Chapter Two
"The 1983 Race"
"Cliff
shuffles into History"
The first Sydney to Melbourne Ultra
Marathon commenced on 27th April 1983 at Parramatta Westfield
Shopping Centre. The starter’s gun was fired at 1030 am by the NSW Premier, Mr
Neville Wran. The race received strong publicity before the start. There were
thousands of people lining the course over the first few miles to see the
eleven runners in the field.
1. Tony
Rafferty – Rafferty was the best-known ultra marathoner in the field. He
ran from Sydney to Melbourne in 1972. During the seventies he also ran across
the Nullarbor and the Birdsville Track and across Australia from Fremantle to
Surfers Paradise. Just a short 6000 km! In 1978, Rafferty ran from Sydney to
Melbourne and return. He did the first leg in 8 days 17 hours and 15 minutes.
Rafferty was running a marathon a day with 20km in the morning and
20km in the afternoon. Rafferty held a chicken and champagne lunch to celebrate
the announcement of his inclusion in the race. George Perdon said "Not a
bad bloke, Tony, but it is probably best he does his celebrating before the
race".
2. George
Perdon - 58 yr old Victorian runner who held sixteen Australian ultra
records from 30 miles up to 24 hours on track and road. There had been a
rivalry between himself and Rafferty over the years. This was exposed later as
media hype to help boost paper sales. George trained for the race with three
sessions a day. He got up at 0445 hrs each day to train before starting his job
at the local Sports Store. This would be followed by a lunch and evening
training session. Perdon was completing at least 200 km a week which was quite
an incredible achievement in those days. If the weather was really bad, he
would train in the garage.
Perdon said "There is no difference between running around your
garage for a couple of hours and being out in the road where you might get wet.
One of the problems confronting runners in these long runners is monotony and
boredom. If you can run around your garage you can run anywhere".
3. Siggy
Bauer- Siggy from New Zealand was one
of the Ultra running pioneers outside Australia. He held the World 1000mile
record and was hot favourite to win .
4. Cliff
Young- Cliff is a 63-year-old Potato
farmer from Colac. He started the sport late in life. He lived on a farm during
the depression years and in a different way had been training all his life for
this grueling event.
Cliff won a 100-mile track race in Sydney in 1982 and ran 500km at
Colac in a time of 3 days 16 hours and 40 minutes. Cliff’s attempt for the race
was organised by Mike Tonkin and Terry McCarthy. Tonkin obtained vehicles from
the local Mazda dealer and McCarthy did the pub rounds in Colac collecting
cash.
Cliff and Joe Record trained together three months prior to the
race. They decided to split the $ 10 000 first prizemoney if one of them was
fortunate enough to cross the line first.
Cliff’s diet for the race was to include a high carbohydrate, high
vegetable intake of potatoes, oatmeal, honey, beans, spaghetti, pears, icecream
and pumpkin.
5. Joe
Record- Joe was an expatriate
Englishman , resident in West Australia. He won the Manly 100-mile race in 1981
and had covered 462 miles in a six-day race in France in 1982. Joe Record was
asked a few years later by Tony Rafferty "What are your lasting thoughts
of that famous race?" Joe’s reply was "I drove across the Nullarbor
in this really shonky car. I took my time. Cliff was a very easy bloke to live
with. Just no hassle. I worked out a schedule for us. We did twenty miles the
first week, thirty miles the next and then fifty miles a day." Joe had an
eccentric outlook on life and was certainly a runner that left his influence on
the race over the years.
6. Bob
Bruner- Well-known fitness crusader.
He is an ex – Canadian now living in Melbourne. Bruner had raced in thirty five
Ultras and was also a lecturer, writer, author and consultant. He claimed to
have represented Canada at soccer and boxing when he was a schoolboy. Bruner
was sponsored by the banana industry in this attempt. It was unfortunate that
Bruner was to leave his own mark on the history of the race!
7. John
Hughes- Is the second Kiwi runner in
the race. He is a policeman by profession. His media release said "Hard
line detective with the criminal investigation branch who is constantly in the
news". Hughes is the current holder of the Sydney to Melbourne record with
seven days, nine hours and forty seven minutes. Hughes was one of the favourites
to get a place in the event.
