Unconventional training and early starts

Rog Tallbloke

Thru Hiker
Just before the start of the 544-mile Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon in 1983, one particular runner caught the attention of the Australian media: a 61-year-old potato farmer named Cliff Young. He had shown up before the race wearing overalls and work boots, telling journalists that he had trained in his large rubber boots and had spent much of his childhood chasing after sheep, sometimes for days without rest. Soon after the race began, Cliff Young fell behind the other runners and seemed on track to finish dead last. But after getting just two hours of sleep the first night, Young got back up and started running — and didn't stop. While the other runners stopped each night to sleep, Young kept moving continuously at his slow pace for five days straight. "I'm just an old tortoise," he said. "I have to keep going to stay in front." In the end, Young won the race in record time, smashing the previous mark by two whole days and leaving the entire world stunned.

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In the final leg of the ultramarathon, runner Joe Record thought he might catch Young. As reported by The Age, Record, 41 years old, boasted, “I think I can catch old Cliff. He says he’s a tortoise but I think the old b*stard is a hare in disguise.” But Cliff Young carried the day, reaching Melbourne in the record time of 5 days, 15 hours. At the end of the race, Cliff Young walked away with $10,000 in prize money. Instead of keeping it for himself, he gave away most of the money to his competitors. “Joe Record and I had a pact before we ran that if either of us won we would split the prize money between us,” Young told the New Vegetarian and Natural Health magazine in a 1997 interview. “I forgot about Joe and started giving it away left, right and center. I gave $4,000 away to the other runners.” Luckily, Record didn’t mind when Young handed him $3,000. Later, when asked about the highlight of the ultramarathon, Young said, “The prize money of ten thousand dollars! Now that’s a helluva lot of potatoes.”

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Cliff Young's attire during the race was far from the sleek running clothes donned by his competitors. He wore a cotton t-shirt and long trousers, explaining that it was important to reduce his risks of skin cancer. His unique running style, resembling a shuffle, was a result of years spent rounding up sheep on his farm. This unorthodox style, combined with his relentless determination, led to his surprising victory. Young's training regimen was as unconventional as his racing strategy. He grew up on a farm where they couldn't afford horses or tractors. As a result, he spent his childhood rounding up sheep on foot, sometimes for two or three days at a time. This gave him a taste for long-distance running and prepared him for the grueling ultramarathon. A significant factor in Young's victory was an error made by his trainer, Wally Zeuschner. On the first night of the race, Zeuschner, who had poor eyesight, set the alarm for 2 a.m., several hours earlier than planned. When the alarm rang, Young got up and began running, gaining a massive lead by dawn on the second day.
 

Jakey

Ultralighter
Just before the start of the 544-mile Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon in 1983, one particular runner caught the attention of the Australian media: a 61-year-old potato farmer named Cliff Young. He had shown up before the race wearing overalls and work boots, telling journalists that he had trained in his large rubber boots and had spent much of his childhood chasing after sheep, sometimes for days without rest. Soon after the race began, Cliff Young fell behind the other runners and seemed on track to finish dead last. But after getting just two hours of sleep the first night, Young got back up and started running — and didn't stop. While the other runners stopped each night to sleep, Young kept moving continuously at his slow pace for five days straight. "I'm just an old tortoise," he said. "I have to keep going to stay in front." In the end, Young won the race in record time, smashing the previous mark by two whole days and leaving the entire world stunned.

View attachment 53383

In the final leg of the ultramarathon, runner Joe Record thought he might catch Young. As reported by The Age, Record, 41 years old, boasted, “I think I can catch old Cliff. He says he’s a tortoise but I think the old b*stard is a hare in disguise.” But Cliff Young carried the day, reaching Melbourne in the record time of 5 days, 15 hours. At the end of the race, Cliff Young walked away with $10,000 in prize money. Instead of keeping it for himself, he gave away most of the money to his competitors. “Joe Record and I had a pact before we ran that if either of us won we would split the prize money between us,” Young told the New Vegetarian and Natural Health magazine in a 1997 interview. “I forgot about Joe and started giving it away left, right and center. I gave $4,000 away to the other runners.” Luckily, Record didn’t mind when Young handed him $3,000. Later, when asked about the highlight of the ultramarathon, Young said, “The prize money of ten thousand dollars! Now that’s a helluva lot of potatoes.”

View attachment 53384

Cliff Young's attire during the race was far from the sleek running clothes donned by his competitors. He wore a cotton t-shirt and long trousers, explaining that it was important to reduce his risks of skin cancer. His unique running style, resembling a shuffle, was a result of years spent rounding up sheep on his farm. This unorthodox style, combined with his relentless determination, led to his surprising victory. Young's training regimen was as unconventional as his racing strategy. He grew up on a farm where they couldn't afford horses or tractors. As a result, he spent his childhood rounding up sheep on foot, sometimes for two or three days at a time. This gave him a taste for long-distance running and prepared him for the grueling ultramarathon. A significant factor in Young's victory was an error made by his trainer, Wally Zeuschner. On the first night of the race, Zeuschner, who had poor eyesight, set the alarm for 2 a.m., several hours earlier than planned. When the alarm rang, Young got up and began running, gaining a massive lead by dawn on the second day.

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