Australia

Australia / Oceania (June 15th, 2002)

Poor Man's Comrades Run: Capturing the spirit of Australia, this 55 mile (87km) race advertises "No Fees, No Awards, No Aid, No Wimps". A low-key event, it was run on an uphill route from the steps of the Sydney Opera House and along the old Pacific Highway to Gosford Railway Station. Richard and Australian ultramarathon runner Kieron Thompson finished together at the head of the field in 8 hours 49 minutes.

Donovan successful in Australian Ultra Marathon

On Saturday, June 15th, the Poor Man's Comrades run took place in Sydney. In true Australian style, it is a very low key running event that advertises "No Fees, No Prizes, No Aid, No Wimps!" The event takes place on a very hilly route along the Old Pacific Highway between Sydney and Gosford. This year saw the uphill running of the race, starting at the steps of Sydney Opera House and finishing at Gosford railway station. And uphill means uphill!

I arrived at the starting line shortly before 7am to prepare for the task ahead. Kevin Tiller, the event organiser, provided all assembled competitors with maps and other directions for the route. We were advised not to worry should we deviate from the assigned route because the set course was the shortest way possible to Gosford. At that, and after a few obligatory starting line photos, we set on our way around Circular Quay and over the Harbour Bridge to join up with the Old Pacific Highway.

By an amazing coincidence, one person in the small field, Grahame Murphy, had also been to the North and South Poles. Grahame, who was to finish third in the run, has hauled a sled across the Antarctic to the South Pole and skydived over the North Pole.

I found myself running quite quickly from the outset alongside an Australian ultramarathon runner named Kieron Thompson. We were clocking up a series of 4 minute kilometres before encountering the long winding hills that characterise the Old Pacific Highway. The event covered a total distance of 86.7 km or close to 55 miles approximately. In essence, it was slightly longer than a double marathon. It seemed like 40 miles of this course were uphill and there was one particularly long hill from 50km to 62km where there was no descent whatsoever, not even a little dip in the road.

The views along the Old Pacific Highway were spectacular and assisted greatly in taking my mind off the gradually increasing pain in my quads and hips and the nice blood blister that formed under a blackened toenail on my right foot. Kieron and I ran together and chatted throughout, which also helped greatly. At the 30km point on Mount Colah, we stopped at a shop to get supplies of water before continuing to the Brooklyn Bridge, where the longest single ascent was to occur after crossing the Hawkesbury River. Along the way, I encountered my first indigenous Australian wildlife: unfortunately, it was a dead wallaby at the side of the road. We also encountered other Australian wildlife in the form of the stream of bikers that constantly sped by us along the Old Highway. Kieron and I got some disbelieving and even startled looks when, at the 62km point on Mount White, a couple of bikers asked us where we had run from. "Oh, Sydney Opera House", we replied casually before continuing for the remaining 25km to Gosford.

At this stage, the hills were definitely taking a toll and I began to welcome any opportunity to double check our course map and 'verify' that we were still en route! Yet, the inclines kept coming. I began to feel like a mountain climber might when he thinks he has reached the summit, only to find another higher point lies ahead, then another one, and then another one still. However, after one or two weak patches I began to feel very strong again and we finally reached the point where we could begin the steep decline that led into Gosford and our finish adjacent to the railway station. After 8 hours and 49 minutes, Kieron and I finished together ahead of the rest of the field. Neither of us verbally arranged that we would -- it just seemed the natural conclusion after running together for so many miles.

This race was a great event. There was no trumpet blowing at the start or finish and the event ultimately encompassed a bunch of guys getting together and doing a long run, a very long run! And yet, I felt more satisfaction getting to the end of it than I did at the South Pole Marathon. People also just showed up along the route, asked us if we were in the run from the Opera House, pulled over their cars and offered us drinks and food. The scenery was also spectacular, especially overlooking Brooklyn.