Great Ocean Road Running Festival

The water temps in the bay dropped off fast in early May—about a month later than usual. I squeezed in one last swim without a wetsuit on the 4th, then it was back in neoprene by the 9th when the water hit 15°C (60°F).

I'd like to keep going through winter, supplemented with twice-weekly dips in the gloriously heated 50m Fitzroy Pool.

Mid-month, we escaped to the Great Ocean Road for Tom’s big running weekend. We drove to Torquay on Saturday (1.5 hours west), our first time staying overnight instead of just passing through.

The iconic surf town (home of Bells Beach, Rip Curl, and Quiksilver) greeted us with a sudden cold snap and much-needed rain.

I bundled up for an afternoon walk along the Esplanade to Rocky Point Lookout.

Cozy Italian dinner at The Pearl.

Sunday was race day, and it was my turn to spectate! The 20th Great Ocean Road Running Festival is Australia’s most scenic running event, with the GOR closed to cars for 11,000 runners across eight distances. Tom signed up for his first ultra: 60km (37 mi).

We woke up early for the hour-long drive to Lorne for an 8am start. It was cold and damp, but the energy was electric. 

After seeing Tom off, I headed to the finish in Apollo Bay. With the GOR closed for the race, I detoured through the lush Otway Ranges—familiar from cycling Amy’s Grand Fondo last spring. Rain, hills, and all.

While Tom powered through the course, I had time to explore (despite the three-hour detour). Marriners Lookout is a 3-km walk from town with stunning coastline views. The morning showers gave way to a beautiful day.

Afterwards, I grabbed lunch at Moore Cafe and hung out at the beach.

Tom crossed the finish line in 6 hours and 15 minutes—strong, tired, and straight into a cold ocean plunge!