Words by Matt Gore  |    Photos by Natalie Wong & provided by Matt and his film crew (Mitch Ford & Steven Khoury) 

After finishing a degree, what will you do if you have a gap year? Well, Matt went on a mission to explore Australia. Matt introduced me to ultra trail running back in 2020. Ever since then, he has continually pushed the boundary and gone on so many adventures. Here he shares his favourite runs from each state and his 655fortakayna project.

As long as I’m still having fun,

the sky’s the limit.

I’m Matt, and I’m a 25-year-old runner from Sydney. I’ve been running since I was 15, but in the last 3 to 4 years it has become a major part of my life. I rediscovered and fell in love with running as a 20-year-old living in Milan on the doorstep of the Italian Alps, and it has stayed with me since. For me, trail running means being able to explore wild places on my own two feet and discover parts of our natural world that I know very few people have ever had the privilege to visit.

Last Year

In May last year I finished my university studies, so I packed a few bags and 6 pairs of runners (which grew to 11 by the end of the trip!) into a van and set off to explore Australia on my own two feet. I’d spend the next 9 months driving all over the country (except WA), roaming from national park to national park – exploring all the best trails in the area before moving on to the next.

By doing so, I got to see the incredible diversity in the natural landscapes across our country, and meet so many interesting people from all walks of life. I didn’t begin the gap year with any goals per se except to have fun, but I returned home with such a deeper connection to, and understanding of, the place we call home.

My Favourite Runs

It’s pretty impossible to distil a year’s worth of running and exploration into a shortlist of the best places to travel and run, like some life-hack Buzzfeed article. However, I think it probably is possible for me to list my favourite run in each state I travelled to.

You don’t need much to get out there and explore these places, and you can do it at whatever pace suits you best. I found nearly all of these trails using the AllTrails app, and for deeper access into some wilderness areas, I would fast-pack the trail with a super lightweight tent and sleeping bag.

Fast-packing was something I’d never heard of before 2021, but since discovering it for myself I’ve fallen in love with it. Even for a fairly confident and fit trail runner, it allows you to access all of these incredible places that you otherwise would never have been able to reach in a single run. The gear is a slight investment, but totally worth it.

The 655fortakayna project

As the culmination of my gap year, and with a particularly strong cause in our hearts, in November my friend Giles and I set out to run the near 700km Australian Alps Walking Track from Walhalla (VIC) to Canberra. The run was epic, and it took us 16D and 6H to finish. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and  I could write 10,000 words on it, but I won’t. Pictures speak louder than words, and we have a 40 minute Salomon feature film in the works that will premiere towards the end of the year. We have already raised over $7,000 for the Bob Brown Foundation and its work protecting the critically threatened Takayna rainforest in Tasmania, and we hope to raise more with the premiere of the film.

If you want to stay updated on when the film will be released online, and for more information about the run and our mission, you can check it out on Instagram @655fortakayna.

Reflection

Over the past year, I’ve learnt a lot about our country, our people, and myself. As a runner, I’ve had such fun exploring the continent. There are so many hidden gems, different landscapes, and crazy trails. As an outdoors person, I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of what Australia has to offer, and it makes me want to get back out there and explore more.

On a personal level, living by myself in a van for 9 months has somewhat ironically taught me how to better engage with people. In the city, we can get caught in the fast-lane bubble of work, friends and family, and exercise. One of my most enjoyable experiences was opening up and taking the time to chat with people I met on the road - whether that be at a pub, on a walk, or at a campsite. There are so many different Australians out there, and as a young person, almost all of them have more experience and wisdom than me. It’s amazing what you can learn when you’re unafraid to ask questions and listen.

Upcoming Goals

As I head back to Sydney and into full-time work, my days of roaming around in a van with long hair, a shit moustache, some split shorts and a pair of trail shoes sadly seem to be over. However, as a trail runner, my journey will continue on. I’m in the process of getting a coach (for the first time in over 10 years of running!) and I’ve been fortunate to pick up a few sponsors in the last year to support my running, including Tarkine Running and K2 Base Camp.

For the immediate future, I’m looking forward to a fundraising 70km ultra in the takayna in a few weeks, and then Alpine Challenge 100km at the end of April. My major race goals are then to finish well at the GSER 100 miler in November, and to win Larapinta in May 2023 (winning time usually about 58 hours). After that, who knows. As long as I’m still having fun, the sky’s the limit.