THE commitment of Millicent’s Brad Tilley can not be questioned, after he recently completed day 1000 of his 5km-a-day running challenge.
And what better way to celebrate the milestone than completing a 56km ultra marathon through the Adelaide Hills.
The Yurrebilla Trail Run is a challenging event with over 2000 metres of elevation gain over the gruelling course, but Tilley conquered the course alongside close friend Danielle Vanderheul in under seven hours.
Tilley has competed in ultra marathons for around five years now and won the 56km Tower Trail Run in 2018, while he has been committed to 5km a day for almost three years.
“I have been running ultra marathons since I finished my football career in 2014,” he said.
“In the first few years I was finding it hard to get in the required training and relying on my natural fitness.
“During the summer of 2016/17 I decided to commit to running 5km every day and the streak just never stopped.”
He began his journey with Penola’s Kate and Justin McDonald, who have now become close family friends through their shared passion.
“I did not really know Kate and Justin very well when we first started the streak,” Tilley said.
“Justin called when he heard I was starting running 5km a day to see if Kate and he could join me.
“Honestly, we thought it would last a few weeks or even a month, but never thought we’d be approaching three years.
“Over the last few years we have had some great runs together – Kate and I ran the Wonderland 36km in Halls Gap together, while Justin and I had fun at the Tower Trail Run in Mount Gambier in 2018.
“I am proud to say they are now great friends.”
It was fitting both Kate and Justin also competed in the Yurrebilla Trail Run and the trio completed their 1000th day in style with an ultra test.
Justin performed well with a top-50 finish overall in 6:26.40, while a misdirection cost Kate a top-three result in the women’s category, after her and another runner were sent down a incorrect path.
Tilley also did well to finish the event in under seven hours and while the pride of his own accomplishment is rewarding, he said it was not the highlight of this year’s Yurrebilla Trail Run.
“Some months ago I convinced my friend Dannielle Vanderheul to join me for the run,” he said.
“My pride for reaching day 1000 was insignificant compared to the pride of seeing Danni cross the finish line.
“It was her first official ultra marathon and first long run through the mountains.”
Adding to the accomplishment, Tilley now sits within reach of a top-five finish in the South Australia Five 50 Ultra Series, which is a competition made up of five ultra marathons held across the state.
“This was race four of the SA Five Ultra Series of which I have now moved into sixth place,” he said.
“The final race, the Heysen 105, will be on October 26, but I am waiting on a weather forecast to see whether I tackle the 105km or 60km option.”
While the idea of running 5km every day is certainly not for everyone, Tilley said the commitment has become easier over time.
“Physically, my body can complete 5km with relative ease,” he said.
“Also, my children are getting older and less demanding (sometimes) and my wife is understanding of the need for the running downtime.”
He also said the Millicent running community has also been a strong support, particularly during night runs.
Tilley has tackled some challenges over the 1000 days, including broken bones and surgery.
“I have had to run through some terrible weather during the Limestone Coast winters,” he said.
“I also had to run through a fractured elbow and arm surgery to remove a plate from an old football injury, which tested the logistics of maintaining the run streak.”
However, Tilley soldiered on and shows no signs of slowing down yet.
There is no denying his passion for running and he has always had an interest in the sport.
“Nowadays, the allure of running is twofold,” he said.
“Firstly, there is not many feelings better than crossing a finish line after a 50km or 100km race – the elation and sense of achievement is hard to top.
“And secondly, the downtime and relaxation I gain from my daily 5km run maintains – or at least assists – my quest to be a good dad, husband and friend.
“I liken my daily 5km run to that of someone who goes for a 25 minute walk, does yoga, reads a book or listens to music.”
With the celebration of his impressive milestone over, it is now back to business for Tilley, with two events approaching in the coming months.
He will compete in a Movember fundraiser run, which will be a 150km relay between Penola, Millicent and Mount Gambier in November, while he is also race director for the Millicent Hospital
Fete Fun Run, with 4km and 2km options on October 20.
