Anna McKenna from Noosa Heads and Melbourne’s Reece Edward have claimed top honours at the 2022 Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB, winning the men’s and women’s UTA100 titles on day three.
Local girl McKenna blitzed the competition on her way to winning the women’s race, and finished 12th overall, in a time of 9:15:23.
The battle for second behind her came down to just 10 seconds.
Perth’s Erika Lori held onto her position over the last few kilometres with the fast-finishing South Africa Naomi Brand not quite fast enough to catch her, having to settle for third.
McKenna was the top seeded female in the UTA100 race and lived up her to her billing.
“I am so happy, I think more so because two days ago I was trying to pull the pin and not compete, but coach was like just start and if you get to Tablelands Road and don’t feel great, pull pin. I did get to Tablelands Road and thought ‘I don’t feel amazing’ but then I started feeling better about the 35, 40k mark, so it was good,” McKenna said.
“The first bit I was with Erika, and she’s done Tarawera she was telling me, she’s an amazing runner and we were running together, and I was honestly thinking ‘this girl’s got me’, but then once we did the out and back on Andersons I kind of dropped her there and I was able to keep just pushing and started to feel better and better, and that’s where I was able to get away.
“The last 10k was pretty hard, lots of stairs but when you know you’re finishing it just makes it that little bit easier,” she said.
“I wasn’t really sure, when you turn around on the out and backs and you see the girls, you can’t really figure out how far behind they are, so I was pretty much running scared until like the last 3k. You can never be too sure.”
The Queenslander was making her return to UTA after finishing third in the women’s 50km last year, and says the longer distances suit her and aided her ascent to the top of the podium.
“Next year I really want to be able to do 100 miles, I think the longer the better for me. I’ve done a few shorter distances, especially over in Europe I was doing like 40, 50k but I just think longer the better for me,” McKenna said.
At the final checkpoint, 87.7km into the race, Erika Lori had a 10-minute lead over third-placed Naomi Brand, and it seemed as though she had second place sewn up until the South African put the pedal down over the last few kilometres to leave her just 10 seconds behind Lori as she crossed the line.
“It was something else really, it gave you a little bit of everything, the out and backs were really hot and hilly and then 20k of stairs and beautiful trails and waterfalls at the end, it was really nice but very tough. And a cracking pace by Anna at the beginning.
“We went out really, really fast and then after about 40ks just turned it back a bit and just kind of cruised. Then I had no idea where Naomi was until the last 500 metres and to the end and someone said she’s less than 200 metres behind you,” she said.
“I nearly stopped and took photos of the waterfall so I’m glad someone told me.”
In the men’s, Reece Edward stormed around the UTA100 course to claim his maiden Ultra-Trail Australia title on debut in 8:10:11.
At the final checkpoint at Fairmont Resort it seemed as though the 32-year-old was struggling, but he was able to hang tough to finish over eight minutes ahead of New Zealand’s Scotty Hawker. Another Kiwi, Sam McCutcheon rounded out the podium, finishing in 8:28:08.
It was an impressive performance from Edward, an athlete who specialises in road racing, having recently posted a 2:14 time at the Melbourne Marathon.
“I didn’t think I’d win it, I thought Tyler Andrews – a last minute entry – was way in front and Scotty as well, so it’s quite a big surprise,” Edward said.
“I followed Sam McCutcheon to about 40 kilometres and then he kind of started to slow a bit. I’m from a marathon background so I didn’t know how to pace it, because four-minute ks feels quite easy so from 40ks I ended up in front solo, and I ran well from 40 to 70 but then from 70 kilometres onwards I was just survival. I was hearing splits of Scotty getting closer and closer and I was just hiking every stairs, just trying to survive.”
UTA100 is a UTMB World Series 100K event, with the top three male and female runners earning direct entry into the CCC race of the UTMB Mont-Blanc in 2023.
All UTA100 finishers receive three running stones – the only way to enter the lottery for the first-ever UTMB World Series Finals, which will take place in the UTMB, CCC and OCC races of the UTMB Mont-Blanc in 2023.
UTA100 – MEN’S TOP THREE
Reece Edward (Melbourne VIC), AUS, 08:10:11
Scotty Hawker (Christchurch CAN), NZL, 08:18:28
Sam McCutcheon (Wellington WGN), NZL, 08:28:08
UTA100 – WOMEN’S TOP THREE
Anna McKenna (Watson ACT), AUS, 09:15:23
Erika Lori (Perth WA), AUS, 09:41:02
Naomi Brand (Cromwell OTA), ZAF, 09:41:50
For more information, visit ultratrailaustralia.com.au
