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Roller Coaster Run 2025: Race Preview and Predictions
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The Roller Coaster Run is back this weekend, and James and Brodie are here to break down everything you need to know ahead of the 23k and 46k events in the Dandenongs.
From course strategy to weather forecasts, they unpack how to approach the climbs, what makes this course deceptively tough, and why pacing will make or break your day. The pair run through the men’s and women’s elite fields — featuring names like Lucy Bartholomew, Demi Caldwell, Mike Carroll, and Tyla Windham — sharing their insights and predictions for who might take the wins. Tune in for an in-depth, coach’s-eye look at one of Victoria’s most anticipated trail races.
***Don’t forget, use code PPP at https://bix-hydration.myshopify.com/en-au 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 your own trail stories. Until next time, keep hitting the trails and chasing those peak pursuits!
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Transcript
Introduction to the Roller Coaster Run
00:00:16
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Peep Pursuits podcast. Today Brody and myself James will be previewing the roller coaster run 23k and 46k which is happening this weekend at the time of recording. Brody, you're still enjoying the the holiday life over in Europe, how you going?
00:00:32
Speaker
Yeah, last last few days before I head home. So yeah, in Greece and catching as much sun as we can before we head home. And then I think the temperature starting to slowly match up with what the temperature is in Melbourne. So it should be a seamless transition weather-wise, hopefully.
00:00:50
Speaker
It's definitely getting nicer, which is which is very, very welcome. Although where I am in Albury, it's still sort of five degrees in the morning, which is pretty... yeah Yeah, it feels like it should be closer to summer now. Thursday says 28. So, and although as we'll get to it, fact, as well say that the weather for this weekend at Calorama, at least where the start line is, is looking very favorable for running, maybe not favorable for coming home from overseas, but lows of fives, highs 14, sun and cloud, but it's raining Thursday, Friday on and off and then heavy rain Sunday. So at the moment, there's this really nice weather window for the event, which I really hope for even just like the guys running it, they get that.
Weather and Terrain Impact on the Race
00:01:31
Speaker
But it could end up being a very wet one. Yeah, sometimes for the runners, it doesn't matter too much if the weather's a bit crappy. But for the volunteers that are out there, the people who are putting the event together, any spectators that are coming to watch, it's nicer if it's a better day for them, I think.
00:01:45
Speaker
Yeah, I remember the the parking there as well is like on a grassy slope and there's not that much of it, but 2023, it absolutely bucketed down and I was there and it just made it completely useless. So cars were getting either stuck we couldn't park and yeah, it's for anyone listening that's going for the first time, parking there is a bit of a challenge. I know the the event organizers ask you to carpool or um they might even have a shuttle option from from somewhere local, but it is definitely very, very limited there.
00:02:12
Speaker
And it would be, it would be nice to have a ah nice weather day, especially like myself, I'll be down there spectating and coaching and I would really like to not be saturated. Yeah, look because um I just miss it. I get home Monday, so I didn't actually realize. I thought maybe Rollercoaster was the following weekend. I didn't book my plan.
00:02:29
Speaker
I hadn't planned to run it. But, um yeah, i don't I've never actually been out to the event. So hopefully I'll get there next year or the year after. um It looks like a very cool event. But I am very familiar with the Dandongs. This is ah probably my number one training ground.
00:02:44
Speaker
um So, yeah, I always get excited when Rollercoaster comes around because it's very cool trails to be running and racing on. Definitely. And it's my experience of roller coaster is 2023. I was working a bit for the guys at single track. So I've did a lot of course marking and time spent there. And it's really pretty. Like it's the trails aren't offensive or particularly technical.
00:03:08
Speaker
Like I get the impression if it was really dry, it could be quite loose, dirt gravelly kind of underfoot, but with a bit of rain would be really nice out there. But yeah, especially, i don't know the the areas, but once you kind of go through the Dungala aid station and up the next climb, kind of goes a bit more tropical and just very pleasant place to run.
00:03:26
Speaker
Yeah, it's a super nice place to run. You'll see that most of the Melbourne trail runners, no matter where they live really in Melbourne, ah are usually out there once a week getting on the trails because ah it is such a great place to run. And like you said, the conditions aren't usually too crazy, even if it's a really bad day um of rain. It's like quite nice running underneath the trees there.
00:03:49
Speaker
um and the trails like you said like even in peak summer i wouldn't say they're too slippy in the in the like with the gravel like it looks like it might be but it never is the only time it's somewhat not runnable is if it's been really really really wet and the tracks get a bit muddy um but generally it's pretty good um condition so i think we expect that um unless there's some massive weather in the in the days before the run ability would be generally pretty good because the trails there are used to having a bit of a soaking so it's not like they get really muddy over after a few days of wet
00:04:24
Speaker
Okay, that's good.
Course Layout and Strategy
00:04:26
Speaker
and Speaking a bit more about the course, as you said, you know this area very well. One of the unique things about it, which I really like from just a planning perspective, is that for the 23K, you only have one aid station.
00:04:41
Speaker
You hit that same aid station twice. It kind of works a bit like a figure eight or infinity symbol sort of loop. And then the 46K, you hit that same point four times plus the start finish. So it's practically a very nice route. but running it what are your impressions about this course and and how you would approach it yeah look i've never actually run any of it uh sorry i've never actually run the race and i've never run it outside of the race as like a loop so i don't actually know exactly how it fits together as a race but i've been on all of those trails so many times and some of them and i've run hard as well because i've done sessions and whatnot out there so
00:05:19
Speaker
it's yeah it's it's a really cool area to do a race um it's the it's a sort of event that will suit uh that anyone can sort of do as well apart from there being some really hard ups and downs the actual trail itself is generally about four meters wide at all times and generally not too technical underfoot there's a few sections where it's a bit rocky but I think at least on the 23k usually you're going up them I think maybe on the 46k they'll have a few tougher descents because they're going down some of those harder harder um
00:06:00
Speaker
which the 23 K would go up, but on their second loop, they're going to go down. Um, particularly I think dogs and i always forget the name of the one that's directly under Mount Den Nong.
00:06:11
Speaker
Um, but that one, but the first one in the 23 K what's that climb called, do you know? Uh, so observatory track. Yeah, okay. Yes, the observatory track. Yeah, so that one's super, super steep. So going down would be pretty tough. so but But generally, overall, where it's not incredibly steep, the trails are very runnable.
00:06:34
Speaker
so yeah So it's, suits anyone in that in that capacity. But it is still at a good trail race because there is so much ups and downs, um and you still have to be able to tackle that sort of terrain.
00:06:48
Speaker
It's one of those courses where I feel like at the end, you're going to definitely know that you've run 1,100 meters if you do them in the 23 or double that for the 46, but you kind of question where it all came because yeah it just sort of, there's no there's no massively long climbs in in this, like the especially in the maybe...
00:07:06
Speaker
or 250 meters vertical over a couple okay but it just keeps accumulating when you look at the elevation profile there's there is very very little that's flat or that one two percent it's kind of up or down essentially the whole time hence where the elevation from yeah so compared to like a european race maybe there's not any of the big say 600 to a thousand meter climbs um but if you Yeah, if you look compared to most other Australian trail races, I think these climbs are still significant. You still notice them.
00:07:42
Speaker
um Like we still do have some extended climbs in in particularly when we're up in the big mountains. um But like, I think these ones having trained there a lot, they nearly they nearly seem more obvious because they are so steep.
00:07:55
Speaker
um So, yeah, it's it's still tough in its own right. um And I yeah, when you said that, I was like, ah wait a minute, that's not the case. But now I'm using my argument to say, actually, it is what you said, but it just they still feel really significant um whilst they may not be so much elevation gain in one um and yeah it's still gonna you're still gonna know about those hills when you hit them yeah i think guess that's that's probably a good good question about what your training has been like as well.
00:08:28
Speaker
Cause for some people that will be coming to this, um, from maybe they're training for something hillier. Like I know there's a few guys that are going towards GPT after this and that in their mind, thousand meter climbs might be somewhat standard at the moment for their training, but they might not have the leg speed of someone else. Whereas youve got other guys that are coming from more of the, the kind of flatter, faster side of things that 250 meters is going to feel like a mountain.
Pacing and Endurance in the Race
00:08:54
Speaker
Definitely, yeah. And I think this race has a nice balance between those two because I think you still have, you it's a sort of race because it's so runnable um that you can still have people come to this race with relatively limited trail knowledge and run really well. Like we saw Seth O'Donnell run last year and we know he's like, he's a next level athlete in in road and track.