8. John
Connellan- John is twenty eight years old and was an ex – Victorian
Schoolboys Cross Country Champion. He ran three sub two hour and forty minute
Marathons in his twenties and had a unique preparation for the race.
He had all of 1982 away from running. The commitment to compete was
made at Falls Creek in January 83. Several weeks after that he was doing 150km
a week. This schedule was maintained for the next three months. Connellan had
two trials prior to the event. These included a 80km a day for three days in
February and a 110km run in March.
Ex-Olympic runner, Chris Wardlaw was
Connellan’s Manager. His masseur was Jock Plunkett. Plunkett was the same
masseur who massaged Bob Hayes (American 100m Gold winner) in the 64 Olympics.
His crew had an average Marathon time of two hours and fifteen minutes.
Connellan was the youngest and most inexperienced runner in the field. His
motivational music for the race included an hour of the ABC Victory tune from
the Brisbane Commonwealth Games. The same music was repeated for a whole hour!
This should be enough to send people to sleep, not to motivate them!
Connellan also received fluid and dietary advice from Dr Dick
Telford from the Australian Institute of Sport. Dr Peter Fuller provided the
medical expertise for his race attempt. He suggested(as a joke) a few weeks
prior to the start of the race that Connellan would be fed intravenously.
Channel Ten got hold of the story and it was headlines on the evening News.
Connellan was soon contacted by his Mum who was in a very worried state!
9. Martin
Thompson- Victorian thirty seven
year old Public servant. He had ran one hundred and ten Marathons in his life
but wasn’t expected to trouble the rest of the field as this was much further
than the traditional 42.195km.
10. Keith
Swift- Swift is a 43 year old runner
who won the Victorian 50 mile title in 1980. He wasn’t expected to have a
bearing on the outcome of the race as 50 miles wasn’t the same as the road
between Sydney and Melbourne.
11. Wal
McCrorie - Fifty two year old
ex Scottish Paratrooper, now involved in the Insurance business and living in
New South Wales. He had a complete health breakdown before running in his first
City to Surf and has been addicted to running ever since. Wal is the holder of
the Sydney to Melbourne (Princess Highway) record and isn’t likely to be
troubled by this shorter route. He could end up giving the more fancied runners
in the race a fright.
Controversy erupted before the start of the race. Australian
Athletic Union Executive Director, Rick Pannell warned the athletes who
contested the Sydney to Melbourne Marathon that they would automatically lose
their amateur status. "Win, Lose or draw, any registered amateur who races
in the event will automatically forfeit their amateur status" Pannell
said. None of the starters changed their mind and they all lined up for the
epic journey. Australian Marathon legend, Rob De Castella (Deeks) was
threatened with the same fate if he ran a couple of miles with the runners at
the start of the race.
Deeks said before the race started
"I think the prospect of getting to the stage of complete weariness and
then knowing there are days and days to go is the ultimate test of
endurance".
A press Conference was held before the
start and lasted for ever. As Joe Record said to Tony Rafferty in the March 94
issue of UltraMag "A big drag at the start listening to the dignitaries
speak. You remember. It was quite frustrating. I got guts ache"
The starter gun was fired and the runners
were on their way. Wal McCrorie. and John Hughes were in the lead. They ran a
sub three hour marathon for the first twenty kilometres. Half a dozen runners
were at the front with only two hundred metres between them. They were
McCrorie, Hughes, Thompson, Swift and Young. Wal McCrorie stated a few years
later that his pace at the start of the race cost him any chance of finishing
in the first year.
The second pack included Tony
Rafferty, George Perdon and Siggy Bauer. They were bringing up the rear at a
sensible rate. They were sitting back and waiting and showing why they were the
champions of the sport. It was half an hour into the race when George Perdon
and Siggy Bauer went after the lead pack.
John Hughes was in the lead at the
twenty three km mark. It was at this stage that Hughes took a wrong turn and
five runners followed. They were a kilometre off course when officials turned
up and pointed them the right way. After that John Hughes picked up his pace
again and went through the Marathon in a time of two hours and fifty minutes.
George Perdon did Cliff Young a favour at this stage and yelled out "Come
over here Cliffy. You’re on the wrong road".
