Margaret River Ultra 80km Relay Race Recap
Teamwork to Triumph
Margaret River Ultra Marathon 80km
The past weekend of 11th and 12th May saw runners descend on the South West region of Western Australia for the seventh iteration of the Margaret River Ultra Marathon by Rapid Ascent. The inaugural event in 2018 attracted 700 runners from across Australia to tackle 80 kilometres of trail running and has asserted itself as one of the country’s most popular and spectacular ultra marathons.
Participants have the option of running the entire 80km course solo or as part of a relay team of up to five people running between 10km and 20km each, making it achievable for runners of all ability levels, from elites to trail-running newcomers.
Runners Connected Create a Winning Relay Team
At the suggestion of one or two members of the Runners Connected crew, we created a 5-member relay team to register for the 2024 event, with an emphasis on it being a fun girls’ weekend away.
With two runners in our team returning from injury, and another having to withdraw at late notice, it was a scramble to finalise team members in the last couple of weeks before the race. We arranged carpooling, accommodation and logistics, heading down from Perth to Margaret River on Friday, safely managing to successfully avoid the freak tornado that hit Bunbury late on Friday evening.
Alarms were set for an early rise on Saturday morning. We dressed, ate breakfast and dashed across the road to Egbert’s, open early enough for us to satisfy our need for pre-run caffeine. Our coach and Leg 5 runner, Kat, dismayed at having not packed her trail shoes, finally decided on a well-loved pair of Nike Alphafly’s. A great road racing shoe but not ideal for the rocky, sandy, technical terrain she would face.
We loaded our gear into the car for the drive south to the race start line at Hamelin Bay. Shell, an experienced runner from Bunbury joined us as our Leg 1 runner in the final few weeks, and met us at the start line, ready for an 8 am kick-off. We checked and secured our mandatory gear into Shell’s hydration pack, attached the timing tracker to her ankle, pinned our bibs on, and we were ready for the start.
That Escalated Quickly: From a Fun Girls Weekend to Podium Contention
Leg 1: 11.5km Hamelin Bay to Boranup Campsite
Cheering Shell on as the first runners took off along the beach, the remaining four of us drove north to Boranup where Laura would take over from Shell for Leg 2. A huge crowd had gathered at the checkpoint to see the first runners come through. Nerves were growing, particularly for Laura and when Shell blasted through as first female into the checkpoint, we all knew the pressure was now on.
Leg 2: 16km Boranup Campsite to Contos Campground. Total: 27.5km
After a swift exchange of the timing tracker ankle bracelet and the mandatory gear into her pack then Laura was off.
The drive back out to the road heading up to checkpoint 2 at Conto’s campground saw us driving for what seemed like forever through gravel track.
Leg 3: 19.5km Contos Campground to Riflebutts Reserve, Total: 47.0km
All of us felt our nerves increasing, especially Gillian, as talk of podiums and paces had us increasingly aware we were in for a good chance to do quite well in this race.
Another swift exchange of gear and as Laura came in, Gillian bolted off on what had been deemed the toughest of all legs of the entire course.
With enough time on this leg to head back to Hamelin Bay for Shell to collect her car, we drove south before turning back and heading to Riflebutt’s Reserve where I would take over from Gillian.
The sun was out, and the day was warming up. Riflebutt’s Reserve is at the bottom of a steep incline from Prevelly Beach and I realised I would have to run up it right at the start of my leg.
Leg 4: 18.5km Riflebutts Reserve to Gracetown. Total: 65.5km
Some sunscreen slathered on as I could feel the sun’s sting, a few nervous sips of sports drink, and Gillian came through the checkpoint just before 12:30pm. Gear into my pack, tracker strapped onto my ankle, and I was off and up the hill to commence my 18.5km leg.
No sooner had I run through the carpark at Prevelly Surfers’ Point, and I was onto soft beach sand for what felt like forever. Leg 4 is a mixture of beach running, and rocky single track sections of the Cape-to-Cape track. I was completely unprepared for the abundant soft sand, rocks, and never-ending undulations of this leg of the course. Another female runner with a team bib passed me, which frightened me enough to make me pick up the pace and gain my position back by passing her on a seaweed-covered stretch of beach.
