It's Extreme arathon - by Lorraine Law It was still dark when competitors here in training this is my favourite track rejoined Black Mountain Road arrived at the start line for the third section along the course, despite at the 45 km mark. Runners took and final race in the Cairns Road other runners complaining that it the opportunity to fill up hydration Runners FNQ Trail Running series on was slow-going and rough under systems, drink some Endura (to a cool, cloudy 28th of August in 2011. foot. The highlight for me, about 37 prevent the impending cramping) The runners were anxious to get on kms into the race, was the first of and grab a handful of lollies before their way, running from the small the Twin Bridges - now dilapidated, covering the next 2 kms to reach tourist town of Kuranda to another with the large logs collapsed into the "Top of the Bump" - another - the famous Port Douglas in Far the shallow creek. Ditto for the checkpoint. More· chocolate cake North Queensland. The prospect of second bridge, just a short distance and the most fantastic, energy-filled spending the next 64 km traversing further. It was also along here that slice you'll ever eat! I'm convinced native rainforest, open eucalypt we reached the marathon mark in it's what finallygot me over the line. forest, pine plantations, and The recipe is in the Cairns picturesque creeks appealed Road Runners October to the 32 competitors, 2011 Newsletter. including myself, who set off at first light at 6.00 am. Stuffinga couple of pieces of the slice into the side The scenic route is pockets of my running incorporated in the Mowbray skirt, I headed down the National Park, within the Wet 6 km historic Bump Track. Tropics World Heritage Area, But I use the term 'down' where the endangered fairly loosely, as a study southern cassowary, a two of the profile of the race metre tall flightless bird, still reveals numerous inclines roams the rainforest areas along this section. The including the first section of Bump Track offers views of the race along Black Mountain the Mowbray River valley, Road. Those who had studied where the Mowbray River the profile knew that the first drops through a gorge 10 kms was to be a steady carved into the forested climb. Beyond that, there foothills of the Macalister was another 16 kms along Lorraine Lawson Et Emma Mills 3rd, 4th at Kuranda Range. It was blazed in 1877 the dusty dirt road. I filledup by Christie Palmerston, a my little 250 ml plastic bottle prominent bushman and at the drink stations dotted pathfinder of the times, along this section, until I reached the the race. A great feeling, knowing and was the main access from the first checkpoint called Quaid Road. It there was only another 22 k to Hodgkinson Goldfield to the port in was a welcome relief with chocolate go. After cyclone Yasi in February Port Douglas. The Bump Track was cake and friendly faces. 2011 this track was impassable, infamous for its steepness, especially but the hard workers from DERM the section known as Slatey Pinch After collecting my compression - a cutting through slate rock at a bandage (to treat snake bites) and (Department of Environment and Resource Management) had ensured steep 1 in 3 grade - one kilometre whistle, I reluctantly said goodbye from the bottom of the Bump. to the lovely volunteers at the the track was cleaned up prior to our event. Despite this, there were Competitors probably knew little checkpoint. Within a kilometre, I about the history of this track, and turned off Black Mountain Road into still plenty of wait-a-while - a nasty vine with razor-sharp spines that found out first hand just how steep the "Twin Bridges Track," passing it is. By the time I got onto the Bump the SES personnel keeping a keen will grab onto your skin or tear your clothes. You don't have to be from track, with another 17 kms to go, the eye on competitors. This 18 km front runners had already crossed the track, shaded by large rainforest the region to figure out that stepping high over the fallen branches of the finish line and were having a swim trees.,.Jpllows the route of the in the ocean to cool their tired legs. origJp)tBlack Mountain Road to the wait-a-while reduces the repeat of torn flesh around the ankles. Up until now we were running in 3 u overcast conditions, with a couple :::!