Peter Bannan
THE Mallee is known for its distinct lack of hilly terrain and despite this hurdle, a Swan Hill runner has finished a 102 kilometre Ultramarathon with some steep inclines in New Zealand.
Toni Gracia took on the Tarawera Ultramarathon with the course taking athletes up and down allterrain landscapes designed to test athletes.
With a roar of support surrounding her, Gracia and her daughter Ruby, 3, ran hand-in-hand toward the finish line, the culmination of a 14 and a half hour effort from the popular Voyage Gym trainer.
She started at 6am, crossing the finish line at 8.30pm meaning Gracia ran almost the distance from Swan Hill to Durham Ox — an enormous effort.
For more on this story, check out Friday’s Guardian (February 24)
