IMAGINE running 6.7 kilometres every hour – not just once, but again and again, through the night, with no finish line in sight – until your body or mind gives out.
That’s exactly what 21-year-old and former Tamborine Mountain State High School student Will Hassell did at the Dead Cow Gully ultra marathon on June 20.
Set on a cattle property in Nanango, the course winds through stockyards, grasslands and gullies, with runners often sharing the landscape with curious cattle in nearby paddocks.
The event follows a “Backyard Ultra” format, seen a lot in the United States, where participants must complete a 6.7km loop every hour, on the hour.
If a runner finishes a loop in 45 minutes, they have 15 minutes to eat, rest, and prepare before the next lap begins.
Fail to return in time, miss the next starting whistle, or simply throw in the towel, and you’re out.
The race only ends when one competitor remains.
Will ran an astonishing 40 laps, clocked over 270 kilometres and pushed beyond the limits of physical and mental endurance.
“It’s the ability to be able to relax,” he said.
“It’s not a hard and fast race like a marathon or 5k, it’s kind of like, how long can you hold on?”
While most races are about speed, ultra marathons test patience, pacing, and resilience.
Runners must not only manage hydration and nutrition but also fight sleep deprivation, especially through the night.
“I try and aim for about 50 minutes per loop,” Hassell said.
“That gives me just enough time to duck back to the tent, have some food, sit in the chair and talk to the crew.”
With only minutes between loops, sleep is a luxury.
Will said he managed around two and a half minutes of actual sleep across the entire event.
“You kind of feel like you’re in this dream state when you’re running … because you’re so tired and sleep-deprived,” he said.
“When I did get a chance for a little nap, it’s quite weird because you wake up and you’re like ‘Oh, I’m still out here running’ and everyone in the team is like ‘yeah get back out there and keep going’.”
Despite the pain and exhaustion, Will says it’s the community of runners that keeps people going.
“Everyone’s got a different limit they’re going to hit. Whether that’s two laps or a hundred, you’re just happy for the person,” he said.
“We’re not versing each other. We’re working together to go further.”
Although he eventually bowed out at 40 loops – a remarkable achievement in itself – Will also became the under-21 Australian record holder in the process.
And for Will, he’s only getting started.
“I know I’ve got a few more years until I hit my peak,” he said.
“The goal for now is just to keep having fun with it, grow in confidence, and hopefully still be doing this in another 20 or 30 years.”
