Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 123, October 2019 | Page 49

What a wonderful bunch of race
volunteers, who boisterously
welcomed us and couldn’t do
enough for us, including filling
our water bladders with ice
water. But this is where I made a
terrible mistake – I thought only
five kays to go, I won’t need too
much water...
Finally on Top
The slog continued, with ever
longer enforced rest breaks. I was
seriously contemplating pulling out,
because I was now feeling decidedly
dodgy, but those DNFs... that view... And
then suddenly, just when I thought I would
never get there, the summit arrived. I knew
I must be close when a camera drone hovered
just above me – I must have looked pitiful, so I hope I
never see those pics – and then I heard voices, turned
a corner, and the marshal, medics and cameraman
were giving me high fives. I cannot even begin to tell
you how relieved I felt. I went and sat down by myself,
overlooking Tamarin, took out my camera and shot the
scene, and then just sat. I had climbed a long way for
that view, so I was damned well going to enjoy it!
TRAIL RUNNING
Sean gets a pic with Ewa Hyra
at Macchabee Lookout
With spirits rejuvenated, I set off, thinking, well it’s
all downhill from here, and I could literally see the
finish venue, but then things went pear-shaped. The
descent of some 3km to 4km is extremely steep and
technical, with sections that require you to hang on to
a rope. I was getting rope burns on my hands, slipping
and falling constantly, and to be honest, I loudly aimed
a whole lot of four-letter words at the organisers, in
their absence! The heat and humidity were taking
more and more of a toll, and halfway down, I
Lovely forest running in the Black
River Gorges National Park
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