The Old Ghost Ultra – A Definitive Racer’s Guide

I’ve raced the Old Ghost Ultra a few times now and my entire contribution to the race has consisted of undying proclamations of my perennial man crush on race director Phil Rossiter. A buddy (thanks, Jamie!) suggested that I might have something slightly more productive to offer and that I should write a race guide in the spirit of Matt Bixley’s famous Kepler guide. While I can’t guarantee how useful this will be, I decided to spend a few hours jotting down a few of my thoughts anyway – hopefully it proves useful to someone.

The race briefing

The race briefing occurs the night before the race. It’s a classic and, since it’s compulsory, you’re all going to be there anyway. Just in case anyone thought it was OK to miss a race briefing, the Old Ghost one is the most entertaining hour or so you’ll spend the night before a race. Be there.

Gear

Gear choices are subjective. That said, some people like to gain the counsel of others before making choices so here are my thoughts:

• Shoes – I’ve run the Old Ghost seven times now and I’ve worn road shoes every time. Bear in mind that this is a biking track and hence reasonably smooth. It’s also reasonably hard and I’ve always felt road shoes were better suited to the event. I’ve never felt I was lacking traction at all. As always, make your own choices, I’m only one data point.
• Compulsory gear – The name says it all. Don’t be the dick who needs to be helicoptered off the course because you’ve not bought the requisite gear and have hypothermia. Yes, thus far we’ve been lucky and the race has been held in really good conditions but it’s an alpine race, run in isolated and exposed conditions. Obey the rules! That said, lightweight gear is fine – so long as your jacket is seam sealed, you can get away with an ultra-lightweight shell. A buff is enough to meet the minimum for head covering and it works well. I’m not a big trucker’s cap sort of guy but every year I wear a cap for the Old Ghost, for some reason it’s a race that suits caps – who knows why?
• Nutrition – Again this is totally subjective. That said, the aid stations at OGU are really good so you could comfortably rely on liquid calories in your race vest. Personally, I go with Tailwind and just have the odd lolly at aid stations.
• Race vest – I own a company that makes outdoor gear. Despite that I actually use a race vest for OGU. They’re light, tight and have a gazillion pockets. It’s not a must-have but if you have some spare cash, invest in one.
• Poles – I’ve never used poles at OGU but the legendary Bernard Robinson who has beaten me every year does so that goes to prove that I’m not a very fast learner. What I will say is that you need to be comfortable moving fast with poles if you’re going to have them. I’d suggest they’re probably only useful from Stern Valley on. If you’re a Euro skimo God who was born using poles, have at it. If you’ve not used them before, I’d advise not bothering.
• GPS – Everyone uses one and every single one measures wrong. OGU has trail markers counting down every kilometre to the end (and, if you’re like me, you’ll try and ignore them since they become a bit demoralising). Don’t obsess over your watch, find other things to look at.
• Chafing – Is real. Vaseline, Gurney Goo or your mum’s lard. Whatever works for you, smother it on well.
• Drop bags – I never do, many people swear by them. If you want to pick something up at halfway go for your life but just remember it has to be flown in and retrieved by helicopter so consider whether you really need to.
• Aid stations – If you’re gunning for a time, aid stations are where you can lose a heap of precious seconds. My personal strategy is to never sit down and beyond a few seconds finding out what’s happening at the front of the race, I make my aid station stops very short (a minute or two at most).

The race itself

Start – More technical than it sounds, you have some strategy to think about here. The first kilometre is flat/downhill and pretty wide. If you’re gunning for a good time (say sub nine hours) it pays to go a little faster here than you would otherwise to avoid congestion when you hit the singletrack and first of the bridges a couple of km in. If you’re ambling and just after a finish (go you!) then enjoy the chance to slowly get into a rhythm and let the others run off in the distance

County Hill (3km) – Squadrun founder and everyone’s buddy Ali Pottinger has renamed this hill without the “O.” It’s short but it’s also sharp. It also comes within a few km of the start before you’ve really settled into a rhythm. A couple of times I’ve stepped off the trail going up County Hill to let others pass. Both times my son has passed by, looked at me and asked me if I’m serious. On both of those occasions, I ended up finishing with him at the end. What this tells you is that:

1. Sometimes Old Bulls can teach Young Bulls a thing or two
2. Walking County Hill isn’t likely to crush your OGU ambitions. Relax, it’s still early

County Hill to Specimen Point (3km to 17km)  – This section is nicely runnable and it’s dark for much of the way so there’s nothing to side-track you. By about 5km you should have settled into your rhythm and have found a group of runners of similar pace. The likelihood is that you’ll be with these folks for the next few hours so make sure you say hello. In this section you can somewhat glide and it can’t be underestimated how much energy you can save by choosing a good pace bunch and letting others set the tempo.

