A 200 miler race does not really begin until the miler mark, half way in. Majority of DNFs across the 200 miler events occur before the 200km mark.
At Delirious, that mark would be Peaceful Bay, the second sleep station. If you beat the cutoff here, then as long as you do not lose a leg or two, you have a much improved chance of finishing the race. While I was settling into a short nap at Tree Top, I saw Jonathan coming into the aid station. Jonathan left Tree Top before me, and I ran into him again on the way to Conspicuous Cliffs. We had seen each other on and off for a few times, but that was the last time I saw him at the event. Jonathan is a tenacious runner who has many tough ultra races on his belt. This 16km segment to Conspicuous Cliffs was fast. I did not remember much about it from the 2020 event, and kept waiting for a tough section to present itself. But there were no major challenges to Conspicuous. It was a good run throughout. However, I knew the honeymoon was over. The next 140-km segments from Conspicuous to Sandpatch, with 8 aid stations in between, would be the toughest part of this race.
I felt good going into Peaceful Bay. I was surprised to see Ian who was heading out. Hours ahead of me, Ian had struck some knee trouble and was forced to slow down. Ian and I are both graduates of the Big Red Run in the Simpson desert, a wonderful event that incubated many a friendship. Ian’s partner Sue helped me get the pack organised. It was getting hot again, and Sue was kind enough to fill up my camelback and flasks with ice. The shower was refreshing, and soon I was on my way again with a healthy buffer ahead of cutoff. In front of me was sand, sand and sand. Above me was the relentless sun.