GET TO KNOW YOUR 100K WORLD TEAM – MARGIE HADLEY

WA HAS A SECRET WEAPON IN THE ULTRA WORLD…AND HER NAME’S MARGIE HADLEY. SHE’S BEEN CLAIMING PODIUM AFTER PODIUM AFTER PODIUM…WE COULD GO ON, REALLY.

If there’s anyone out there who has committed themselves 110% to succeed in their chosen sport, and then it take it even further by being more than willing to share her knowledge with colleagues and friends, it’s Hadley.

The 38-year-old from Henley Brook has always been physically active – netball, basketball and rowing complemented her passion for sports as a youngster. Unknowingly, the ultra running seed was planted long before she did her first ultra, when she decided to give triathlons a go in her early 20s.

She was strongest in the bike leg and surprisingly, admits she fell short with the runs.

“I didn’t run a lot back then, and really struggled on the run leg, so I started rowing again in my mid-20s when I moved from Victoria to Western Australia,” she reveals.

“When I was 30, I decided I wanted to run a marathon, and have another go at triathlon, so I started training for the sprint distance races in triathlon and decided to do my first marathon in 2011 – the Perth City to Surf.”

All didn’t go to plan though.

“I thought I’d trained really well for it, but I realised halfway through that I had a lot to learn!” she says.

“I managed a 3:43:26; I was still happy with the time, just disappointed that I overestimated my ability and underestimated the course.

“I ran it again in 2012, much better prepared, and that year I also completed my first Half Ironman, then went even further and decided to do my first Ironman – the Busselton Ironman in 2013.”

However life took an unexpected twist shortly after, when Hadley was diagnosed with cancer and made the choice to take time off in a bid to get better.

“A good friend of mine, Jenny Taplin, helped me get back into running towards the end of 2014, and even ran her first ultra with me at my comeback race, 6 Inch in December, 2014,” she explains.

“Ten months later I took another short break due to surgery for the cancer, but in 2016 I re-focused and truly decided to have a go at these ultras.”

Hadley took the ultra trail scene by storm, completing her first 50 miler – Feral Pig – taking first place for the women in an astonishing 8:27:31, more than 1:26:77 faster than the second place getter.

Next was the Lighthorse Ultra 12hr event (the woman is a machine, again taking top honours with first place and totalling 118.990kms – and it being only her second official ultra after surgery).

“After pacing friend Shaun Kaesler for part of WTF 100 Miler that year, I decided to have a go at it myself for 2017,” Hadley says.

That race resulted in her taking first female again/second overall in a time of 19:57:14 – breaking the women’s record of being the first female to complete the 100 Miler in under 20 hours.

Hadley’s journey to the Australian 100k World Championships was a pleasant surprise, when she used her results from the Australia Day Ultra 100k in early 2017 to apply for the team.

“Running the ADU and about three-quarters of the way through, people were telling me I was on track for a ‘C’ qualifying time (final time was 8:58:17)…I had no idea what they were talking about,” she admits.

Pictured: Margie Hadley at this year’s Bunbury Track Ultra, where she participated in the 24hr Team event. Photograph – Ron McGlinn.