Broadford to Yea marathon

This event began as a weekend walk in 1966 then, in 1976 I thought that it would be a challenge to do the distance of 50 kilometres in a day and altered the route a little to make it more suitable for running.

The approximate route of the traverse is: east out of Broadford crossing several creeks to the spurs leading to One Tree Hill on the slopes of Mt Tallarook, across the grain of the land to King Parrot Creek, a stiff climb to Mt Marianne, along the Yea Spur for a few miles and then along a valley for some distance before climbing Mt Jimmy, then down off Mt Jimmy for the 6.4 kilometre run into Yea.

In the early years of the event transport to Broadford and home from Yea was by train and we had to carry our change of footwear and clothes with us. When the Mansfield line was closed we travelled there and back in Gronow's van and later in our own van.

The first trip was the slowest trip ever and we just made it in time to catch the 8.05 p.m. train out of Yea. On Sunday, 1 September 1991 four of us left Broadford at 10.15 a.m. and arrived in Yea after 4 p.m. We all finished feeling well, but much better again after a hot shower and afternoon tea at the Yea hospital, courtesy of the matron and nursing staff.

Mike Griffin, who was on the Walks Subcommittee at the time the event started, graded it 'tough'. It wasn't until he took up long-distance running and participated in the Broady-Yea run that he realised how accurate this assessment had been. He became a regular runner in the event for a few years.

The group has never been large; after all, only a few Bushies are long-distance runners as well as walkers. However, there have been some fine athletes on these trips.

It is incredible that only one person has been injured over the 25-year period to 1991. Alex Farcas suffered a badly sprained ankle, which later put him out of action for a couple of months. However he was able to hobble to a road where we picked him up a few hours later.

The rules are as tough as the terrain, for if a runner breaks down and cannot keep up a reasonable pace, he is left and has to find his own way back to Melbourne or to Yea where he can catch the van with the rest of the group. However only three runners have broken down on the traverse.

A very important member of the Broadford-Yea group has been the Club's excellent van driver, Denis Barson, who would wait for us in Yea. Often he would walk and climb the four miles from Yea township to the