PREPARING FOR AN AGE-OLD 246K RACE

Kate Dzienis • September 27, 2018

Contributed by Fergus Edwards, AURA member competing at this year’s Spartathon, September 28-29

The Spartathlon is a 246km race with 3500m of elevation (including a 1000m climb at around the 160km point) from Athens to Sparta. The race is based on the story of the messenger who ran to Sparta and arrived ‘the day after he left Athens’ asking for Spartans help defend the Greek peoples from an advancing Persian army. Herodotus recorded the story in 425BC and in 1982 three members of the RAF set off to see if such a run was possible. The race was formalised from the following year becoming today’s Spartathlon.

The race starts at 7am on a Friday and finishes 7pm on a Saturday with tight cut-offs at each of the 75 intermediate checkpoints. Historic finishing rates have been as low as 30 per cent, driven by two main factors.

Firstly there are tight cut-offs at each of the 75 checkpoints. This leaves little leeway to recover if anything goes wrong, and it seems to encourage runners to go out fast to try and generate a buffer. That pace does damage that snowballs over the last 80km.

Secondly the heat differential over the course can be over 40°C from high 30°C during the day to negative crossing Mount Parthenion overnight. This results in runners pulling out with heat stroke or dehydration by day and hypothermia by night.

The race has grown to 390 starters every year and organisers have gradually tightened the basic entry criteria in response. At present the 100 Mile criteria for men is 16hrs 48mins for a guaranteed place and 21hrs just to qualify for the ballot. The race also caps entries by country of representation although this isn’t too much of a problem for Australian runners as there have only ever been 10 Aussie finishers.

I obviously intend to finish but since I don’t know if I will or not, I thought it might be interesting to put down what I currently think are the five most important things I’ve done to prepare.

Not claiming this is a great blueprint but hopefully others can learn from any mistakes.

Coached by a Spartathlon finisher. Not second guessing my mileage or my heat training. Not worrying about getting in an extra session or another long run. Just trusting a coach who has seen me through other hard races and knows the peculiarities of Sparta. Has helped keep anxiety low and I’ve focused on executing sessions (and not mileage totals)
Consistent training. No more than 100km a week in training but no missed sessions. Training has been to time, not to mileage, so long sessions (no more than four hours) haven’t been all that long, but hard sessions (hills, sprints, tempos) have been properly hard.
Heat training. Two or three bikram yoga sessions a week for the last two months then over the last two weeks running in a heat chamber set to 35°C to 40°C, 40 to 60 per cent humidity. Learned that if humidity rises, pace has got to slow.
Experienced crew. Specifically, experienced at crewing me. Trusted to get to crew points if it’s possible, and to look after themselves. If they aren’t there then keep moving, hope to see them at the next crew point. And trusted to be very conservative around race rules.
Maximum speed per section. Walking from the first checkpoint onwards whenever ahead of schedule, hoping to keep muscle damage minimal for as long as possible.

So all that remains now is an enormous amount of travel and a bit of a run. Then a race report, naturally!

Pictured: A runner crosses the Corinth Canal, Kakia Skala in the 2017 Spartathlon. Photograph – Sparta Photography Club.

Follow Fergus Edwards on Twitter @solvitur

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Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships 2027

By Jin Kato • July 8, 2026

The world-class trails of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington will play centre-stage for one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, after the Kunanyi Mountain Run (KMR) was awarded the hosting rights for the first-ever combined Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships (AMTRC). KMR was awarded the National Championships after a competitive bid process, overseen by the Australian Ultra and Trail Running Association (AUTRA) and Australian Athletics (AA). AUTRA President, John Claridge, said that KMR “offered everything we were looking for”. “World-class trails, proven event management and a passionate community. It provides the perfect stage for Australia's first combined National Trail Championships," he said. It’s expected that Australia’s elite mountain and trail running athletes, and support crew, will travel to Hobart, as they vie for a spot in the Australian team that competes at the 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. "This is a landmark moment for trail running in Australia,” Mr Claridge said. "We're excited about what this championship represents; not just next year, but for the future of trail running in Australia... helping grow the sport and inspire the next generation of trail runners." The 2027 AMTRC at KMR will be the first time that all championship distances have been held together, at the one festival. “It aligns us more closely with the way World Championships are presented, creating a stronger pathway for athletes and raising the profile of the sport,” Mr Claridge said. KMR, a 3-day trail running festival which has been held annually since 2022, expects to draw more than 1500 runners and hikers from across Tasmania, Australia and internationally next year. The AMTRC will be embedded within KMR’s existing event program, allowing elite athletes to compete for the national titles, while sharing the same spectacular trails and event-experience as recreational runners. “We’re honoured to have been selected as host,” KMR’s founder and director, Lincoln Quilliam said. “KMR continues to welcome runners, and hikers, of all abilities. From the elites who want to represent Australia on the world stage, the group of mates or work colleagues who run the team relay together, the mums returning to running after having a baby, as well as those who are trying trail running for the very first time,” Mr Quilliam said. Tasmanian runner, Jessica Collins, who has represented Australia, said it was exciting news for KMR, Tasmania and the sport. “This is such a great opportunity for Australian athletes. I’ve run many of the KMR events and know the courses and the terrain are on par with what we see at the World Champs,” she said. The City of Hobart has supported Kunanyi Mountain Run since its inception, and Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said she was “thrilled” with the news. “Events like this not only showcase the natural beauty of our region but also reinforce Hobart’s reputation as a vibrant destination for world-class outdoor experiences.” The 2026 edition of KMR brought in $4 million to the Tasmanian economy, generating more than 8000 bed nights across the state, which Alex Heroys, Chief Executive of Destination Southern Tasmania, said was a “significant return for the visitor economy”. “Kunanyi / Mount Wellington is one of Tasmania’s great natural assets, and the Kunanyi Mountain Run shows exactly how powerful events can be in driving regional tourism,” he said. “We have an epic mountain right on Hobart’s doorstep, an airport less than 30 minutes away, and a city that is well set up to welcome thousands of visiting athletes, support crews and spectators.” “This event also reinforces Tasmania’s growing reputation as a world-class trail running destination. With steep, technical trails and real mountain terrain, Kunanyi offers conditions that are genuinely comparable to what athletes will experience at the World Championships, making it an ideal place to compete, train and visit.” For more information: Kunanyi Mountain Run Dates: 19-21 March 2027 Pic credit: David Nolan & Ryan Slater