BONUS: Why TF Would Anyone Run 100km Overnight?

We can't fathom what motivates someone to run an overnight enduro!

In this special bonus episode, Joshie and Natty head down to Run The River in Brisbane; an overnight endurance event featuring everything from a midnight half marathon to brutal 100km solo efforts.

This episode captures the anticipation beforehand… the nervous laughter, final preparations, volunteers setting up, and runners quietly wondering what they’ve signed up for.

Along the way, you’ll hear from first-timers, seasoned ultra runners, relay teams, volunteers, Australian running legend Pat Carroll, and accomplished endurance runner Clay Dawson.

In this episode:

• Inside Brisbane’s Run The River ultra event
• 100km solo runners and relay teams
• The atmosphere before an overnight endurance race
• Stories from runners, volunteers, and crews
• Marathoners, first-timers, and ultra veterans
• The community spirit behind endurance running

 Runbelievable — real runners, unreal stories.

Interested in being a guest on the show? Hit us up!

👉 Everything Runbelievable:

http://runbelievable.au

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Transcript

Joshie 0:11

Hello everybody and welcome to Run Believable, the podcast that celebrates why we run. I'm your host, Josh Rishon, and in this bonus episode of Run Believable, we're doing something a little bit different. A few days ago, Natty and I headed down to Run the River here in Brisbane, an overnight endurance event where runners take on everything from the midnight half marathon to the 100k solo. Rather than wait at the finish line, I wanted to capture something different. Those hours before the race begins. That strange moment where everybody is standing together, volunteers are setting up, runners are pinning bibs, there's nervous laughter, last minute stretching, and people quietly wondering what on earth they've signed up for. So, before the first lap even began, we wandered through the event village, chatting to whoever was willing to stop for a conversation. We had first timers, experienced ultra runners, relay teams, and of course volunteers. Some folks were chasing huge goals, and others just hoping to survive the night. Some of the runners you're about to hear from would go on to have incredible moments, and others, unfortunately, would DNF. The first person I spoke with was Belinda from Race Roster. The team that's responsible for registrations, bibs, timing, and the like.

SPEAKER_03 1:32

And you can purchase there and then just bring it over and show me a little bit.

Joshie 1:37

Okay, so I'm currently down here with Belinda from Race Roster. Belinda, what can you tell me about your involvement with Run the River?

SPEAKER_03 1:44

Uh so this is my first year at Run the River supporting um Letitia and the crew with their race registrations. Yep. So I'm manning the registration desk today, handing out all the bibs, merchandise, the socks, all of that. Yeah.

Joshie 1:57

Fantastic. How many people do you are you expecting through this evening?

SPEAKER_03 2:01

So there's about around about 220 runners across all the events. The marathon, the midnight marathon, the half marathon, the relay, the 15 hour, the 100 ultra. Amazing. Like so many people. It's gonna be so much fun.

Joshie 2:18

How many people have you got doing the 100k ultra?

SPEAKER_03 2:21

I think there's around about 50 people. Oh wow. Yeah, I think there's around about 50 individuals doing the 100k ultra tonight on their own.

Joshie 2:29

Will you be here the whole night?

SPEAKER_03 2:31

No, I think I will tap out at some point for a bit of a sleep and then come back in the early hours.

Joshie 2:37

Are you a runner yourself?

SPEAKER_03 2:39

No, but I do get FOMO from everyone that we work with who are runners, so I get a little bit of FOMO. So I do a little bit of jogging, but nothing. Nothing like these guys tonight. So my hat's off to these guys.

Joshie 2:52

Awesome. Thanks so much for chatting, Belinda. Enjoy the rest of the night. I then spoke with a volunteer called Kim, who I think I actually called Kate. I'm absolutely terrible with names, by the way. I usually try alliterations. Clearly, not a bulletproof method, because about halfway through chatting, kind Kim suddenly became kind Kate. So what time did you get here to help set up?

SPEAKER_00 3:13

I got here at 11 30.

Joshie 3:14

11 30 this morning. Oh wow, big day.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

It is a big day.

Joshie 3:18

Maybe here through the night?

SPEAKER_00 3:19

Yeah, probably. I'll duck out for maybe an a nap at some stage. Yeah. I'm good at just a short nap and I can power on then.

