Six Foot Track Marathon 2011 - Race Report
Quick Summary - I came 7th in a time of 3:44:35 - a PB by over 3 minutes and better than my 10th and 11th places in 2008 and 2009. Very happy with my effort!
The Six Foot Track marathon is a 45km off road mountain race in the Blue Mountains which follows the Six Foot Track hiking trail from Katoomba to the Jenolan Caves. I have run the race 5 times before with a best time of just under 3 hours and 48 minutes and a best placing of 10th.
The weather on the morning of the race was perfect - blue sky and a few clouds. Everything started well. The first 3 km follows a slippery staircase and creek bed down the side of the cliff. The stairs were really slippery due to recent rain - and the Salomon shoes I was wearing don't deal with wet rocks well (great everywhere else though) but I survived without incident. The unfortunate part about this stage of the race is that you are so focussed on where your feet need to land you get little time to look up and appreciate the amazing cliffs that surround you as you descend.
The next section is an undulating trail through farmland and Eucalypt forest down to the Cox's river (15.5 km into the race). I ran with Anna Frost (New Zealand international mountain runner) until the river I told her I was a fellow kiwi and we chatted a bit. After wading across the river I hit the first of two big climbs that take you up 1000m in altitude over 10 km. On the first hill I passed a number of people including one of the early race favourites who had already hit the wall and was walking. He told me I was in 12th place. I picked up a few more spots on the second climb and got to the top (26 km) in 9th place.
My legs at that point were starting to feel all of the descent and climbing and were dangerously close to cramping but I was regularly taking gels and sips of electrolyte drink out of my sports bottle. Unfortunately the next 10km along Black Range are gently but relentlessly uphill and undulating . It was a fairly lonely journey along Black Range but I finally reached the next major checkpoint. The next section was a series of steep descents and then climbs (none that big but over rough and muddy terrain) and the Aid Station guys were warning runners about a slippery dangerous track. I felt strong up all of the uphill pinches in that section and was going well until I hit a mud puddle with no obvious route around. Oh well I was covered in mud anyway - straight through! One of my shoes stuck in the mud and as I yanked my foot out - heard the squelch of sucking mud! Yeow - big cramp deep in my left quad. On the plus side, my shoe was still on so I hobbled on and gradually the pain left and I got my rhythm back. One of the spectators confirmed I was 8th and about 300m behind the next, with no one in sight behind me. As I moved past him he called out that someone had just come into sight. I picked up the pace and got a real boost running through the drink station at the Caves Road (39km) - so many people cheering you on.
There on I was running strongly - as fast as I could - from my watch I could see a sub 3:45 might be possible. One more cramp in the same muscle that I ran out and finally I was onto the steep 3km rocky descent down to the Jenolan Caves House. I saw a runner ahead and he glanced back and immediately sped up. Game on.....! I caught his back just as we entered that last final narrow rocky descent with the cliff on one side and a big drop off on another. The guy had definitely sped up but was struggling and with me breathing literally on his neck he decided to let me past about half way down. So I was in 7th place! However he did not slow down and now he was breathing on my neck! I put a small gap on him as we entered the concrete switchback path and we were both sprinting down using the rail to help make the 180 degree turns. On the last downhill he gave up and was 20 odd seconds back at the finish. I suddenly realised I would break 3:45 and come in 7th - two bests for me. Emotion bubbled up and as I crossed the line, I had hyperventilated so much I could barely breath! A weird feeling when you are so ecstatic!