00:09:16
Speaker
um but you saw that he transitioned relatively well to this um i'm sure he found some of the hills still a bit of a kicker and a bit a bit strange to him because he's not used to going up a 30 grade probably but uh they're not so long that if that climb goes for a thousand meters i think you might see someone like seth like fall off but because it only goes to 200 meters or 250 meters they're they're okay they can tolerate it for that amount and then they get get going again when it gets onto the more undulating flatter stuff yeah definitely definitely it's it's an interesting course for that because like when you look at the course record times okay granted we're talking about seth here but for the 23k thousand meters or 1100 95 minutes just under 96 which is lightning especially last year when that was set and it was
00:10:05
Speaker
it was pretty yeah it was torrential rain last year as well remember him running with his waterproof jacket on because he had nowhere way to put it and he didn't realize he had to have one um kate avery 2023 ran an hour 54 so they're they're fast timed for a 23k with 1100 meters and then yeah in the in the full the double loop siobhan my wife has the the women's in 433 and james barnett and 401 and i know that matt dora has run 343 i think i think on a slightly different version but essentially the exact same stat so It's a very fast course, especially given the elevation.
00:10:39
Speaker
Yeah, definitely. Definitely. Yeah. And and that turns to the ah trails there are fairly runnable. um But, yeah, it also shows how how enjoyable it is to run there because there's yeah you're not going to have any of those sections where you go, oh, this is like I feel like I'm crawling because apart from going up the really steep slopes, you're sort of limited by your purely by your strength and your sort of running ability rather than any other, the terrain slowing you down too much.
00:11:09
Speaker
So it is a fun race in that and that you can sort of just let loose and go. Definitely. i do I do think it's one of those races though where, especially when we're talking about the front of the field, the the entire race, maybe except for Exerb to Track, but even though that's right at the start, it's runnable gradients or it's short enough to be runnable gradients for for everyone. And so if you do, it's more so in the 46, but it can definitely happen in 23. If you do go out a bit hot and you do start to to fade, that fade is going to be very pronounced because if you even...
00:11:40
Speaker
take a few steps walking on some of these climbs, you're suddenly four or five minutes a K slower than where you potentially should be. Yeah, yeah. I would have been interested to like see this one run last year when Seth ran or like when Kate ran and like how much walking did they actually do or did they just go into that sort of slower sort of granny gear running because I think it's nearly the sort of course where because the climbs aren't too long, like even observatory track, and like I said, that goes for about 200 meters of climbing.
00:12:10
Speaker
like you can run the whole thing and it's actually really hard to hike it because it's really steep and it's not steps. So like you're trying to hike on a 30% gradient so your ankle's jamming into dorsiflexion. So it's actually quite hard to hike it effectively compared to maybe the Blue Mountains or something like that where they're more step-like climbs and you can really, you can put one foot up and then push really strongly through it like you're doing a step up or a squat or something like that. So it it it makes it better for hiking whereas,
00:12:39
Speaker
These climbs, I think, ah they're actually quite hard to hike. So if like I hike them when I'm out there running because I'm doing my normal long run. But if you're racing, yeah I reckon maybe you run the whole thing. But I don't know for sure. i'd be interesting.
00:12:54
Speaker
I don't actually know how people have tackled it in the past. Yeah, I've just pulled up Nath Pierce's run for 2023 and it looks like the slowest pace that he got to was about 10, 20 per K when it's like 35% gradient.
00:13:10
Speaker
Yeah. i I reckon that's running. Yeah, and knowing Nath, I've run with Nath a lot out here in the Nongs. He would have been running the climbs. He runs these these c climbs more than he would hike them.
00:13:23
Speaker
um And i think it is the right I think it probably is the right call ah yeah potentially because it be more so because it is so hard to hike and they're short enough that if you run them, then once you're up the top, you can sort of get back into your rhythm and bring the heart rate back down. It's not like you're going to have your heart rate at 190 for...
00:13:41
Speaker
one ninety for 50 minutes like you you do the climb in you do the climb in say i don't know 10 minutes or whatever it is and then then the heart rate comes back down a little bit once you get back into that normal rhythm so it probably probably suits to run them but yeah i don't know we'll see how people tackle it this weekend i guess i should probably ask some people how they tackle it
00:14:05
Speaker
Now, we'll just keep speculating and get it completely wrong. It's absolutely
Preview of Women's 23K Race
00:14:08
Speaker
fine. yeah's what That's what ah that's what what we're here for. um Okay, let's go into the 23K. Brody, you're going to lead us for the men's and women's fields here. Where do you want to start?
00:14:19
Speaker
yeah I'm going to say one last thing. Sorry about the course. I'm sorry. I'm harping on about it. But this one, for me, like looking at this, having been on all these tracks before, it's a tricky one because you look at halfway – just after, probably just after you go through that aid station, you've done the two big climbs and the two big descents. And for me, like looking at the course, it looks like, ah okay, the hard stuff's done.
00:14:44
Speaker
But then you've got this like 10K climb pretty much from from the end that's a bit undulating, but you're climbing the whole way to the finish line. And I think that's gonna be really tough. So i interested I'm interested how much that's fallen into the results in the past and especially this year with the fields that are put together.
00:15:02
Speaker
If people have got a little bit more than their competitors in that back end, I can see people running over the top of others pretty easily because that it's a long, slow climb to finish that's very runnable.
00:15:15
Speaker
So if you've got enough in the tank, ah you can you can sort of catch people and go past them. Whereas if people have... have got the pacing a bit wrong and gone a bit too hard on those earlier bigger climbs um short sharp climbs they might be in a bit of struggle town for the last 10k so yeah it's in it that'll be interesting but i think it is a sort of course where you don't need to worry about having too much in the tank at the finish because the finish is pretty tricky they're pretty hard Yeah, no, I agree. was actually having a very similar conversation with someone like how she's doing the event earlier today. and And we were saying that the way that this finishes is that you are going to get penalized for going too hard. Obviously, that's always the case, but some races finish more favorably than others. And one like this, where you are just are climbing for 10K at a pretty
00:16:07
Speaker
like a douche grade essentially that that sort of five to ten percent gradient where you really should be running pretty hard but yeah it feels like death if you're feel if you've overcooked it it could completely change the order of of what we see at that at dungala for the second time towards the finish Yeah, and it would definitely be all the other aspects of trail running come in there as well, particularly more so maybe in the 40, the 46K, but things like making sure your nutrition's been right in the first half, making sure you' you're you've been under control from a heat point of view, like ah if it is hot or is a bit warm, have you been on top of your, like, have you got, is it did you grab some ice or something like that?
00:16:48
Speaker
Because the things like not having enough nutrition and overheating are going to hit you on that last climb. Um, so yeah, they're definitely things that, and and and I've seen people at rollercoaster grabbing ice before. I know it's not in the hottest time of year, but, um, and, and, and it's the Dandongs, they're not particularly hot, but it is still something to consider because you are pushing yourself really hard.
00:17:10
Speaker
It's easy to get your body temp up, especially over that last section. You can really struggle, I think. Um, so yeah, interesting. It'll be, that's an interesting race, probably more so for the, the 46 K. Um, but yeah.
00:17:23
Speaker
Yeah, it does it does also, when I was was there few years ago, it got very muggy in, yeah especially around that that A station. And and yeah, you are you are very much in the depth of it. So if there's any moisture in the air, it really does hang and gets trapped in. So yeah, air temperature doesn't need to be hot for you to start feeling very warm.
00:17:43
Speaker
Yes, yeah, definitely. it's It is a bit temperate, rain foresty, the Dandenongs. There is some really nice pockets where it's really cool. But um I think generally the temperature can you can get a bit of heat sort of sitting there.
00:17:55
Speaker
um Anyway, let's ah let's get into the fields now. we We note that here at Peak Pursuits, we've done a lot of previews for single track events. um And this is a single track event.
00:18:06
Speaker
But the fields that single track are putting together for their races or the fields that they're attracting, probably a bit of both, um is is means that these are have across the year been the most competitive or some of the most competitive races across the whole year so um we're not showing any uh favoritism here we're just going with the best races the best competition is and this race uh right yeah ah Probably i was I was actually expecting Rollercoaster to be a bit lighter on um because you've got GPT, you've got GSER, you've got a UTK coming in November.
00:18:46
Speaker
So I thought maybe Rollercoaster be a bit lighter on. I think in the single track races, it probably is the one that is probably the less least historically competitive whilst also being competitive itself. But the other ones have been probably more competitive.
00:19:02
Speaker
But yeah, this year, got some really strong runners. And I wonder if there's a, particularly some of these 23K runners maybe are doing this as a bit of a prep race for something that they're going to be doing in November, whether it's GPT or UTK or something else that they're moving forward to. And I know some of the people on this list are doing races in November. So um yeah yeah, I think it's probably a good race to prepare ah to get things, get get the, shake the body back into action again for the last half of the last bit of the season.
00:19:32
Speaker
Definitely. I think that even we're seeing that in the 46K as well, which I spent bit more time looking at. and And there's a lot of people that are building up to bigger races. And this works as a very, like typically a competitive enough race where you can get a good four hour or two hour hard run. And like you say, kind of wake the body back up, get back into that that racing situation.
