Marathon walk 2013

Well, we did it! Actually, we blitzed it! We covered the 37 km in 8 hrs 12 mins, which is a lot faster than last years' 9 hrs 40 mins (last year's photos here and here). I was not particularly sore afterwards and felt that my training walks had well prepared my for the day. I loved it and am eager to walk again next year.

You can see our full route in zoom-able detail here (especially nice if you click on "satellite" view). And here below are a series of photos (click for larger).

The start: human being no's 888 - 891

890 Betty, 891 Mieke, 888 Kathryn and 889 Brenda set out to do the full 37 km from Ballina to Byron.

This is the cause we were supporting

Quite a crowd at the beginning

 About 1200 people took part but many stop at the 12km mark (Lennox) and 25 km (Broken Head)

Start of first headland: lovely old-world Pandanus

Looking towards Lennox

After Lennox, Seven Mile beach, the crowd well thinned

After Seven Mile Beach we headed through the serene and welcoming cool of the littoral rainforest fringing the several kilometres of Broken Head. Easy walking for me, on stones and hard-packed gravel tracks. For some reason I didn't take any photos on that stretch!

Kathryn opted for the barefoot option on the next section

We found a wee little butterfly

For Betty and myself, the Tallow's beach section was in retrospect the most tiring, with high tide driving us up into the soft sand, mulling under our feet. Kathryn wasn't looking forward to the strenuous and steep climb up Cape Byron. However, once she got there it went fine.

Tallows beach: soft sand, a hard slog!

Resting up just before climbing the Cape

I had no trouble climbing up the bush track of Cape Byron ... fairly zoomed up it. My legs like steady grip underfoot, it seems. Brenda was not far behind me and once there we waited for Betty and Kathryn.

Brenda and I wait for the others at the top

A willing tourist took a rather artistic photo of us at the top.

Woo hoo! The four of us at the top of Cape Byron. 6 km to go.

Looking down at Little Wategoe's from the Cape

Brenda on the boardwalk along the Cape Byron cliffs

Looking from Clarke's towards Byron Main Beach in the afternoon sunlight

 Around 4pm we crossed the finish line all together. Go girls!!

By then Betty's barefoot too

We did it!!!

 Thanks team. I look forward to next year!