy 100 miles. There's still going to be sections of that climb to Lockleys where be able to run, you know, 30 seconds at a time before switching back into a hike.
00:52:27
Speaker
um Yeah. As you get closer to climb, it really feels European. Like it's used kind of scrambling through a pass in the cliff there, um, which from the bottom looking up doesn't look like it really goes. And from the top looking down definitely doesn't really look like it goes.
00:52:42
Speaker
Um, so it's a really cool section. and if you, you're heading up, you get the opportunity to turn around, 180 degrees and take a look at where you've come from. And also you get this amazing panorama of the gross Valley. So it's a really, really cool section of the course.
00:52:57
Speaker
Um, And I think it's an important part of that first loop because it is basically the the crux of the first loop in terms of the climbing. um It's both slow moving and it's very steep.
00:53:09
Speaker
So it's a it's one section of like that first s loop that you yeah just have to be mindful about um ah how you use your gas going up there. From there, you hit the cliff line basically and you're skirting the cliff line heading up towards Lockley's pylon proper.
00:53:26
Speaker
um that's a ah beautiful section and once you get up to the top of Lockleys they're going to have you do a little ah loop almost around before heading back down you're going get 360 degree views there at the Grosse Valley and again it's just incredible it's a great part of the mountains and really nice running on single track there so that stretch from Lockleys Pylon to Mount Hay Road is a single track section and it's pretty fun there's some technical parts of it that are a little bit slower there's also some parts that are yeah quite free-flowing and uh and just really fun to run so it's ah it's a good transition coming off that really steep hiking up lock loose heading into that single track section where you can get back into your running you can get your running legs back under you and kind of you know remind you that that you are able to run um that stretch
00:54:16
Speaker
Yeah. It strikes me looking at the Strava profile here that it looks relatively flat. It's in the context of the rest of the course, but it just looks like these little sawtooths almost. Yeah. I feel like it's going to be very, very grindy.
00:54:30
Speaker
Yeah. that's That's exactly what it is. It'd be the type of run that maybe if you were going out for Like an undulating run, you might run out there. um You're still going to get you know a decent amount of vert, but in the context of the rest of the race, the elevation profile doesn't necessarily do that section justice. um I really think in terms of doing sections justice, the next section doesn't really do um the terrain justice at all.
00:54:55
Speaker
ah Yeah, it's a good stretch, this next stretch. So once you've come onto to Mount Hay Road, um you're going to head up the fire trail just a little bit and they're going to have you do a little out and back on Fortress Ridge, um which is a fire trail from what I understand. I haven't been out that way yet, um but it it appears to be fire trail, two little out and backs there potentially.
00:55:18
Speaker
before coming back into Mount Hay Road again and then heading up towards um the right-hand turn that you're going to take to hit the single track or the fire trail rather off Mount Hay onto Bruce's walk.
00:55:31
Speaker
um so bruce's walk is a really cool uh trail network so it's a point-to-point trail that goes from medlo bath which is basically where the races is heading and it finishes actually just down the road here from where we live in in lawson um just near the bowling club yeah so it's an old old track i think it's to do with um The maintenance of the power lines. So it basically follows the the line of the power line. So there's some pretty steep stuff. And it's almost like the track's just been built, you know, as the crow flies, just as straight as you can in some sections, which is quite cool.
00:56:05
Speaker
But it's pretty slow going. So that right turn off off Mount Hay Road, you descend nice fire trail for a few minutes before you hit. single track, and then you're basically darting in and out of a creek, um hiking up a steep bit of fire trail, running down a steep bit of fire trail, crossing another creek, and then you back up a single track climb, heading up towards Medlo Bath and the old airfield there, the old Katoomba airfield.
00:56:33
Speaker
And that section is really cool. It's the trail. Like I said, it's like not really maintained. So it wouldn't be something that, you know, a day tripper would travel up to the mountains to do. So in terms of getting on terrain and getting on trail that um is, I guess it feels a little bit untouched um and not as bougie as a lot of the other trails. That section is, is really indicative of that. It's um yeah, it's a really cool section. I ran it a few weeks ago for the first time and it,
00:57:01
Speaker
Yeah, it surprised me by um just how slow moving it was and how deceptive that elevation profile is. So that's something you definitely keep in mind. just It's a short section, but it's it's quite deceptive.
00:57:11
Speaker
um Yeah, so I guess the once you come out of that stretch, um it's almost like you're moving from really brushy, slow moving single track all of a sudden to this amazingly beautiful groomed fire trail that heads up past the old airfield.