00:19:55
Speaker
mode after winter. and And also just on what you said before, if there are any other race directors out there listening and you're like, hey guys, why aren't you giving us some love? Please send us through your participant list. One of the hardest things is so many races don't make participants lists publicly visible they're all over the place so I understand if you have personally have privacy concerns but if you want to send them through to us so we can see if it's competitive enough to do preview of even just one of your distances please do because we want to bring attention to races where you are putting the and an additional focus on the top end of the field as well as the whole participant experience so yeah if you're listening please send it through we'd love to hear from you
00:20:35
Speaker
Yeah, definitely. All right, let's get into this 23K. So the women's side of this 23K is pretty bonkers, I think. It's a super strong. I think it's it's a hard pick between this, I think the women's 23K and the men's 46K for me are the two the most to most competitive, but they're all competitive. But like let's get into the Yeah.
00:20:55
Speaker
um just reading down from the top of my list not but not in any particular order um but some of the big names jumping out we've got Jess Jason we know from the podcast not sort of she's just top of the list guys is I'm not I'm not being favorite just me but we know we know Jess is is ah a phenomenal athlete she came first at Hounslow last year she's overseas at the moment so i'm interested how that will happen because she's she must be traveling back this week she's just recently been at the world trail champs um so she's headed home um so yeah she's had a bit of a holiday a bit of down time um i'd be interested to see how how she puts sort of pulls it off after
00:21:43
Speaker
coming back a bit of travel but Jess this sort of race probably does suit Jess quite well she's really strong and she is ah really good fast runner the trails aren't too technical so I think yeah she's definitely still in the mix it would just be about whether how she's going after a little bit of a break and and how the travel hits her but she'll she'll definitely be ah think probably up up near the top maybe not in the lead but we'll come back to our ah we'll come back to our guesses later.
00:22:15
Speaker
ah Next on my list, we've got Demi Colwell. Now, this is Demi I'm really excited about, and I think Demi is going to be hard to beat. um She was second at the Buffalo Stampede Marathon earlier this year behind Mia Noble and then had probably a better race or a better performance not a better performance but a better result i think uh to come third at uta 50 that was a really big result i think and super impressive uta 50 was a probably uta probably is the most competitive race of the year and the uta 50 particularly well for everyone but the women it was it was competitive and demi took home some prize money there because it was it was one of the majors this year so yeah that was a really impressive run um
00:23:02
Speaker
to watch i was out there seeing watching that race um and i think demi's just gone strength to strength uh last year she was doing some races but this year she's really taken a step up she's been running on the roads as well she's had some quick road times comes from a triathlon background so she's quite a quite a good and efficient runner and i think this course, if she's been hitting the climbs, which I think she spent a bit of time out in the Dan and Ongs.
00:23:26
Speaker
Um, I think she'll be really hard to beat. Um, I'm going to say she's my pick, but we'll come back to the two and three maybe, but yeah, she's gonna be hard to beat. I think that. And, and I also also say that we say it's the top of the list list. This list was kindly given to us by Joe Dorff. So it's not the top of our own list that we've put. just just made This is, this is a completely impartial ah But no, I agree. I think I sent i have sent Jess a message to see because as far as I know, she's still in the Azores or Portugal.
00:23:57
Speaker
um I think that ah a a Jess Jason that's training for this course, this is like what I picture Jess being best at. Like, yeah it's...
00:24:09
Speaker
It's kind of the right distance for her, the right sort of terrain. And I think that her fresh would smash this. um But I think that if if assuming Jessie is going to be here, she will be jet lagged. She'll be coming across obviously off ofw Worlds. And Demi's performance, Demi's run at UTA was very impressive. Like just to remind people, she was the first Australian.
00:24:28
Speaker
She was behind Caitlin Fielder and a British lady, Alison Wilson. But she was only five minutes off Caitlin. And then she was... 17 minutes ahead of fourth place which was jess so yeah yeah yeah demi's demi's had i guess what we call like that breakout year in the sense of like really coming onto our radar there's definitely other very strong names on the females field though still yeah yeah yeah written yes yeah well let's go there so um next ones i have on that I'm sort of like kicking out here. So we've got Sophie Broome, who we spoke about before Hounslow. She's part of the single track trail team, which is why she's been doing well, part of the reason, I guess, why she's been doing a lot of the single track races.
00:25:14
Speaker
um but she's come so this year she's come second in the buffalo stampede marathon and third in the houndslow marathon so she's been running really well didn't have the day at uta 100 but she looked like she was she was in the mix really early and i think we both talked about her a bit before that preview as well um i still not sure if she's had the the run of the the run that she the fully capable run that she's able to do just yet um and i'm sure it's coming very soon uh like we always i guess when we see someone have a good run we always expect more like because hers was the the arch it wasn't earlier in the year and we always expected a step up from that but maybe yeah that's a tricky thing to ask people to do time and time again
00:26:03
Speaker
It is. I think that that we forget like before Archie, Sophie had some really good performances and that was the one where you take down one of Kelly's course records and you set an objectively fast time with if for like the male's field, as men's field as well.
00:26:16
Speaker
We were like, okay, wow, this is, that that's a real performance. And maybe she hasn't quite hit it to that same degree of a day, but also only she would be able to tell us if that was the case or not for all we know. Yes.
00:26:28
Speaker
yeah umflow might have been that day for her as well um i do think though that sophie very well could is is going to very likely have one of those days like archie either the back end of this year or beginning of next year over twenty three k do i think that she's going to like hold it with the likes of demi i don't i haven't seen that speed from sophie yet but i'm also very well could be so like shown that Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. She's a bit of an unknown for me because, again, we've we've seen her best results maybe in the longer distances so and maybe haven't seen her race as much over this shorter distance.
00:27:04
Speaker
um I did a run in the Dandong with Sophie just before I left to Europe. um and she was pumping me on the climb. So I wouldn't miss a surprise ah wouldn't be surprised if she handles this really well.
00:27:16
Speaker
um And she does she does actually, she is right up there in the mix. But yeah, like I said, she she's a bit of an unknown. um So, yeah, i'm not um should we that one i'm i'm really interested to see.
00:27:28
Speaker
um Then we have probably the one I'm nearly most interested to see race is Sarah Ludoichi. So Ludo's back.
00:27:38
Speaker
She um had a baby ah last, end of last year, I think, or maybe start of this year. She was at Asia Pacific Champs last year.
00:27:51
Speaker
at that point, she was pre-nou. I'm not exactly sure when she... Gabe, I should know this. I should have done my research. It's going to be the beginning of this year. because I think it was the beginning of the year.
00:28:03
Speaker
Yeah, because she can't have gone for from where she was at age specifics to having a baby in three months, two months. This is true. This is true <unk> why got you here. I'm explaining pregnancy here. I really do apologize.
00:28:17
Speaker
my we I really apologise to Sarah and everyone else. But I'm very excited to see Sarah back. She was in Europe um on a bit of like a holiday but also did some races.
00:28:28
Speaker
She was at UTMB watching and helping out there and then went on to do some sort of local... French races, which are probably about as competitive as Australian national level races because there's a lot of great runners in in France.
00:28:46
Speaker
um And I think she yeah she looked like she was moving pretty well from what I could tell. um She did a VK in a pretty quick time. She looks to be back. Obviously, she hasn't had – she's had some interrupted – She hasn't had full amount of training for the last, say, year, but she's had that that um having the baby in there. But I think she appears to be coming back really strong. So no pressure on her at all. But I'm really excited to see how Sarah goes. and And she's definitely throwing herself back in the deep end with this field that she's running against.
00:29:20
Speaker
So, yeah, that'll be exciting to see. Yeah, I'm very excited to see her back on. I haven't seen too much of what what she's running like at the moment, but just just being being back, it's always exciting.
00:29:32
Speaker
um Yeah, she see to see what she's she's coming back like and and seeing her back on the trails just in general. And she's probably a little bit like Sophie in terms of her her best performances, at least in the past, have been over the longer distance. that I think that's probably her yeah favorite distance. So she's sort of doing a shorter distance here. So again, not her ah normal racing ground. But yeah, it'd be cool to see how she mixes it up with the other girls.
00:29:58
Speaker
Now, we've been... Talking a long time, but I do want shout out these other ladies as well. We've got Melanie Townsend, who is also in the Singletrack Tail team. She was fourth in Hounslow Mara earlier in the year, which was a really strong field.
00:30:12
Speaker
Sorry, she was, yes, it was fourth in Hounslow, eighth in Buffalo. So again, she's been at both races, had some strong results in two two really strong fields um we've got lucy van der schulk who was fourth in the buffalo stampede 20k last year um joe's written here that she's a good triathlete i'm not i don't know about her i don't know much about triathlon so i probably can't comment there but he's he's put her as a dark horse as maybe one to watch so um wanted to give her a shout out and
00:30:46
Speaker
Rachel Ayres, who won the 23K back in 2022. So she's got some experience um doing this race before or winning this race, which I think is definitely something bit positive to bring to it.
