The Point to Pinnacle: And After

  

The P2P involves multitudes of volunteers and paid workers such as police.  The volunteers on the drink stations were all well aware and very helpful. Some of them I recognised. Thank you to all of you.

With the aid Mr Goggle I check the race results. The results give me a time of 3 hours 44 minutes and a positum of 1000. The last person came in 1004.

I have experienced everything. I’ve done it all. I have experienced all types of running. Running has helped me learn about myself.

Forty years ago, I ran a 90 minute half marathon in Pietermaritzburg. I have just finished a half marathon in 3 hours and 44 minutes.

Running has helped me learn how to be healthy. Physically, emotionally and socially.

Is it the world’s toughest half marathon?

How easy or difficult I find a race depends on my emotional, physical and social health; the weather; the food I eat before; my race plan and the course.

In the P2P I had social support and I was prepared. I knew what to expect. I had a good race plan. I ate well. Emotionally I was healthy though some people may debate this. The weather was perfect. For me the race was very steep. My legs were taken to their limits. I would say this is my steepest half M. As for toughest… 

The Point to Pinnacle: Back to the Race

 

  

I begin to catch up to walkers. The first walker I catch says to me: I’ve had enough. I’m done.

The next walker says: I’m over this.

I think: You are not over the mountain.

My running morphs into walk/run/shuffle/stumble.

Buses begin going down the mountain. A policeman says to me: Stay on the left-hand side of the road.

After about twenty kays a policeman says: We are going to finish at 11:40. If you are not at the finish then a bus will pick you up and take you down.

I decide to keep on moving. I will see where I finish up. If they take me off the road then big deal.

Surrounded by walkers the finish flags emerge.

 

The Point to Pinnacle: The Finish

 

I cross the finish line and say to the lady: I don’t know if my net time is good enough.

The lady gives me a medal and says: I am giving you a medal. Well done.

Her attitude was fantastic. Big thank you to her.

I then walk past stacks of bottled water and look for my gear bag.

A few buses wait. A man says they are all full of people; wait for the next bus.

I wear a jumper and sit on a rock. I congratulate a few people and we talk about the race.

When I ask: If you are doing to next year, they all groan and look at the sky. Nobody says can’t wait for next year.

A young guy near me says: My legs say no.

My reply is: Next week your legs will recover and your colleagues at work will say well done and you may start to think maybe…

One guy says: Not as fast as I wanted. I look around at all the exhausted legs and think. I think everybody up here would say: Not as fast as I wanted.  Everybody I see has sore legs, is wearing a medal and has learnt something about themselves.

We are all exhausted. Sitting or standing is an ordeal.

A group of schoolkids is very happy.  One of them asks me to take their photo which I am very happy to do. Their school excursion was a walk-up Mt Wellington.

Sitting on the rocks it is very windy. We ignore the view. We wait and after about half an hour a bus appears. 

We board the bus and it sways and slips down the mountain. I’ve eaten nothing but my stomach abhors the trip down. The trip down seems to last forever. Worse than the trip up. I vomit into my mouth, keep my mouth closed, swallow my feedback and feel better.

The Point to Pinnacle: The Race

  

Outside the Casino a crowd of people gathers. An invisible voice launches a series of warm-up exercises. All done with good humour. The crowd is happy, well-behaved and impatient to begin running.

I greet a few people I know from the running community.

I tell one: I would be happy to reach the pinnacle and be last one across the finish line. My aim is just to finish. Later that day I remember what I said.

Another person says: Only doing the Point to Pub.

My reply is: Don’t use the word only. The Point to Pub is an achievement you should be proud of.

The crowd inches towards the start line. I find myself at very back of the group. The race starts. The wave of runners actually running sweeps back. Eventually it reaches me and I jog carefully. I cross the start line about three minutes after the gun was fired.

 

Initially we run through the suburbs of Hobart. Traffic control people are ubiquitous. Sunday morning Hobart consists of runners, Hi-Vis jackets and unhappy motorists sitting in stationary cars.

I yell out to one of the multitudes of Hi-Vis jackets: Thank you for your work.

His reply: You are the one doing all the hard work.

Many people stand, watch and yell encouragement.  There are many young children watching.

The clouds think about showering but decide not to.

On The Mountain, I find myself running by myself surrounded by mist. The mist is spooky, beautiful and quiet.  Out of the mist emerges my favourite tree which is proudly blooming. Telopea Truncata shines brightly in the mist. I will remember that moment for ever.  