00:57:26
Speaker
um And then once you exit that, you hit the road that basically um takes you all the way back up towards Medlo Bath. Again, easy running. So it doesn't look like it on the profile, but it undulates ever so slightly.
00:57:41
Speaker
There's a few hills that depending on where you are in the course, you'll be hiking. Other people may be running. um But the general trend of this next section is you've left a lot of the slower moving single track behind and you've got quite a good stretch of ah of easier running ahead of you as you head back towards um the Hydro Majestic and then towards Narrow Neck at the aid station there.
00:58:03
Speaker
When we're talking about the technicality of the whole course, like we've spoken about the 100k being of like a runner's course with stairs, it feels like the 100 mile is is almost two completely different races put into one.
00:58:18
Speaker
Is that correct? Yeah, I think that's a pretty pretty good statement. I think... There's definitely a high demand for hiking um and maybe like your technical skills in this first session of 100 miles.
00:58:33
Speaker
um Yeah, I'd say that's quite accurate. There's still plenty of running, it's but it's definitely interspersed with some reasonably technical stuff that's quite slow going. Yeah. And I get the impression from just, and I guess, from the numbers of people that this is likely a lot of people's first 100 mile, the attraction of UTA or the people, like you say, there's some bougie trails on the other side of the valley.
00:58:55
Speaker
For someone that's tackling this and maybe they listen to this podcast and they go, oh, that's a bit scary. I'm not sure I've signed up for so that. What would you say to them about how to approach that first section? I think the one thing to think about, I think, is the...
00:59:12
Speaker
The good part about the design of the course is that the, I guess, slower moving, more technical terrain is packed into that first loop.
00:59:22
Speaker
um I think you'd be hard pressed to find anybody who'd want to run the course the other way around and having the Gross Valley section as being the last section. um So i think it'd just be about um framing the day around staying patient and also just understanding and accepting that the challenge you're in for.
00:59:43
Speaker
Like it's very difficult. It's very difficult. Running 100 miles, you know, around a track or on the road is very difficult. um So it's it's all contextual. You know, if you've signed up for it and you're there for the challenge, like the course will challenge you and that's exactly what you're there for. And I think that's a big part of ah these things. Like,
01:00:02
Speaker
wanting to to meet the challenge and also just accepting that that these things are difficult and that often the, you know, the Instagram reels and the TikTok reels and the YouTube channels that show racing at the pointy end as being this really glamorous, fast, mostly painless thing, it's just not the case. And I think we can all agree on that. So, like the sport is very difficult, no matter where you are.
01:00:24
Speaker
I think is once you accept that, you can have a lot of fun with it. I like that. Good advice. The only other area that seems to be different, which you started speaking about for the 100K, is the, what was that that's that section of the course called?
01:00:39
Speaker
Yeah, so coming out of six foot track um the first time and basically doing, it's a bit of an extended loop of what the 100K guys will do. So instead of turning back and coming up, the 100 mile guys actually head down towards the river, which a lot of people would know from the Cox's river, lot of people would know from doing six foot track.
01:01:00
Speaker
um So once you get it into the river, you're actually joining the six foot track and coming back up um for anybody I mentioned earlier, for anybody that's done mega on mega. So, you know, it's like a 36 ish, 38 K out and back.
01:01:13
Speaker
um leaving from the cemetery at Meglong Road, heading up towards Ploovie and back. Coming back after crossing the river is quite difficult. And it's a stretch that on paper looks like it shouldn't be too bad. But every time you run out there, it just feels like it gets harder and harder.
01:01:29
Speaker
um There's a lot of stairs in that section, um some really steep, punchy climbs as well. And it just feels like it drags a little bit um for for where it is on the map. So it's actually ah in terms of like sneaky, sneaky, tough sections on the course, I'd put that one right up there in terms of where it falls in the race. So you're basically hitting it at what, just after 100 Ks, I want to say.
01:01:52
Speaker
Um, so, you know, you're going to be carrying lot of fatigue and, um, yeah, it's just ah a bit of a ah pinchy section. Perfect. Sounds like a lot of fun at the 100K mark for everyone that's going to be doing it.
01:02:04
Speaker
Definitely. Anything else with the 100 mile that you think is worth noting on? Um, nothing specific. I think ah potentially for the guys that have a lot of experience running ETA 100, I imagine there's a lot of people that have decided to step up and tackle the 100 mile this year. um you know there's going to be a lot of stuff that they know and have done before in training multiple times, and maybe they've raced over multiple years as well.