Joshie 3:26

Just there on the grass, dear?

SPEAKER_00 3:27

I know, we've got a hotel room, so I'll just duck across there or jump into the car and have a bit of a nap, but yeah, that's sensible. Yeah, I won't be able to stay up all that till then.

Joshie 3:37

And do you run yourself, Kate?

SPEAKER_00 3:39

Uh I used to run, not anymore. Netball knees have done me in. Oh no.

Joshie 3:44

Can you see yourself trying to return one day to running?

SPEAKER_00 3:47

No, my knees are that my no, my knees are that bad. No, just uh walking is good enough.

Joshie 3:51

Awesome. Well, enjoy the rest of the night and thanks for chatting. Thank you. Cheers. So after chatting with Kim slash Kate, I attempted to narrate how the conditions were. On playback, it sounded cringy as all hell, so I'm going to leave that one in the bin. Mercifully, I was introduced to our first ultra competitor. I kid you not, Run the River was a spontaneous decision that he made only days ago. So you're only signed up on Wednesday. For which event can I ask? The hundred K's. How many people get to two days before an event and go, you know what, I'm gonna do a hundred Ks on Friday into Saturday? Yeah, probably not many. So what can you tell me then? Obviously, if you're tackling team or just solo? Solo. Yeah. So so what what kind of prep have you done aside from signing the registration form?

SPEAKER_11 4:44

Uh I did Iron Man New Zealand six weeks ago. Oh wow. I think maybe seven. Have you recovered well from that? Yeah, recovered pretty well. Been training since then again. Yep. Um signed up for the 50k in Mount Cuther in 10 weeks, I think. So I figured this is flat and I've been training. So what's the longest run that you've done? Continuous run? 42.

SPEAKER_10 5:10

Okay.

unknown 5:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11 5:11

So you know double it Iron Man, sorry. Haven't done a standalone marathon yet either.

Joshie 5:16

Yep. Oh, so it's full full Iron Man you've done. Okay. So correct me if I'm wrong, the full Iron Man's the uh marathon is 180k ridek. And 3.2.8k. 3.8, yeah. Oh, you'll be fine. So the runs at the end of that.

SPEAKER_11 5:28

I'm hoping they're around the similar length in time. So yeah. So what what are you doing fuel-wise then this this evening? Uh I got gels, uh, barbell built on Red Bull. Yeah. Have you got any uh friends or family to support you or are you just doing it all yourself? Uh probably have a few come down, yeah. Yeah, yeah. I can rope in with last minute. But yeah. And what about shoe wise? What are you gonna be wearing? Uh I've got added ass that I've run a few in, and I think I've got another pair in there, which um yeah, see if I want to change them halfway through or something. Yeah. Yeah. And what are you gonna do when the headphones die? Uh probably won't use them for the first half and then yeah, put them on after that and listen to Lord of the Rings audiobook. What? Lord of the Rings audiobook? Awesome. And that's what will get you through a long run? I think so. Yeah. And so do you have a time goal, or you just just finishing will be an achievement? I think around 4 or 5am will be nice. Yep. So I can still get some sleep.

Joshie 6:24

Now, unfortunately for Felix, he DNF'd after I think lap 15. Still, 70 odd kilometres is a massive achievement. Well done, mate. Next up was Sean. Truth be told, I actually just wanted to ask him about his tattoo. So I'm down here now with Sean, who looks like he's setting up some very high-tech uh equipment. Sean, what can you tell me about what you've got set up there?

SPEAKER_05 6:46

Yeah, so I've got a DJI uh Mini 3 uh drone having it just to capture the the event at its entirety. Yep. Um because it is such a big event and so important for so many people. Um we just want to make sure that we we capture it as a you know a memory maker and um just to show you know that just how important this sort of sport is.

Joshie 7:08

Oh fantastic. And have you done many events before?

SPEAKER_05 7:11

Yeah, uh throughout like so many different sort of things, um, from you know sporting to uh dancing and you know film and TV, like there's a few different events and that I've worked on, yeah.

Joshie 7:23

Do you run yourself?

SPEAKER_05 7:25

No, no, not at all.

