16/09/2026
๐๐ข๐๐ฐ๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐ญ: ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ continued
This week, meet ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ
๐๐ก๐๐ง/๐ฐ๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ?
"A mid-life epiphany struck me 15 years ago. I weighed almost 100kg and was a heavy smoker with a chronic illness and knew something had to change. Cue buying a treadmill and persevering from being barely able to run 400m to running 5k every day in 3 months. After a year, I ran my first half marathon (without ever training on a road), then onto full marathons for a few years.
The 2017 Old Ghost Ultra was my first trail event, I just wanted to see if I could do it. I had all the gear and no idea! I think there were only 4 locals in it that year and I didn't know any of them.
I've completed 8 old ghosts (missed 2025 due to a recurrence of an illness that I'm still only just recovering from), 6 Kepler's and a handful of others including the inaugural Paparoa.
I'm almost 61, so it's getting tougher to stay active. Trail running gives me something to focus on and I'm lucky enough to live in Charleston where the access to great training courses is amazing.
I'm never going to be at the pointy end of the field, so I have to be content with my modest claims to fame:
I've never not finished an event, and I hold the record for the fastest last place finish in the history of the Old Ghost Ultra!
Oh, and if you see blood on the trail: it's probably mine!
I'm intending to add the Paparoa to my annual schedule for as long as I can and look forward to seeing this event grow to equal the Old Ghost as a must do event."
๐ธOn top of Skyline Ridge in Old Ghost Ultra
