In June this year we ran a report on Tegwen Howell, whose home was destroyed in the floods which decimated South-East Queensland earlier in the year.

Tegwen, an avid runner, had learnt of an ultra marathon which was to be held in Port Douglas as part of the inaugural Great Barrier Reef Marathon Festival, and set about training for the event which was to become a cathartic experience, and an escape from the worries the floods had left behind.

Here is Tegwen's story of her race to Port Douglas.





This year did not get off to a good start, with our home destroyed during the Brisbane floods. Since then, life has been challenging, to say the least, as we go through the ordeal associated with losing your home and then trying to start again.

A running friend said to me in January that I was to think of it as like an Ultra. Set a target, reach that point and then set another one until you reach the finish. With these thoughts in mind, and in desperate need of a break from flood issues, I set off to Port Douglas.

The inaugural Great Barrier Reef Marathon was held on 12 November 2011. This event was comprised of four races; an Ultra from Cairns to Port Douglas (74k off road), 21km, 10km and 5000m events. There was an excellent turn out for all events, including the Ultra.

For those of us doing the Ultra and staying in Port Douglas, it was an early start with the shuttle bus collecting me at 3am and then beginning the wind down to James Cook University in Cairns.

On arriving at the start there were representatives from the Cairns Road Runners and a number of local as well as non-locals ready for a great run.

At 5.15am as the first rays of sunshine appeared we headed off out of the car park and up, what can only be described as a challenging climb. The first 6ks were a very steep climb, only to be followed by about 4ks of steep descent, by the time I reached the 10k mark, the field was well spread out and I had settled into a groove with two other runners, David from Cairns and Karen from Sydney.

After the mandatory introductions, my one request that we didn’t talk floods and that should I mention that word they were allowed to tell me to shut up! So off we trotted chatting about a range of things.

Then, on a relatively flat section, Karen clipped a rock and took a shocking fall. Whilst she was looking at her knee, David and I were looking at her elbow which was a mess, to say the least. We used the water out of my pack to try and clean some of the dirt out of the wound, then used her snake bandage to bandage the wound and try and slow the bleeding.

At the first opportunity we bundled a very disappointed Karen into the St John’s car so that she could be taken back to Cairns to have her wounds cleaned. To our surprise, one runner had already pulled out of the race was in the back of the truck. It was going to be a taxing day at the office.

David and I continued on telling increasingly bad jokes and admiring the scenery. The race organisors had done an incredible job at getting water out on to the course. There was water and lollies at every 5kms, even if it wasn’t a manned station. With that amount of water, nobody should have got dehydrated!

We took the time to get a least a little water at each stop. Yes, this added to our time, but I believe it went in our favour later in the day. On arriving at the 36k checkpoint, we were informed that we were making so much noise that there was no chance of there being any wildlife around! 

Given that David had me going at the front looking for snakes (ie the ground) and Wait Awhile (ie the trees), I took that as a plus.

It was a hot and humid day. You could feel the humidity increasing and eventually we “enjoyed” the benefits of some light rain. The only down side, was that the humidity remained high and you could see the steam coming off the track.

As we approached the 57k mark, under the cut-off time, David says “If there is any slice there, you have to try it. It is like the chocolate brownie at CP8 at the Glass House Mountains.

So on arriving at the CP, the first thing I see is the slice...it was amazing! Apparently it had been made by someone from the Cairns Road Runners and the recipe is in their October newsletter. Certainly worth a try! It ticks all the boxes for an Ultra event.

A few more runners were at the CP having pulled out of the race. Clearly the conditions were taking their toll.

The guy from St John’s was back and informed us that Karen was fine with the arm cleaned and stitched. She had returned to Port Douglas. Having refilled my running bladder, again, we were informed that the next 6ks involved a very steep descent and that the conditions were slippery following the rain.

With this, David and I headed off towards Port Douglas, both feeling good under the circumstances. The descent down the Bump Track was a challenge. There were two first aid officers waiting at the bottom for anyone who sustained an injury. We made it down, though David did test things a little with two falls along the way.

It was then onto through the cane fields and into Port Douglas. Rather than cross the road, the race organisors had arranged for the runners to use an underpass. A great move as it meant they didn’t need to close the road.

On reaching (Four Mile Beach) David informs me that the flags that we can see the other end of the beach are the Surf Lifesavers and that is the finish line, so off we trot, admittedly rather slowly.

David dropped off a bit and I reached the flags only to find that we had to go up the beach and onto the road down to the finish. Along I go only to be told to move to the right. This I do and when I reach, what appears to be the finish I stop! No, you have to keep going up to the end of the street and come back to go under the finish sign.

After 11.5 hours I have reached the finish. Karen is there waiting and then David appears. We hobble off with him and cross the finish line with him. There are people there cheering us on, despite the late finish and the organisors are still there checking everyone is fine.

I am feeling relaxed for the first time since January. For 11 hours I forgot about the floods! It was fantastic.

To PDEM, Cairns Road Runners, and my special friends at Coral Sea Villas, thank you for a wonderful experience. The GBRM was a truly memorable event that was exceptionally well organised and supported.

I know that like all events, there were hiccups, but for me, it was one of the best events I have ever participated in. I can’t wait to come back for the marathon next year. 

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