At the 60km mark near Picton, John
Hughes and Martin Thompson were in the lead. They were averaging seven minute
miles. This was a pace that would never be achieved again during the race.
Day soon turned into evening and the
lead was still being fought between John Hughes and Martin Thompson. The
difference between first and second was as close as thirty seconds as the race
approached Mittagong.
John Connellan stopped at Mittagong
about 7pm on the first day. He had run 93km in eight hours and twenty minutes.
Connellan and crew dined at the Motel restaurant that night. They managed five
or six hours sleep before rising at 5am the next day. This piece of amateurism
was to disappear from the race over the next couple of years.
Hughes and Thompson had a six
kilometre lead from a group of runners that included Cliff Young. The leading
runners were averaging seven minute miles. George Perdon was in sixth place and
was the only competitor to have had a proper feed. Tony Rafferty was twelve
kilometres behind the leader and had not eaten or rested.
It was at two o clock in the morning
when Cliff Young fell and hurt his shoulder. The cold was his only problem and
he wasn’t in pain. It was shortly after that when Cliff came off and had a
rest. Due to a crew member not wearing his contacts, Cliff was awake two hours
later and running. This was a blessing in disguise and Cliff realized that he
could go without sleep.
The second day of the race started
and Cliff Young was the leader, as the field ran into Yass. Cliff said
"I’m just an old tortoise, I have to keep going to stay in front".
Joe Record’s reply on hearing this was "I think I can catch the old Cliff.
He says he is a tortoise but I think the old bastard is a hare in
disguise"
At the start of the second day the
news of the accident to one of Keith Swift’s crew filtered through to the rest
of the race. He was hit by a car and went to Hospital with a broken collar
bone. Westfield claimed it’s first injury!
Siggy Bauer was second and Joe Record
was third. Joe was later to describe the run as "It was a beautiful
enchanting run. Cattle strewn across the road. I ran with them. I felt like I
was going back in time". George Perdon and John Hughes were forth and
fifth respectively.
Martin Thompson was the first
withdrawal on Day Two. John Connellan’s comment on being told that Martin had
just gone by in a car was "Flag the car down I want to go with him".
At this stage of the race Connellan’s feet were covered in blisters. Vaseline
was being applied every couple of hours to his feet.
Cliff got more confident as the
second day progressed. At the three hundred kilometre mark he had a twenty nine
kilometre lead over Joe Record with Siggy Bauer and George Perdon in third and
forth.
John Connellan totalled 116km during
the second day of the race. This was in a thirteen hour period. Connellan took
his overnight stop in Gunning..
By the start of the third day, Cliff
Young had a thirty five kilometres lead. He was at Gundagai, which is only
thirty six kilometres short of the half way mark. Cliff said "I’ll show
these jokers a thing or two before I reach Melbourne" Joe Record was in
second spot, four hours behind Cliff and Siggy Bauer was holding onto third
place. Bringing up the rear was Keith Swift, who was one hundred kilometres
from the lead.
Connellan completed 111km during the
third day of the race. His walks were getting longer and he ran an extra hour
into the night.
It was at the half way mark, when the
Race Director, John Toleman tried to get Cliff Young to take a pain killing
injection for his shoulder. Cliff had a painful experience with needles in
Colac years ago and politely told Toleman and the Doctor "Thanks , but no
thanks".
It was Day four when Connellan really
started to suffer. He only managed to complete 53km and had a two hour massage
stop outside Gundagai. This did not rejuvenate him though.
Honest mistakes made by crew members
in calculating mileage’s could cause friction between the crew and the runner.
The crew for John Connellan were supplying him with drinks every two
kilometres. Vaseline and assorted medication would also be given at these
stops. From Day two onwards these stops became more frequent. These stops would
provide psychological and physical sustenance for Connellan.
Connellan’s crew soon worked out that
the hardest thing for the support crew "Was knowing what to say, what not
to say and when to keep your mouth totally shut". Chris Wardlaw was quoted
as saying "If were feeling like this – How must Blue be feeling?"
