Track Ultra WA 3,6,12 and 24 hr
12th - 13th Aug 2017
Track Ultra WA is the re-emergence of a Track Ultra Marathon for WA, that incorporates a 3, 6, 12 and 24 hour event, set to take place at the Bunbury Athletics Arena on the 12 th Aug, starting at 11 am.
This is an IAU Bronze label event so records are up for the taking.
Western Australians traditionally travel east to compete in 24 hr Track Ultras, so to revive a race that has not been run in Western Australia since the early 90’s, and to be able to host it in our own backyard is something quite special.
The participants will run, walk, sleep and cry themselves through the day and night finishing at 11 am on Sunday the 13th.
Is it expected to be easy? , definitely not.
Is this an experience that will leave a lasting impression on you? , absolutely.
So why would any semi sane person do something like this to themselves, and potentially miss the weekend football? , because it is only through challenging the norm that you find great reward! Ask anybody that has run a Half or Full Marathon, what they got out of it! More than likely the first thing you will hear is “blisters”, “soreness” and quite possibly a few “tears” as well, but after the dust settles, you are left with a profound sense of accomplishment and strength that you did not seem to have before. You know that you finished it, and you feel empowered.
That’s why Distance Runners do what they do. Sure it’s hard at the time, but when you manage to push through all of those difficulties, and get to the end, you are left with something that stays with you for the rest of your life.
So why are we using a track? .The purpose of using a track as opposed to an out and back or even a trail run, is that you can reduce the weight of gear that you would need to carry, have crews ideally placed to offer support and assistance to you throughout the run, report on the progress of participants and have the most preferential and ideal conditions to see what you can accomplish in the given time frame. A flat track is the preferred option here. You have to consider that a small bump at 2 hrs is going to become a significant hurdle for you at 5, 14 or even 21 hours.
And besides………….. A warm feed mid run and the ability to get off the track, heat up, change your clothes and have a cuppa in the cooler weather is welcome to most runners.
Distance events are really just eating and drinking competitions with a few laps thrown in to make it look like you have actually done something!
So how is this going to work? Participants will complete laps of the track at their own pace with the direction being changed every 6 hours, (so 3 and 6 hour runners will maintain the same direction until their event concludes).
The Electronic Transponder that each runner will carry, will record the total laps and distance that each runner completes, with the balance of the final partial lap added to their total distance after the hooter has sounded. The results will be posted online to a web link so that each runner can be individually tracked throughout the event as they complete laps, and via a manually updated board each hour.
At the conclusion of the event, the person with the furthest distance in each event will be the winner, but the biggest thing about running in these events, is not whether you are an Elite Athlete (of which there are few!), but rather whether you have done your best, challenged yourself and set yourself a PB. It’s all about you and what is your best!
Whether you want to run the entire distance, walk half of it, or walk the entire event, that is completely up to you. It does not matter how you get there, it is about setting yourself a goal and going after it. You goal may be 5 km or 250 km, that’s irrelevant. People who "have a go" earn the respect of all.
We quite often get tied up with the super fast times, but the magic is in the doing. In distance running (or walking) there is less emphasis on the times and speed but rather in the comraderie and mate ship that exists between competitors. It is a lot of fun, and usually very different from what most people are used to.
For anyone that is interested, the event is capped at 100 competitors total. There are a maximum number of (50) 3 hr entries available for those that want to test the waters to see if it is for them. While 3 hrs is not technically an Ultra Marathon, it is a good way to get a taste of what these events are all about. Most people who participated last year, showed a strong interest in coming back this year to step up to a longer distance, so it is a great stepping stone for those wanting to progress in the sport.
There is Bling and there are trophies, but the most important thing that you can do, is to have some fun and step out and challenge yourself. You might surprise yourself!
If you have any questions or want any further information then feel free to contact me directly.
Regards Ron Mcglinn
0439496765
Experience prerequisites:
Kids event - Do your best!
3 hr - nil - Just be awesome!
6 hr - nil - Just be really awesome!
12 hr - Completed Official Marathon in last 12 months (walkers exempt) up until 1/8/2017
24 hr - Completed Ultra marathon in last 12 months (walkers exempt) up until 1/8/2017
You don't need to be a champion runner, just have a bit of determination!
Hope to see you out there :)
........Competitor Pre Race Information