00:31:02
Speaker
um So, yeah, we'll see how she goes as well. So, yeah, that's the women that I have to talk about. What do you think? Big field, isn't it? It's really cool to see. And I think that single track themselves would say that this is definitely the event and that kind of attracts more of the the road Melbourne crowd onto the trails, a bit more of that bridging race compared to say like GPT, which is very much the trail specific stuff. But to see...
00:31:29
Speaker
the depth of competition across this women's 23K and the rest of the events is brilliant. and um and just it's As we said at Hounds, though, it's just great to see multiple names on a start list, not just one or two that we we know and follow and stuff. So I think... we Are we going to make predictions as we go? do you want to save it to either of Yeah, let's go let's go as we go.
00:31:53
Speaker
Let's go. Okay, so I think that it's... if we're if we're assuming that Jess is is racing this, um I'm going to go Demi to win. I'm then going to follow that up with
00:32:11
Speaker
Jess and then Sophie. I think that it's still my my my hesitation there is Ludo.
00:32:22
Speaker
I just...
00:32:25
Speaker
Need to see it just to to believe that that that she's she's back, but definitely i could very much see Ludo coming in second as well. Yeah, definitely. um Are we allowed to pick exactly the same? Because that was the three I had in my head.
00:32:41
Speaker
That's fine. Inventively, we will choose people that are different, hopefully. Yeah, okay. All right. Well, I'm going with the same. I think yeah i think demi i think Demi versus Jess would have been very good if Jess wasn't traveling right before it.
00:32:53
Speaker
um And also, like, her big goal was... uh trail champs um i see them as very like similar athletes especially like i think they both have strength over this sort of course but i think um yeah maybe with that in in context i think demi uh might get the win followed by jess and then yeah i was also tossing up between sophie and ludo i think um i'm gonna back sophie as well sir nice so nice uh boring pick exactly the same as you but hopefully i gave my reasons Yeah, no, I think it's it's it's it's it's very much warranted.
00:33:26
Speaker
and um a we We don't try to pick the same things, but it's generally going on past performances, knowing what shape they're in now. That's what we think.
Preview of Men's 23K Race
00:33:34
Speaker
All right, let's get into the men's race.
00:33:36
Speaker
um So, yeah, this one's also got a ah good field, um probably... I guess headlining it. There's two two big names that are jumping out at me here.
00:33:48
Speaker
ah The first one being Nathan Pearce. um Nathan had a really good championships at World Trail Champs and Trail Mountain Champs, I think. I was ah was quite impressed. He improved his positions from...
00:34:01
Speaker
previous championships he seemed to sort of tackle them really well and compared to the other guys um like on paper beforehand i would have said that uh i would have expected fraser to probably beat nathan uh whereas nathan beat fraser in both races and he was also the best of the men in the up down race um so yeah i was really impressed by nathan i think he did really well and he has really been focused on Like he's been focusing his training and focusing over a long period of time on on that those sort of races. So I think it's sort of coming coming to a head now.
00:34:38
Speaker
um And we know Nath is really good on this course. um He trains in the Dandong's a lot. He knows the course. He won it in 2022 and 2023. He only got beaten by Seth last year.
00:34:50
Speaker
So he's got a good record Dandong's. at rollercoaster and I think he's going to be really hard to beat. um The person who I think who can beat him is James Barnett.
00:35:02
Speaker
um We saw how well James ran at Buffalo, Stampede, twenty k um earlier in the year where he came second behind Charlie.
00:35:12
Speaker
um He's young. He's getting better every race, I think. like He's that age where he's going to get better and better and better. um So, yeah, I think he's going to be hard to beat as well. he's been I think he spent a lot of time down in the Dan Nongs in that area as well.
00:35:27
Speaker
I'm not exactly sure where he grew up, but I think it's around that area, is it? interrupt quickly i have a feeling he might have dropped oh no because so brody i've given brody's got screenshots of this and i've got the live the live file and i've just noticed his name is gone and his strava he's been doing three hundred k a week of writing and 0k of running okay so i have done my research
00:35:55
Speaker
it's It's like, well, and I i completely agree. i was, um ah the first time I spoke to James about rollercoaster, he was going to do the 46. And I was like, sweet, this is going to be a course record attempt. Like, I feel like he could take that original sort of 343 that Matt Doré did, that sort of shape.
00:36:10
Speaker
And then I saw he dropped to 23 and now he's, he looks like he's gone, which I hadn't noticed until just looking now. It's like, oh yeah, the Barnett's, because we have the second Barnett, we have Hayden, the second, the other. um But yes, I think James is gone.
00:36:22
Speaker
But I actually do think, I do think there is still a name in here that could push Nath, Pearce, and I think that's Thomas Banks. Yeah, yeah. tom Tom has been getting better and better. He was the the next one I was going to cover.
00:36:36
Speaker
um It's a shame to hear about James. I know he was earlier in the year, of seeing Strava activities named Rollercoaster and whatnot, like preparing for Rollercoaster. So I was really excited to see see what he could do. I'm sure he'll be back in future years if he is missing this one. But Thomas Banks, yes, he was the next person I was going to ah chat about. I think he's a bit of a...
00:36:59
Speaker
bit of a dark horse I think he's still maybe not as well known as maybe his uh his performances are starting to to grow um he was the winner of his bit His first race where I saw him running was at Cozzy in 2023. He won the 27K. He beat Max Taylor there, so he did sort of – it wasn't a super competitive field, but he did beat Max, so it was a good but win.
00:37:26
Speaker
um Then this year he was third at KMR in the 25K, which was, again, we know that the Golden Trail Series races were generally fairly strong across, um and he came fourth at the – the final in Brisbane, which is probably one of the races in Australia that's most like roller coaster.
00:37:48
Speaker
ah Those Brisbane yeah trails are probably very similar. So um the fact that I sort of assumed he was like a good technical strong runner, he could grind it out, but he still does have a bit of speed because that one took a required a bit of speed to do so.
00:38:03
Speaker
yeah and and uta i think he also had a really good race there um i think yeah i don't know exactly what position he was in but he's top he came he came seventh at uta and i just pulled up the golden trail final results and he was only 40 seconds behind nath pierce he came third yeah and given it's a similar course um a similar type of course i think he is the one that will challenge challenge nath if if anyone does definitely um
00:38:36
Speaker
All right, the other runners we've also got there. and Now we have a few other scratchings, I believe. So to shout out the ones we think might be running, we've got Jonathan Gillard who – did we talk about him for Hounso? Is that a different 20-year-old?
00:38:51
Speaker
No, Jono came up – he came up in something recently. I know that he's he he's an Aubrey local, so a guy that I've run with quite a bit. yeah He's currently training for Cozzy 100.
00:39:03
Speaker
one hundred okay um Okay. This sort of distance, like he has he has done 100 before. I think he came second or third a couple of years ago, um but he's only 20. This distance really suits him.
00:39:14
Speaker
um He's very, very fast and he's been battling. He rolled his ankle really badly at Buffalo this year and that took him out for... a good few months. And so he's just been building back gradually from there, but he does seem to be moving very well at the moment. And and he was, should know this, he was in the team I was meant to be part of, but we still went down to to watch at Surf Coast for the relay.
00:39:38
Speaker
Yeah. yeah Moving, moving, moving very, very well. um So he could definitely be, he he he would be the dark horse, I think, in in this field.
00:39:50
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. And then we've also got Etienne Blomstein-Jones who's been around for a long time. He runs a lot of races. You always see him in these competitive races. So he's a good one to be throwing the mix because he's always there and thereabouts.
00:40:05
Speaker
So, yeah, he's ah he's another person who's running and I think he could challenge. Like for me, it's over muzzle to the picks now. It's Nath for first, Tom Banks for second, and then I think then there's a bit of a battle there for third. But I think I'd go with,
00:40:19
Speaker
with Jonathan for third.
00:40:22
Speaker
well We're going to be really boring. Yeah. yeah I feel like what you said about about Nathan, about the way that he's approached Worlds, like I really liked the dedication and the focus that he gave to that block um and the way that like the results came out. Like you said, I think um on paper and based off the season, you would put Fraser as the clear favourite for the team to score the best yet.
00:40:47
Speaker
He didn't. So I think that the what Nathan's been able to do ah this season is really impressive. And I think that that's probably going to culminate in a... Well, if he beats his course record, he very well could take Seth's.
00:41:02
Speaker
So his his personal record could yeah yeah could challenge Seth. Because na I think Nath ran 136 from memory. And what did I say? 135 was Seth. So yeah, i think I think that's definitely a course record that that that we're we'll be watching very closely.
00:41:19
Speaker
i then think that it will be Thomas Banks pretty closely behind. And then I think they'll we'll have a bit of a gap um probably to Jono in third. Yeah. And the the other thing is there's probably some names in there.
00:41:32
Speaker
This one for the third place and and the next positions probably has openings for people will we don't know. And those people can always be higher. But I think that third place could easily be someone that we haven't called out either because they there will be someone that does this race that we haven't heard of. And and they show that they've got some ability over over the trails for sure.