� 11i�i{� :�:� ��fs\ �����u�� It was therefore a welcome relief of little drops of rain, but the sky track · N rail runners, walkers and to spot the marshals where the through the trees on the Bump was nipy6£ /:!.t?Jkers. Having run along ULTRAMAG Pagel6 now a clear, brilliant blue and the sun was blazing down in typical FNQ style. I travelled KURANDA slowly down the single track, and walked the Pl Time Last Name First M/F last few kilometres; it was just too steep to 1 5:45:14 Carter Ben M run. The panoramic views were fantastic and I regretted not bringing along a camera. 2 5:47:14 Robinson Glen M 3 6:11:10 Bartsch Brad M A little crowd of volunteers were waiting patiently at the bottom of the Bump, 4 6:15:52 Herrmann Matthew M including one runner who was cramping 5 6:17:17 Prytz Arnstein M too badly to continue. After slapping on some sunscreen and stretching my calves, I 6 6:34:46 Narywonczyk Tynan M headed off along the bitumen towards Port. 7 6:36:57 Fearon Keith M This was the toughest part of the race for 6:38:44 Peter M me. Not eating enough· at the checkpoint 8 Cross earlier was a mistake, and I was left fishing 9 6:41:58 Sager Julie F for crumbs left over from the slice in my 10 6:47:31 Scoines Robert M side pockets. With a headwind and a hot bitumen road, the few kilometres along this 11 6:48:17 Lawson Larry M section felt like forever. For me it was that 12 7:01:28 Cavin Ben M one section in the race where I would have loved to sit down and cry but, as that was 13 7:05:01 Weaver Brad M only going to prolong my agony, I relented 14 7:09:31 Briscoe Judith F and walked sections where there was a bit 15 7:20:03 Willetts Roy M of shade available. Finally, after travelling on a dirt track adjacent to a sugarcane 16 7:20:04 Le Roux Mike M plantation and passing a few more marshals 17 7:27:00 Duncan Kevin M and a drink station, I reached the southern end of the beach. 18 7:28:21 Jakubovsky Taras M 19 7:31:10 Miller Robert M One of the many attractions of Port Douglas, Four Mile Beach is considered to be one of 20 7:38:58 McClelland Terry M the best in Far North Queensland. The sand 21 7:40:32 Titmus Steven M is so firm that the beach has been used for 22 7:47:57 M horse races and mountain bike races, and Hawthorne Neil also as a landing strip for small planes. With 23 7:55:17 Whittle Ivan M low tide at 2.15 pm on race day, there was 24 8:02:00 Valentine Ian M a broad section of the beach to run on. On any other day this 3.8 km stretch, with kite 25 8:05:25 English Stephen M surfers on the ocean side and sunbathers 26 8:49:38 Piercy ldan M on the palm-lined beach side, would be a 27 M pleasant experience. But not today - after 8:54:53 Moore Nathan 60 kms! Despite the clear skies, my Garmin 28 8:54:53 Dobbs Simon M GPS watch seemed to refuse to tick off the 29 09:30.2 Lawson Lorraine F metres as I (mostly) walked along the beach. But finally, like the 28 runners before me, 30 9:42:09 Mills Emma F I reached the end of this iconic, inaugural 31 9:42:34 Elms David M 64 km Kuranda to Port Douglas Ultra - third from last and third out of the four women in 32 DNF Wojciechowski Daniel M the race. It took me 9 hours 30 minutes. The winners had long ago gone home (winning times 5 hrs 45 mins for first male and 6 hrs 42 mins for first female). The four pairs of North Face trail running shoes, and numerous random draw prizes donated by the sponsor, It's Extreme, had all been handed out. Yet there were many friends waiting to cheer me over the line. And yes, I'll be back for sure in 2012. What a fantastic race! Finish line photo by Sam Cullen ULTRAMAG Page 17 Kuranda to Port Douglas The next checkpoint is at the top of by Stephen English the Bump Track. Here I catch up with fellow AURA runner, Neil Hawthorne, Mission: Get out of cold, wet in his distinctive singlet. He isn't Newcastle for a tropical holiday! waiting for me though and soon disappears down the track. Here's What to do when we get there: Go where we get to do most of our for a run of course! down-hilling, but for this old guy it was mostly walking as it was just too I needed to be training for the steep to risk running and crashing.