01:02:29
Speaker
I think the main difference is they're probably going to encounter quite a bit of that course, the familiar course in the dark. um So again, that's a like a nice challenge to have, but it definitely just a slightly different context in terms of maybe how your day plays out. If you enjoy running in the nighttime, perfect.
01:02:46
Speaker
um If it's something you find challenging, then maybe some of those stretches that you think were going to be like a bit of a gimme section or that weren't going to be as difficult, maybe they present just a slightly different challenge for you.
01:02:58
Speaker
That's basically really the only the only thing I'd be thinking about. And what do you reckon is achievable on a fair weather day, men's and women's field? What sort of times reckon we're looking at for this?
01:03:11
Speaker
cool That is a good question. I i actually have no idea. And i I haven't thought about the front of the field as to how fast You would be running that. um Yeah, I would have to sit on that for a little bit.
01:03:26
Speaker
Have you had any thoughts? Well, I was talking to Kelly Angel last week and she was sort of throwing around the 20 hour mark. Yep. Thinking that was hard, but potentially achievable.
100-mile Race Strategies and Predictions
01:03:39
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Yeah, I think that's pretty ballpark. Yeah, I think um I guess the the only, yeah yeah, I'd say that's pretty ballpark.
01:03:49
Speaker
It's really, really hard to know how that first, you know, 55Ks is going to run and and what that's going to take out of people and by the time they actually hit, you know, the 100 course proper coming onto Narrowneck there. So it is quite difficult to to get a feel for it. But I'd say that's a pretty good ballpark.
01:04:07
Speaker
Cool. All right. Interesting. Interesting. I'm trying to get the little tips before Brody and I come back and make our picks. yeah Wonderful, Tim. I really appreciate you giving me all that time and all the insight. That's been incredibly valuable. I'm sure everyone listening to this is going to get some really good insights. So good luck to everyone that you've got running and yourself as a coach for the weekend. I'm sure it's a big one.
01:04:26
Speaker
um ah be appreciate ah ah appreciate it. Thank Sweet. That extra part sounds like UTA just sort of took a very different step with the technicality, the essentially the Hounslow section that is added in. It's exciting.
01:04:43
Speaker
And like Tim said, probably a lot of people very glad it's not running the other way around. Yeah, it's so it's very different to the rest of the course, which is super exciting. and I think it's going to add a really interesting element.
01:04:55
Speaker
um to the course or potentially everyone just takes that first 60k not too hard and then it becomes somewhat irrelevant I don't know it could go either way I think but yeah that like I've been through the Grand Canyon that's a very interesting place to start in the dark that I don't think many people will be moving through that super fast given it's a miler and given it's it's it's quite technical down there um yeah and then I've seen plenty of videos of Michael Dunstan doing uh Perry's Lockdown and Lockley's Pyle and those climbs and descents, I think that that looks like a really challenging part of the course.
01:05:33
Speaker
um So, yeah, we'll see we'll see how that all plays out, I think. um I think it could either be the defining part of the race or it could be the race starts at 60K. I think it could go either way there.
01:05:45
Speaker
I did see Claire O'Brien-Smith when she she just got over there and wrecked some of that course. She very quickly redid her timings because it's a lot slower than what she thought it was. So it adds a really, really interesting element because if somebody is really comfortable in technical terrain, you could get a big lead there.
01:06:07
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. and And not use up too many bickies either. Like I think you can, if you can flow over that stuff comfortably um and and efficiently, then yeah, like you said, I think you can build up a bit of a lead that then you can sort of ease off a little bit on the more runnable stuff or or you have more in the tank for the runnable stuff.
01:06:27
Speaker
Yeah, definitely. Starting with the men's field. Now, the first name on there is Vlad Shatteroff. One of the things that strikes me with Vlad is that when he's on, he is on and he is very, very clear favourite in this 100 mile field.
01:06:43
Speaker
Yeah. He has had a few challenges. He's had a couple of DNFs at UTA already and a 31st the 100K. So I'm going to assume that was not a smooth sailing day. And recently had some challenges at Cozzy.
01:06:58
Speaker
Said that he was going in, he hurt his lower back the day before, but he still finished. um Which given the weather conditions that day was something quite... quite intense but Vlad is a very very good runner and from what I can tell he's a very good runner on a variety of terrain so if Vlad is coming in trained fit healthy and has it has it has his day he's the name that I'm expecting to see at the top of the timing sheets for most of it yeah I think so like Vlad I've sort of spent some time with him over the last few years um
01:07:32
Speaker
when Like you said, when he's on, he's on. He's had some really good races like Tarawara. He had the course record for a while there. I think it may have gone down now. But yes, he's had some he's had some really good races in the past.