00:41:52
Speaker
Yeah, definitely. Definitely. think this is the, and especially as we just mentioned, as we saw last year with Seth coming across, is there's going to be more road orientated people that won't have made Joe's kind of radar, neither will they have made ours. They'll probably just pop up and go, ah hey, here's the hits a new course record for you or something very very close to because it doesn't have the technicality that really distinguishes what well-rounded trail runners are.
00:42:19
Speaker
um All righty. Anything else on the 23? No, no, let's go to the 46. All right, so the 46, as we yeah mentioned bit earlier, it's the same course as the 23, they just do the second loop in reverse. So to me, the distinguishing features, the and as you said as well, Brody, the 23K, the first loop, has the steep climbs and then the more runnable descents, whereas that's flipped for the second round. So you you start with a very runnable downhill undulating first 10K, but then it has this much, much longer length
00:42:57
Speaker
much more elevation change from the bottom to the top in the second loop for these, these climbs and then the steep descents coming off the back of them. So I do think it's kind of what you, so what you said about what's going to suit or how to approach that 23 K and making sure you have the strength and the legs to climb out of the valley if for that last
Strategic Insights on 46K Race
00:43:17
Speaker
10 K strong. I think it's going to be important. and that in this one you do consider the fact that your longest climbs and most runnable climbs, the places where I personally think you can lose the most time, is in your final 10 to 15K of this this race.
00:43:33
Speaker
Yes. And the steep descents, as long as somebody's not cramping up, that they're not going to be too too hard. You just get to the bottom in a minute or two and and you move move forward. um But I do, yeah, i think there's it it's it is it is one where we have seen some – some names really fade i know hayden barnett in 2022 when he ran this 46k was moving really really well and and in the last sort of 10k really started a struggle so it is one that if you do get the pacing wrong it does punish you pretty hard yeah does it do that it does the 23k loop that that direction first and then reverses is that right
00:44:16
Speaker
oh sorry man just lost you for sec That's all right. um I'll just ask, does it do the 23K loop first, but as in that direction, and then turn around? Yes.
00:44:27
Speaker
Yeah, so it starts yeah starts with the 23K loop and then comes back the the reverse, which from a running perspective can be a little tricky because the start time of the twenty start time of the forty six k is an hour before the start of the twenty three k So there can be a bit of interaction, but like you say, most of these tracks are four meters or so wide. Yeah, pretty wide. There's plenty of space.
00:44:51
Speaker
Yeah, the last the last climb in that 46 then will be, or the last big climb will be the one out of Dungala up to the top of Mount Danone, essentially. Correct. That's the biggest climb you could do. <unk> Probably, 500?
00:45:09
Speaker
but five hundred 400, 500 meters of climb, but it's a bit more runnable. Yeah, about 430 or so kind of finishes with zigzag track.
00:45:20
Speaker
Yes, yeah. But it's definitely that whole thing you can easily run, even on a long run. Like I'll go out and run the whole thing, not just in a hard run. um At the end of a forty six k it's going to be tough, but it is going to be a place where...
00:45:34
Speaker
you can either make up some ground or start to suffer and lose a lot of ground. Like you said, the observatory track, you're going to go down after that, but it's going to be it's going to hurt, but it's not so long that it'll destroy like it'll destroy someone's race. Like if it was a thousand metre descent, there's a risk that you...
00:45:53
Speaker
really hemorrhage a lot of time but given you're only losing 200 meters of elevation like you said it'll be done in five minutes and and i think uh you can stumble your way down that it's probably going to hurt a lot of people but um it's not going to lose time for them i think the bigger time the bigger the biggest the pivotal point i think of that race is going to be that that big climb from from the bottom from dungala all the way up to the top of zigzag Yeah, no, I completely completely agree. And yeah, like the ob observatory 350 meters long. You do have a bit of flat, a bit of a climb to get to the finish after that. But yeah, you can you can force your way through at that point, I think at least.
00:46:33
Speaker
ah So on I'm going to do this one year and absolutely blow up at that point and have everybody reminding me that I said you can force your way through. And he's got it recorded.
00:46:44
Speaker
All right. 46K in the women's field. There's one name that is a really big, glaring shout-out of a favourite in here, and that is Lucy Bartholomew.
00:46:56
Speaker
ah For those listening, obviously, everyone pretty much know who Lucy is. But this year, seventh at UTMB, that was her third top 10 in a row there, which and at points she was running in fourth. It was...
00:47:09
Speaker
looking like it was always going to be a podium at at points until until sort of that last think must be maybe like 30k or so where she just started to move backwards a bit but i wouldn't wouldn't say it was necessarily fading or anything it's just she's in the most competitive 100 mile field from a density perspective i think that there there is because things like states you can only have so many people in there so um she's locally UTA second last year she has done GPT 50k sort third you look back at her results and and it's pretty incredible I don't really need to go too much into it one thing that is interesting I think with Lucy is that if you were following along with roller coaster and single tracks social she did a takeover where she was just casually documenting and
00:47:54
Speaker
the roller coaster trail, I had a look at what time it took her to do the 23K loop in that run where she was videoing and everything. And it took her two hours and 11 minutes. So she then went back and did the course again in about two hours, six minutes, just a normal run.
00:48:11
Speaker
I think to me that says that she could run this course in 410 potentially a little bit quicker, potentially a little bit slower, but I think we could see 20 plus minutes taken off the existing course record here, which is painful because to say, that's a wife, but i i Lucy's just, she's just a different league. I mean, she's training really well.
00:48:31
Speaker
It looks like just consistency moving, moving strong. Um, it, and the performance at UTMB, given that the level is just going up and up and up every year to maintain the top 10 and then to get move up three spaces because you had 10th 10th and the 7th was an incredible performance i stand out australian performance that i can think of at least for any any recent period um so Yeah, lucy so Lucy's definitely the on-paper favorite. Even if you look at the UTMB indexes, she's 50 points higher than anybody else.
00:49:07
Speaker
The next name on there, Jay Bucklow. She's the returning champion. She just missed out on Siobhan's course record last year, about six minutes off, having taken, well, the best part, 45, 50 minutes off her time from the year before.
00:49:23
Speaker
She's also just won South Coast 50k, so clearly in good running shape and and she had a second at Warburton Trail Fest 27k this year in ah in a really strong time as well. so
00:49:39
Speaker
Putting Lucy to to the side and kind of talking about the rest of the field, to be honest, and without without being disrespectful, i think that's kind of where the conversation is. jade is definitely one to watch there. I think that I was just chatting to a couple people that she's been running with recently um and going sub 4.30, they reckon is is definitely on the cards for her, which would be...
00:50:01
Speaker
a new course record as it stands right now so i think that's definitely something that that her surf coast time showed that she's capable of um she's originally South African the only thing I could see so and looking back uh quite quite cool like family results over there only thing I could see is that last week it did look like she was a bit sick in her training but also they didn't look pardon me It didn't look like it impacted her training either. So yeah, I'm not not not reading into it too much, just kind of looking ah looking into it. She's had quite a quiet year apart from Warby and Surf Coast. So know if there's anything really in there, but otherwise she's definitely a name to be watching. Mm-hmm.
00:50:40
Speaker
Yeah, that's just, yeah, it's going to be a good race to watch. I don't know Jade, but i know I know some of the other the ladies here.
00:50:52
Speaker
um ah think, yeah, just thinking about Lucy as you were talking about it, she just seems to be going from strength to strength. um From what I can tell, she's not training for anything specifically at the moment. I saw her on her Instagram recently someone like asked her as like one of the questions and She said she's just doing sort of training from race to race. But looking at her training, she's training really hard. And I'm like looking at her training going, I don't think I could run with Lucy if I like the sort of run she's doing because I know the terrain she's running on.
00:51:23
Speaker
um So I think she's in great shape. But even if you just look at her progress over the last... three, four years. She had like probably when she was really young, she had some um amazing results and then she went through a bit of a tough period and she seems to be sort of coming out of that and now she's really starting to hit the straps. Like obviously top three at UTMB the last two years, um but this year I think was a ah step, sorry, top ten.
00:51:49
Speaker
Top ten was a, this year's performance was even a step up from the previous two years. um So I think she's, She really looks like she's she's getting maybe, I wouldn't even say back to old Lucy, she's getting better than she ever has been.
00:52:06
Speaker
And, yeah, she's she's a big threat um in in any race, particularly in this race. I think she'll be very hard to beat. But, um yeah, I'm interested to see, like you said, there's some other women in that race that could still so push her along, which might mean she runs even faster, but there's some women there that will be thereabouts as well.
00:52:25
Speaker
Yeah, and I wonder if, and the other name I'll i'll say first, Sarah Leavitt, who we've seen in a few times this year, um she's just come off third at Hamsway 17. She was third at 22, sixth Buffalo Marathon.
00:52:40
Speaker
um One the ones that think stands out most to me is the first at Mount Solitary. Given that she is from the Blue Mountains, this is the sort of stuff that she trains on. i think that one of her strengths is going to be more technical running.
