103 km • ~3900 m Elevation • 14:58:47
Fifteen hours is a long time to be out on your feet. Add cold winds, nearly 4000 metres of climbing, and a last-minute decision to jump from a 50 km plan to a 100 km race… and you get one hell of a day in the mountains.
But on 28 November 2025, somewhere between the alpine gusts and the pitch-black descent, I crossed the Kosci100 finish line in 14:58:47 — 126th overall out of 893 finishers. Not bad for someone who signed up three weeks before race day 😛
| Started: 343rd Finished: 126th Places gained: 217 Moving time: 13:38:35 Rest time: 1:40:13 |  |
1. What I Learned
My pacing was spot-on for both distance and time. But I also realised I need to be more intentional in aid stations — less faffing, more purpose. I should’ve downloaded more Spotify playlists (no reception for most of the race), and I’ll never again choose a pen light over a second headlamp. Lesson learned.
2. What I’m Proud Of
Going sub-15hr felt incredible – exactly what I set out to do. Switching from a 50 to a 100 just three weeks out was far from ideal, yet I adapted better than expected 💪. Add in five days of dizziness leading up to the race, and simply getting to the start line felt like a win. Finishing the way I did reminded me that sometimes showing up is half the battle 👌
3. What Worked Well
Chest flasks (plus a backup) simplified hydration, and mashed potato pouches were a lifesaver when gels turned my stomach. Coke in the flask surprisingly worked, hot soups and noodles hit perfectly at aid stations, and energy tablets played nicely with my gut.
Hiking poles gave me a huge lift on the final climb ⛰️, and fresh socks in every drop bag – maybe overkill, but absolutely worth it when needed.
4. What Didn’t Go Well
My CamelBak and I were not on speaking terms. The hose kinked constantly, refilling was slow, and it cost me time. A fourth flask might be the smarter option next round 🤔.
My carb/calorie plan unravelled early, and anything sweet became difficult to swallow 🤢. Aid-station time added up too – 1 hour 40 minutes in total. Plenty of room to tighten up.
5. Handling the Unexpected
The weather was wild. Some ridgelines had winds over 100 km/h, and staying warm became a strategic battle. Mid-race, I had a surge of bile and a total loss of appetite, but I managed to keep water down and adjusted electrolytes to cope.
And then came the descent: my headlamp died. Pitch black. All I had was a tiny pen light 😩. Nothing motivates you to get off a mountain faster than running into the void with a dying torch.
6. Areas for Growth
- Train my gut to handle more carbs over long duration.
- Build sharper, more structured aid-station routines.
- Rehearse gear transitions before big races.
7. Thoughts & Feelings Along the Way
Highs
Conversations with runners helped break up the distance, and seeing Sam and Richo at the Summit is something I’ll remember for a long time. With 13 km to go, hiking poles in hand and the sun dipping behind the ridges 🌄, I felt a genuine second wind while climbing toward Eagles Nest.
Lows
Leaving Charlotte Pass, delays frustrated me and I wasted energy trying to make up time 😤.
Between 75–90 km, everything hurt — physically, mentally, emotionally. The undulating terrain destroyed my rhythm. Every flat or downhill required a forced shuffle, and every climb required sheer stubbornness and the promise of the next checkpoint, and the friends/family waiting there.
Mental Strategies
A couple of songs on loop, sticking to “run the flats/downs, walk the ups,” and narrowing my focus to the next checkpoint kept the race moving forward.
8. Did Pre-Race Planning Help?
Oddly, yes. Even though I was officially training for a 50, I’d been slightly overdoing it — and that accidental buffer helped make the jump to 100 km more manageable. In ultras, slightly underdone is better than overcooked, and that balance probably saved me.
9. Fueling & Hydration
The plan: gels every 30–45 minutes, electrolytes hourly, solid food at aid stations.
The reality: collapsed pretty quickly. After the first aid station, anything sweet was off the table, so mashed potato became my go-to.
Next time: test more fuelling options in training. The “best gels” mean nothing if you can’t stomach them.
10. Race-Day Conditions
Temperatures dropped lower than expected and multiple sections hit 100 km/h winds 🥶.
As Caitlyn put it:
“That was not on my bingo card.” 😆
11. What I’d Do Differently Next Time
- Carry a proper spare headlamp.
- Swap the CamelBak for extra flasks.
- Move faster and more purposefully through checkpoints.
- Trial more diverse fueling strategies well before race day.
12. Final Reflections
| It’s hard to summarise 15 hours of battling the wind, cold, terrain, and my own thoughts into a neat conclusion. My body is sore, but my mind is sharper. I came away looking at myself differently — reminded that when I commit, I can do hard things. Really hard things.And maybe that’s the heart of ultrarunning: learning what’s left in the tank when everything else is stripped away. |  |
