Whisky helps Warrnambool athlete to ultramarathon finish

The Warrnambool runner completed his Comrades virtual run on Sunday.

"It was an amazing experience, something I wouldn't have done if it weren't for Comrades being cancelled," he said.

Mast had intended to run his fourth Comrades Marathon - a 90km event - in South Africa but it was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Instead he ran his largest distance ever in the south-west, Camperdown to Warrnambool, in a time of 12:38:18 hours.

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Like many seemingly solo pursuits, it was a team effort.

Warrnambool speedster Ben Wallis accompanied Mast for 65kms of the run.

Meanwhile, Mast's workmates from Multicomm Warrnambool and Warrnambool Athletics Club members rallied around him.

Members of his mid-week running group also helped the cause.

Mast had family support with his brother Keelan joining him for the final nine kms and his daughter Jayla by his side for the final five.

He had nine people helping him toward the finish at Warrnambool Surf Life Saving Club.

"We picked up the pace with all those people around me," he said.

Even his mum and dad jumped on board using their car hazard lights to protect the group as they ran along Hopkins Point Road.

The ultramarathon runner said he valued having family members and friends share the journey with him.

"There's no way that would have happened in South Africa," he said.

The 50km mark presented a challenge for Mast.

He was concerned about losing too much body weight on the run and whipped out the scales.

"I was four and a half kilos lighter than when I started," he said.

Mast took a 20-minute break and scoffed as much food as he could.

The meal consisted of half a bag of potato chips and donuts.

"When you're doing something like (an ultramarathon), you're actually breaking all the rules of healthy eating," he said.

Mast said the aim was to consume "easy fuel" and eat food with different textures.

He said chips provided salt, sports drinks and coke helped with sugar while caffeine helped with digestion.

Bananas, lollies, chocolate bars, vitamins and sports energy gels were also among the long list of foods he also consumed during the run.

Mast was able to recover the weight he lost and ended up finishing the run just 100 grams lighter than when he started.

The shot of whisky came at the 70km mark.

"If you get a nice whisky, it warms you up," he said.

The Warrnambool runner certainly needed warmth when he took the wet, wild and windy route from Childers Cove to Lake Gillear on Sunday.

As for injuries, Mast escaped with a swollen left ankle and chafing from his backpack.