Colac Six Day Race History
From AURA
Back to Colac Six Day Race
November 6th, 1982 saw little known potato farmer Cliff Young running around the Memorial Square in Colac aiming to run 1000 miles in record time. Cliff had spent months getting into peak physical condition training on roads and tracks in the Otway Ranges. Throughout the next long and lonely days he battled heat, wind and the chill during the nights only to abandon his attempt due to injury. Determined to continue running, Cliff entered the Westfield Sydney to Melbourne run in May the next year. That event saw Cliff take the lead toward the final stages and Australia saw the 62 year old shuffle his way to victory in one of the most gruelling ultramarathon races in the world. Suddenly Cliff Young was Australia's new hero.
This great win brought an awareness of ultra distance running to the public and inspired the City of Colac to stage a 1000 mile race in Cliff s honour - the 1983 Cliff Young Colac 1000. Starting in Melbourne and finishing on the Memorial Square grass, Joe Record, Sigfried Bauer, Tony Rafferty, John Connellan and, of course Cliff Young competed for twelve and a half days before Bauer emerged the winner slashing 9 hours off the previous record he already held.
Interest came from all over the world when the City of Colac announced its decision to stage a six day race. The track around Memorial Square was surveyed to 400 metres and named the Cliff Young Running Track. The 1984 Colac Ultra Marathon was born and was the only six day race in the southern hemisphere. McEwans became the first major sponsor of what is today known as the Australian Six Day Race - Colac. Fourteen entered including Yiannos Kouras and Eleanor Adams. Kouras blitzed the field setting a new world record and Eleanor Adams broke 11 world records winning the hearts of all.
1986 was Zabalo's year and 1987 Joe Record's.
In 1988 Gilbert Mainix won by 50 kms with all the field exceeding 500 kms.
Bryan Smith ran 1002 kms, 21 kms behind the world record in 1989.
1990, as in 1985 saw the race in recess.
Come 1991 Bryan Smith won on a track resembling a mud bath.
In 1992 Smith completed a hat trick of wins from a field of 20.
774km was enough for Joe Record to win for the second time in 1993.
An international runner, Anatoli Kruglikov won in 1994 with the shortest winning distance of the nine races, but for the first time ever 4 runners had the chance to win as the last day dawned.
Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Czech Republic and Hungary were the countries that runners came from for the 1996 race. 28 runners expressed interest in competing but 18 eventually faced the starter. Running on an improved track Ian Curtis from N.Z. beat George Audley from W.A.
With Cliff Young passing away in November 2003, it was decided by the race committee to rename the event as "The Cliff Young Australian 6-day race" in his memory for 2004 and the future.