00:52:53
Speaker
And so Rollercoaster doesn't lean into that, but she has shown that she can perform at a high level over this duration and longer because Mount Solitary takes a lot longer than what this event will will take. So...
00:53:06
Speaker
Yes, maybe, maybe not in the conversation about the strength that Lucy has at the moment, but I would be really curious to see someone like Jade or Sarah go out with Lucy and just use it as an opportunity to be curious about where your limits may lie. Cause I don't feel like you necessarily get that opportunity too frequently.
00:53:25
Speaker
Whether you want to red risk your race doing that, because that could obviously completely backfire. But think there's a lot to be said of just stepping outside your comfort zone and going, all right, like, let's see what happens.
00:53:37
Speaker
Yeah, and we know Lucy's very good at the long, long stuff. And we know she's also, like, very fit at the moment and she'll probably be very good over this shorter distance. But it is short for Lucy.
00:53:49
Speaker
And for Sarah, she's good at those ah shorter races. And it's not like it's a long 46K. So I think as a step up, it's a it's a good one for her to step up. And even if you look at UTA, which she won 2023 and 2024,
00:54:04
Speaker
She, that climb, most of the climb out of the valley in UTA 22 and even the descent, those two trails are very similar to this roller coaster. It's only the stuff up around the cliffs and the stairs and maybe Hounslow is more technical, but that part of UTA, which is 80% it is really runnable.
00:54:23
Speaker
um And she's obviously shown that she can do that relatively well or very well. So yeah, I think she's definitely in the mix. Yeah, yeah, you're right. I kind of, and in my head, UTA is more technical than it actually is. i I need to get that yeah that that out of me, especially. Anything up or around the cliffs definitely is. and And even the stuff that looks less hard on um paper at UTA is actually probably more hard. So like the first part of the fifty k is probably the most technical because you're going up and down around the cliffs and so many stairs and that sort of stuff. Like that's the really tricky stuff.
00:54:56
Speaker
when you get down in the valley and it's bigger on the elevation profile and you might think that's actually harder, well, it is harder for some reasons, but the runnability is a lot easier and she's, I guess we've seen Sarah do well at that. And even like Mount Solitary, I think where they climb up, um they do the, what's called?
00:55:14
Speaker
They climb up wherever they go down in UTA 22, think maybe. maybe um so there was probably like parts of not could done that right kadamba yeah i think maybe they climb up kadamba and mount solitary um i don't know for sure that course but i think i think that's maybe how it's done um or maybe they go down not not familiar enough with the course to either way she's yeah i think sarah she's probably she's good on that sort of like running on the stairs and and the cliff tops and that sort of stuff but she's probably done enough of the
00:55:45
Speaker
running down in the valleys where you run on the more open fire trail stuff, I think she's still very strong on that stuff. And I remember looking at when we did the UTA preview that she had done the race course for that 22K quite a few times and only just beat her fastest practice run in the race. So I did wonder at the time whether she had just pushed her training a little bit too far for that for that one to really see what her potential was. I think she probably could have run faster on that course or definitely maybe now with a bit more training. So yeah, she she is coming to this and because Lucy is stepping down,
00:56:21
Speaker
it's it it could be really It could be really interesting. I could be completely wrong in thinking that Luce is going to be be a way out here. But i just I think especially in that second loop is where we're going to see that gap really start to open.
00:56:34
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. From the women's side, the only other names more so from Joe just highlighting highlighting the single track team and Amy Stockwell.
00:56:49
Speaker
um We do have the 2024 MasterChef champion in Nat Wolf who's there, who's also the sister of another member of the single track trail team. Not, apparently not and not necessarily mentioning from performance perspective, but MasterChef champions always cool on the start line but I think we really are looking at the the the the Lucy, Jade and Zara as the trio to choose from.
00:57:11
Speaker
yeah Yeah, Am I picking first this time? i think I am back to me. I think I'm going to pick Lucy and then Jade and then Zara. Cool. I'm just so that we do have one place where we differ. I'm going to go Lucy, Sarah and Jade. Yeah. Okay. I think the men's we're going to see big difference in our picks maybe.
00:57:34
Speaker
like Okay. All right. Well, let's, let's move on to the, onto the men. There's, as you said at the start, I think there were two, two standout fields from a depth perspective, the 23 K women's field and the 46 K field.
00:57:48
Speaker
men's field This one seems to they seem to have got every winner of the 46K over the last four years and then a bunch of other really impressive runners as well. So it's yeah it's a great field.
00:58:01
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's a very impressive field. So the the past winners, we've got Josh Godding from 2024. um We've got Tom Dade from 2023 and then Nick Montgomery from 2022. So just as you said, in that perspective, very stacked.
00:58:19
Speaker
I know i've I've just had a quick chat with Tom. He is running, but he's definitely not feeling like he's in that kind of shape. He's coming off the back of the the long trail at Worlds, still feeling a bit of lingering fatigue. So he's not expecting anything too much too much of himself from there.
00:58:35
Speaker
That said, it is Tom and he has this uncanny ability to pull performances out under fatigue. So I never would write him off, but it's just whether he actually wants to push to push this. I think he's got a couple of ideas for the rest of the season that um yeah he might be be looking forward to. So this might just be a good a good training run for him.
00:58:52
Speaker
um Josh, unfortunately, looks like so he DNF'd at Surf Coast this year and looking into it a bit more, looks like he had a muscle strain coming into it. He said he probably shouldn't have started, but did DNF, continued considered walking it in, but has only recently got to a point where he's felt able to do some sort of faster intensities, ti tempo threshold work running again.
00:59:18
Speaker
So ah can't imagine that he's in the shape he would at least want to be coming up to this start line. I know that he's recently started working with Endurance Edge from coaching, I think with Kelly.
00:59:31
Speaker
And that's his kind of first introduction into this. So he's definitely putting the structure in. and We've seen some amazing performances from Josh so far. Like his his run last year at rollercoaster only missed James Barnett's course record by a couple of minutes.
00:59:43
Speaker
um He was fifth at Buffalo 100 this year, first at Warby 27K in a really fast time. um And yeah, has had a kind of, I would say like his probably standout performances last year was rollercoaster.
00:59:57
Speaker
he's definitely got the potential to be in this top of the field I just don't know if he's going to be in that shape right now given the last couple months have been a bit bit broken up by the looks of it um yeah and he's ah he's a local so he's he's run a lot on the trails there before um yeah he looks like he does most runs most of his weekly runs on the race trails nearly so he's he's very familiar with the area I think what we've been speaking about with the demands of the course, the way that it runs, getting that control of intensity right to make sure you do have that strength left at the end, it is going to really fall into having that course knowledge. And and especially if you've done sessions on this kind of terrain or in this exact terrain, I think that's going to give you a really valuable insight, whether it's people that have raced it last year,
01:00:49
Speaker
or in previous years, or it is the locals. It's definitely something that I would would want in in my pocket, knowing that I've gone fast over this terrain before and I know how my body responds to that.
01:01:01
Speaker
Definitely. so outside of the three returners, I think the
01:01:10
Speaker
there's a there's lot a lot of very good names this field. Mike Carroll coming off a second at UTA 100 and then more recently he had a first place at six foot track.
01:01:24
Speaker
from ah I love looking at his training because it just gets work done. At the moment, he's doing some crazy long uphill treadmills, like two hours at 20%, doing lots of uphill treadmill sessions.
01:01:36
Speaker
um He's always big on the heat. I think it looks like active heat as well because he's got a distance for his for his session. so And gets and it gets in a good amount of training volume. um especially given that he he had a newborn at the start of the year. It doesn't seem to have, at least on paper or on Strava, slowed him down anything.
01:01:56
Speaker
it's yeah I think i think i'm I'm really excited to see what the momentum of UTA and Six Foot and the speed that Six Foot demands can translate into this roller coaster course.
01:02:09
Speaker
Yeah, I think it'll be think it'll translate pretty well. um I talked to Mike briefly after his six foot track um and he's ah he's a really inquisitive guy.
01:02:21
Speaker
He's a really scientific guy about his training and his approach. um and he's he's what he's watching what's going on with the world of trail running like you said he's he's into heat he's he's looking at the uphill treadmill he's looking into the new terms that are flinging around now with scott johnson after utmb with the fatigue resistance and the muscular endurance so he's he's a really switched on guy um he trains really well um and i think Yeah, he's he's definitely showing some form this year.
01:02:55
Speaker
um And I think, yeah, he he'll be wanting to to make the most of this fitness and and keep it running. he's not He's not the youngest guy. We know in trail running your careers can go a really long time, but I'm sure he's he's very keen to sort of get his best performances on on on the page. So, yeah, I think he'll be firing and, yeah, I'm very excited to see how he goes. Like I think if the record's going to go down, i think he might be the one to take it.
