Puffing Billy Fun Run

This is a 13.2km fun run where you race a steam train called Puffing Billy from Belgrave to Emerald. I've been on this train numerous times and the trip seems to take forever. I'm sure the race eventuated because someone claimed they could run to Emerald faster than the train. Elaine has raced Puffing Billy three times before, but this was going to be my first attempt.





























Parking at Belgrave is limited, so the best idea is to arrive by metropolitan train - the 8:11am Sunday morning train from Ferntree Gully was packed, I'm sure this only happens once a year. Catching the train is a good way to meet up with people before the race - we met Peter, Tanya, Sarah, Brent and Leigh (Brent's brother). It also gives you the opportunity to have a late toilet stop at the station and avoid the long toilet queues at Belgrave. It doesn't seem to matter how many times you go to the toilet at home, somehow a car trip before a race always makes you need to go again.

We hopped off the train in Belgrave about an hour before the race start (scheduled at 9:30am). It was around 8 degrees Celsius, so we were fairly rugged up. The race organisers will deliver bags to the finish line in Emerald so you can put on warm clothes after the race. But we needed to dump our bags in the truck by 9am which would leave 30 minutes of just wearing our race gear. It was a tough choice of how many clothes to leave on - not being too cold before the race or not overheating whilst running up the long hills in the race. I chose to strip down to shorts and a running singlet and went for an easy warmup run after dropping off my bag to keep warm.

All competitors were asked to assemble in their coloured groups about 15 minutes before race start. Everyone listed their 10km time on the entry form which was used to grade runners into different groups - identified by the colour of your race bib. Brent, Peter and I all had green bibs, which was the 2nd fastest group. Apparently you need a 10km time of around 37 minutes or better to get into the fastest (red) group. With 10 minutes to go, the competitors are led around the corner (theoretically staying in their groups) to line up behind the official start line where we are addressed by the race announcer standing on a fire engine. After a minute's silence in respect to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, we were introduced to the train driver and then Mike Brady sang the national anthem before the race got underway. Note that the train driver has to run to the train from the start line - about 300 metres down a steep hill.

Even though the organisers had done a great job seeding the competitors into different grades, people still move too far up towards the front for their ability (or else they lie about their 10km times). The first three kilometres were frustratingly slow as we were hemmed in behind a horde of runners who were never going to beat the first train. Going a bit slower at the start of a race can sometimes be a good thing, but it actually took more effort to work my way through the crowd - darting into small gaps and continually running the long way around to get past people. Brent was much better at threading his way through and was already out of sight within the first kilometre, whereas Peter was worse than me and probably fell 50m or so behind in the crowd.

After 3kms most of the slow runners were behind me and while the road was still reasonably crowded, it was at least travelling at a good pace so I could settle into a nice rhythm. In the early part of the race the roads are winding and undulating. My first five kilometre splits were 3m55s, 4m15s, 4m18s, 3m49s and 3m44s - noticeable difference after I cleared the slower runners, but the terrain definitely played a part in the slower 2nd and 3rd kilometres. Just after the 5km mark begins a climb that is roughly 2 kms long. For the most part it is not that steep, but the hill is quite consistent and feels like it goes on for quite a way - my 6th and 7th kilometre splits were 4m42s and 5m04s (much slower, but at the same heart rate in the low 170s). It was during this climb that I caught and passed Brent.

The run route passes either side of the railway tracks. Sometimes the train goes over a bridge, but on 4 occasions it is a level crossing. If Puffing Billy beats you to the crossing, you have to wait and watch it go past. This is part of the fun and tactics to the race. The first 3 crossings are fairly vital, if Puffing Billy gets ahead here you are highly unlikely to beat it at the finish. The 4th and final crossing can go either way.

I can't really remember where the first 3 crossings were. The early part of the race seemed to happen really quickly. Initially I was concentrating on threading my way through the crowds and then my focus shifted to my technique and breathing patterns. During this time I was amazed how quickly the kilometre markers seemed to be appearing. After we had finished climbing the big hill, we only had one more level crossing to negotiate and I was starting to get delusions of beating the train. Before the race I didn't give myself much hope, but now I was over half way, feeling good and knew I was still in front. Occasionally we would hear the train's horn, but within the forest I had no idea of how close or far away it was.

