A Mount Isa athlete is taking on Victoria's high country this weekend, participating in the Buffalo Stampede Ultra Skymarathon.
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Alison Whitehead will travel to Bright, Victoria to take part in three day grand slam, including a 10 kilometre race on Friday (April 9), 75km on Saturday and 42km on Sunday.
SkyRace is technically known as any race that involves "running in the mountains above 2,000m altitude where the climbing difficulty does not exceed II degree grade and the incline is over 30 per cent".
Ms Whitehead said she had participated in the 75km SkyRun six years ago, but never the full weekend of races.
"I have done the 75km before and it hurt like anything, and harder than any 100km runs I have done, she said.
"My first year I completed the 75km in 13 hours, 11 minutes and it's a 17 hour cut off, so I just want to be able to finish and still compete in the 45km on Sunday.
"There are some really difficult verts in these races. My first year 1km took me 18 minutes, it's got a 35 percent gradient."
Ms Whitehead said she needed to challenge herself to push harder into her training.
"If I've done something before it doesn't scare me enough to train, so I always need to be scared and push myself, hence I am doing the three events," she said.
"For training I've just been doing the usual Telstra Hill repeats and Pamela Street Hill repeats and they are so much shorter and nowhere near as steep, but you train with what you've got."
Ms Whitehead said she entered in the Skymarathon grand slam last year but COVID-19 put a stop to the event.
"I entered last year, which didn't go ahead but the entries were transferred to this year, so I am still taking part.
"I am really excited to be heading back, I feel like I am prepared for it. I am looking forward to getting back into the mountains in the Mount Buffalo area where this is held."
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