01:03:23
Speaker
I agree. I do. Now, at Hounslow, the next person, Tyler Wyndham, I said that he's due his day, but I didn't think Hounslow was going to be his day. yeah To me, that's very much the true a terrain. And just knowing what, again, he's another local, knowing what we have access to, to train to here. We have some big climbs. We have ah Mount Barranduda close by where you can get seven, 800 meters in one climb, but it is all five roads. Like there's nothing technical about where we train. And so moving fast over the Hounslow course is really, really tricky, but
01:04:02
Speaker
Baranduda and the rest of our climbs does very much suit roller coaster. And yeah Tyler has been training very, very well, very consistently.
01:04:15
Speaker
He's been layering things in to fill the gaps the that he's had in the past. And I think that If he's going to have like the performance of of his year, this course to me is is where he can really stand out. and And I think that I know that he, well, in conversations with him, he does seem to prefer the longer distance, like ah that 100K. I think he's still trying to get that that right and that challenge. But I think this sort of 50K plus or minus distance really, really suits his skillset and his experience in trail running, which we've got a remember is really not that long. We've said his name quite a lot.
01:04:52
Speaker
over the last kind of year or so but he only really came into the trail scene 2023 i think from memory even i think cosy was his first first one so he's still new to it he's still working it out he's still trying to learn what what you need to do for training for it but yeah i'm i'm excited to see tyler he was here last year he took a wrong turn to k in and went up the old climb um rather than observatory track he just turned a bit too early uh there was an issue that went on with that but he essentially went up for quite a long time i think he remember he said about six minutes of it turned around came back and just put the hammer down and eventually blew up with a few k to go still around 420 despite that so i think this does show that he has the capacity on this course to to go and i also know that he won't be afraid but to go out with mike from the gun um
01:05:41
Speaker
Yeah, and if we compare the two runners, Mike's maybe done a bit longer stuff. We know he can still run really quick over something like six foot, which probably matches up pretty well with this race.
01:05:53
Speaker
um But we know Tyler's speed. and We know he comes from that sort of triathlon background, and he's a really, really good runner. And this course, as we were talking about with the 23K and Seth, it suits someone who is runner. And like Tyler's been doing trails as well. He's not just come off the roads and he's he's just going to approach this but with just running background. Like he's he's been having a crack at trails over the last few years. So, yeah, I i think he's...
01:06:20
Speaker
I think it's going to be human him and Mike plus maybe some of the other guys really pushing each other the whole way. And I think that's probably why a really quick time will happen is because there is this sort of competition. One of them might blow at some point, but I think, yeah, because they're going to be pushing each other really hard and these other guys in the field, I think the time's going really quick.
01:06:41
Speaker
Yeah, I completely agree. I think that if if I was these guys knowing kind of the shape that they're in and and also knowing what shape James Barnett was in when he ran four hours, I think that, yeah, I would be i would be expecting splits in that 345 to 350.
01:06:57
Speaker
Range for this course, which will be be exciting to see. So the other names that are on on here, I'll start with Hayden Barnett already mentioned him. He came here in 2022, had a tough end to that race, but still still came fourth.
01:07:13
Speaker
In recent times, his's like his best performance in i my mind, like i think he had a fourth at Buffalo Stampede when he was only about 16, but then he had a first at 1D Cross 27K where he sat just at a ridiculously fast time on that course. It was three hours and change.
01:07:29
Speaker
um He hasn't been, he wasn't as focused on his training for for a while through 2024, has really been picking it back up. And again, just had a quick message for him. um Didn't give me too much away, but essentially just just feeling good and fit again, which is always nice. So you look at his training, you look how he's been moving.
01:07:47
Speaker
we're We're seeing Hayden Barnett of old in terms of the dedication, but we're seeing a much faster, much more well-rounded version of Hayden. That's maybe a bit less of the sky runner that he definitely was into a bit more of like the trail runner that can go to sky or can come to these quote unquote faster style trail races. So will he have the fitness yet to challenge the likes of Mike and Tyler?
01:08:17
Speaker
I don't know. i think he will probably be a few minutes back from them, but I do think we're going to see a much, much, much more Hayden like performance from Hayden than we have seen for the last couple of years.
01:08:30
Speaker
And I can imagine he's got James's time in his head. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. The other name, which is a really curious one, so Morgan Glazier, he is over here from the UK for GPT Milo.
01:08:47
Speaker
He has spent basically the the whole start of September in Italy running with Robbie Britton. Robbie Britton is one of the world's kind of more well-known coaches.
01:08:59
Speaker
I think it's his coach, judging by the amount of time, and there's a photo who of them hugging at a finish line, so I'm going to go with that. ah He's only 23. He had kind of a couple of breakout races this year in first place at a Six Dales Trail 50K and the third place, this was kind of the more of the standout at the South Downs Way 100 mile, which was another world Trail Majors, which is what GPT is. So he's over here to do another World Trail Majors 100 mile distance.
01:09:28
Speaker
He's been over in Australia for about three weeks so far. He was up in the Blue Mountains training with Michael Dunstan and a few others. Went down to Bright for about five days. Did do a long run with Hayden and is now down and in Melbourne getting ready for for this.
01:09:45
Speaker
He's not someone we have lot of data on. He hasn't done a lot of races. He's pretty new to the scene. He's got some road marathons in the past. Like think he's 238 is what he said. So quick, but nothing special.
01:09:58
Speaker
For example, Tyler ran a 230 kind of doing a hard first half and then a cruising second half. Granted, it was slightly downhill, but he definitely is fit looking at his training.
01:10:09
Speaker
He's been more 100 mile specific stuff, more mountainous, bit more hiking, but does seem to be moving really, really well and and could be ah could be a surprise, could also be a name, again, not knowing how he races, but he could be a name that just goes with the front because why not?
01:10:29
Speaker
Yeah, it's a tricky one to know where exactly. Like you said, he's not he's not done heaps and heaps of races overseas, so we don't have heaps of data on him. um I think this race will give us, and like you said, is I think, he did you say he's preparing for GPT, the 100 mile?
01:10:45
Speaker
Yeah. yeah Yeah. So I think this race will give us a bit of data of like where he's at and where he might match up in that race later. Like you said, his training's probably been a little bit more focused on
01:10:59
Speaker
preparing for that race rather than preparing for a fast 46k but yeah it would definitely be a good test and yeah he can definitely i think he it sounds like it looks like his marathon time and his physical ability from just having a quick look at his Strava is probably good enough to mix it we know that people from lots of various different physical running abilities can match in a training a trail race because of all the different um variables so i think he's got the he's got the tools to be there and it's not like he's only just traveled so yeah i think he'll be an interesting one to watch how he matches up with those other guys
01:11:42
Speaker
Definitely, yes. And ah whereas I didn't actually go into it as well. Nick Montgomery, and another one of the returning champs, he also came second last year in 404. So again, when we're talking about the current course record, 401, very fast, competitive time.
01:11:57
Speaker
haven't seen really anything from Nick this year. Nothing to cross across my radar, at least. So don't we know what sort of shape he's coming into it, but... if he's coming in in the sort of shape that had last year, could definitely be be a good good result for him as well.
01:12:13
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah, nice. and That race is going be epic. um Yeah, it's really cool to see. ah Like, I don't know if, like, I've followed RollerCoaster the last couple of years. um This feels like a huge step up in the depth of runners across all races.
01:12:29
Speaker
um I don't know if it's got it's got something maybe to do with the single track trail team. They seem to have some international runners who are over here for GPT, so it's sort of showing how that race is increasing in its sort of notoriety.
01:12:43
Speaker
Yeah, it's ah it's cool to see. And this is such a cool race because it's right on the edge of Melbourne. like It's really accessible. I think, I don't know what they're planning to do in terms of if they've got any ideas around getting more people there to watch and that sort of stuff. But it's starting to shape up to be an event where we can actually showcase trail running in Australia um very easily because it's close to the major population.
01:13:10
Speaker
um yeah And maybe they're not quite ready to start pushing that too much yet. But I think this race could grow into being something really, really special. um I've just got to convince a single track to throw throw in a... um There's a, I want to do like a Red Bull 400 up the edge of, up the side of the, uh, because there's a 400 meter climb, uh, up the Glasgow grind is is what it's called.
01:13:37
Speaker
And I think that' would be so that'd be such a cool showcase event and it would make sense to be part of this. So I've i've got to get in the area. Hopefully Joe's listening to this and we can make it happen next year. um But yes, I think this race is, because it's so close to everything, it it potentially could be the one that we can showcase trail running a bit more broadly.
01:13:57
Speaker
in the future and the the competitiveness of the race is is starting to match that,
Future of the Roller Coaster Run Event
01:14:02
Speaker
which is really cool. and and And look, we focused on the competitive side today. It's also such a cool race for everyone.
01:14:09
Speaker
Everyone I see doing that race is having such a great time. Like we said so many times, it's such a beautiful place to run. The views are beautiful. that the What you're running through is really beautiful. And it's a trial race that apart from the really steep climbs and you can you can't walk them, we're talking about the elites maybe running them,
01:14:26
Speaker
but you can definitely walk them. um Apart from that, the trail itself is very runnable and and and and anyone can can tackle it. So it it is a pretty cool event in that it's ticking all the boxes, I think.