In a race of this nature, the
smallest incidents would become major catastrophes. Connellan’s back up vehicle
had a flat battery which caused an hour’s wait for sustenance. A mile long
bridge at Gundagai meant that runners would have to get over the bridge before
being attended to.
It was six hours into Day four, when
Connellan withdrew. He had been in a black hole the day before and got out of
it. He ran 373km , his feet were swollen and the chafing near his groin was
sheer agony. "How could anyone regard what he had done as a failure?"
John Connellan’s comment on finishing
the race was "I’m pulling out". One of Connellan’s crew remembers
this stage as "We were all close to that emotional edge – stressed and
tired. I felt like crying. It’s an awkward situation with a camera and sound
recording right on top of you". Connellan pulled out of the race, 15km
south of Gundagai at the Tumblong Tavern. This was good for John as he hadn’t
had a drink for two months.
Connellan was later to describe the
race with an analogy. It was eleven people hitting their heads against a brick
wall with the one that lasted the longest was the winner.
Mike Willesee made a documentary
about the race. It starred four of the runners. They were Cliff Young, Joe
Record, Bob Bruner and John Connellan.
It was at Albury when Joe Record
caught up with Cliff. It was on Sunday morning and Cliff had been asleep for an
hour and a half. Cliff was woken by a very familiar face saying "Hello Old
Buddy. I’ve caught you. Sleep tight." Joe then left the caravan and kept
running. Cliff was that startled that he got dressed and kept running at a
terrific pace to overtake Joe. Cliff’s last words to Joe were "Good luck
Joe". It was a short time later that Joe Record needed his sleep and Cliff
was left to get a good distance again between him and the rest of the field.
Joe Record remembers this part of the
race when he said at a later stage "I got Cliffy in Albury. Then shin
splints scotched it. I ran too hard down the hills. Later he got 18k in front.
He was going like the clappers."
A funnier version of this part of the
race was reported later and it goes like this: Cliff recalled "There were
a few funny moments. Joe Record, who was running second, jumped into my caravan
late one night while I was catching 40 winks. Joe asked me if I had any ice for
his sore shins. I said ‘No’ sent him back up the road to a garage, jumped out
of bed, took off and never saw him again".
Perdon, Bauer and Hughes were now
third, forth and fifth. The story of Cliff Young had sparked the imagination of
the public. Hundreds of spectators were now lining the Highway to applaud Young
and urge him towards victory. The crowd grew as Cliff shuffled towards
Melbourne. The news people were now following twenty four hours a day. His crew
tried to protect him, but Cliff realised that he was now a celebrity and he had
obligations to fill!
Joe Record pulled out of the event
with swollen ankles and a suspected kidney infection. He remembers the run as
"I had an awful time from Wodonga to Wangaratta. A totally hellish run.
Then I’d a big duel with George Perdon. I think it lasted 40k. I couldn’t let
him go. It gave me the shits. I’d come up and f****** sprint. He’d come up and
I’d go again. Then I couldn’t even walk down the hills and I said ‘stuff
it". It was a shame to see Record pull out of the event. He had trained with
Cliff Young and had definitely made the other runners ‘Sing for their
Supper".
Cliff’s Mum, Mary travelled from
Beech Forest to meet her son at the finish. It was going to be a complete
surprise for Cliff, even though Mary wasn’t sure if she should go to Melbourne
or stay at home and prepare a bed for him. Mary is very proud of her son, who
took up running at 57, but said "I hope he forgets all about it when he
gets home. It came up like that. Let'’ hope it goes away as quickly""
Cliff and his mother had not discussed prizemoney and she said "What he
does with it is his prerogative".
When Cliff reached the outskirts of
Melbourne, "Cliff’y mania had reached fever pitch. It was raining and yet
he was being cheered on by thousands of people lining the streets.
"Children, people in pyjamas, people with their family pets, joggers,
others on bicycles, cheered Cliff on towards the finish of his 875kms run from
Sydney. He waved and smiled as he kept steadily plodding shuffling on. He had
reached Melbourne – that’s all anybody cared about."
City Busker, Bert "The
Tubemaker" Nicolls, got the hopes of the crowd up, when he made a couple
of fifty metre runs down Elizabeth St. It fooled a lot of people for a few
seconds, but a cheer broke out each time.