01:07:45
Speaker
I think if he was to go out, like in this field, he has the opportunity to go out more comfortably because I think Vlad often, when he hasn't had a good day, he's probably gone out a little bit too hot.
01:07:58
Speaker
um because that's how he races. But I think if the field is is good, you sort of you sort of do have to do that sometimes as like run hard and hope that it sticks. But in this field, I think he could probably run a bit more conservatively and then he could really open up in that second half.
01:08:14
Speaker
um yeah So, yeah, we'll see, I guess. If he is there, I think I agree. He probably is the favourite. um And I think for him to have a really good day He takes that first 60K pretty cruisy and then he opens up on the more runnable stuff in the back half.
01:08:31
Speaker
And even if we saw Vlad running in third to fifth at the 100k mark, if he's feeling pretty good at that point, I'd still put my money on him to win that race. Yeah, yeah. I crewed him at Cozzy a few years ago and on the runnable stuff. he's just like he went He probably went out a little too hot that day, but he was flying. like He just looks so good. So when when he's when he looks good, he's good. So like if he gets to 100k and he looks good, I'd be pretty worried even if he was back in fifth.
01:09:00
Speaker
Yeah. The next thing on the list, which is is, to be honest, he's a new name to me, Cameron Kerr from New Zealand. He's looking at the results. There's nothing. he He's had some some good runs. Don't get wrong. He's an eighth at Cozzy, 100k. First at Mototapu, 50k.
01:09:19
Speaker
um A couple of DNS at UTMB. But What hit me is that he's taking this very serious. So there's pictures of him doing his like Bob Alistair VO2 or economy testing on the treadmill. He even mentioned like a couple years ago, he was interested in what would happen if he just committed to this. So that's A recipe for somebody to come in really well trained from a specificity perspective is also a recipe for somebody to come in maybe carrying a bit too much weight on their shoulders and can make some wrong decisions or just feel that pressure. So it can go either either way.
01:09:54
Speaker
If it goes in his favor, a name that we might be becoming more familiar with. And he is the second think the the second ranked in in the list um so yeah it's a relatively new one new one to me but definitely definitely one to keep an eye out for yeah he he raced um he raced uh cosi 100k against yeah he came eighth there so he was running
01:10:27
Speaker
against Quinton Gill, who's also in this list, and Quinton Gill won that race. So yeah if we can use that as a little bit of a thing, but maybe his race at UTK was not not his best. He must have some... It may not have been given his ranking score is actually higher than Quinton's as well. So, um yeah, it'll be interesting to see how he goes.
01:10:52
Speaker
Going into, like, Quinton, who was... first at Cozzy and I think Quinton had a really good run at Cozzy. yeah was ah I was super impressed by that run. um And I think he's tried to follow a similar approach to the miler.
01:11:08
Speaker
um So Quinton for Cozzy did sort of a full recce over three days, checked the whole course. Very big focus on his fueling, high carb fueling um and and sort of going at it a measurable effort.
01:11:24
Speaker
So yeah, if he can apply what he did at UTK to his 100 mile course, he's been living in the Blue Mountains. um I think he'd be very dangerous, even for someone like Vlad.
01:11:36
Speaker
um I think Quintin's, yeah, he's he's a a very strong challenger in my eyes. Yeah, I agree. ah When I was talking to Bridie Temple, Quinton's her coach, and I asked if she if she knew how how he was feeling. So he originally entered for the 100K, stepped it up to the 100 mile, and essentially is feeling fully stoked, which in the sense of he's trained, he has changed up a few things in his training, and she' said including cross training, a bit more focused on speed, high carb fueling, and it's all kind of seems like it's coming together. So yeah.
01:12:10
Speaker
if we're looking at an even better version of quinton gill now what five months six months on from cossey it definitely could be the name that we're we're seeing in first place at the end yeah definitely the only thing i would say with quinton is like with his the training approach that he did um and his race at cossey 100 i was sort of expecting him to do a little bit better at buffalo so he ran the sky marathon there the forty two k But maybe he just didn't have his best day that that day and he was using it as a build-up race to this. So it's it's obviously not the A race.
01:12:43
Speaker
um and And he still came fourth and ran a decent time, 3.52. But i sort of I think because he'd done so well at Cozzy, I was expecting him to be a little bit higher up.
