UTA100 2023 race recap - Nic

In October 2022, Kevin and I finished the UTA100 on an alternate (easier) course. After having a great run on the other course, I was buoyed with a (false) sense of achievement and signed up to tackle the original course. A legendary trail with stunning scenery, approx. 1 million steps () and over 4000m vert-the biggest trail run in the Southern Hemisphere …. How hard could it be?? The only way to know if you can do hard things, do UTA100, is to stand on the start line. So, there I was, standing at the wave 6 start, alone and terrified. Doubts started to creep in looking at the other super fit starters- I’m too old, too slow, my body is to broken from injuries and two cancer battles…NO I am going to do this!!

I remembered my consistent training and the hard training runs I’d completed. I remembered the joy and strength I get from running and how I’d found myself in trail and ultra running, after life’s many curve balls and I hoped I’d done enough. Kev and I were supposed to be doing this thing together, but a torn labrum just before 6 foot hadn’t healed in time. Kev became my bossy crew chief; making sure I had all the mandatory kit packed and hydration, salt and nutrition organised. I also had the Scarborough family: Mark (Mark Scarborough), Nic (Nicole Scarborough) Elise and James as my awesome support crew - thanks guys

At the race start I waved to Kev (who was tearing up as he checked my pack for the last time and sent me down the starting Shute with a kiss).

Start wave 6 was away; I passed Nic (on crutches due to a stress fracture, but still out there supporting me) and settled into the first road section. I then saw Sam (Samantha Ashen) another running friend who couldn’t run due to illness but was out volunteering – she was yelling encouragement and right behind her was Mark and the kids taking photos and hi-5ing as I ran past. Grateful that I could run when Kev, Nic and Sam couldn’t I realised that maybe I’m not alone in this after all!

The first road section is an out and back, so back past Mark and the kids and Sam….the race was on!! Sam took off and raced me down the road, giggling like a couple of kids the whole way!

Back past the start where Nic and Kev were waiting with more encouragement and Hi-5s. Stoked with the realisations I wasn’t alone I headed down into the trails. I would need to remember the smiles and cheers of Kev and my friends 10 hours later….

I really enjoyed the first part of the run. The trails and scenery were beautiful. I hit the landslide section and there was a bit of rock scrabbling, but it was kind of fun. We hit the Golden stairs and it was getting pretty hot and very sweaty! Sweat was freely dripping off my hat visor onto the dusty trail and the climb was tough, but it was nothing compared to what was coming! At the top was a water point. At first, I went straight through, but I remembered what Kev had told me about making sure my water was full as it’s a long way to the next check point. I turned around and filled up with water and I was very, very glad I had. Anyway, I messaged Kev and #845 to let them know I’d reached the first checkpoint – CP1 10km in 1:35 at 9:06 am

We headed off along Narrow neck on fire trail. I looked up to see the intimidating site of runners way off in the distance running along narrow neck above me.

I pulled my poles out because I thought it might save my legs a little. It wasn’t as bad as it looked, and I just kept on running and hiking the hills with my poles. We left the fire trail and started heading down single track.

The track quickly started getting technical and I stuffed my poles into my quiver (slightly shocked that they slid in easily on the first try). There were runners in front and behind all pushing me through Duncan’s pass. I was probably going faster than I normally would because I was worried about holding runners up. In one section there was a rope to cling to going down the sheer rocks, so it felt like abseiling. I don’t really like these technical sections and my heart was in my throat for most of it. I was really glad when it was over, and we hit fire trail again.

It's 22KM between CP1 and CP2 and now we were heading into the middle of the day and it was getting really hot! runners around me were saying they had run out of water and I was getting quite low too. I was super glad to hit CP2 at foggy Knob, after a short sharp climb (31Km in 4:32 at 12:03pm). I filled up my bottles and downed a couple of cups of water and headed off, naively, to Iron pot.

I’d seen amazing footage of iron pot, with beautiful views and indigenous digeridoo players…but to get there was straight up slippery, rocky, steep singletrack. A tough, tough, climb! It was pretty cool up on top, but just as I started to enjoy being in the beautiful bush again and the magic of the didgeridoos, the downhill started, and we fell out of the sky. The track was steep and slippery with loose dirt and dust that filled my shoes; I virtually skied down hoping I didn’t break an ankle on the rocks that were jumping out at me! It was quite hard to move out of the way for the faster male runners zooming down the hill – one was even wearing thongs!

With much relief and a few deep breaths, I started the undulating trails to CP3. I knew that Kev and my crew would be there and I just set my mind to meeting them. I don’t really remember much about this section except for a few creek crossings and the Mountain cows!! The ones that graze on the sides of steep hills so that they have shorter legs on one side than the other () . Just like being in my home town Casino – The Beef Capital (not you, Rockhampton – go away!!)