If you’re feeling over-extended in this section, you’re probably going too hard and should button off. That said, and as something of a counter to the “go easy in the first quarter” strategy, if you want to set a PB in the OGU, this is where you stake your claim. Five minutes faster in the first 20km can miraculously turn into 45 minutes faster overall. You don’t want to overdo it and blow, but if you know your body, this is the section where you can get a bit closer to the edge. Base rules:

• If you just want to finish, this legm should be run conservatively. You should be able to have a reasonable conversation with your running mates
• If you’re looking to set a PB, and want to give what is possible a nudge, then feel free to go a bit harder here. Not anaerobic, but ever so slightly uncomfortable
• If you’re Ruth Croft or Matt Flaherty then you sure as hell don’t need any advice from me.

Specimen Point to Stern Valley (17km to 42km) – Anyone who has done a road marathon will tell you that the second half feels WAY different from the first half. The same goes for the roughly marathon distance from the start of OGU to Stern Valley. The second half of what is the first half of the race (maybe the second quarter is a better way of putting it) feels longer than it is. Fatigue starts to hit here.

From Specimen Point you continue on some lovely single-track and wind your way through lovely podocarp forest (that you’ll likely totally ignore). Things get a bit strung out in this section and you’ll tend to be running on your own or in smaller groups than at the start. Watch you footing since the hand cut timbers that help bikers with drainage sometimes stick out a bit. It’s a section to regroup and ensure you’re keeping hydrated (since almost everyone gets a little bit forgetful on the nutrition front in the first hour or two of the race.)

At about the 30km mark things start heading up and you begin the climb to Solemn Saddle. The climb to Hanging Judge looks worse than it is so don’t be demoralised when you see it. Just keep a steady pace and you’ll be fine. This is an area where individual strengths come to the fore. I’ve seen strong road runners do really well until here and then suffer as the course heads uphill. On the other hand, many trail runners who don’t like the flat only come into their own when the trail heads verty. Either way, the section is fairly runnable but unless you’re in the elite camp, you probably don’t need to get stressed too much about walking extended sections of it. The scenery is pretty spectacular and it’s a nice place to catch your breath.

Once over Solemn Saddle you still have a few kilometres till Stern Valley – don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re already there. You’ve got the descent of the Boneyard (smile for the photographer!), the lakes to run past and then a few kilometres (which I always find interminably long) till the aid station.

You’re half way into the race at this point and starting to tire so don’t overdo things. It’s easy to inadvertently trip up and bruise your body and confidence. Take these few kilometres to have a think about what you want to achieve at the aid station and what you need to do. Suss out your nutrition replenishment strategy and anything you need to get from your drop bag. The aid station crew will have your drop bag ready and waiting for you so be prepared.

Stern Valley to the Skyline Steps (42km to 51km) – You’re now over half way through the race so either you’re feeling good having “broken the back of it,” or you’re wondering about your life choices and contemplating having a quiet pity party. Good news: in the OGU there is no bail out options so unless you’re really sick or really injured, you’re going to have to keep putting one foot in front of the other until the end. The sooner you get going the sooner the pain will be over so have at it.

After crossing the bridge just after Stern Valley, you’ve got around 9kms until the infamous Skyline Steps. In theory, 9kms is easy and untaxing. In practice you have 40+ kms in your legs and you’re quietly freaking out about what is soon to come. 

I’m guilty of having walked much of this section, even the year I finished with a time a smidgen over eight hours. That goes to show that:

• I’m a bit of a wuss and should dig deeper
• It’s a long ultra and having a bit of a walk on occasion won’t massively impact on your overall time

Some tricky bits are soon to come and this section is actually very picturesque so conserve some energy, enjoy some of the exciting food you picked up from the Stern Valley aid station and prepare for what comes next.

The Skyline Steps (51km but feels like its own marathon) – A few steps, huh? What could be hard about that? The Skyline Steps were cunningly designed so that every single step has a different rise and depth. What this means is that the organisers have gone to huge pains to ensure, through robust scientific assessment and analysis, that every single body type will have muscle cramps induced into it at some stage ascending the steps. In the defence of said steps (who, after all, are there to avoid a very steep climb), they only last a little while and the view at the top is worth it.