Joshie 7:27

But uh hat hats off to the ones that do, yeah, for sure. The other thing is I'm very curious if when people are inked, what can you tell me about that ink that you've got on your forearm there?

SPEAKER_05 7:34

Uh so this is so I do a lot of like set construction and everything like that in the entertainment industry. Yep. Um so this is sort of inspired by Adam Savage as like a ruler. So it's 10 centimetres, 100 mil. Yep. Um but then the five, six, seven, eight, um that just uh symbolises uh my history in dancing. So um all the other numbers are yeah, not there. Yep. Um just as like the line marker on the ruler. Um but yeah, that was just a subtle hit to myself and my family performing.

Joshie 8:02

So that's beautiful. I love that. Well, look, I'll let you uh get on with setting up and thanks so much for chatting, Sean. Really appreciate that. Enjoyed the night. Yeah, you too. Thank you. After stopping the recording, I continued to chew Sean's ear off for another three or four minutes, I think it was, before I eventually read the room and moved on. Now, at this point, Natty suggested that we suss out some teams. She found a super friendly group from the Caterpillar Equipment Manufacturer. So I'm down here with Ida, is it? Yeah, I'm Josh, nice to meet you. Oh, G's a V, you're getting yourself all organized there.

SPEAKER_06 8:34

That's right, carb up early on.

Joshie 8:36

Now only just briefly captured a bit of conversation with you and your lovely teammates here that you've been roped into running for the first time tonight.

SPEAKER_06 8:43

Pretty much. Um Saudi here decided to set up a team. We actually roped in the boys as well. They're not in our team. We have two teams. We all work for Caterpillar. Oh yeah. N SS.

Joshie 8:54

Oh, the um JCBs or yeah.

SPEAKER_06 8:58

Um so yeah, Sawadi wanted a team. She wanted to do this event because you know it is challenging, and there was enough at work, pretty much. And she said, Hey, does anyone want to join? And my name got dropped down. I was sitting in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Joshie 9:12

So how many uh legs are you planning on running?

SPEAKER_06 9:14

Uh I'm doing 20 as well. So we're team five and we're doing 20. Yeah. Yeah.

Joshie 9:19

Oh. So hang on, how many K's will that be for you tonight?

SPEAKER_06 9:22

20 20 K's.

Joshie 9:24

You're gonna do 20. And you haven't run before?

SPEAKER_06 9:26

No. Well, I started in January. January. I started training and soon they signed me up, so I started training really hard pretty much.

Joshie 9:32

So what's your longest run you've done so far?

SPEAKER_06 9:34

Uh 15.

Joshie 9:35

15. Oh yeah, you see. So it should be okay. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 9:38

I made sure I asked ChatGBT to set up a programme. I think I'll be okay. Yeah, that's it.

Joshie 9:44

Um, and so what about fuel-wise? What have you got um lined up for tonight to get you through?

SPEAKER_06 9:49

Um I'm chronically online, so I've got the maple syrup uh pack. I don't know if you've seen that. No. It's maple syrup, water, and salt. Yep. Uh, and clouds. Okay. And peanut butter and white bread sandwiches, pretty much. Yeah. Should be good.

Joshie 10:05

So what's what do you have a time-based goal, guys? Like what are you sort of hoping um to get 12 hours?

SPEAKER_06 10:10

Yeah. Yeah. So what time were it?

Joshie 10:12

So have you finishing what, five o'clock in the morning?

SPEAKER_06 10:15

3 30?

SPEAKER_02 10:17

We're hoping 4 o'clock. We're hoping we get it.

SPEAKER_06 10:19

Yeah. Yeah. 12 hour stretch goal. 12 hour stretch goal.

SPEAKER_02 10:22

Oh shit.

SPEAKER_06 10:23

Yes.

Joshie 10:24

And you'll and you'll all be here for the whole journey? No one's gonna tap out. No.

SPEAKER_06 10:28

We're yeah, we're here for long, yeah. Yeah.

Joshie 10:30

A stretch goal of 12 hours. These guys finished in a staggering nine hours and fifty-five minutes. Next up was a friendly looking fellow called Michael. He's actually a seasoned ultra runner. Wait till you hear his training regime. Um, what's your name? Michael. Michael, I'm Josh. Nice to meet you. So, what can you tell me about the event that you're running here tonight?

