Former Yorkie wins ultramarathon in Oz
GEORGE - A former York High pupil, David Vroom, showed that he is somebody to be reckoned with when he recently won a gruelling ultramarathon in New South Wales in Australia.
The 45-year old Vroom won the Coast to Kosci race, a 240km route between Twofold Bay on the New South Wales coast to the top of Mount Kosciuszko, which is Australia's highest point.
He finished in 28 hours and 9 minutes. He told George Herald the race course was slightly altered this year due to flooding in the region of the 40km mark.
He grew up in George and finished his high school career at York High school in 1996. In 2002 he moved to Australia and has been in Brisbane since 2005. His parents still live in George and have been here for over 40 years.
According to Vroom the conditions this year were poor. The rain persisted throughout the race, requiring several creek crossings along the run. "This required long stretches running in wet clothes and shoes," he said.
"The race is an invitational race (experienced ultramarathon runners apply and then are selected by the race directors) and the field is limited to about 50 runners who must have the mandatory qualifications
(minimum of 1 x 100-mile race and 1 x 100km race).
"The race was definitely challenging as it involved continuous running (as opposed to a staged race) where fatigue, cold, rain, sleet and hills were major issues that needed to be overcome. The run has about 6 000m of climbing and is a mix of road and trails."
This year was the second time he competed in the race, having finished it last year.
"I mainly focus on ultramarathon distance running. I enjoy getting out into the bushland and found that running is a good way to enjoy nature and exercise," he said.
"I've been running for about 10 years, having moved quickly from the shorter distances to ultramarathons. I find that the challenge of running long over fast is, for me, more enjoyable."