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Jesse Dale Riley's low-key Trans-Australia race

So far the following runners have expressed an interest: Don Winkley, Corpus Christi, Texas, USA; Marty Sprengelmeyer, Davenport, Iowa, USA; Patricia Tomada, Denver, Colorado, USA; Teri Hayes, Kapuaa, Haawaii, USA; Tim Corcoran, South Bend, Indiana, USA: and Christopher Rochette, Dijon, France. For further information, write to Jesse Dale Riley, 614 Dey Street, Florida USA 33040. Phone: + 305 745-8241.

If all goes well, he hopes to follow up with a similar Trans South Africa race in 1999, a Trans South America race in 2000 and a North-to-South Trans America race in 2001.

Trans Australia Race - By Jesse Dale Riley

The race will start in Perth at noon on Saturday, 8 August 1998 and finish in Sydney on Sunday, 11 October. Each days run will cover a predetermined distance, averaging 60km (37.3mi) with a cutoff of 5.6km / hour (3.5mph). Hence on a typical stage of 60km each runner would have a maximum allowed time of 10 hours, 43 minutes to complete the course. Runners will be on their honor to accurately record their own times each day and give this information to the race director. Runners failing to make the cutoff will still be allowed to continue running on subsequent days with approval of the race director but will not be counted as official finishers. Please note that I will be an entrant in the race as well as race director. Each runner's daily times will be added together and the winner will be the runner with the lowest cumulative time at Sydney. Thus it is a stage race similar to the Tour de France.

The course follows major paved highways out of Perth until we reach Kalgoorlie, where the main roads diverge north and south but we continue fairly straight on the four-wheel-drive dirt road that follows the Indian-Pacific Railroad directly across the Nullarbor Plain, saving about 150km. 1400km later we rejoin main roads at Glendambo and head toward Sydney via Port August, Broken Hill, and Nyngan. You will need a four-wheel-drive vehicle such as a Toyota Landcruiser for your crew. You will need complete camping gear as indoor lodging will be unavailable most nights. Where lodging is available, either at the finish or within driving distance, we will run shorter stages (45km. For example) to maximize our time in civilization. We will run longer stages (75km, for example)on camping days. Also, there will be more short stages in the run to help acclimate the runners and crews. Gasoline and water are available at fairly regular intervals along the route but obtaining other supplies and services will require planning and cooperation by all the runners and crews.

The weather should be nearly ideal for the running, with daytime maximum temperatures averaging about 18° C. (64°F.) at the start, rising to 24° C. (75°F.) by the end of the race and overnight minimum temperatures about 11° C. (20°F.) lower than the daytime maximum. Low humidity and plenty of sunshine are normal. The scenery is said to be extremely boring in the middle section of desert, however - mostly flat with few landmarks. At one point the railroad we follow runs perfectly straight for over 450km (almost 300 miles), longest in the world.

The course will not be measured and mapped out in final detail until I arrive in Sydney and drive across Perth a week or two before the start. The day before the start - Friday, 7 August - there will be a pre-race meeting at 6 p.m., location to be announced later (probably a site at a beachfront hotel near where we can make a starting line). Refreshments will be served, attendance is not mandatory. Each day, one hour before the start, there will be an informal meeting. Attendance is not mandatory. This meeting will be an opportunity to share breakfast together, socialize, discuss the course ahead and address concerns or questions that anyone may have. The starting time of the run will vary each day but will generally be around 10am, with the meeting at 9am.

In addition to this general information, here are some specific points to consider in deciding whether to enter the race:

• I will be renting a two-way radio that has 24-hour contact with emergency personnel. These radios rent for about $40. (US) per week in Austrailia if you wish to have one of your own.
• I may limit entries if too many runners enter.
• This race has no sanction, no permits, no insurance, no sponsors and no publicity apparatus. Consequently all runners and crews must follow the laws of the land and will receive no special treatment from local authorities.
• Some days may be "show" stages (no racing allowed), particulary in Perth, Sydney, and other population centers with a lot of vehicular traffic.
• No runners are officially entered in the race until they complete and sign the attached entry form, send it to me and receive a notice of acceptance from me by return mail.

All runners must have crews to support them but sharing a crew is OK. Runners who wish to share my crew should stay in close contact with me regarding the cost and what level of support they can expect (it will not be a luxurious trip). Besides a Passport and Visa, all runners should obtain an international drivers license and an internationally accepted auto-club membership such as American Automobile Association. There is no entry fee for this race and no penalty for withdrawing after entering. Thus we will not know for certain how many runners will be competing until the race actually begins. Relay teams, pacers and short-term stage runners will generally be allowed to run with us, with approval of the race director.

Besides a four-wheel-drive vehicle (I recommend renting one, which costs approximately $50 US per day), camping gear, and your personal baggage, you will need: containers to carry gasoline and water; a spare tire and emergency auto supplies; and enough leftover space to store canned goods or other non-perishable foods.

Should you forget anything, we will be within easy driving distance of Perth for the first four days.

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