To be honest if you’ve trained well, paced well and hydrated properly, it is possible to get to the top of the steps feeling nothing more than a little tiredness. If that’s you – congrats!

Skyline Steps to Ghost Lake Hut (51km to 55km) – Immediately after the steps there is arguably the most technical section of the entire race – a km or so of narrow, exposed, rocky, rough terrain. Be careful since if you’re going to have a fall, this is where it will happen. There’s also some short sharp climbs here so be prepared to suffer a bit. Soon you’ll lift your eyes and in front of you, far, far in the distance and seemingly miles higher in elevation, lies Ghost Lake Hut. You’ll wonder how on earth you get from here to there but trust me, there’s a way.

After the rocky section (which even includes a bit of descent!) you’ll start the climb to Ghost Lake Hut. It’s fairly incessant and consists of a bunch of hairpin turns as you gradually gain elevation. Rumour has it that the section is runnable but mortal souls back where I run haven’t ever seen proof of it. Just get through the section knowing that there’s Coke on offer at Ghost Lake. After climbing in open country, you have the change to climbing in dense bush. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise – it still sucks. You’ll pop out at the top of the climb and run down to Ghost Lake itself (pristine, much?) before another small climb in the bush up to Ghost Lake Hut.

Participants in the first ever OGU were treated to Whitebait sandwiches at Ghost Lake Hut. It’s still talked about but in those hushed tones that indicates it may be truth or may simply be an urban legend. These days you’ll have to make do with jet planes, chips and lots and lots and lots of Coke. The 55kms or so justifies imbibing whatever gutrot you desire.

Ghost Lake Hut to Lyell Saddle (55km to 68km) – The climb from the hut up and over the ridgeline is one of the iconic sections of the course. It’s not overly steep but it is pretty hard underfoot. If you’re in any state to actually run you’ll enjoy the well-cushioned shoes you chose. Stop for a second at Heaven’s Door – it really is an incredible viewpoint. Then continue up to the highest point of the course where a shelter (with mobile phone reception, no less!) is to be found.

From here you’re downhill all the way. Firstly on exposed ridge and then, as you get lower and below the bushline, in perfect West Coast beech forest. There are a few drainage ditches and rocky patches here and you’ll be tired so watch your footing and try to remember to lift your feet.

This section is your chance to use up any energy you’ve saved and it feels really good to be able to run here. The variety of factors that come into play in an ultra will determine whether you actually can or not but if you’re going for a good time, you can make up significant chunks of it here on the descent. If you are racing against the clock, consider not stopping at the Lyell Aid Station. You’re less than 20km from the end and that 20km is all downhill. 

Lyell Saddle to Lyell (68km to 85km) – A section well known for its hilarity. I’ve had years where I’ve felt strong and have run fast the entire way. I’ve also had years where buddies have wet themselves at the sight of me suffering regular full-body cramps and lying in the middle of the track rigid. How you feel at this point comes down to training, race pace and nutrition and there’s nothing you can do about it. Only an arsehole would tell you that the reason you’re physically incapable of running is that you went out too hard – people want solutions, not problems!

All I can say is to deal with whatever the race throws at you. If you feel good – then run faster and take precious seconds off. If you feel bad then drink something, eat something and remember that you paid for this!

The section is lovely running. Predominantly smooth and soft with only one or two rockier sections. You can open up here and really carve it up (well, maybe you can. See above)

The last few kms are deceptive. You’ll likely have been looking for the countdown km markets for awhile now and in the last few kms there are a bunch of signs that can be mistaken for these markers. I’ve been guilty of getting ahead of myself and thinking I only had a km to go when in fact I had three. Suffice it to say that when you can hear the music and commentary at the Lyell DOC camping ground, you’re actually close.

The final few metres includes, for good measure, a short climb and a barrier that you need to pivot 90 degrees to get through. After 85 kilometres or so your hip flexors will very likely protest at being asked to do this but don’t worry, you’re 20 metres from the end.

The finish line – Done! Make sure you stop your watch, make sure you give Phil a big hug and make sure you make a beeline for the beer (or ginger beer for those who prefer)

Feel free to drop in any questions, thoughts or feedback and I’ll edit the document to suit. Enjoy, and see you at the race briefing!