Challenge taxes teams

Still bright: Physiotherapist Lt Ross Kinsela, Cpl Ross Hooper, 16 Air Assault Bde, Pte Fiona Dubbels and RSM WO1 Mark Campbell, 1 HSB. Photo by Bill Cunneen

EIGHT teams from Army ran in the recent Oxfam Trailwalker covering 100km in 48 hours or less over a course from Hunter’s Hill to French’s Forest.

Running night and day, the teams tracked through Lane Cove, Thornleigh, Hornsby, Crosslands, Apple Tree Bay, St Ives and Davidson Park.

Team Fourplay from 4RAR placed highest in seventh position with a time of 14 hours 46 minutes.

A four-member team – including a Brit on Exercise Long Look – from 1HSB placed 26th in 18 hours and 50 minutes, one minute ahead of Alpha Coy 2/17RNSWR, equal 28th in 18 hours and 51 minutes.

Rules of the event are stringent: entrants must be over 18 and teams must be together at each checkpoint. The run allows for only 400 team entries and teams must raise a minimum of $1000,

The instruction manual is extensive – in one instance Oxfam advises entrants not to sleep for more than three or four hours at a time during the run.

One participant described the course as challenging and arduous.

The night legs, using head torches, added one-third more time to the daytime run.

Lt Ross Kinsella, a physiotherapist, said his knees started to get a bit sore about the halfway mark.

“The terrain was the most difficult part, the downhills and uphills and the constant changing of pace.”

Pte Fiona Dubbels, who recently won the ADF Cross Country at Holsworthy, said, “It went really well, I’m hurting everywhere but I’m all right.”

Cpl Rob Hooper, 16 Air Assault based at Colchester in the UK, said he had done other endurance events but not over 100km.

“It was taxing in certain places but overall it was good,” he said. “I really haven’t any aches and pains – a quick shower and a bit of a rub down and I’ll be good as gold.”

Other Army team placings were: