UTA 100 Miler — A Brutal, Beautiful First Attempt

Where do I even begin? Taking on the UTA Miler for the first time felt like stepping into the unknown, even after four previous UTA weekends (three 100s and one 50). I thought I had a fair idea of what was coming. Turns out, the Miler had other plans.

The first 30 km of the course is brutal — insanely beautiful, but brutal. Everything felt conservative early on. I intentionally tip‑toed down Perrys Lookdown, all 2,400 steps of it over 2 km with ~600 m of descent. I felt strong on the climb out too, which is usually a weakness for me. This time, I was catching people without ever feeling like I was pushing. Effort was dialled, nutrition was dialled, and the body felt good… except for the things that eventually brought me undone.

Starting in the rain and dark at 5 am. This was about 10 kms in.

The First Signs

I first felt my right ankle on the way down Perrys, around 20 km in. I stopped to loosen my laces, but it didn’t seem to do much. It seemed okay on the climb back up, but once we hit the top, I could feel it on every uphill — especially when trying to run. Not long after, my left quad/knee started chiming in on the descents. The longer the downhill, the worse it got. Flats and climbs gave me temporary relief, but any dip in the trail brought the pain straight back. I had similar pain 2 years ago at UTA 100, which led me to walking from about 80kms to the finish, but for it to show up this early into the race was alarming. Nonetheless, it didn’t stop me.

I tried to avoid water at all costs, keeping the feet dry for as long as possible, but they got wet at the river crossing at the bottom of Perrys (21.5 km) – a 5m wide river crossing is pretty unavoidable, but I managed that well at Hydro Majestic (47.5 km). No blisters, no hot spots — honestly, my feet were one of the highlights of the day.

Gear, Effort, and the Slow Unravelling

I lined up in the new Fractel Govett’s Leap shirt and hat, Lululemon half tights, Injinji toe socks, and La Sportiva Prodigio Pro on my feet. I’ve trained in these shoes for months and even raced a 75 km event in them earlier this year with zero issues (Gone Nuts). But UTA has a way of exposing weaknesses you didn’t know existed. The sock‑like upper and padded lace segments put too much pressure on my ankles — particularly the tibial tendon — and by Narrowneck, both ankles were protesting. Hard. This is an issue I hadn't experienced in training or earlier races.

Fortress Rock Lookout (no view today) approx. 30 kms in.

Running downhill became nearly impossible. Running uphill wasn’t much better. After Tarros Ladder (67 km), even the smallest descent felt like knives. By Iron Pot (80 km), both ankles were gone, and my right ITB had joined the party. I took the climb up Iron Pot extremely easy and tip‑toed the descent, but by the bottom (83.5 km), running at all was excruciating.

From the river at the base of Iron Pot, I hiked every step along Megalong Road — 6 km of grinding, painful walking — before reaching the paddocks leading into the 6ft Track checkpoint at approx. 91 km. I tried running a few steps through the paddocks, but my ankles said absolutely not, and my right leg wouldn’t straighten or bend to well thanks to the ITB.

Iron Pot Ridge, approx. 80 kms

One Last Roll of the Dice

I’d basically made the decision to pull the pin along Megalong Road, but I wasn’t ready to give up without giving myself one last chance. So I headed out on the 6ft Track loop — ~14 km with ~600 m of gain/loss — hoping something might shift.

It didn’t.

I hiked every step. Incredibly slow, incredibly painful. 16–17 min/km pace on average. Ankles worsening, ITB worsening. This was the slowest, most painful walk I’ve ever done. By the time I returned to the checkpoint (107 km), the decision was made. I was done.

The Aftermath

My ankles stayed swollen for days afterwards. Tibial tendonitis? Maybe. Whatever it was, it was enough to stop me in my tracks. And yet, aside from the ankle and quad/knee issues, my body actually held up really well. Nutrition was perfect. No stomach issues. No blisters. One random black toe that didn’t bother me – I can’t even remember when or how it happened. Everything else felt really strong.

The Bigger Picture

Take away the ankle issues and the DNF, and I genuinely loved my run. I loved the experience. I love the UTA weekend — the atmosphere, the people, the mountains that somehow feel alive. There’s an aura to that place that keeps pulling me back.

This year was made even more special by the people around me: my family, my friends, the Fractel crew, and the new faces I met through Fractel. Watching friends take on their first UTA, or even their first ultra, and push through their own battles and hearing about their experiences — that’s what makes this sport so special. Seeing my 4‑year‑old son run the kids race with the biggest smile on his face…that alone makes everything worth it.

You spend so many hours out there alone — buried in your thoughts, surrounded by the sounds and smells of the mountains — and yet you’re never really alone at all.

There’s so much to love, so much to learn, and so much to take forward. I’ll grow from this. I’ll come back stronger and more prepared than ever. Although disappointed, I’m content with the DNF.

On the descent to Fortress Rock Lookout, approx. 30 kms

Top of Nellies Glenn, First Pass, approx. 50 kms in. Running, but sore.

A massive thank you to the Fractel team, my training partners, my friends, everyone following along from afar, my Mum and Dad, who drove down from QLD, my Coach, Kyle, and of course, my incredibly supportive wife, Cat. I couldn’t do this without you.

This isn’t the end.

Strave file: UTA Miler - DNF | Run | Strava