Bert had a slightly stooped frame,
wore thick rimmed glasses, a felt cap, baggy trousers and a mauve jacket with
Anzac Day badges on his lapel. It was a passable imitation, but Bert didn’t
quite have the stamina of an Ultra Marathoner. Bert said "I’d think I ‘d collapse
before I got to Richmond. I’ve got a double hernia, I’m deaf in one ear and I’m
three quarters blind in my right eye".
Bert’s furthest physical adventure in
life was years ago when he walked from Melbourne to Woodend. He thought he was
on the Hume Highway to Sydney, so he turned around back to the City.
Cliff reached the General Post office
just before midnight. Police estimated that there were 5000 people lining the
streets. All the police could do was stop the traffic and watch the amazing scenes
in front of them. Cliff’s comment on all the people lining the road and waving
was "I’d hate to be royalty". His nearest rival, George Perdon was
forty kilometres behind him. There was no way that Cliff was going to lose, as
the crowds continued to grow and Cliff was urged to victory.
Cliff kept going towards Doncaster.
He was joined by thirty young joggers for the last final stretch. One of the
runners was very enthusiastic and tried a bit too hard to fire Cliff for the
homeward stretch. Cliff was fired up ready to do something else to the young
fella! His comments were a bit much after Cliff had travelled all that way.
It was a long time since Australia
had a real hero to cheer. This 61 year old potato farmer from Colac, Victoria
had endeared himself to the hearts, minds and souls of the average Australian.
They desperately needed good news instead of the endless violence that was
usually fed to them by the Australian media.
One spectator said "Are they
going to knight him or give him a medal?"
It was shortly after 130am in the
morning when Cliff crossed the finishing Line. It was five days, fifteen hours
and four minutes since he had left Sydney. He was greeted by his mother who
said "Well done son!" He had run for over one hundred and thirty five
hours and had averaged just over six kilometres per hour. Cliff Young had
existed on only 12 hours sleep during the past six days and had used ten pairs
of shoes during the race.
Tony Rafferty remembers the end of
the 83 Westfield "I was out on the Highway in sixth place listening to his
arrival on my headset radio as I trundled onto the finish. The night sky was
lit up with searchlights and media light bulbs attracting people out of their
homes. And Cliff shuffled in to be mobbed by well wishers".
After the presentation ceremony,
Cliff was carried off the stage. His legs realised that they didn’t have to
move another inch and they buckled underneath him. He slept that night in a bed
that was set up at the shopping centre.
Five more runners were to finish over
the next day and a half. They were George Perdon, Ziggy Bauer, John Hughes,
Tony Rafferty and Bob Bruner. They had all beaten the previous race record held
by John Hughes, but the whole of Australia only wanted to meet one man and that
was, Cliff Young. "After five hours deep sleep, Cliff was up to face the
press and TV Cameras, spending the rest of the day giving interviews."
The morning after Cliff finished his
great run, he tucked into three plates of eggs on toast and said to the media
"It won’t alter me. It won’t make any difference to me. I’m sure".
Cliff spent the next couple of days
giving media interviews and meeting the public. All of Australia was impressed
by his humility and gentle good humour. He even received a congratulatory
telegram from the Australian Prime Minister, Bob Hawke that said "All
Australians join me in congratulating you on a truly remarkable
achievement".
Cliff was signed with Westfield to do
40 appearances in the next twelve months at various shopping centres through
out Australia. This association became an ongoing one for the next ten years.
Young’s manager, Mike Tonkin was
interviewed after the race and said "It was determination to last the
distance that won the Sydney to Melbourne race". He was asked about
Cliff’s sleep patterns and had this to say "It was all his own idea not to
sleep. We thought he was mad". "But he’s really strongminded so I
said let him go – he will either win or collapse".
Mike Tonkin was also interviewed by
"The Age" about Cliff’s money making potential and had several
interesting quotes to say:
"He has got
to get his body right and get himself back together. He has been high from the
excitement – now he is starting to feel the pain".
"Cliffy is
someone who could be used to make $ 100 000 this year no doubt about
that."
"The
decision has got to be made wether to go for the money and I will do exactly
what Cliffy wants. If he wants to make money it is possible to arrange
it".
