I hadn’t particularly planned on doing the Valley Ultra race but when The Wild down south was sadly cancelled, I was quick to sort a plan B. I had wanted to run a marathon in 2024 so, it naturally fit that the Valley Ultra could be a great first crack at that distance.
I remember jumping on a call with my coach Grant, feeling a bit deflated that The Wild had been cancelled. I still wanted to do something in the lead-up to the Coast to Coast run, so we started tossing around a few ideas—something in that half-marathon to 30km range.
Then there was a short pause and he said “What about the Valley Ultra 24km?”
I’d done that one the year before and was keen for something a bit different this time. So I said, “What about the 54km…..?”
He paused for a moment, then said, “Yeah, that’s a great idea!”
It was a bit of an interesting ride for the event leading up to it. A fire got loose in the area of Broken River, where the course was suppose to cross into so it was a bit up in the air as to whether the event was a go. Thankfully they were able to contain the fire from spreading even more to the Craigieburn ranges but Broken River was pretty charred meaning there had to be a diversion in the race. Although a bit disappointed to not be able to run the entire course as per usual, we were VERY lucky that it was a go in the first place.
Race day morning, 5:45am also confirmed another course diversion that with 120km/hour winds we would not be running up Mt Cheeseman. Although it started to feel like this race was cursed it turned out great and the best first introduction to running my first marathon.
The Whole Hog course was meant to be 54km approx 2200 meters of climbing. We ended up with 45km and almost 2300m of climbing.
The course
The Valley Ultra website gives a good description of the courses. Many of the tracks are shared mountain bike tracks so they are wide hard-packed gravel single tracks. Tree roots and rocks here and there but not overly technical. The great thing about the Valley Ultra courses is that there is quite a bit of runnable track.
I had a good start. I remained calm and was slow and steady tucking myself behind a guy that was keep a manageable pace. I had a lot of track to run so I didn’t want to go out too guns ablazin’ and lack what I needed to finish strong. I was familiar with a lot of the course so for the most part, I knew what to expect and it helped a lot for me when deciding when to take on any fuel.
The aid station at Texas Flat is the best! The crew from Further Faster as always there in their piggy suits, cheering everyone on. They have a wide variety of snacks and toilet so I used that station to reset myself for climb up the Cockayne Alley Track. The biggest climb (in the original course) is usually up the Cockayne Alley track to Mt Cheeseman. It’s a steep downhill MTB track in reverse, so you’re climbing on tired legs through uneven terrain, roots, and loose rock. While we didn’t hit Cheeseman due to the weather, we did get a solid dose of vert.
That part of the course did feel a bit like a slog to me. It was all in the forest and new to me so I didn’t have a sense of how far I had to go or any sort of targets to hit. I was in there alone and relied heavily on my music to keep me pushing on. Once out of the bushline, you can clearly see where the track meets back up to the ski field road and onto the Dracophyllum Track. It’s mostly downhill. A little more technical with all the tree roots but it was beautiful running in the bush with the sun high in the sky.
It wasn’t until I was out of the bush back onto the 24km course heading back towards the ski field road to the river that I realized how windy it was. I was immediately grateful that for most of the course I did not need to battle it. It was mega windy, to the point that the gravel on the ski field road took some of the coating off my sunnies! It was weird, unpredictable weather with raindrops trying hard to fall but getting swept sideways by the wind instead.
I was happy to get to the next aid station just before the river. There was a bit of rock hopping finding my way to the steep pinch climb to get out of the river. Then mostly a downhill run into a gully to a longer steeper climb. There was a rope there to help get up. It’s not an overly long climb but when you’re deep into the race, it’s a good challenge. For the 24km runners, when you get up this section you know the end is so near!
Due to the course changes, for the ultra, we ended up looping Leith Hill again at the end to make up the distance. It was runnable but a test of mental strength, tackling the same climb and track twice. My legs were tired and my mind even more so. With my phone and watch dying, I was starting to lack motivation but kept plodding along.
The finish
The final few kilometers into Castle Hill Village are mostly downhill, which makes for a really satisfying finish. One goal I have in all my races is to be able to finish strong and run the last 2-5kms. Coming back into the village, knowing you’ve nearly done it, gives you that last little boost.
When I did the 24k event for the first time, it was real vibe coming over the finish line. People were still out and about cheering and they had a good spread of after-race food.
The whole hog was a little different for me. I was one of the last competitors to make it over the finish and everyone had gone home. It was just Chris, the announcer and the women giving out medals and snacks patiently waiting. It was super windy as well so they had to take the tents down and flags down.
The hype from everyone at the end is quite cool but it didn’t really matter so much this time. This was quite a personal race for me. The lead-up and race itself was pivotal in overcoming a lot of self doubt with my running. I was just so happy at the end that I did it and it was really special to share that moment with Chris.
Final Thoughts
Although I didn’t get to experience the full Whole Hog course, the event was a brilliant challenge and an excellent first taste of ultra-distance. My nutrition plan went well. With the aid stations being quite evenly spread out it encouraged me to actually drink what I had as I knew I could refill. I relied a lot on Tailwind and clif blocks. Those are my go tos but I did get in some of my peanut butter sandwich and a few chips. I always think nutrition could be better but I fueled early and often. I didn’t get any tummy upset or hit any big walls. By the time I was headed for the finish I was just plain ol tired.
The track is really marked with marshalls, arrows and tags. It would be hard to get lost. The few years I’ve done it, they’ve had the team from Marathon Photos so you’ll get some in-action shots. The aid stations are well stocked and spread out.
It’s a good event and awesome for people trying a new distance for the first time. Although I didn’t get the full effect of the Whole Hog, if you put in your training and work on your endurance, I think this would be a great first ultra marathon.
I was lucky to be able to do some of my long runs on the course tracks. I also ran part of the Wharfedale track and Mt Somers tracks to build on my fitness and also sustain a pace over an undulating track.
Distance: Piglet- 24km | The Whole hog- 45km (normally 54km)
Elevation: Piglet: ~980meters | The Whole Hog: ~2300m
Terrain: Hard-packed singletrack, moderate technical features, short easy river crossing, grassy hill climbs