It dawned on me that I was grossly unprepared for this fun girls’ weekend run that had very quickly turned into a race. Trying to ignore the fact that I was only a couple of months into my return from injury, I spoke out aloud to try and convince myself I could keep going and swore a few times at the unforgiving sand. The terrain was far more technical than I anticipated, and the midday sun was oppressive. However, the views were simply spectacular, and I held my place with no other runners passing me, though I did run past scores of solo runners who were reduced to walking on the narrow, sandy and rocky trail.
Counting down each kilometre I ran, I convinced myself I had slowed the pace so much we would relinquish our position. I was in a sad and miserable state as I drew closer to Gracetown, where my leg would end, and I would pass over to Kat. Some very steep concrete stairs heralded the final push into Gracetown beach, and I managed to keep turning my legs over to head into the checkpoint so the girls could exchange the gear and Kat was off.
I was not feeling great, seeing stars and with blurry vision for the last kilometre or two. As soon as I stopped running, I felt incredibly dizzy and luckily Laura caught my weight and I was lowered into a chair. People rallied immediately; cups of coke and slices of orange were offered, and wonderfully cool water was poured over my head. A medic arrived to check my vitals. Frustratingly, as I began to feel myself again, she insisted I wait a moment to try to cool down and lower my racing heart rate. Finally permitted to go, we were in the car and heading towards the finish line at Howard Park Winery.
Leg 5: 13km Gracetown to Howard Park Wines. Total: 78.5k
The four of us eagerly checked the tracking site, knowing Kat would have gone after this leg with the zeal of an Olympic qualifier. Kat has an unbelievable capacity to endure pain and wearing her road racing Alphafly shoe would have been no hindrance. Kat knew she was going out on her leg with our team in first position, spurring her on to leave everything out on that rocky, sandy, treacherous leg of the course.
The finish line was buzzing as runners came in across the finishing chute. Satisfying my salt craving with a bowl of hot chips drowned in salt, I barely had enough time to scoff them down before the chatter about Kat coming in soon started.
The timing site had an estimated finishing time of 3:28 pm. Laura and I looked at the site, then at our watches. It was 3:22 pm. I looked up at Laura and called out to Gillian and Shell that Kat would be arriving very shortly. The relay teams would run in behind their Leg 5 finisher, to cross the line together.
As we predicted, perhaps not even one minute later, Kat appeared on the grassy path leading towards the finishing chute. Looking strong and almost sprinting, we cheered and fell in behind her to cross the line in a time of 7 hours, 24 minutes, and 25 seconds. We were the first placed female team, first placed female team of 4-5 and won by a convincing 20 minute margin ahead of the second female team.
A group hug, Kat exclaiming how unbelievably hard, but amazing, that run was, and we were presented with finishers medals, ice-cold spritzers and beers from a local brewery.
The Sweet Taste of Unexpected Success
When planning this event and discussing our plan as a relay team, any thoughts of placing on the podium had not even entered my consciousness. I was returning from injury, Laura too with a torn hamstring. Kat and Gillian were both in great shape, as was Shelly, but I hadn’t met her before the morning of the race.
We had all said to each other multiple times “No pressure, just have fun”. Aside from Shelly, the rest of us are primarily road runners. Kat and Gillian have some decent experience and have run well in trail races, and Laura completed the full 80km solo event in its inaugural year in 2018. Road running though is the preferred style for all of us.
Interestingly, with no expectation or pressure of racing, placing, or winning, once we all knew we were in the winning position, not one of us was willing to be the team member who relinquished it.
The final sweetener to top off this event was that our finish time was a new course record for an all-female team of 4-5 runners. Our time beat the previous course record set in 2023 by 12 minutes.
The Margaret River Ultra by Rapid Ascent is an exceptional event. The course is truly spectacular, though also incredibly tough. With a fabulous team, supporting each other and not wanting to let each other down, we were able to achieve something we hadn’t even dared to let ourselves dream of.
We have already begun planning our attack for the 2025 event!
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