My mind was now fixated on beating the train to the last crossing. I'd been told this would pretty much ensure you would win (against the train). Unfortunately every bend in the road started to look like a potential crossing and I would surge each time only to find the tracks turned with the road. The horn was becoming more frequent and starting to sound closer and at the 8.5km mark I could see Puffing Billy approaching. It was now pretty obvious that the train would beat me to the last crossing. Still not giving up on overall victory (against the train) I tactically eased off the pace. My intention was to time it so that I'd arrive at the crossing just after Puffing Billy went past so that I would not have to stop. It was at this point that I was passed by Peter.

At the 9km mark the train had drew level beside me, but it was not actually passing. At first I thought the driver was simply teasing us, as we were running slowly up a hill (not many flat sections in this fun run), but when I looked across at the tracks I saw a 10kph speed limit sign for the train. It was like a race in slow motion, although I think the train was speeding a fraction because 10kph is 6 minutes per kilometre pace and despite the hill we were still running faster than that. In the driver's defence, I suspect it is very difficult to hold an exact speed on a steam train.

The final level crossing arrived just after the 10km mark. I could see a fair number of competitors had been caught and had to wait whilst Puffing Billy went past, but the runners were let through again just as Peter arrived. Unfortunately I backed off a little too much and was still about 100m back by this stage. In previous races (when Elaine has raced), I've caught the train as a spectator and the train has usually stopped for a fair while at the station just after the crossing (up to 5 minutes). The train was stopped at the station as I went over the crossing, but I was horrified to see it head off after only stopping for about 90 seconds. With only 3kms to go, it looked like the train was following the same route as the run. At this point I was resigned to the fact that I would not beat the train. Before the race I wasn't expecting to beat the train, but the first half of the race had gone so well I had started to believe I could.

My 8th, 9th and 10th kilometre splits were 3m55s, 4m19s & 4m37s. After running a very hilly 10km in 42m35s, I was obviously feeling a lot of fatigue. Without the lure of victory (over the train), there was simply not enough incentive to push through to the finish, so I backed off the pace and my heart rate dropped nearly 10bpm as a result. However other runners were now charging. Peter had been one of the few people to pass me in the first 10km, now there was a constant flow of people flying past. We were on a narrow trail and ironically I was now the person getting in the way of other runners. I thought all these people are idiots, there is no way they can beat the train from this position - the race is over, just give up.

I could hear the train's horn in the distance and guessed it was Puffing Billy already at the finish line giving a victory salute. But then I saw the smoke approaching from a different direction. Unbeknownst to me, the tracks take a big detour around the other side of a lake and I was still a chance. With less than a kilometre to go, I picked up my pace and gave it everything I had til the finish. Puffing Billy passed me, but I knew the driver had to stop the train, get off the platform and then run down the finish chute, so I continued running hard.

With Puffing Billy sitting on the Platform, I could hear the excitement of the assembled crowd. The commentator was talking but I couldn't make out what he was saying. There are a few twists and turns in last 100m or so and not much of it is flat either. Finally the finish line appeared and I crossed the timing mat not sure where the driver was. As I walked over to talk to Peter (who finished about 1 minute ahead of me), I heard the commentator announce the driver crossing the line - so I knew I'd WON!!! (by 13 seconds). My last 3 kilometre splits were 4m21s, 4m04s & 3m56s.

Unfortunately Brent was beaten by a few seconds - he saw the driver standing there as he crossed the line. Tanya, Sarah and Elaine all beat the second train (sometimes referred to as the women's train). Although not her fastest Puffing Billy run, this is the first time Elaine has beaten the 2nd train, so she was very happy.

Other Bayside members: Kate, Christian, Simon all had good runs but just missed out on beating the first train. Andrew and Chris (who were graded in the fastest group) beat the train convincingly with times of 49 and 52 minutes respectively - very fast (Peter was 54, I was 55 and Brent was 56 minutes). Mark just missed beating the 2nd train, but still a great effort in his first race since Ironman.

After the race there are 2 priorities: getting some warm clothes on (in the Dandenongs, it is always cold in May), and the next priority is trying to get on board the first train back to Belgrave.

Once rugged up, we all headed back to the platform ready to board the train. As you can see from the photo, the train back was pulled by a diesel instead of a steam engine, but the trip still took over 50 minutes. We had a celebratory lunch and coffee at Belgrave and then continued the celebrations later in the day at Armadale with wine tasting and then a Thai Restaurant.