As I’ve done in the past (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) I have put together a rear-view-mirror view on my year in running.
2025 was my quietest running year in the decade I've been running.
I ran a total of 1,237km with 24,549m of elevation gain. This was over 700km shy of my target distance and 25,000m shy of my target elevation gain. It's safe to say my expectations were incredibly misaligned with the year that I ended up having.
I didn't actually write a running retrospective for 2024 (where I ran 1,599km / 37,670m vert) as there was a lot happening in my personal life, in particular with the health of those around me. Those health issues (which are not life threatening, and won't be written more about for now) are mostly under control now, but more to the point I have re-realised that looking after my own health and wellbeing is critical for looking after the health of those around me. This is reflected in my mileage for the second half of 2025 being significantly more than the first half of the year, when I was missing runs in a misguided attempt to try and help others. My satisfaction with running in the second half of the year was significantly improved, too.
Preamble: The missed 2024 race report
At the tail end of 2024 I entered the 50km at Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko. I'd recently had a bad cold (or possibly Covid, although my tests were consistently negative) which left me completely drained of energy. I was also in a very bad spot with my emotional health. When combined, these factors meant I took the 8-hour drive to Thredbo purely so I could DNF after 5.5 hours. I had so much more fun crewing my friends in the 100km race the following day, helping them through insanely bad weather conditions, but the weekend was a big fizzer for me and I ultimately didn't run much through the last two months of 2024.
March: Buffalo Stampede 10km
I was entered for my third Buffalo Stampede marathon. I love this region, I love this mountain, and I love this race.
Off the back of UTK50, I had hardly run for a few months so I needed to rebuild my base. Starting in early January the training block kicked off in earnest - but then in my first long run of February I tripped over a tiny pebble and banged up my knees really badly. I was sidelined again, this time for physical reasons rather than emotional.
The Buffalo Stampede marathon course is unforgiving when you're in tip-top shape. When you're undertrained it's a big mistake to try taking it on. With my tail between my legs, I cancelled my entry and signed up to the 10k instead.
Run at sundown, the race was a ton of fun and my fitness could keep up with the 96-minute climb up the side of Bright's infamous Mystic Mountain and long descent to the finish.
The rest of the weekend was spent crewing friends in the 100k and 42k events, which filled my cup more than any race could do.
June-August: Trail Running Series 15k races
Sometimes runners get obsessed with running longer and longer (and longer). This has certainly been my trajectory over the past few years, with many of my races being in the 42-50km distance. At least... when I don't DNF or downgrade due to injury.
Rapid Ascent's Trail Running Series is a series of three short/moderate races, each two weeks apart, within an hour or two of Melbourne. We sometimes overlook these for their "shortness" but this year I decided it was as good a way as any to re-learn how to love running. It worked.
Race 1: Blackwood 1h48m. A very cold start, a new area I haven't visited before, and mostly single track Sweet!!!
Race 2: Anglesea 1h35m. I've run this area a bunch, during Surf Coast Trail Marathon and a few other events. But it's wonderful! It felt good to push hard for the entire 15k, followed by a huge lunch.
Race 3: Silvan 1h46m. This is a course I've run before, but it's been a while. What a beast of an area - 520m of climbing in 15km - and I pushed hard for the whole race and had an absolute blast.
Jumpshot! In the Blackwood Trail Series Event. Photo from the event photographers.
June: Volunteering @ Wandi Cross
For the second year in a row, Darren and I made the trip to Wandiligong to volunteer as sweeps for Wandi Cross's 27k race. We were responsible for sweeping the second half of the race, which was cut short due to inclement weather.
The 2h18m to "run" just 6km tells most of the running story here!
I love this event. Super low key, incredible atmosphere, huuuuuge hills to climb, and it's all in the name of raising money for the tiny Wandiligong Primary School. I'm hopeful I can make it back for 2026 and beyond to keep helping out this fantastic grassroots race.
Collecting race flags with Darren in the Wandi Cross. The barren landscape here is due to the pine plantation having been recently harvested in this area.
September: Surf Coast Century 100k (Relay)
The SCC is a staple of the Victorian ultra-running calendar. Whilst I have no appetite for 100k races, the shorter races here have always appealed but the timing has never worked. This year, with a group of friends we entered the 100k race in a 4 person relay: 22-28k each.
I had Leg 3, the "long" and "hilly" leg. After a cracking pace was set by Jenny and Darren (legs 1 & 2 respectively) I took off in the early afternoon, turning away from the ocean and into the hills behind Anglesea. Whilst the region felt familiar, this was all on new trails to me which was nice. Other than the nasty crawling under the road bridge in the first kilometre, the course was spectacular and the weather was perfect.
While not being quite as quick as I'd hoped for, I covered the 28k (750m vert) in 3h24min. Paul picked up the baton and finished Leg 4 - and the race - just after sunset. Tough work for us all, but a great day out.
October: Great Ocean Trail Ultra 45k
GOTU was never really on my radar, perhaps because until recently they only had a 100km distance. That's about 50km too far for me. This year they introduced a 45km option, covering roughly the second half of the 100k course along Victoria's Great Ocean Trail and finishing near the iconic Twelve Apostles.
I feel like my training was appropriate for a 45km race, but when I hit the 30km mark and my legs were exhausted I realised my major mistake: I had assumed that the course, given it follows the coast, was relatively flat. Reader: it was not flat.
The 48km with 2,000m of climbing took me 7h36m. That was two hours longer than I had anticipated but I think the love outweighed the hate and I reckon I could be talked into giving it another go.
2025 Goal Review
I didn't actually document these publicly - but at a high level:
- Run 2,000km. Missed this by quite a long way due to illness, injury, and apathy.
- Build strength I'm getting more consistent with strength and yoga workouts to augment my running, and I think it's working.
- Volunteer more A consistent goal that I continued to do a pretty miserable job of.
Goals for 2026
- Build mileage consistently through the year with a monthly average of 150-200km, making 2,000km for the year.
- Enjoy running by prioritising social runs over "sticking to the plan". In the second half of 2025, enjoying running was helpful not only to get back into running: it helped me be more present elsewhere too.
- Keep up the strength focus Much of my training since about November has involved weekly weight sessions. It’s been a huge benefit on long hilly runs; the additional leg strength seems to greatly help with fatigue after a few hours.
- Volunteer more. This is getting embarrassing at this point.
Events for 2026
- January: Two Bays 28k. It's my first run at Two Bays since 2020 (wow - we didn't know what was coming!) where I ran a 3h08m. I'm not planning on pushing hard this year as I need to be back into Shotover training a week after, but if I can beat that 3:08 I'll be pretty happy...
- February A-race: Shotover Moonlight Marathon in Queenstown, New Zealand. 42km. This has been on the radar of our running crew for a long time - it's exciting to finally have this within reach! No time goal.
- March B-race: Buffalo Stampede. Currently entered in the 20km, but if I feel good after Shotover I'm currently tempted to give the 42km another crack...
- November: I'd love to have a go at Grampians Peaks Trail, ideally the 50k.
- June B-race: Surf Coast Trail Marathon - especially if I don't upgrade my Buffalo entry. Love that event!
Cover photo: Reaching the Twelve Apostles approx 40km into the Great Ocean Trail Ultra.
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