Rewriting the Ultramarathon Manual
– Matt Gore UTA100
Words by Matt Gore • Photos by Natalie Wong, Sportograf, Daniel Baluyot
This year there was no time goal. No completion goal. I just wanted to run as hard as I could, as fast as I could, until I crossed the finish line - or collapsed completely. Whichever came first.
'Red hats are for redlining' said my physio and mate Patty Mac, who was also preparing to kill himself on this course. I didn't have a red hat but I had the shoes and bag.
We settled into a comfortable second group behind the leaders. Consistent 4'15s - 4'30s along the rolling hills of Narrowneck in the first 20km made me realise this shit was really happening.
At 30km we started dropping the lead 15 runners ahead of us who had come out too fast, and were paying the price already. I wondered when I'd become one of them.
Photos by Daniel Baluyot. At checkpoint 3 – Six Foot Track 45.7km.
At 40km I lost Patty to sickness. He'd push through but eventually drop at 60km. Suddenly I was alone.
At 45km, climbing up Nellie's Glen, the rolling waves of cramps set in. Calves, quads, hammies, shins - repeat. Usually, when I cramp I ease off on the pace, or even walk. This year I ran harder.
At 65km - 3 hours later - I won the battle with my cramps. They subsided and wouldn't bother me again.
Every time I felt a new wave of fatigue set in, or the legs slow, I made myself run faster. I'd imagine myself racing the final 400m of a 5k race - even though I had 40, 50, 60km left.
At 75km I tripped over a rock and cut open both my knees. Blood soaked my legs. I hobbled for 10 seconds and then decided fuck it I need to run faster.
Photos by Sportograf - UTA Official Photographers.You can't worry about what will happen - let go of fear and it will let go of you.
Running down Kedumba, 85km in - 4'45, 4'30, 4'15, 4'10s. Running as fast as I can. You can't worry about what will happen - let go of fear and it will let go of you.
I run back up Kedumba. The back-end of the 50km race are amazed and cheer me on. But they don't understand - this is the easiest part of the whole day. Put your head down, embrace the pain, and suffer. That's all I'd wanted from the start.
I stack - bad - at 96km on the twisting trail of Fed Pass. Overtaking someone on a tight corner, I misstep and roll over my ankle on the uneven slope. My momentum carries me flying off the trail into the surrounding ferns. I pick myself up, collect my gear, and limp for a couple of hundred of metres - unable to put weight on what feels like a sprained ankle.
Then I realise I've fallen back into my old way of thinking.
I laugh, blank the pain, and begin to sprint the final 4kms of the course.
I cross the finish line in 11'05 - 14th overall. 90 minutes faster than my previous best. That was something special.
Put your head down, embrace the pain, and suffer. That's all I'd wanted from the start.
First three photos by Sportograf. Last three by Natalie Wong.
Matt's solo UTA100 attempt from October 2020 as he chased after a sub 12 hours on this course.
“LDP takes on UTA 100 on 25 October 2020 (cancelled date of rescheduled race). Abhi and I chase sub 12 PBs as a number of other LDP members hit the trails for their first UTA attempts. Big thanks to those crewing, and Benny F for putting this video together.”