I heard the cow bells and jazz band first and knew I’d soon be at CP3 and I was stoked!! (no petting zoo though!) I saw Mark first who told me where to go, and where to find Kev and what the CP had. It was a pattern that we followed at all the future check points and it worked really well. Talking to Mark on the way in meant I could go into the checkpoint and not be blindsided by all the people, lights and activity and I didn’t have to search for Kev, I could go straight there and get started. All I wanted at this point was a drink!! I’d drunk my bottles dry again in the heat of the day. I grabbed a cup of coke from a volunteer who said coke was a popular choice! I sat down and drank a whole orange PowerAde. Kev swapped my bottles over with fresh tailwind and water and gave me a new food pack with gels and chews and munching an ANZAC biscuit, I was on my way. I reached CP3 (6 foot track, 45km) in 6.53 at 2.24pm.

For nutrition I followed a plan that works for me of having a gel every 10km and then in between gels at the 5km mark I’d have two salt tablets and some energy chews. At the aid stations I’d have some banana and orange, coke and when it got dark and cold, some salty soup. This worked well until Fairmont (CP5)….the low point….but we’ll get to that later…

For now, I happily trotted along the trail on the way to Nellie’s Glen. I knew this was going to be hard because I’d done it before – but not with 50 km already in my legs! I grit my teeth and took on the climb. The poles were awesome climbing out of Nellies and I was heading up with a group of guys who were ‘enjoying’ the climb as much as me. A French guy in his charming accent kept reassuring us and himself that the climb was nearly over….it wasn’t.. and it was all down hill after this…..it wasn’t….and then it started to pour with rain. Another guy was reassessing his life choices as he'd already entered UTMB (171km/10,040 meters elevation). We ran more (mostly up) single track in the pouring rain until reaching the road on the way to the Katoomba Aquatic Centre (CP4). There was one family out in the rain, cheering the runners on, their house decorated in flags. I didn’t know them, but really appreciated their effort!

Heading to CP4, I saw Mark out the front again with instructions on where to go once inside. I headed to Kev (passed the tempting ‘withdraw here’ sign), got a full change of clothes (because I was sopping wet) and headed to the change rooms and toilet.

Waiting for me was Mark and he reached for my stinky old clothes. Wanting to maintain our friendship, I kept the clothes and gave him the ‘lube’ to carry instead – he loves it when I call anti-chafe “lube”! . While I was changing, Kev swapped in fresh bottles, food and added the mandatory gear (waterproof pants and fleece) and packed away my poles. It was starting to get quite dark, so instead of having to rifle through my pack on track, I put on my head torch. I put my rain jacket on because it was still raining, grabbed a cup of soup and headed off. I don’t think I ate any food at this check point which was probably bad… I had reached CP4 (Aquatic Centre, 55km) in 8:59 at 4.30pm I took 15min here because of the change of clothes.

I left CP4 clutching my soup with the well wishes of Kev, Mark, Nic and the kids keeping me warm and happy, and headed down to Echo Point….Lookout!! It’s Evan!! (from the ‘Evan’s Lookout’ sign in Blackheath…IYKYK) Surprised me at Echo point. Evan had just completed his fist 50KM that morning as was now an Ultra runner! It was great to see him before descending the Giant’s Stairs.

This is where it started to get tough for me….climbing down the steep stairs was hard and slow. The stairs were slippery from the rain, and it was getting quite dark, and I was still adjusting to my head lamp. Lots of guys passed me on the stairs, but I couldn’t keep up. And I knew, the further I went down…. the further I’d have to climb out. I started to go into a dark place.

I was struggling with my footing in the dark and felt pissed that the earlier start groups got over an extra hour of light! What I would give for an extra hour of light right now! I also wanted to be at CP4 (aquatic centre) at 4pm, but I was way behind that; I’d given up my dream, though unrealistic goal of a 16hr finish and was hating every step! The stairs and pain continued going up Fern Blower (actually Fern Bower, but I like Kev’s name better ) and the dark place continued. I promised myself I would never, ever, ever, do UTA100 again. At one point I promised myself I’d never run again!!

I finally reached CP5 (Fairmont) and saw Mark who shouted, “She’s Here!!” I ran up to Kev and he asked me what I needed…. and I broke straight into tears, shaking my head…. I just want to go home…

Kev forced me to sit in the bean bag Hoka chairs (that I worried I’d never be able to get up from) and gave me a stern talking to (yelled) about not eating enough. Maybe he was right, but how do you eat when you don’t want to, in the dark, on technical trail, up and down a million never ending stairs?? Mark came and told me to reset. And I think this helped. I reset while drinking some soup. Pulled myself together and reluctantly headed back into the night, still with over 30km to go… I had reached CP5 (Fairmont 67km) in 11:44 at 7.15pm.