01:12:54
Speaker
And time-wise, at least, maybe not placings wouldn't have changed too much. um But, yeah, maybe there's so many things that go into someone's race that we don't know all the little details about. Yeah, exactly. like For all we know, he was just doing that as a steady marathon long run. And going at miler pace. And if he was going at miler pace, then... You better watch out. Yeah.
01:13:13
Speaker
yeah Definitely. and Another name that is potentially probably quite unheard of for a lot of people will be Eric Concey. He's from New Caledonia. I met him over there when I was doing doing an event. And won the...
01:13:26
Speaker
his one the not the fastest guy in the field by any means, but he puts in the work. From what I can kind of tell on Strava, it's a bit tricky when everything's mixed together, but he's been doing sort 13 to 15 hour run weeks plus 10 hours on the bike.
01:13:41
Speaker
He's got a fourth at Cosi ah fifth at Cosi 50k he came fifth at Grand Raid on Reunion Island which is a very challenging race and eighth at Tauera Mila start of this year so speaking of people that will likely come through the field should he get things right I think Eric will be a name that again we might not even see for the first 100k and then suddenly start to starts to come through. I think he is now living in Sydney as well, so he hasn't got to do any any any travel.
01:14:11
Speaker
ah But yeah, he's ah he he him and Chris McAuliffe are two names that I think are very likely to be Yeah, to be there at the end. So it's Chris, for a bit of context, third Oscars, actually 2024 and 2025, third at GPT, 100 Mile 2023 and a sixth Buffalo 100k. So he's very, very frequently visiting the podium or at least that top 10.
01:14:37
Speaker
And he's he's the one that I think will come through at the end if if people start blowing up because he's he's done I've seen him do that many times. so um Definitely. The the only only little fear I've got for him is that he has quite a few times mentioned a knee and hammy niggle.
01:14:54
Speaker
And late April on Strava, he essentially said, like, time to wind down and hopefully let the body put itself back together, not in great shape. felt it a bit again today so i hope that the taper has allowed his body to sort of itself out and he's coming in healthy but you going into a hundred mile especially the way that uta starts if you're coming in with hammy and knee issues and you're not feeling super confident on that that's not a great recipe Yeah, yeah, definitely.
01:15:23
Speaker
and then And then one that you had, he's not on there um the front page of this list, a little tip-off you had for another runner. You want to give us the the deep dive on the dark horse, potentially? Yeah, so I sent Joe's Dorf, who everyone will most likely know, but he's he's ah course wrecked for single track and he did the preview with us with the Buffalo Stampede.
01:15:46
Speaker
And I said to Joe, is there anybody for the the whole event you're keeping an eye on? And he named dropped Andrew Nunn, who he says, a friend of him, of his, he hasn't had any of the results that would showcase his fitness yet. He just hasn't quite got to a start line healthy or hasn't fully put together on the day.
01:16:04
Speaker
That said, he did just win Jabalani forty five k If you go into Strava and look at his training, all the boxes are ticked. Gut training, heat training, specificity. He's doing the like, whatever you want to say, strength, fatigue, resistance, durability, style, long runs.
01:16:20
Speaker
yeah If he is gone over three days. Yeah. hes every days like you Yeah. He, i think he did essentially did the like three back-to-back 40K days. think I know it was like five hours each, each day.
01:16:32
Speaker
He did roll his ankle pretty badly, ironically, on a flat road run from what I can tell. But he then also said to Joe that he actually he's he did a 10K and he felt felt okay. so Yeah, I was go to say, he's gone dark on Strava. So I don't know and and't know what's happened since the end of April.
01:16:48
Speaker
ah Hopefully, Andrew's healthy. The ankle the anchor was ah in that last weekend, last week of... Oh, no, I'm not on the wrong. He has been on. Sorry. But the ankle was probably about two weeks ago, was it?
01:17:01
Speaker
to get his Strava up to double check. I think it potentially was. but it's pretty It's pretty fresh because yet when I was talking talking to joe Joe yesterday, it was sort of the messages were coming through to Joe as I was talking to him as well. So it's it's it's very much fresh in his mind. ah so But essentially, whenever Joe Dorff says somebody's got the potential, it's a pretty good sign that if they've got the potential, like he's he's pretty he's pretty clued on with yeah his his tops more top runners in Australia. So hopefully Andy's healthy if he is and looking at his training and also some experience, like I've been mentioning a couple of DNS, not because it's a rub it in for people not finishing, it's they teach you so much. You learn so much about yourself and pacing and strategy and nutrition and hydration that
01:17:46
Speaker
when When you do have some hard days, especially for whatever reasons at UTMB and UTA for for Andy, that's only going to strengthen you for the next time you get to it. So yeah, I'm excited based on what Joe said. And then I got even more excited when I saw his training. So as long as he's healthy, this is my this is definite definitely my dark horse pick.