SPEAKER_09 10:53

Um, so tonight is the um uh run the river um River on 100. Um so we're doing um 100 kilometers in five kilometre loops. So we go out, um, out and back um is 5K's, and you repeat that 20 times that's 20 times.

Joshie 11:10

How many laps do you think it will take before you start going insane?

SPEAKER_09 11:14

Two. I think I think after the first one when I realise that I have to do it 19 more times, it'll be pretty um it'll be pretty good. Are you just running so you're just running this solo?

Joshie 11:22

Yep. Have you got any like friends or colleagues that you've managed to rope in to do this with you?

SPEAKER_09 11:26

Um no, just um just me. I've managed to get my parents um to come along and crew me because I've done these before completely solo and self-supporting. It gets a little bit um a little bit tense uh later on, so I've managed to um convince them that um it'll be a great way to spend their Friday night. How did you manage to do that? Is there bribery involved? Oh just you know, pulling pulling the hole. I'm your um I'm I'm I'm your child, it's uh it's really really important. If you love me, you'd be here me pretty much. Yeah, it seems to have worked. And what shoes have you got there? Um these are the Hooker Mac 3s. Okay. Um uh Mac X3s.

Joshie 12:02

Okay, yeah. Um so they a good good endurance shoe.

SPEAKER_09 12:06

Um yeah, so I found that uh it's it it's kind of tricky to get a good balance between um uh a comfortable runner for that amount of distance, but also something that's got a little bit of um speed, um speed in it. Okay. So um this seems to be a good a good balance between the two. And do you have a time goal for tonight? I do. Um I'm aiming for around about eight eight and a half hours.

Joshie 12:29

Um what does that work out to pace wise?

SPEAKER_09 12:31

It's around about five minutes um the five minutes per K pace. So that's that that's that's the goal.

Joshie 12:38

Um we'll see see how the evening plays plays out. My goodness. Well look, thanks so much for chatting and good luck tonight. Yeah, my pleasure. Thank you so much. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 12:46

Thank you.

Joshie 12:47

Yeah, sorry Michael, I did just want to ask you one more thing. What does the preparation for an event like this typically entail? Oh, lots of mileage.

SPEAKER_09 12:55

Yeah, um I've I've tried, so I've been doing this for around about um 15 years now, um, and I've I I have successfully managed to complete um events on a lot less at training, but I've found that trying to trying to go quicker, trying to be a lot more performant at them, um just means lots and lots of time on the feet.

Joshie 13:15

So what would your mileage what did your mileage peak at?

SPEAKER_09 13:18

Um 185k. Um I had a couple of 185k weeks. Um was probably never got below about 145 a week.

Joshie 13:28

So what what does a long run typically look like five hours?

SPEAKER_09 13:31

So I found it found a nice little circuit, uh 750-meter circuit, and we just go out for um go out for five hours and do loops. A 750-meter loop. Yeah, so so a 5k loop is actually gonna be like you know a real adventure by comparison.

SPEAKER_02 13:47

Yeah.

Joshie 13:49

Oh my goodness. Uh geez, well, you certainly trained for boredom. And what about music-wise? Are you gonna have any headphones or anything?

SPEAKER_09 13:55

Yeah, I've got the headphones to pull out um a little bit um a little bit later. Um have a little bit of a little bit of everything in in there. So um if if something's just not just not vibing with me, then I'll forward it on to the next one.

Joshie 14:08

Yep, awesome. Thanks again, Michael. Thank you. Yep. 750 meter loops on repeat, can you believe? Michael ended up completing the course in just under 10 hours, finishing third overall. I then ran into Rob Birchell from Trail Snails. He and I have actually connected on Instagram but hadn't met in real life. Trail Snails do some incredible work in the local trail running community, so it was really wonderful to meet. Um, this is not really your typical terrain, is it?

SPEAKER_10 14:44

How are you gonna go on the pavement? Nah it's something completely different. Um, I've done obviously trails mostly and just thought, you know what, with 15 hours and give it a go and been training this, and yeah, just here to enjoy it. So it's just solely, you're doing the 15 hours. Yeah, yeah, solid 15 hours, and yeah, got my wife growing me. So my step. So yeah. Are you gonna be here the whole whole night?

