The Sprightly Dugong: The Race

I've been super busy, but finally I have been able to update the blog

About month ago four intrepid adventures set off towards Johns XXIII College for Inward Bound.

Div 1 preparing at Fenner, Justin and Tristanm, my scouts, are in the team shirts

A relatively experienced team we had two particapants who had previuosly run Div 1 before, one who had run div 4, and a new recruit. Jaws dropped when the other team saw our greenest member, Sarah, not many females run in the top division, and even fewer are navigate.

Preparing to be met by my adoring fans

At approximately 11pm we removed our blindfolds in the Yaouk valley on Stewartfield Rd (although we didn't know that at the time). We were told the endpoint was a small town called Jerangle. My scouts reported nothing more than a few farmhouses in the area, which indicated we were 10kms from the nearest main road so quickly we packed up our gear and headed south.

The road to the finish, a prophetic sign perhaps.

Our amazing pace allowed us to catch two teams ahead of us, but we lost our position upon arriving at Bobeyan Rd where we stopped to locate out exact position and plot a course. Johns and Burgmann jogged past and that was the last team we saw for over nine hours.

Sharing stories at the end

We headed east along the road, and up around Shannon's flat heading for ford across the Murrumbidgee River just outside Bredbo. There was a moment of panic when 4wd track we were looking for seemed further away than expected, but in reality the first 35km was relativley easy to run and navigate.

The real reason we run - awesome breakfast

The next 10 kms was the downfall of every team. After crossing Povey's Fire trail most were aiming to head east, but regrowth from the fires in 2008 made many of the paths very difficult to spot. Twice we briefly wandered off course and only my experience kept us on track. At one stage we saw head lamps way off in the distance, quite high up and very far south. Whoever they were, they were lost, the endpoint was not in that direction. We giggled.

The endpoint

Next Sarah led us on an epic bushbash but to our dismay the trail we needed could not be found. For 30 mins we searched before giving up and following a dry creekbed to another trail, which also could not be found. Once again we followed creeks until we came across a barely visible trail. Here we decided to follow the trail (all trails lead somewhere) and it took us south through the forest (somewhat in the wrong direction) and ended at a major creek (dry thankully) which bore east, and we followed this to the last trail on the map, fingers crossed this still existed.

Fenner Hall Div 1 coming in to the finish

It was HUGE (the trial I mean)! the sun had risen and we had a road. Invigorated we plowed on north and then east to Bredbo. We took off our shoes and socks to cross the Murrumbidgee and stopped for a chat with the Burgmann Div 2 team who we met. They had bad news - they were with B&G Div 1 previously so they must be ahead of us. Just as we packed up our gear, low and behold, B&G plowed through the river, the sight of us spurring them on to not even protect their feet. So Burgmann were wrong, and we had a race on our hands.

Sarah leads us home

At this stage we assumed we were second last with B&G close behind. We were the second last team to leave drop off and the nav was relatively easy. We powered through Bredbo and to a checkpoint at the Monaro Highway. We were greeted with huge smiles by those manning the checkpoint. "Div 1 - we've been waiting for all night - Ursies passed by about an hour ago, you guys are in 2nd place!"

35km to go, a well used road to follow and B&G not too far behind. We worked hard, checking off the kms and holding a steady 8.5 kms an hour. Every now and then we would spy Burgmann Div 2 ahead, and every now and then a safety car would follow close behind to protect us from any traffic. Vehicles with supporters driving to the finish would go by tooting their horns and cheering us on.

Some people work harder than others...

5kms left, just before our final food break we caught up to Burgmann div 2. With a big grin I tell them we want to beat them to the end. I receive a confused look from their nav as he points behind us, "I'd be more concerned about them." Only 200 m behind, B&G came striding up the hill.

"No break team, we run the next two hills." My team kicks into action as we push up the hill, down the incline and up the next one. Behind us we can hear the B&G team yelling at each other to work harder. We do the same. Sarah and I start to struggle.My thigh muscles start spasming as cramps set in and I am lose my ability to run up the hills. Sarah and I struggled to keep pace with Tristan and Justin, unsure if we can finish with the pace, yet neither of us wanted to be the first to give in. 2 kms on and we can still hear B&G close behind. As we top the rise in the distance we see endpoint. "Dump any water" I advise, as Tristan turns to check on the enemy.

10 minutes later we round the final corner and stumble to the finish, amongst the cheering supporters from all 7 seven halls and colleges.

Parking! you mean people actually drove here?

For 15 kms the support vehicles had been in radio contact with the endpoint detailing the epic battle that finished in a five kilometer sprint to the end after 70 kms if hard running.