Two of Australia’s Paris 2024 representatives Noemie Fox and Michael Roeger are preparing to tackle Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB, taking place in the Snowy Mountains from 28-30 November.
Both athletes will swap the medal high from Paris for the runner’s high in the Kosciuszko National Park.
Fox captivated the nation during her Olympic Games debut in Paris earlier this year as she won an unexpected gold medal in the brand-new kayak cross event. Competing in the individual event alongside her sister Jessica, Fox paddled her way to history as the first ever Olympic kayak cross champion.
After the gold rush she experienced during the Olympics, Fox has enjoyed switching back to her normal routines over the past few months – albeit with training for a 30km trail race thrown into the mix. Luckily, the 27-year-old lives in the trail running paradise of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales.
“It has been a bit of a whirlwind since Paris, but it’s been so nice coming back home and bumping into people that watched my race or enjoyed watching the Olympics. I’ve enjoyed getting back into a routine, finding stability again and enjoying all the little things I didn’t get to do while overseas preparing, like going to coffee with friends and regularly joining the run clubs,” said Fox.
“Living in the Blue Mountains definitely makes it easier to train for a trail race when there are so many good tracks at your doorstep. There’s a 10km loop from my home to a beautiful lookout in Glenbrook that has some really good fire trails, technical trails and steep stairs, so I’m trying to pump that out a bit before Kosci. I feel so lucky to have so many beautiful trails that are so close and easily accessible. There’s still a lot of trails I haven’t done in the Blue Mountains and the goal is to also do Ultra-Trail Australia one day too,” she said.
Fox is preparing to tackle Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB for the second time, having completed the 27km race last year. After such an enjoyable experience, Fox can’t wait to return to the Snowy Mountains trails.
“I love that trail running is also a sport that’s out in nature. It helps me discover new beautiful spots and trails that I never would have gone to otherwise. That was the case for Kosci, it was such a beautiful and enjoyable track. It was my first trail event and there was such a special and supportive vibe and community, I loved it,” she said.
“I got such a buzz from the start line last year, there was such a great vibe even at 6:00am. I just loved how everyone had their own challenge and objective they were tackling but we were all in it together supporting each other. I’m excited to be racing the 30km race this year, to meet Lucy Bartholomew [Australian professional ultra runner], and to just be in that atmosphere again.”
While trail running and kayaking might seem like two very different sports, Fox says there are plenty of mental synergies that can be applied from one to the other.
“Although kayaking and trail running are very different sports, there’s definitely some parallels. Both sports are outdoors, playing with the elements. In kayaking, one mental strength I’ve developed is really staying present in the moment and trying to find that state of flow. This is definitely a strategy I’ll be trying to transfer onto the trail. It can be really easy to get caught up on how many kilometres are left and feel discouraged. Staying present, focusing on my form and enjoying the views will be my race strategy,” said Fox.
Like Fox, Michael Roeger claimed a medal in Paris and is set to tackle the trails of Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB in just over a weeks’ time.
Roeger is a five-time Paralympian and recently achieved a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games in the 1500m – T46 to add to his impressive collection, which also includes a bronze medal from the Rio 2016 Paralympics and seven World Championships medals.
“The first few weeks after Paris were a whirlwind, so many commitments with different media outlets and things like that, it was pretty crazy, but I was very grateful for all the support. I’m only just getting back into the swing of normal life now. Paris was a crazy ride, I feel so grateful to have shared it with my partner Lauren and my twin brother and his family who were all in the stadium,” said Roeger.
“It has been really nice over the last month to have the goal of Kosci there. Usually, it’s such a high-pressure system we are in and the focus on representing your country and chasing times is really important. Now the goal with this challenge will be to survive and hopefully make the finish. It does scare me – in a good way.”
Never one to shy away from a challenge, Roeger is preparing to take on the 100km race at Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB.
Roeger caught the trail running bug last year when he helped pace his twin brother at a race in South Australia. Then, after watching the live finish line stream of the 2023 Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB and knowing he would need a big goal after the Paralympics, Roeger committed to being on the start line himself in 2024.
“Wow, 1500m to 100km. To be honest, I wanted to do a distance that scares me, something that I don’t even know is possible and may still not be possible. It had to be the 100km and throw in the elevation, this is a big challenge. I’m excited, intrigued and fascinated,” he said.
“It’s been a nice change. I’m looking forward to seeing how my body goes and my mind copes, but also just the journey of the ultra race and the atmosphere of an event like Kosci, it excites me. It such a different culture than the track and roads, everyone really gets behind and supports each other. For me, I just need to make sure I make the start line and not overdo it over these next couple of weeks.”
Ultra-Trail Kosciusko by UTMB is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
For more information on Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB visit kosciuszko.utmb.world
