Written by Nick Beeton
The Bruny Island Ultra and Relay is held annually towards the end of the year. As the name suggests, it consists of two separate events: first is the 64km ultramarathon starting at Dennes Point, the northernmost point of Bruny Island, and going all the way to Cape Bruny Lighthouse, the southernmost point accessible by road. Though it’s a road race, there is a huge variety of terrain. Most of the course is along a sealed road, starting with a couple of steep hills. This eventually levels out to a flat coastal middle section, with the last 18km on hilly and often loose gravel road in the National Park making up almost half of the roughly 900m of elevation on the course, making for a huge challenge on tired legs.
The relay is run on the same course, with the distance split up into roughly 2km sections. The format is completely flexible; teams can be of up to ten competitors who can each choose to run whichever sections they like, with the only requirement being that changeovers are made at the allocated places for safety. This year new marathon-distance solo and relay events have been added with competitors being able to choose to finish at the Bruny Hotel in Alonnah (where, conveniently, the post-event presentations are held) instead of going all the way to the Lighthouse.
The sheer variety of different running events happening on the same day in the normally quiet, picturesque rural area gives the day a festival vibe. The sheer number of people running, driving and changing over on the still-open public road is often chaotic, and some issues do occur, but overall it is a very friendly atmosphere — elite solo and team runners mix it up with kids and locals wearing a variety of costumes. Possibly the most impressive competitors of all are the older veterans doing the race solo, like 80 year old runner Mike Maddock who completed it two years ago, and others who make it out almost every year.
The ultramarathon is ideal for a first ultra as the support crew can provide supplies at any 2k changeover point along the course, and the flexible start time means that slower competitors can take up to 10.5 hours to complete the event, and faster competitors can start early and avoid the summer heat for the first part of their run. For teams, it makes for a fun day out cheering on teammates and competitors while driving the length of Bruny Island in between doing your own running stints. The Bruny Hotel puts on live music and kids’ activities in addition to their usual food and drinks services after the event, and the island itself is a tourist hotspot full of beautiful wild places and activities. Only be sure to plan ahead — registrations generally open early September and sell out within a couple of days, and accommodation is at a premium. Note though that if you don’t mind roughing it, camping on the CWA Oval only a few km from the start line is available every year, cheap and there is plenty of room.
Like many attendees, my own experiences at the Bruny Ultra are many and varied. I’ve been in faster relay teams where we’ve had a crack at putting down fast 2km sections each, with dead legs at the end of the day despite the long breaks in between. I’ve been in slower relay teams where we’ve done longer easier stints and just enjoyed the day out. Most recently, myself and Mick Davis made up a team of two and took turns helping pace ultramarathon legend and all-round good egg Grace Tame to a course record. My own two attempts at the ultra distance at Bruny have been less successful – though the course is shorter and less technical than most ultras out there, this also means that there is pressure for faster runners to keep up a strong pace throughout the distance, and both times I’ve ended up with debilitating cramps, not getting the time I wanted. This year will be my third attempt, and I’m hoping that a strong training block and the benefit of experience will help me get a good time and put my previous experiences to rest!
Event website: https://brunyislandultra.com.au
Event Facebook group page, for info and team coordination: https://www.facebook.com/groups/202473430944
Bruny Island Tourism website: https://www.brunyisland.org.au/