SPEAKER_07 15:04

Uh I'll try.

Joshie 15:05

Yeah, you can do our best, but it's a it's a solid night, so 15. So for you it's just a case of um you getting as many K's as you can done in that time, or just yeah.

SPEAKER_10 15:14

Yeah, pretty much, just give it a go. I have obviously a goal of 100 if I can, but if not, then mate, I'm just here to have a bit of fun and see what I can get. Yeah. And enjoy the night.

Joshie 15:22

Awesome. Uh look really good to run into you, Rob, and uh good luck tonight. Pleasure. Yep. Cheers. Now, sadly, Rob DNF'd with a calf issue at about 30 kilometres. Now, Rob, if you're listening, I really hope you come good in no time. Nadie then set her sights on a sprightly group of ladies with matching tops in a complete and utter epic brain fart. I'd completely forgotten about the sad story of Turia Pitt. That aside, have a listen to how these women came to be part of Run the River. But you must have a reason for being. Yeah, what's run with Turia all about?

SPEAKER_04 15:58

Uh it's really a run club mainly for mothers, but there are a few people in the club that aren't mothers, they've got like, you know, significant people in their lives that they care for, and you know, they've got basically the premise of it is is you can run even though you have a lot going on in your life. You can always find time for it. Yeah. Um, and so it starts off with a 5k program, which we all did start off with.

SPEAKER_02 16:19

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 16:20

A 10-week 5k programme, and we've all sort of built on that and done halves. Myself and Julie did a marathon last year. Um, and just really the community that we've got, we're always just talking about how we fit it in with the lives that we have, like which are always very busy if we haven't got parents or kids to care for, you know. Yeah, everybody has something in their lives, yeah, yeah.

Joshie 16:40

Oh wow, and so how many of you are a part of the team? Just the four of them.

SPEAKER_04 16:43

No, there's five on this team tonight, but there's quite a lot in our community, isn't there? And there's probably hundreds. Yeah, yeah. So can I can I ask who who Theria Pitt is or um she was an endurance runner, I she wouldn't mind us saying it. Um because she's an endurance runner that it was doing a hundred K trail run and was caught in the fire.

Joshie 17:05

In a bush fire, yes.

SPEAKER_04 17:07

Yes, yeah, yeah. And so she started up this community, as I said, mainly from mothers because she became a new mother herself and was trying to fit it in around her busy life, and it just sort of like became this massive online community, which to be honest has completely changed my life really since I joined it. Yeah, yeah.

Joshie 17:22

And so, preparation-wise, are you guys all feeling ready or will this make you ready for it?

SPEAKER_04 17:26

Well, this is part of our marathon training.

SPEAKER_07 17:29

This is our long one for the week.

Joshie 17:31

And so, Julie, what marathon are you training for?

SPEAKER_07 17:33

Um, we're doing Sunshine Coast Marathon. Oh, I think. And there's a group there, we're doing the full marathon, some are doing the half marathon, some of the community's doing the 10K's, and others are coming to cheer us on. So people all around Australia and maybe New Zealand again. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Last year we did the Gold Coast and the community, which is all Facebook based, yeah, comes together. Oh, okay. And it's really good. So tonight, yeah. Temmie is from Tamworth.

Joshie 17:58

Hi. Okay.

SPEAKER_07 17:59

Where's Janine and I from Brisbane?

Joshie 18:02

Hi, Janine.

SPEAKER_07 18:02

Hi. And Rachel is from Townsville. Oh, well. These two flew in for today.

Joshie 18:06

So hang on, have you have you met before?

SPEAKER_04 18:11

It's completely online based, but we've made like lifelong friends that would add up on different. We'd just say, oh, we're running this today. Is anybody else in the area? And then we've met them. And and like I said, we went, like Julie said, we went to the Go Coast last year. There was a lot of us, like over 70 of us, I think, and we'd only met for the first time, and it was like meeting old friends. Yeah. Yeah, it was really good. Yeah.

Joshie 18:30

We're trying to wonder how many other scenarios would there be random Facebook groups and say, Who wants to team up and run a hundred kilometres together?