01:18:06
Speaker
and Moving
Key Competitors and Predictions for 100-mile
01:18:07
Speaker
on to the women. So one of them is in the top 10. He's ranked sixth, is it? Yeah, so Lin Chen... If she is turning up, I will be amazed. And I don't know if I'm impressed or scared.
01:18:21
Speaker
She just won the Canyons 100 mile. She won, i think it was a race in China, a 75k before that. And then before that, and there's only two months between Canyons and Black Canyon, she came fourth at Black Canyon 100k and got a golden ticket into Western States in six weeks. So potentially in the space of about three and a half months, she could have had Two 100 mile events, 100K, 75K, and then lining up for Western States, which if anyone was watching the live stream last year, she was running either in second or third until essentially her foot kind of disintegrated because of the wet. It was very, quite disgusting.
01:18:55
Speaker
um But she got to the river looking pretty ridiculously strong. um She also came fourth later the year at UTMB. So I really want to see her here because it will be incredible to see. And honestly, if she's here, she's my pick for the overall win of the 100 mile.
01:19:11
Speaker
I've just like, I'm sorry guys, but she's just in a different class of field. um But if she's not here, it becomes a very open 100 mile women's field, which is also equally as exciting.
01:19:28
Speaker
Yeah, like it looks like she does race a lot. um So they wouldn't be out of the ordinary for her to have a go race it. Not at all. So, yeah, it'd be interesting. it Maybe her focus is elsewhere rather than Western States.
01:19:44
Speaker
But you would think if her focus was Western States that maybe it wouldn't be the wisest choice. But, um yeah, who knows? She's done a lot of – That's also – yeah, that's just our training and coaching biases. Exactly. like She's a professional athlete, so she's she's going to rock up to races and and do her best in – um potentially as many as she as she can and and we don't know exactly what she's got on her plate but I'd be very excited to see her turn up and looks like it's fairly likely I think i think we will see her yeah but she's she's she's still on the UTMB live that only went up I think in the last 24 hours or so i might be mistaken although I'm on that as well so it's not it's it's not the be on and all but I think like
01:20:33
Speaker
I think I've also seen her in a little bit of the media and stuff. So I think potentially if that's the case, then they'd be expecting her to come. So then outside of Linchen, there's a pretty strong Australian contingent coming up.
01:20:51
Speaker
The names that, from a past performance perspective that stand out, Cecilia Mattis and Kelly Angel. Cecilia, haven't seen her doing anything specific yet this year.
01:21:06
Speaker
but fourth at Asia Pacific Trail Champs. She won Buffalo Stampede 100K last year. She's had a fourth and a first at UTA 100K. Knows the trail. We had a quick chat.
01:21:17
Speaker
She said everything's been going well. She's excited. She's ready to race. So Cecilia, excited and ready to race, is is very much someone that you're going to be putting up in your top three for the for the finish. Yeah, yeah. I think she's...
01:21:34
Speaker
Like her runner Asia Pacific last year was really impressive. um I think sometimes like we we we get worried if people, we haven't seen people racing, but like also think like doing a lot of races works for some people, but probably for most people, racing too much is actually not that beneficial. So yeah, maybe she's had a more wise approach and and done a, um for her and done a big build up towards this mile up, which is um meant not doing some races. She may have done some harder efforts. I know she ran the Hamilton Island Hilly a half because we called out her name. yeah It didn't look like she was racing, racing that, but yeah,
01:22:07
Speaker
Yeah, i I think she could have a really good run and we know that she's she's run well in the and the Blue Mountains before. Yeah, definitely.
01:22:18
Speaker
And then Kelly kelly had a well a very good start to her Buffalo 100k, had her very recently on the podcast and then her stomach sort of just turned on her almost within reaching distance of of the finish.
01:22:34
Speaker
She still came fifth and basically on the times that she projected, though she yeah has the potential to definitely run a lot faster than what she did. If Kelly, she just started working with Precision, she just started dialing her nutrition and hydration, which seemingly seems seems to be to be the challenge for her.
01:22:52
Speaker
It hasn't been very long. for her to start implementing changes but if anything they have worked out in this short period is working you look back at kelly's results and she 100 is she's an incredible runner she's super strong she knows herself her body the sport so yeah if she can get the fueling down if she can keep her gut happy kelly's going to be going to be up there definitely yeah i think um Some of her recent races she might not have been as happy with from that point of view, but she was running pretty amazingly and in 23 and even into the start of last year or even all the way through to Western States. She still ran a really impressive Western States.