The Point to Pinnacle: The Mountain

  

Today: Us locals all call it The Mountain. We always look at The Mountain behind wisps of cloud to see how much snow is on it. We always look at The Mountain to tell us what weather is coming. 

1798: Bass and Flinders circumnavigated the island. They named Derwent River and Table Mountain.

1832: The Mountain was renamed Mt Wellington after the Duke of Wellington. He never saw The Mountain.

1895: Weather station began on the mountain.

-1900: Many recreational huts were built by the people of Hobart. Most were destroyed in 1967 by bushfires.

1934-1937: Road to the summit constructed to provide useful work for the unemployed in the Great Depression.

Recently: Some Tasmanians prefer to call The Mountain, Kunanyi. The Mountain lies somnolently. She is happy when people run, climb, walk or use her.  She is happy when people are active on her. Increasing their physical, social and emotional health.

Today:  Huts for visitors at the Springs, the Chalet and the summit.

The road is often closed above the Springs due to ice or snow.

At the summit there are transmission towers for radio and TV and a weather station.

The summit is, normally, the place for people, who brace themselves against the wind, and scurry between cars and shelters. 

The Point to Pinnacle: Before

 

I ask every runner who passes me. Are you doing the P2P?

Every runner knows of the P2P. The answers are either yes, coming up soon or no you must be kidding. It’s too tough.

My experience is it is a tough race. Doable but difficult. It is one race where your time is irrelevant. The race is so unique you cannot compare your time to any other 21 km race. Finishing is the only aim.

I train as per normal. I train on The Domain. That is hilly. I keep doing that. It’s hilly, close and pleasant. And pretty similar to the actual route.

When training I always look at The Mountain. The mountain sleeps indolently. It lies waiting and watching. It lies beneath her light covering of clouds challenging me to run up her. I can hear the somnolent mountain say: Good view from the top.

I pick up my number at a local running shop.

I notice gels.  Do I need food during the race? Do I need glucose? The packaging is professional and impressive. They must be good because they are well packaged. They might help and couldn’t harm. I buy a couple.

 

The weather on the day of the race is critical. The weather at the pinnacle is different from the weather at the point. Different worlds.

My app says Hobart Tomorrow: 8-12 am. Cloudy. Medium chance of showers. 10-20%.

Light winds. Maximum temp 21 degrees.

Mt Wellington Tomorrow: Cloudy. Medium chance of showers. 15-25%.

Light winds. Max temp 11 degrees.

After reading my weather app I devise a plan for tomorrow.

Wear normal running shorts and shirts. Don’t wear sunglasses or hearing aids. Carry a splash jacket and a cap for showers.

Place warm jacket in gear bag which I will put on when reaching the summit.  

The Point to Pinnacle

 

9/11/23 The Point to Pinnacle was run.  The Point to Pinnacle is a race from Wrest Point Casino to the pinnacle of Mt Wellington. In 2023 1000 people ran and 850 walked the complete distance of 21 kilometers. 1300 ran or walked part of the way. They stopped at the pub in Ferntree.

3150 people participated in the Point to Pinnacle in 2023.

 

Before talking about this year’s P2P we have to go back in time.

 

1968: The Labor Party, who was the governing party, asked the people of Tasmania if they wanted a legal casino.

The referendum question: Are you in favour of granting Federal Group the licence to operate a casino at Wrest Point?

Before the results of the referendum were known the Labor Government passed the bill legalising the casino.

The result of the Referendum agreed with the government.

53% voted yes.

47% voted no.

11% voted informal

Wrest Point Casino was the first legal casino in Australia. It replaced Wrest Point Hotel which was a popular and luxurious hotel built in 1939.

Wrest Point Casino is a 17-story tower topped with a revolving restaurant. The tallest building in Hobart.

1973: Wrest Point Casino opened for business.

1984: Conference Centre opened.

1996: Boardwalk began.

2017: The building was heritage listed. 

Today: The casino is an integral part of Hobart. The place for many school and community events.

Many people frequent the Casino to eat; drink; enjoy the views of the river and the mountain. Hobart is full of people who have gone to the Casino and have never gambled there.

1994: The first Point to Pinnacle fun run attracted 56 runners.

Alan Rider and Haydyn Nielson organized the initial run. The idea came to Alan Rider after walking from Lauderdale to the summit of Mt Wellington and back again.

Today: Marketed as the world’s toughest half marathon.