SPEAKER_04 18:36

Well, that was exactly what happened. And all I said was, ooh, sounds tempting, and then I was like, in it. I think what mine was was perhaps let me think about it, and like three minutes later I was too late.

Joshie 18:49

Yeah, by that.

SPEAKER_07 18:51

So for tonight, Janine said to me, Oh, I saw this. What do you think? I went, let's have coffee and talk. Yep. And then at coffee we put it on Facebook.

Joshie 19:04

You're just in time from Brisbane.

SPEAKER_07 19:07

These three for the first time. Oh, well, I'm not five minutes down the road.

Joshie 19:13

Well, I don't want to interrupt you meeting these lovely people for the first time. But who's going who's going first tonight? Who's doing the?

SPEAKER_04 19:19

Yeah, we had to pull it out of a heart. Well, did you? Yeah, yeah, apparently.

Joshie 19:24

And so, uh, do you have uh uh I guess uh a time-based goal or is it just finished?

SPEAKER_04 19:30

We'll we know that we've we can do it. We said this, we know we can do it, we'll we don't finish, we'll we'll finish it. Um, no. And we don't know how we're gonna go without sleep. Yeah, we probably think it's a little bit more than a little bit. Yes.

Joshie 19:48

I think that yeah, because at some point the euphoria will wear off, won't it? I mean there's gonna be all this excitement at the start.

SPEAKER_04 19:54

There's yeah, caffeine.

SPEAKER_07 19:56

Well at least some chocolate, yeah, but sincerely best of luck tonight, and thanks so much for taking time to chat with us.

Joshie 20:06

It's nice to meet you. Now, these incredible ladies completed the 100k in under 11 and a half hours. Amazing. I then set my sights on Pat Carroll. Now, for any listeners who don't know, Pat is a former elite runner who now does a heap of work in the running community, helping mentor runners among other things. He was on MC duties for Run the River, and it took me forever to muster up the courage to approach him. I fanned so bloody hard, just in case it isn't obvious in the audio. I did try to play it cool. I certainly didn't want him knowing that I thought he was a living legend.

SPEAKER_01 20:53

Oh no, no, no disrespect to um the people who are fired up here, but um I'm past that stage in my life. I did do a an ultra one year um maybe 40, how old am I, maybe 40 years ago. Yep. And that started at one o'clock in the morning, yeah. And it was 80k, it was 16 times around a 5k circuit at Queensland Uni. Wow. And I just loved it and and loved training for it and um uh turning up at you know 12 whatever before one o'clock in the morning to run 16 times around the 5k circuit at Queensland Uni. Yep. So I can I can understand how these people now, these people here are probably in the same frame or same place I was in 40 years ago. Yeah, but I'm I'm not in that place anymore, uh which is which I'm I'm okay with.

Joshie 21:47

But you seem to be getting a lot of value, a lot of utility through PCIG, helping to sort of mentor people with their own running goals. Um how long has um uh PCRG been going for now?

SPEAKER_01 21:58

Yeah, twenty five years. No, I'm still heavily involved in running. Yeah. Um so IMC events, I have my running group here at the ship in three mornings a week. I Mentor people online so I communicate people online with events they're preparing for. I'm an ambassador for the Gold Coast Marathon. So running is still a large part of my life. Yeah. But I don't have any desire to compete anymore. We just mentioned there the Gold Coast Marathon. That's the only event I go in during the during the year. And they'll pace the 10k. I've been half thinking about do I really do I want to do the half this year, which which I haven't decided, but I'm doing the 10. But um yeah, I just uh you know I I I like I I just doesn't um float my boat uh to um compete and run hard. I still train hard. Yeah I I run and and spin and paddle and row and so and heaps of walking, so I I'm I'm probably the fittest now of what I've been for 10 years. Oh I like that only because I'm I'm um you know aware that I'm the end's coming, so I'm I'm trying to I'm trying to be I'm trying to be I'm trying to be in good shape now.

Joshie 23:12

Yeah now Pat I think it was uh 1980s what 8084 you were the fourth Australian to run a sub two hour 10 marathon uh 94 94 do you do you wonder what you'd be capable of if uh you had access to super shoes back then?