"I can’t
say how much is involved. But we haven’t turned our backs on anything".
"I know
people could manage him and make more money than me, but there is no one in the
world who could help him to do what he wants more than me. You know, Cliffy
lives son $2 000 a year – he doesn’t really need $ 100 000".
John Toleman was also asked about
managing Cliff Young and said "A lot of people spoke to me about handling
him. Nobody could anticipate what has happened. Cliff is seeing more money now
than he has ever seen in his life. Mike Tonkin has had so many calls he is
running out of paper."
The Mayor of Colac, Cr Pat Gimble ,
said about Cliff’s victory " You can bet it will be the biggest welcome
home since our Diggers came home from the war. We don’t know what we will be
doing yet, but whatever it is everyone will be involved."
Colac Garage owner, Mike Ryan, whose
staff were closely involved in Cliff’s race said "No one outside Colac
would have known the elation the community felt today. When I came back from
the war, we were given a civic reception. But the feeling then was nothing to
how we feel here today. That honest little bloke has through his own efforts
done so much to unite the country. Watching him at the finish today was more
thrilling to me than any Grand Final".
The Editor of the Colac Herald, Mr
Gary Trotter, was busy preparing a four page wrap around supplement on Cliff
and his achievement. Trotter said "It will be something our readers can
put away and keep for their grandchildren. Down here everyone loves the little
guy whose heart is as big as the trees in the rain forest where he
trains."
The unofficial Mayor of Beechforest,
Jim Pearce was ecstatic with the victory of Cliff Young. He was contacted at
the only Pub in Beechforest, where 150 locals had packed the place to celebrate
and said "He put us on the map, little Cliffy did". Mr Pearce likened
Cliffy’s victory to the clean mountain air and made comparisons with the
prolific breeding of Melbourne Cup winners in New Zealand. Jim talked about
Cliffy’s football days and described him as "Pretty slow on the ground and
sour as a horse. But speaking of horses, our lad’s got a heart like Phar Lap.
If I could get a foal out of him, I’d keep it".
Cliff was disappointed that good
friend and training partner, Joe Record had to pull out , but honoured his
promise to Joe of splitting the $ 10 000 prizemoney. How many other sportsmen
and sportswomen in today’s cash orientated society would be selfless? Cliff
even planned to split his own $ 5 000 amongst his crew and the other runners.
After the race there was talk of
Cliff having the earning potential of $100 000 a year. Cliff was quite happy
after a couple of days to retire back to his home in Colac and keep living the
simple life. Ultra- Distance running was now on the front page, Cliff was a hero
to thousands of people around Australia and the "Westfield" had
become an annual event.
Second placegetter, George Perdon was
quoted as saying tongue in cheek "He planned to retire and leave Ultra
running for the older blokes".
George Perdon was asked a few years
later by Tony Rafferty about his recollections were on the 83 Westfield. His
reply was "I thought Siggy Bauer was the man to beat. He had all the
records. It didn’t dawn on me that Cliffy would do what he did. I took seven
hour breaks the first and second night. He just slipped away."
George Perdon was to catch Siggy
Bauer 215km from the finish and ran straight to the finish at Doncaster. Siggy
Bauer was later quoted as saying "I’ve never had anyone go past me so
fast".
Cliff Young came out with a ton of
quotes during the race:
Prizemoney: "I worked out I’d be left with about
five dollars"
Publicity: "I think it will wear off in about
a week. They’ll find someone else to write about and I’ll go back and relax in
the bush among the birds".
New status: "I’d hate to be royalty. I don’t think
I am cut out to make such a public figure. I’m just a farmer really"
Motivation: "It was a personal thing. I wanted to
have a go at, so I ran the distance and beat the other runners".
Strategy: To take the lead as soon as possible –
which I managed to do on the first night. Then when ever I got word that this
or that runner was coming from behind I would speed up".
The best quote of the whole race, must go to Cliff Young’s mother:
"I’m not too pleased about all this running. I don’t think the body is
made for it. I never thought he would take up running, but when he did at 57 it
was the biggest surprise of my life"
Mrs Barbara Pack ran the publicity
for the 83 race, from a little office in Heidelberg, Melbourne. She was more or
less working the same hours as the Ultra Marathoners and her day would start
with radio interviews from the radio Stations at 0530 hrs in the morning. Mrs
Pack was 29 and had been involved in sports promotion, when she looked after the
Great Otway Classic the previous year.
