{"id":348027,"date":"2024-05-10T22:31:56","date_gmt":"2024-05-10T12:31:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=348027"},"modified":"2024-05-10T22:31:56","modified_gmt":"2024-05-10T12:31:56","slug":"69-laps-later-and-10000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2024\/05\/10\/69-laps-later-and-10000\/","title":{"rendered":"69 Laps Later … And $10,000"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sam Harvey holds up the winner’s cheque – donated by organiser Tim Walsh – after completing 69 loops of the Dead Cow Gully Backyard Ultra Marathon (Photo: Dead Cow Gully)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

May 10, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n

New Zealand runner Sam Harvey is $10,000 richer after becoming “the last man standing” on night three of the 2024 Dead Cow Gully Backyard Ultra Marathon.<\/p>\n

Harvey completed 69 laps of the 6.7km course, running through farmland near Nanango.<\/p>\n

This is the fourth year that Dead Cow has been held on organiser Tim Walsh’s family property.<\/p>\n

This year, competitors had to deal with rain at the start of the race on Saturday morning however the weather cleared as the event continued.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Two runners started Lap 69, Harvey and Gympie runner – and 2023 Dead Cow victor – Ryan Crawford.<\/p>\n

However, a disoriented Crawford had to pull out midway through the loop, leaving Harvey to collect the winner’s cheque.<\/p>\n

2023 runner-up, Sydney runner James Blunton, pulled out on loop 63.<\/p>\n

Jane McAlpine logged the most laps by a female runner, pulling out at the end of lap 39, leaving six men to continue the battle.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Several South Burnett runners took part this year, with two completing 21 laps.<\/p>\n

Dead Cow is a gruelling test of endurance.<\/p>\n

Each competitor has 60 minutes to complete a loop or be eliminated.<\/p>\n

How they chose to complete it \u2013 running or a combination of running \/ walking \u2013 is up to them, but the quicker they complete a loop, the more rest time they can enjoy until the cow bell rings at the top of the hour for the start of the next loop.<\/p>\n

Some of the runners come well prepared, with stretcher beds as well as a race crew to keep them going hour after hour.<\/p>\n