Coffee and cake or an ultramarathon? Why people run to extremes

Sally Beggs has been running for 10 hours. Traversing tough terrain since 6am, it's now late afternoon, and the downhill course allows her to pick up speed. "This race owes no-one anything," she tells herself. "No dilly dallying; I'm not allowed to stop for photos. Stop for nothing. Just keep going as fast as you can." Beggs is competing in the Grampians Peaks Trail 50-kilometre ultramarathon, and is on her way to cross the finish line in a personal best time of 10 hours and 24 minutes. Chasing a runner's high wasn't how Beggs imagined life would look in her 50s, but she, like more and more Australians, has made heading off the beaten track for hours on end her sport of choice. Beggs says when her interest in running began, she "couldn't even run to the mailbox". "My sister phoned me up and said, 'Sal, come and run a half marathon'. I actually had a cigarette in one hand and a drink in the other," she tells ABC iview's Back Roads. Unfit and overwhelmed by small decisions, Beggs took to running laps of the paddocks on her family's wool farm in regional Victoria to help escape the "craziness of the world". Now, she runs 50 kilometres on race day. An ultramarathon, or ultra, is any running race longer than a regular marathon's 42.2 kilometres. Trail runs use forest and hiking tracks rather than the road. Ultra events and trail running are seeing more sell-out events, larger participant numbers and greater diversity in entrants, according to president of the Australian Ultra and Trail Running Association (AUTRA) John Claridge. "While the sport has traditionally attracted runners in their 30s and 40s, we're seeing increasing numbers of younger adults looking for experiences beyond road running, alongside older runners who value the variety of terrain and the social nature of trail events," he says. Loading...There are events of varying lengths, from short introductory runs to the longest ultras, which exceed 300 kilometres and take days to complete. Claridge says this means there's something for all runners. "We're seeing increasing participation across different ages, abilities and backgrounds, which is helping to build a stronger and more inclusive community," he says. Unlike many sports, trail and ultra running is said to be as much about the journey as the result. "Every course is different, with changing terrain, weather and conditions, so success is often defined by completing a personal challenge rather than simply achieving a placing," Claridge says. A sense of adventure The Grampians Peaks Trail 100 Miler is right on Beggs's doorstep. It's one of more than 100 organised ultra-marathon events held across the country annually and is recognised as one of 10 World Trail Major events, alongside races in Canada, the USA, Japan, Spain and South Africa. Hosting races of varying distances, the event traverses Gariwerd/Grampians National Park from Mt Zero to Dunkeld, over tough terrain and often through tumultuous weather. The main event, the 100 miler, features 7,700 metres of elevation and is completed over four days. The 50-kilometre event is Beggs's race of choice, and it's the beauty of the outdoors that keeps her coming back for more. "I just love being in nature. I love all the surprises that you get. You never know what you're going to see," she says. Claridge says this strong connection with Australia's landscape draws people in. "People are increasingly looking for experiences that combine physical activity with time outdoors and a sense of adventure," he says. Camaraderie alongside competition Halls Gap police officer Greg Kew and his wife Nicole are self-proclaimed running addicts. They serve as each other's support crew and travel the world to participate in ultra marathons. "People go out for cake and coffee on a date. We go running," Greg Kew says. In the 2025 Grampians Peaks Trail 100 miler, they ran for almost 44 hours through wild weather and bitter cold. But on the trails, Greg Kew says people look out for each other and are mindful of the landscape. The couple are active members of the ultra and trail-running community and volunteer at local events. Claridge says members like the Kews help foster the sport's strong camaraderie between competitors. "While people challenge themselves individually, the culture of the sport is notably supportive, and that sense of belonging is something many participants talk about," he says. Not to mention the health benefits of being active. For Beggs, this has helped her kick old habits. "I've quit smoking. I used to drink a lot, and now I don't," she says. "I feel like I'm setting a better example to my boys, and I just find that it just brings me such enormous pleasure. It's a way that I recharge." Stream Back Roads free on ABC iview or watch Thursdays at 8pm on ABC TV.