SPEAKER_01 23:27

No not really mate, I don't I don't I don't I'm I'm that boat sailed yeah um as far as I'm concerned I mean everyone knows they help um and you know if you start saying oh you know oh I could have done this I could have done that it it just makes you feel like you're uh a bit of a whinge may sound like a bit of a whinger and yeah I could have been yeah so you know people who uh uh have the knowledge um of um the advantage that they make well they can do their own equation like I mean I ran 2.9 so they can do their own equation I'm not here to say I could have done this could have done that yep um my only regret is that uh my only gripe is that they they never drew a line in the sand with as to when the the the the shoes came in yeah and so that you know then people can be acknowledged well okay well you did this before the the when they came in and and you know do you you did this after they came in you know so that's my only gripe um and and I I would like to think that you know people in the dark ages have respect from the young crowd um that they're aware that we did do it a bit tougher back then yeah yeah absolutely where's your sparkly jacket no I probably sparkly jacket Pat Oh mate it's gotta be gotta be the right it's gotta be the right vibe Gold Coast Gold Coast Gold Coast yeah no I know I'm not on the mic at Gold Coast Oh Sunny Coast we'd be there this year I'm on the mic yeah yeah rolling out for Sunny Coast might be time to go buy a new one I think anyway thanks for chatting Pat really nice to meet you pleasure C-R-I-N-G-E C-R-I-N-G E Now with the race about to kick off I spotted Clay Dawson Clay and I are actually both members of the same run club that we hadn't met before Clay's an accomplished endurance runner and the most humble human you could possibly meet.

Joshie 25:20

His achievements are too numerous to list but my pick is his 2017 effort of winning the Brisbane Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast marathons in the space of seven weeks. I'm standing here with uh with Clay uh Dawson saying Clay what are you what event are you running tonight? I'm running the 100k solo wow and how's your prep been? Pretty good which has me even more worried.

SPEAKER_08 25:46

Okay if there's no excuses then um yeah I've just tried to come in really low key and just enjoy the vibes. I've heard this event's amazing for the personalities and the character so I thought I'd give it a run and I've got Brisbane in a few weeks so probably shouldn't do anything too stupid.

Joshie 26:02

No probably not this isn't you meant to be tapering at the moment aren't you or close to yeah probably I I I'm too scared to think when it's coming up but yeah so survival is the key. Yeah so do you have a time goal or are you just going to give it a go tonight and just hope to hang on? I'd love to do somewhere between seven and eight hours. Yep but we'll just see I don't know the course and yeah anything can happen in a hundred K's as you know you say you don't know the course do you know it's a 5k loop I believe so it's pretty numbing I hope you're both then give to the memory yeah I hope so yeah so that'd have you running at what uh sub five minute pace then yeah around mid-fours I think so mid-four oh I think that's around there's incredible it's just anything can happen in that back end of the race exactly nutrition and you know mental well being everything plays into it so have you got a have you got a support crew people helping you out tonight?

SPEAKER_08 26:58

Yeah my wife's for the first time crewing for me I normally crew for myself yeah um that's the first time she's done that so we'll see how it goes whether we're married at the end of the she divorces me.

Joshie 27:11

Like I'm I'm pretty pretty calm and collected she's the warrior yeah well you'll know if you get to the finish line she's not here that something's not required yeah absolutely well clay thanks for chatting I'll let you get set up yeah really nice to meet you finally now Clay comfortably won the 100k solo in seven hours and forty minutes that's a staggering four minutes and thirty six per kilometer once the race started Natty and I stayed on course for a while cheering the runners along and even found ourselves helping out at a water station for a while. By the time we left the runners were a couple of hours into the event barely scratching the surface of what lay ahead now one of the things that I love the most about events like this is that for that brief moment, everybody rocks up carrying their own stories. Some folks are chasing podiums some are chasing time goals others are just trying to prove something to themselves. Then there were people who just wanted to build deeper connections with friends, family or work colleagues. And that's what I really wanted to capture in this episode the anticipation, the personalities, the nerves, the humour and the community that forms before that first step is even taken. I do want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to Run the River for having us and to the organisers, volunteers and runners who shared their stories with us