Brunswick Remedial Massage: Cliff Young “shuffles” from Sydney to Melbourne

His step is extra a shuffle than a jog and he runs in lengthy trousers to minimize the danger of worsening pores and skin most cancers.

However there he was final night time inexorably making his means in direction of Melbourne, 35 kilometres in entrance of his nearest rival within the Sydney to Melbourne ultramarathon.

The purpose is that these variations do not rely. Mr Younger is main the fancied runners due to what issues in such a race: the person appears to have the ability to do with out sleep and has the stamina of a Zulu warrior.

Whereas others are pressured to relaxation, Cliff Younger simply retains going. “I am simply an outdated tortoise,” he stated yesterday. “I’ve to maintain going to remain in entrance.” The tortoise might be $10,000 richer if he can just do that.

Mr Younger started what he hopes might be his ultimate leg at 2 am yesterday. That was at Albury, the place he ”snoozed off for a few hours”, to be woke up to the information that the West Australian, Joe File, had closed the hole.

Cliff Young on his way to Melbourne. — Cliff Younger on his approach to Melbourne.Credit score:The Age Archives

“After I heard that, I bolted,” Mr Younger stated. And bolt he did.

By the point Mr File — 20 years junior to Mr Younger — had left Wangaratta at 6.30 pm, Mr Younger had already loved a hero’s welcome at Benalla.

Mr Younger stated he hoped to achieve the end at Doncaster Shoppingtown by late tonight, requiring that he run continuous for 2 days from Albury to Melborne. He can have lined the 875 kilometres in 5½ days.

Cliff Younger is a shuffling commercial for the wonders of vegetarian life and maybe even bachelorhood.

He adopted a strict weight-reduction plan of cereals and fruit 12 years in the past when dairying at Beech Forest, the place he’s proud to have been “born and bred”, and the place he nonetheless lives together with his 89-year-old mom. She nonetheless cuts firewood with a bowsaw.

It was on the identical time that Younger started his working and believes the rugged Otway terrain has given him the sting on this race.

Grandma lived to 101 and Mr Younger tells these ready to hear that “the key to an extended life is preserved pears and jogging”.

“It certain beats having a drink within the pub.”

Cliff YoungerCredit score:The Age Archives

Was this his longest run? “Oh yeah, however I did run 500 miles at Colac as soon as attempting to beat the world report of 1000 miles,” he stated. “My shoulder packed it in.”

Final night time Mr File, who turns 42 on Wednesday, was presenting Mr Younger’s most critical problem. “I feel I can catch outdated Cliff,” he stated. “He says he is a tortoise however I feel the outdated bastard is a hare in disguise.”

However Mr File has his issues. Acute shin soreness, the results of a tough night time’s pounding to catch Mr Younger on Sunday morning, has taken its toll on Mr File’s tempo. And there are different indicators, too. In keeping with his again up crew, Mr File, a happy-go-lucky character away from the highway, will get himself in knots with the strain of such a race.

In third place was Melbourne sports activities retailer worker George Perdon, 58.