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The Yurrebilla 56k Ultra (Y56K) is the jewel in South Australia’s trail running crown and takes in some of the state’s most picturesque near-city trails. Held each year near Adelaide where ioMerino is based, 2015 was the 9th running and attracted a record 400+ competitors.
The race itself is remarkable in that while it takes in some classic Australian native bushland and covers a grand total of 56kms in distance, it is rarely more than 15kms away from the state’s capital city - a testament to the great natural conservation in South Australia.
Another feature of the race is its ‘reverse seeding’ with slower runners starting earlier than elites, which is opposite to how most similar races are run. Usually, the elites race first to give them a clear shot at the trails, but in the Y56K elites startup to 2.5hrs behind and pass through the ranks on their way to the finish.
The race is designed this way to mix up the field and give everyone a chance to cross paths along the way, and in particular, for the mere mortals to see the elites in action as they race past. Despite much of the race being held on single trail, the spirit of the event sees slower runners making room for the faster runners as they work their way through the field.
ioMerino Outsider Sputnik who has been adventuring in Cambodia returned to Australia for the race but had a less than ideal day out on the trails.
“This really is one of my favourite races which is why I had to come back for it. It’s got a bit of everything and isn’t too extreme. The forecast was for a relatively mild 24c which was much cooler than I’d been training in over in Cambodia, so I was looking forward to a nice day out. But my training and preparation hadn’t been anywhere near enough, so I was expecting to run a pretty modest time this year” he said.
That modest time consisted of an 8:50 finish, almost two hours off his PR on the course a few years earlier.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years it’s that there’s a lot of variables in these longer races. The more time you’re out there, the more things can go wrong. I was comfortable enough in my exclusive ioMerino Altitude Tee which performed perfectly as always, but everything else from my shoes to my nutrition I struggled with and had a really tough day from about he 20km mark onwards. In the end, I was probably lucky just to finish.”
Without wanting to make Sputnik’s time look too bad (it’s a respectable enough time for a regular runner), this year saw David Byrne smash the course record with a blistering run of 4:22 while Lucy Bartholomew returned to the event after a disappointing outing in 2014 and took out the women’s field in 5:44.
Anyone looking to sample some of South Australia’s finest trail running can find details of the event here.
Keep up to date with Sputnik's adventures here.
While Merino is an amazing natural fibre, not all Merino fabrics are created equal. At ioMerino, we make our own fabrics, using only the best quality fibres, and to very specific specifications that make the most of the natural benefits of Merino. All of them are 'Merino rich’. No cheap blends passed off as Merino. No cheaper scratchy fibres or synthetic substitutes to save money. No unethical production. And each fabric is made for a specific purpose. So if you see something with a small amount of elastase or nylon added, you can be sure it absolutely needs to be there to enhance the natural stretch and durability.
It took every bit of our 140 years of experience in the wool industry to perfect our fabrics, but we think you’ll agree the end result was more than worth the effort.
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Lightweight 170gsm 96% Australian Merino Wool with 4% elastane for extra stretch and comfort. A MicroMerino® Fabric.
Lightweight 160gsm 83% Australian Merino Wool blended with 12% nylon blended for extra durability and 5% Elastane for stretch and comfort.
Midweight 265gsm 96% Australian Merino Wool with 4% elastane for extra stretch and comfort. A MicroMerino® Fabric.
Made from 45% ultra fine MERINO (Ultra Lightweight 150gsm), 45% natural TENCEL (made from sustainably grown wood fiber), and 10% nylon for extra durability.
Ultra Lightweight 150gsm 100% Australian Merino Wool. A MicroMerino® Fabric.
Midweight 280gsm 76% Australian Merino Wool, 15% Elastane and 9% Nylon for extra stretch and compression properties.
Ultra lightweight ribbed 155gsm 100% Australian Merino Wool. A MicroMerino® Fabric.
Outer Weight 280gsm Fleece 100% Australian Merino Wool. A MicroMerino® Fabric.
Midweight 260gsm 100% Australian Merino Wool. A MicroMerino® Fabric.
Midweight 260gsm waffle texture 100% Australian Merino Wool. A MicroMerino® Fabric.
Midweight 255gsm French Terry 100% Australian Merino Wool. A MicroMerino® Fabric.