I don’t remember much about the next section – just one foot in front of the other on the dark slippery rock. I ran with another lady for a while who was having a great time. She told me she had 5 children and running in the dark was relaxing in comparison!! I wholeheartedly agreed! She was having bladder problems, stopping every 10 min to wee…. I soon learnt not to shine my head torch down the intersecting trails she took!!

I made it to CP6 Queen Vitoria Hospital – the last checkpoint.

Feeling better than I did at CP5. Kev Mark, Nic and the kids were still there, and I forced myself to be strong because I didn’t want to disappoint them – especially the kids being out in the cold and dark for me. I needed to use the toilet but had to wait in the que for 1 of 3 porta loos. Kev repacked my pack and changed the battery on my light. I changed clothes again, putting on my fleece because I was cold. I hit CP6 (QVH, 76km) in 13:50 at 9.21pm.

I headed off again into the night – to the cheers of Nic and the kids, Mark and Kev and Lucy Bartholomew! Lucy is one of my running inspirations, she doesn’t know me, but she was there cheering on all the runners, and it was awesome!

I knew what was coming in the last 22km – 8km of downhill and then up! I tried to force myself to run, but all my legs would give was a slow jog. It’s fine, I thought, they just need to warm up…. but they didn’t. It didn’t help slamming my head into the gate going down in to Kedumba! I’d actually hit my head so many times that day, on tree branches, rocks and overhangs and now the gate. I found my own clumsiness funny!! Still, all I could manage was a slow jog. I must have blown my quads out earlier in the race. This has never happened to me before, usually my legs reluctantly respond, but now, they had nothing.

A few people passed me here, flying down the hills. Even the pee lady…. before she took another trail to pee…. I tried moving as fast as I could. Even looking forward to reaching the creek where the climb out of Kedumba starts. Once on the uphill I started marching up with my poles. Picking out the shiny X on the vests and passing people. I was working so hard on the uphills that I started to get hot and had to take off my fleece. One guy behind me started blowing raspberries with his lips on every step. I was glad when he stopped due to a cramp!

I reached the forest and then passed the 5km to go sign – just 1 parkrun to go!! Although it was only 5km, it felt to me more like an insurmountable distance. I really had to force myself to keep moving and not just sit on one of the old mossy wooden benches and stay down there for ever and ever…. It was about then that my light started to flicker and then went dim. Maybe it was the fog messing with the light sensor, or maybe it had gone flat, but it made it really hard to see. I told the guy behind me to pass because my light was dull, but he refused, so I trudged on with old mate’s light casting my own shadow in front of me to make it seem even darker. A couple of ladies caught up and ran past us. They told me to stay with them, but my legs just couldn’t go that fast, so I watched their vests disappear in the distance.

I finally hit Furber Stairs. The volunteer at the bottom kindly helped pack my poles in my quiver and up I stomped. I had a few little rests to catch my breath, but overall, I made it up quicker and better than I thought.

I got to the top and I think I had trouble convincing my brain that this was the end…. not just another CP. I then saw Mark!! It was so good to see my crew!! And then suddenly I was in the finish Shute – I saw Kev and grabbed his hand (I’m in trouble for not giving him a kiss, but my brain just wanted to cross that finish line!) I also saw another couple of friends SJ and another Nic – out at 2.20am to see me finish.

I ran across that finish line with my hands in the air! I ran to Kev and he got his hug and kiss and I told him I didn’t want to go to the recovery area – I just wanted to be with my people. While I had finished my 100km run, the people around me from my crew, my friends, my supporters on social media and Strava and my Kev meant more to me than they will ever know. I crossed that line in 18:53:40 at 2:24:45AM.

I was so happy to hear that my training buddy, Lindsay finished 10th woman and 3rd in her age category in a smidge under 14 hours…what an amazing run!! My friends Bec and Dee also had terrific runs smashing out 50km!!

One of reasons I love ultra-running is that when I’m out on the trails, everything gets stripped away until I’m left with me. Just me. But this time, just me wasn’t enough. In my dark place, just me wanted to stop. In that dark place I needed more than just me. I needed Kev. I needed Mark, Nic and the kids. I needed my friends that were here in the Blue mountains at the Pizza meeting and back in Canberra. I needed my kids, my family and Kev’s family. I needed my training buddies and those sending messages of support (Hayley, Dors, Leah, Liesl, Mim, Tracy, Danni and more). Without all these people I would have stopped, but I kept going thinking of them all. Especially Kev, who I knew was thinking about me. So maybe I needed the dark place to show me that I wasn’t alone. And that means everything.