01:23:40
Speaker
um So, yeah, I think... if she can if she's managed to sort of get on top of those small things, um and you would imagine that she's getting closer towards it now with what she's been working on, yeah um hopefully she can she can sort of pull it together really well on the day. And I think if she if she doesn't have any issues, she's going to be really dangerous.
01:24:05
Speaker
And it's, I was thinking about from a stomach perspective, if we're looking at it being ah bit wet, cold, that's obviously better from your core temperature. So less likely to present with any gut distress.
01:24:20
Speaker
And even though you might think, okay, a hundred mile yeah out there for longer, there's more time for stuff to go wrong. It is also a lower intensity. Yes, you get stressed at the end, but There is the potential that actually some adverse weather, as long as she keeps herself warm enough and a slightly lower intensity, does suit wherever she's at right now.
01:24:37
Speaker
And if that is the case, that's a very good recipe. Yeah, definitely. And she did set the course record at Warby, 50k, earlier in the year as well. So we know she's fit. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Needs able show it. Yeah, and I think there's that's the thing with her results. There's no questioning her fitness. She's been in good form. It seems that mostly she's come undone with...
01:24:56
Speaker
um the the other challenge of ultra running if of of the the other things that come up like heat and gut and and and durability and we but not even durability but those other sort of less controllable things that you sort of got to put the puzzle pieces together and hopefully she's got to the point where she can put that puzzle together and bit better this time. Yeah.
01:25:17
Speaker
Yeah, i do I do hope that she does. Other names, someone who I've got an eye on, and again, this is my my sort of dark horse, is Jazz Vollmer.
01:25:28
Speaker
She started the year with a win at Burgund Conquestathon, came fifth at Buffalo Stampede in 42K, and I was standing at the bottom of the middle track, which was about 4K-ish to the finish, and And she just looked like she was out for a Sunday jog.
01:25:46
Speaker
Like she was so smooth. She was going mile apace. Yeah. Like I gently honestly, it looked like it mechanically. She had not broken down. I saw her at the start. The same. And I went, wow. Okay. You're, it doesn't either. She was pushing and she just doesn't have those top gears at the moment because she being very specific at that point, because we were only,
01:26:05
Speaker
yeah seven weeks out or so or she was just chilling either way she's done the training you can see that a straight on a straver and she's got experience at this distances as well that yeah i think this is going to be she a bit like sophie broom for me in the 100k think she's probably someone that will yeah be a bit more of a we'll say household name how much is that you can be after after this Yeah, well, we've we've definitely been starting to hear her name a bit more.
01:26:34
Speaker
um But she probably hasn't got to the ah level of the other names that are around her on that list of like Cecilia and Kelly, but also luu Clifton and Clara Bryant-Smith, who we probably know a little bit better.
01:26:47
Speaker
um But she's probably on her way there. Definitely. um On that note, ah we've got Lou Clifton, who's bit of a stalwart in... ultra running in Australia.
01:26:58
Speaker
ah She's in the 50 to 54 category now, um but she's still the fifth ranked, fourth ranked. And I have no doubt that she will be ah pushing for the top three.
01:27:10
Speaker
Lou's a really great runner and and the longer it goes, um especially if some others start to have some issues, I think she'll be sort of there around.
01:27:21
Speaker
um So yeah, I'm excited to see where Lou ends up. It's great to see her still running so strongly. um And then the other one for me that jumps out um is Clara Ryan-Smith.
01:27:36
Speaker
She was third at 66 a few months ago. sixty six few months ago um She's well known to sort of go out and then at sort of her pace, run her race and then move through the field at the at the other end. So especially if some of the other girls start having some issues, I think... um Claire could run run through some of the field there and and it'd be interesting to see where she ends up.
01:28:05
Speaker
Yeah, she'll be one, I think, top five, top potentially pushing onto the podium. Again, somebody else that we should should give a shout out. She just got married as well. So congratulations, Claire.