01:14:38
Speaker
Yeah, and I think it's one of those ones where on paper you might look at this coming to trails and the distance that we haven't haven't spoken about is the 12K as well, mostly because there's not the same level of of depth in there. We do have Kate Avery in the 12K, which is the course record holder um and returning again after pregnancy. So we're really excited to see how how Kate goes. But it's it's a great stepping stone into the 12. And then even the 23, yes, there's 1,100 meters, but but it's all quite approachable trails and you can hike it like the, the cutoffs make it so that you could just hike this. And, and again, somebody I coach, she's hiking it with her 67 year old mom to get her out there, which is just epic. And there's stories like that the whole way through the fields. And,
01:15:22
Speaker
This isn't exclusive to single track, but I think what roller coaster does, and there's other events that I can think of that are local to major cities. BTU stands out to me.
01:15:33
Speaker
UTA is so close to Sydney. You've got sort of the five peaks over in South Australia. And I don't know actually how close this one is, but Transcend maybe for Perth. Yeah, I think Transcend is relatively close to Perth. It's not like you have to drive three hours out.
01:15:49
Speaker
it's on you kind of have these these big events that have been produced at the kind of the highest level that exists in Australia with very close locality to major populations. And um I'm really hopeful that we see We see these ones grow and transition more road runners into trail curious, we say, and then just see a bit more growth because yeah, there's no reason why to me, roller coaster, aside from the fact that it's not by UTMB and it hasn't got the same history as UTA, that it can't be as big as ah as a UTA or or getting close to that size. Like I know that they get roughly a thousand entries, I think, give or take.
01:16:25
Speaker
Um, but they have the capacity for much more same for. Brisbane. I'm sure they have a capacity for much more than what, than what they get and the races, what they used to finish in the center. Um, so it's these, these, these close localities to major metropolitan areas for the races, I think is, is awesome. It's a great experience.
01:16:43
Speaker
Um, and yes, having been. at Manning A stations at this race and seeing the whole field, like the amount of dress up as well, because the 12K, I it's called the Mad mad Mouse.
01:16:54
Speaker
um So people come in tutus and fancy dress and it's just, it's a great experience. So yes, we we are more focused on the elite side of trail running in Australia. make that That's our thing.
01:17:05
Speaker
But if you are listening to this and you kind of have and haven't locked in your weekend plans yet, I definitely would recommend... roller coaster or any of these kind of bigger trail runs that are produced a bit more a bit more professionally they have a bit more that bigger bigger feel which some people don't like but i do think they are really good options out there um especially for me it's the next step like i think that's a really good valuable part is like you can get a lot of people who haven't experienced trail before experiencing these races at some point especially because of where we do the races
01:17:38
Speaker
that you are going to reach a limit of how many people you can have participating. But the next step I still see us doing is the spectator experience. Like, can we do anything to improve the spectator experience? You look at Melbourne Marathon, which was on the weekend.
01:17:52
Speaker
The roads aren't lined the whole way, but there is a heap of people out there just watching. um Even if they're other runners or they're just family members or whatever, those people are out there getting amongst it. um and I know it doesn't bring maybe direct value to the organizers, but there is some still some indirect value having spectators there. Like it's difficult to sell tickets to a trail race, but they're in and around the the event area if you're selling merchandise and that sort of stuff.
01:18:19
Speaker
There is still benefit to having spectators there. If anything, it's just word of mouth of getting getting the name out there and and some more exposure. So, yeah, I think that's, Broadly in Australia, that's probably the next step that it would be cool to see us take is um yeah like we're starting, people are starting to think about getting a package that they can put on on the web like Transcend did and and UTA are doing through Ironman.
01:18:48
Speaker
um But I think there's something to do. There's probably potentially something, especially with these races that are close to the major centres, the spectator experience at the race potentially. And I think that's something that Golden Trail on the World Series is trying to think about with their clover leaf and all that sort of stuff. yes And it's tricky it's tricky in trail running is how do we make that happen?
01:19:07
Speaker
um But I think that that's the next step of getting creative. So whilst you were talking then, I was thinking about the the the flower pestle design that Golden Trail are doing. and And then I was like, well, hang on a minute.
01:19:20
Speaker
Roller coaster has one station. yeah. Like in terms of ah an off the top of my head, thinking about any races out there, this probably does it the best, again, that I can think of where you've got for the 46K coming through four times. I do know that at least when I was there,
01:19:37
Speaker
The road that comes into Kalorama aid station, the dirt road, i don't know what it's called, but there's a gate and they did have that gate locked. So you do have to walk it in for that period. Okay. Maybe it's, maybe it's a K and a half, maybe a little bit longer. So it's a bit of a walk, but then once you're in, you're in and you can just chill for the whole day, um, or take a bike or however else you want to get. And I think there are potentially other entry points that you could get, could get through. Yeah.
01:20:02
Speaker
I assume that one's closed because the course crosses it a few times so they wouldn't want cars on it but potentially like this is where we start to think and I'm not saying I'm not shooting anyone down I'm also saying in the next five years these are the things I think we could start thinking about um is like maybe having a shuttle bus that drives people from that gate up to uh up to the the this and you can call it a fan zone and that's what the golden series do um yeah it's not happening right now and I'm not expecting it to but I think but And it is happening to some extent. We are thinking about these things. But I think that's, for me, that's the next big step. but If we want to see the sport grow, it has to become popular for non-competitors as well.
01:20:43
Speaker
It can't just be popular for just competitors. Definitely. And I think to Sancto Spiritu at Zagama or I think it's Valacine Station in UTMB where it's just lined with people and to the point where...
01:20:59
Speaker
The runners say that it's doesn't it's not annoying, but you can barely see where you're going and there's smoke being sprayed in your face. But yeah apparently it it just really get gets the emotions flying. But it would be great to see that kind of support.
01:21:13
Speaker
And then you get more engagement. And if there's more people attending your events, it doesn't matter if they're running or they're spectators, it's going to bring more sponsorship, which bri brings more attention, which makes the event bigger, which improves the event atmosphere.
01:21:24
Speaker
And it's just, it suits everybody, whether you're front or back of the pack. I feel like we've really gone on a conversation that is not necessarily for a review, but I hope you if you're still with us at this point before we've actually done our pick. I hope you enjoyed that one.
01:21:38
Speaker
ah Yeah, sorry, sorry. That was a big digression from me. But um yeah, I just feel like rollercoaster brings... that thought to front of mind for me because I think it's the event that's getting, the that has capacity to get there as well.
01:21:51
Speaker
um Anyway, let's let's talk about our picks and then finish this one off because I'm about 40 minutes late.
Race Predictions and Reflections
01:21:57
Speaker
yeah yes i i Yeah, right. Yeah, you're first.
01:22:02
Speaker
Yeah. All right, I'm going back him. Tyler, I'm putting first. Mike Harrell, second. And then I'm going to go with...
01:22:14
Speaker
morgan glazier in third yeah okay cool you're taking picking the picking the local boy yeah i think it look ah it's a tough one i think i think i'm gonna have to pick mike um yeah but i'm gonna pick tyler second um so those two ran the other way and i think yeah it's hard to know with these like you said these guys who haven't had everything go right for the last few months compared to the ones who have like i think that probably makes a bigger difference than you think.
01:22:44
Speaker
So whilst I think the three guys who have won this in the last three years are a chance, i don't like we said, we don't know much about what Nick's been up to. um Yeah, it's hard to compete at the very top level when you haven't had things go perfectly, right?
01:22:58
Speaker
um I think I'm going to pick Hayden Barnett because I think local beats UK. But we'll see. um I think Morgan will be around as well. Yeah, I think Hayden's training will definitely be a lot more specific to this race.
01:23:14
Speaker
So I think he does have that in favor. I was between Morgan and Hayden, but it's good that we've we've chosen chosen a different name in them, just a different order as well, which was the first time we had to get there eventually.
01:23:25
Speaker
Wonderful. Well, Brodie, it's always fun. Thank you for the the conversation and deep dive into the world of trail running again today. Yeah, thank you. And um um I'm wondering how many people actually make it to 80 minutes of listening. So this could have just been a discussion, but I enjoy it all the same. So that's fine.
01:23:42
Speaker
I don't mind if people don't listen because this is a this is what it's about, is talking about the trail running and getting excited about it. So yeah, thank you. It's been it's been great. Yeah. Yeah, you've got to stay stay to at least 75 minutes to get our musings on the future trail running and and how we're going to, not fix, but evolve the sport.
01:24:01
Speaker
But yeah, to everyone that's ah listening, hope you enjoyed this one. If you have, please do share it around. If you're racing this weekend, you've got somebody else that you know is, they might enjoy hearing about the course. Let them know.
01:24:12
Speaker
Otherwise, we'll catch you next time. Yeah, see you later. you, Jim.