Mrs Pack was surprised in the
interest that the race was generating all over the world. There had been calls
from the USA and Europe, with several people wanting to compete next year. Mrs
Pack was living in isolation for a week, which was interrupted by the constant
ringing of the telephone. She said "I never believed when the race started
it was going to be like this. The publicity it’s had is unbelievable and it’s
all due to the fact that a 61 year old spud farmer is in the lead. Hollywood
couldn’t have invented a better story line"
A couple of days after the race,
Cliff Young was rewarded with a lunchtime reception with 8000 people at the
City Square in Melbourne. The Melbourne Lord Mayor, Cr Bill Gardner, gave Cliff
the key to the City. The Victorian Premier, Mr John Cain presented Cliff with a
Special Plaque, a Victorian atlas and a VicRail Pass for twelve months free
travel.
Cliff told the eager crowd "It
is really a wonderful thing to see you all here. It was a great experience to
run along the road the other night and see the great crowd."
After the reception, Cliff and his
mother, Mary were given a tour of the Victorian Parliament by the Premier, Mr
Cain. Cliff was at his cheekiest best, sat back in the Premier’s chair ( in his
office) and said "Anybody want any problems solved?"
Cliff Young’s performance was summed
up by the Editor of the Age when his Editorial said "Sportsmen of Cliff
Young’s ilk are rare. For many of them, money is the chief attraction, the game
itself is secondary. Cliff Young didn’t run for the money. Hardly, when he had
decided, if he won to split the prizemoney with fellow competitors. No he ran
to prove something to himself. In the process he proved something to the
nation. He says of himself that the is not cut out to be a public figure. But
his amazing run has made him a folk hero nonetheless".
Sigfried Bauer from New Zealand
finished third. All the crowds had disappeared when he ran through Melbourne as
a very lonely figure. He said "All top athletes lose as many races than
they win. That’s the way it goes. If I was to worry about welcoming committees,
I’d have given up by now".
Bauer was sure that he could win the
race and said "Right up to the time I heard officially that Cliff Young
had finished, I thought I could win. His was an amazing feat. All along I was
working to a schedule thinking that he would have to finally fall back to the
field. I had to change my tactics at the end but it was too late".
The 1983 Race established a new
chapter in Australian sport. Cliff Young became an instant Australian icon with
his success and the relatively unknown sport of Ultra Marathon Running became
more widely known around the world. Eight more races were to be run over the next
eight years and eight more stories were woven into the pages of Australian
sport.
GUMBOOTS TO
GLORY
Cliff Young was a farmer
A young man at 61,
He toed the line with the
best of them,
For the Sydney to Melbourne
run,
The critics said he had no
chance,
‘Cause the pros know all the
tricks,
But they didn’t bank on the
big heart,
Of the shuffler from the
sticks.
(Chorus) I am just a farmer,
He told the cheering throng,
As he ran the line in
Melbourne,
Proving we can all be
strong,
But it won’t turn his head,
I am just a farmer,
That was all he said.
This
song was written by Allan Webster and John Hunter shortly after Cliff crossed
the Finish line. It enjoyed great popularity and was Number One around the
country for a couple of weeks.
1983
Westfield Sydney to Melbourne Results
|
PLACE |
NAME |
ORIGIN |
TIME |
HRS RAN |
AVERAGE SPEED |
|
1 |
Cliff Young |
Victoria |
5d:15h:04m |
135 |
6.04 |
|
2 |
George Perdon |
Victoria |
6d:01h:00m |
145 |
5.96 |
|
3 |
Siggy Bauer |
NZ |
6d:05h:00m |
149 |
5.08 |
|
4 |
John Hughes |
NZ |
6d:05h:49m |
150 |
5.76 |
|
5 |
Tony Rafferty |
Victoria |
7d:04h:27m |
172 |
5.02 |
|
6 |
Bob Bruner |
Victoria |
7d:07h:03m |
175 |
4.93 |
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