The Lamington Classic is Australia’s oldest trail race, with its 40th anniversary in 2009. It is also one of the very best courses, covering the classic Border Track around the escarpment of the New South Wales/Queensland border. The Lamington Classic is also a reminder of earlier, simpler times when the wait for the first runner to arrive out of the forest was awaited with some excitement at O’Reillys and Binna Burra.

pic: Travis Klein starting out from OReillys Saturday.
You really notice how hard that red concrete is compared to rest of the trail by the end of Sunday’s return run

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Teams participating in the 18, 34, 50 (front) and 100km events began their journeys at 7.00am from Pinky Flat (Opposite Next Generation, Memorial Drv) on Saturday 18th of October 2008. Teams entering in the night (back) 50km event, started at Mt Lofty Summit at approx 7.00pm on Saturday the 18th of October 2008. Checkpoints were at distances of 6-18 km apart where teams needed to check in and out together.

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Brindabella Classic (BC): An out and back course starting at Cotter Reserve, running to Bulls Head and finishing back at Cotter Reserve. The race is 54.4 km on bush roads and tracks, with some rough terrain including steep descents. The course has a net climb of 800m and a net fall of 800m (refer to attached course profile). Much of the race is at high altitude (up to 1262m) and some sections are very exposed and the weather is changeable.

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1. 9th November Trail Run Anstead. 5:30am Cnr Mt Crosby Rd, Kangaroo Gully Rd Anstead. 11km or 13.5km option Great hills great views. Breakfast at coffee club Kenmore after. RSVP (Linda 0419 745 252- rsvp just for brekky)
Cost, we charge $4 members, $6 non members - but free if you do another of our sessions through that week) Random Draw prize and sports drink provided.
2. 7th December. Digger will be our special guest leader through the trails of Toohey forest. More details to follow but keep the date free. Thanks Digger!!!
Source: Coolrunning’s Trail and Mountain Running forum: www.coolrunning.com.au/forums

“In life I’m a loser, I was born poor, as I am still poor now.
I run to revenge myself.”
Marco Olmo, 2008

Marco Olmo is well known in Europe, and particularly in his native Italy, but stunned many outsiders when he won Europe’s top trail ultra at Mont Blanc twice in 2006 and 2007 aged 58 then 59, ahead of top American trail runners. I’ve pieced together parts of his story below. Much of it had to be translated (rather roughly) using web tools from Italian or French.

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Now I remember why I keep coming back to this run; running up a surf beach in the early morning, what a feeling! Of course there are two ways to take this run. One is to get carried away by the ease of running up a flat beach and forget how tired you’re going to be on the way back. The other is too take it easy, drink it in, and enjoy. Maybe I’ll remember that next year too. Results will be posted on the Caboolture Road Runner site http://www.crr.org.au/. Thanks Geoff for organising - great venue, especially the shady start/finish under the trees. Spot the novel running gear below, sported by one of the relay teams… Results here

The Ultra Tour de Mont Blanc may currently be THE classic trail event, for all the right reasons - unbelievably beautiful course, incredible community support along the way, the sheer scale at 2,500 entries. Regardless of that debate though, they ensure entrants are up to the challenge by providing a list of suitable qualifying events, which provides a Who’s Who of the best trail events to dream about…

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The run starts outside the surf club at Denning Park following a mix of road, trail and beach. You will go up the walkway and road to the Lighthouse, around the lighthouse, back down the road turning left onto Tallows Beach Road. Follow the road to the beach where you turn right onto the beach and run 1k along the beach. There will be a flag and a volunteer at the turnaround point on the beach and return on the beach to Tallows Beach road - go to Lighthouse Road and back to Denning Park. It will be low tide on the beach so you can run on hard sand. Cost $40, start 7am, online entry at http://byronrun.com

A very satisfying loop course around the Somerset Trail, meeting at the Gantry carpark, with views from the escarpment at halfway. Llink for details: www.coolrunning.com.au

Results are here and reports below (click Read more) - note the impact of summer weather and be prepared on your long runs with plenty of water…

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