A love for running led Shepparton man Scott Harrison to take on the longest marathon in Australia at the weekend.
The Coast to Kosciuszko ultra-marathon started in Eden, NSW on Friday, November 26, and finished 240km away at the peak of Mount Kosciuszko in the Snowy Mountains on Sunday.
“It is just for fun in a weird kind of way,” the Goulburn Valley Grammar School outdoor education teacher said.
“I’ve been enjoying ultra-marathons for a while now.”
By that, Mr Harrison is referring to the fact the ‘Coast to Kosci’ run was the 50th ultra-marathon he’s completed, and also the longest.
“It’s one of the hardest races in Australia you can do,” Mr Harrison said.
Out of 31 runners and after 33 hours running in appalling weather, he finished in 16th place.
“It wasn’t about placing for me, it was just about getting to the end,” he said.
“I just love being outdoors and love the personal challenge.”
Mr Harrison said he began running ultra-marathons in 2016, completing multiple each year to bring him to the half-century milestone.
The finish lines he has crossed include the 100 Mile (160km) Race at Falls Creek, Wilson’s Promontory 100, and the Ultra Trail Australia in the Blue Mountains — which he’s finished five times.
“I’ve been running all my life, and I’ve just moved on from marathons and on to ultra-marathons,” he said.
“It’s addictive.”
When asked if he’ll enter the ‘Coast to Kosci’ again next year, Mr Harrison said he might give it a miss.