‘I started seeing robots’: what occurs while you run just about nonstop for 3 days

During a 100 mile (160km) race round Mount Kosciuszko remaining 12 months, I used to be stuck in a lightning hurricane. I were given speaking to a fellow runner who used to be sheltering with me. She instructed me that there used to be an excellent longer race, out in Western Australia. “You must do it!” she stated. “The food is incredible, and people share disgusting pictures of their toes afterwards.”

It sounded good. The race is known as Delirious West, a 200 mile run finished in one push.

Why run 200 miles? For me, it’s the journey. The alternative to determine extra about myself.

Ultra marathons – anything else longer than the 42 km marathon – are rising in popularity. These are most often 50km or 100km, with some working to 100 miles (160km). And then there’s 200 miles (340km) – a distinct segment inside a distinct segment. A marathon incessantly takes 3-4 hours, 100km is also extra like 15 hours. And 200 miles may also be over 100 hours of working.

In Australia there was once 3 200 milers –Irrational South, Unreasonable East and Delirious West – each and every generally attracting 50-100 competition.

This 12 months the one 200 miler left is the Delirious West.

The layout is discreet – run 200 miles alongside the Bibbulmun monitor from Northcliffe to Albany (the course needed to be modified this 12 months on account of bushfires), preventing at more or less 20 support stations alongside the course, 4 of which double as sleep stations.

Most runners attempt to get no less than a few hours sleep each and every evening, however some do it on just about no sleep. Many combine mountaineering and working. But there’s no magic components, apart from the most obvious: stay shifting ahead.

I’d heard from previous runners that consistency used to be key. During the primary few months of 2025, I ran 120km per week together with 5 – 6 hour lengthy runs working up and down a 400m hill at the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne, incessantly beginning at 4am. But I had no thought how I’d get on in Delirious West – it used to be a soar into the unknown.

We began on a Wednesday morning on the Giant Tingle Tree, amid a stand of large gumtrees. The few hours ahead of the beginning have been anxious. Runners checked their equipment for the hundredth time, made tiny changes to backpacks, and nervously shared excellent lucks. I attempted to zone out.“Just get to the first aid station”, I believed.

At 10am we were given beneath approach. We poured down the path, a lot of people cheering and waving. It used to be a reduction to begin. The first 100km used to be thru dense, humid wooded area, alongside seaside dunes and scrubby coastal bush. Not a large collection of hills, however a large number of energy-sapping sand. A host people ran in combination, hooting and hollering as we went.

I were given to the primary sleep station after about 18 hours of working, simply ahead of daybreak on Thursday morning. I attempted to sleep however I used to be too stressed. On the plus aspect, the waffles have been scrumptious.

On the following segment I attempted two “dirt naps”. I had ready a laminated signal, “Please don’t disturb, I’m having a dirt nap”. I set this out beside the trail after which lay down some of the creepy crawlies at the wooded area ground. But I used to be nonetheless too stressed.

Even mendacity down in short made a distinction regardless that, and I used to be maintaining a excellent jog as I headed to Tree Tops: one of the crucial tallest and maximum spectacular timber in Australia.

After Tree Tops the panorama adjustments, from wooded area thru farmland after which again to the sea at a spot referred to as Conspicuous Cliffs. I ended on the Conspicuous Cliffs support station, which marks more or less the midway level, and ran alongside a shocking moonlit seaside. At an estuary a jetskier used to be ready, I jumped at the again, rode around the water after which jumped off and resumed my trudge up the seaside.

By halfway thru the second one evening I reached an support station at a spot referred to as Peaceful Bay. Sore and exhausted, I slumped down on a camp mattress and finally drifted to sleep.

Forty mins later, at about 1am, I were given up, enthusiastic about restarting. Pack again on, I used to be off into the evening.

I had now been working for approximately 35 hours and used to be coming against the top of my 2d evening. After some time, it feels adore it’s your activity – someway trudging on felt herbal. I felt higher on day 3 than day one. Several support stations later, my legs felt sturdy.But as I entered my 3rd evening issues were given peculiar. I used to be working alongside coastal paths the place massive globe spiders had spun their webs, and I finished up with cobwebs and spiders throughout my shoulders and hair. On the bottom there have been 1000’s of little frogs. I used to be frightened of status on one. I additionally began seeing robots alongside the trail. Hallucinations are commonplace.

More alarmingly, I misplaced monitor of being in a race and began to assume I may well be available in the market for one more reason – examining the trails? Doing analysis? The smart factor would had been to have had a snooze, however I simply stored working.

At about 20km to head I hit a wall. I’d accomplished about 310km via this degree, just about continuous and working for 64 hours. I began to have an out of frame revel in, seeing myself taking a look pitiful and drained at the trail. I attempted to speak to myself however couldn’t determine if I used to be one individual or two other people.

But my “voice of reason” did on the subject of minimize thru. I determined to damage the following couple of km into 100m sections. I stored simply considering “Can you do the next 100m?” The resolution used to be at all times sure, and so I stored going.

I in any case bumped into the end at Albany at 7.45am – just about 3 days when I’d began, for a time of 69 hours one thing: excellent sufficient for 3rd position.

I’d accomplished the run to be told extra about myself. It felt superb to understand what I used to be able to.

And sure, the toe pictures have been disgusting.