01:28:17
Speaker
Yeah, don't know if she's officially changed her, if she's changing her name or if if not, but... yeah anyway sorry if we get that wrong claire you're still claire o'brien smith on utmb yeah and utmb is gospel we've got to go with that for now gospel for this preview anyway exactly exactly um and i'm gonna get to maybe see a little bit of this race because i might be um i think i'm gonna be pacing claire for a little bit of it um sharing that with with sim and her partner lochie so yeah i might be out there and about and um
01:28:48
Speaker
the first elite list that got released for the um had a bunch of men who aren't running the miler but are pacing so there's going to be a lot of people out there pacing i know james barnett's going to be pacing kelly for some um ian best is out there pacing someone so yeah it's going to be Yeah, it's cool it's cool to have that element to UTA as well now.
01:29:10
Speaker
um None of the other races have that being a bit shorter and and not necessarily needing them. um But yeah, the pacer element um is a bit ah bit of a unique part of ultra running and it would be cool to have that involved this year. I don't know how the people running feel about it, but um I'm definitely excited.
01:29:31
Speaker
Brilliant. All right, should do these picks? Yes, let's do it. um Who's your first this time on the men's? I've got the men's. as i I threw my tantrum as you try to take the women's. hair so the men's is an interesting field to me because there isn't there isn't a clear favorite, even with Vlad in there, because like we said, if he's on, he's on. If he's not, he's not. So I'm actually going to go with Quinton Gill for the win here.
01:29:57
Speaker
um then going to put Andrew Nunn in for second and Eric Concey for third. Yeah, nice. um Yeah, it's tricky.
01:30:08
Speaker
I think also, yeah, I think I'm going to have to pick Quinton first. um I just, yeah, I think he if you can do what he did at UTK again, I think he'll be hard to beat.
01:30:20
Speaker
I'm going to go Quinton, Vlad, and then I'm going to go your dark horse pick, Andy. Hope his ankles better. yeah Andy Nunn. Yeah. Joe Dorff, you have just put so much pressure on this guy. I hope you're right. That's all right.
01:30:34
Speaker
Just tell him not to listen to this, Joe. Yeah. And then I get the first pick of the women. yeah Thank you. Okay, I'm going to pick Lin Chen as number one.
01:30:45
Speaker
Who would have thought? i Actually, yeah, I agree with you that I think she'll give the top men a run for their money as well. So I think it'll be interesting see how that plays out um if she if she is running.
01:30:57
Speaker
And then think I'm going to – oh, this is tricky. I think I'm going to pick Cecilia Mattis for second and Kelly for third. Cool.
01:31:08
Speaker
All right. Again, I'm going with Lin Chen for first. I think it's going to be very much what we saw with Esther Schellag at Buffalo, that she'll be running down the men's field as it as it goes on. She just gets an extra 60K to see how far she can do that. Yeah.
01:31:21
Speaker
Yeah. i um I'm then, is going to be really interesting. I'm actually going to Jazz in second, and then I'm going to put Kelly in third.
01:31:32
Speaker
So always feels mean doing this sometimes. It's not me. It's just picking. We're probably going to be wrong on all of them. Yeah. It just gives fire in the bear bellies for that. We're probably really disadvantaging the people we pick because we put the pressure on them.
01:31:49
Speaker
And then the other people are now the underdogs. Well, that's
Local Talent and Final Thoughts
01:31:52
Speaker
assuming that people respect the podcast. Yeah. yeah In fact, I'll take take the moment to say if you have got this far, please share and leave a review because you obviously don't mind listening to us and it would be really nice to ah to have that because congratulations, you you've done well to get to here.
01:32:11
Speaker
But let's close it off. Brodie, thank you for that. That was really good fun. It's really cool to see this level of competition. i will say there's probably less international than I thought there would be.
01:32:22
Speaker
But the Australian and New Zealand contingent that has come, I'm loving that. it We're seeing Australian, like if you're just looking at top Australian, there is so much depth into all these fields. So very excited to see that. Excited to catch up with yourself and the rest of the team up there at UTA on the weekend.
01:32:39
Speaker
Yeah, it's gonna be epic. I'm really looking forward to it. So yeah. And if anyone's there on the weekend, come up and have a chat to us. Happy to, happy to talk. You can tell us which picks you didn't agree with. Um, but yeah, looking forward to an awesome weekend of spectating pacing, hopefully not getting too wet.
01:32:58
Speaker
Mm. Yes. Fun. Wonderful. Well, yeah. Like Brody said, if you do see us, come say hi. If you're racing and you are listening to this, good luck. I hope you have a wonderful day out there. And if you have raced listened to this afterwards and you've completely proved us wrong, then well done. Congratulations. And James, a message until I know about it. All complaints go to James, not me. Yeah.
01:33:24
Speaker
All right, before we completely lose it, Brodie, thanks so much. Have a great day, man. Yeah, you too. See Bye.