More than 5,000 runners from around Australia are preparing for the West Macs Monster trial run along the spectacular and sometimes dangerous McDonnell Ranges in Central Australia. Competitors will race one of four distances ranging between 25km and 231km – for a run equally as challenging as it is beautiful.
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00:00The majestic Trorica National Park is ground zero for one of the nation's toughest endurance
00:08races, taking hundreds of runners across the spectacular West Macdonald Ranges.
00:13This year for the first time we've got two 25k events which have sold out, the 65k sold
00:21out, the 128k sold out, there's still a few spots left in the 231.
00:26Alice Springs local Lockydonchi is lacing up for the longest race.
00:31In the Sonder Monster he'll cover a gruelling 231km in under 60 hours.
00:38You're almost kicking rocks every second step so there's not really a part of the trail
00:42where you can let your guard down, you always got to be watching where your feet are and
00:47on the ball.
00:48Competitors face flies, dehydration and chilly overnight lows.
00:53Here at Simpsons Gap on the Larrapinta Trail it's only about 25km to the finish line but
00:59just as importantly there'll be an aid station here to help out exhausted competitors and
01:05it's run by volunteers.
01:07Around 150 people have put up their hand to help out.
01:12Coming back as a volunteer and as a race director it's just my way of giving back and saying thank
01:15you to all the people who've given up time for me as a competitor in the past three times
01:21that I've run the race.
01:21And like most events in Central Australia they don't happen without really committed volunteers.
01:28The landmark event provides a much needed tourism boost for the struggling regional town.
01:33I love that we can really challenge some stereotypes and be, I suppose, go against the grain of
01:39a national narrative, yeah which is, I suppose, sells Central Australia so short of the incredible
01:46place it actually is.
01:47A beautiful race in a beautiful community.
01:51in Madrid there we've experienced that is, that's one of the largest Gotongese
01:59and that there's a few people who have stayed in Tisch at left, but nobody wants to
02:02go to蛇行pa and do it all the way yourself because knowing that's what you want to do.
02:05Now, take advantage of your getting ready for the entire city, the mostlıkworks
02:08be asked to ride up your peninsula in the future.
02:11And that's what we want to go on.
02:13This is a new end of this.
02:17Most of the city is a new day, a new example.