In nineteen eighty three, the inaugural Sydney to Melbourne Ultra Marathon was one of the world's most grueling foot races, spanning five days and eight hundred and seventy five kilometers. On the first day, the experienced competitors turned up in their name brand athletic gear and running shoes, well prepared for the long distance event, except one man named Cliff Young, who appeared to be a little out of his depth.
Cliff was a sixty one year old potato and sheep farmer from regional Victoria, and here he was at the starting line, ready to compete, wearing overalls and gum boots. Hi. Welcome to the poolroom, where we celebrate the winners, losers and the weird stuff between. Tony Armstrong. Cliff Young decided to take up running when he was fifty six years old, at a time when fun runs were just becoming popular in Australia. Cliff's first ever race was a sixteen kilometer
event in Melbourne in nineteen seventy nine. People didn't take him seriously, but he managed to complete the course in sixty four minutes. That was just the start, though Cliff entered more and more races they got longer and more difficult, but an ultra marathon would be an entirely different challenge. They're grueling, multi day races where runners only stopped to sleep. Cliff's preparation for the marathon wasn't typical for this kind
of event. Without a fitness trainer and having limited experience, he only had friends and locals from his community supporting him. Cliff's training involved jogging around his town and staying active on his farm, tending to his cows and sheep. Cliff's diet for the race was potatoes, oatmeal, pasta, and ice cream. When you're doing an ultramarathon, runners can expect all kinds of weather conditions. To do well, you need to adapt on the fly, but that usually doesn't mean running in
overalls and gum boots. When Cliff turned up on the first day of the Sydney to Melbourne race wearing his farmer's clothes, people were confused. Is this guy lost? They thought, But Cliff shrugged it off and lined up with his ten fellow runners. As the race got underway, the pack was quickly split into two groups. About twenty kilometers in, the five leading runners took a wrong turn and thended
up a kilometer off course. At this point, Cliff nearly followed them, but another runner in the second group called out to let him know he was heading the wrong way. As the evening approached on day one, most of the runners had covered about ninety kilometers before stopping for dinner and asleep, but Cliff kept going. It was around two am in the morning when he fell over and hurt his shoulder. This could have been game over for Cliff,
but fortunately the pain wasn't too bad. He finally decided to rest and grabbed some sleep in the caravan, which his support team of friends were towing behind him. Just two hours later, though Cliff was awake, one of his crew members had set the wrong time on the alarm, so Cliff was up and running again. While his competitors were sleeping. He was pushing on and even overtaking them. I'm just an old tortoise, said Cliff. I have to keep going to stay in front. As the race continued,
Cliff adapted to the conditions. He changed into a tracksuit and went through several pairs of running shoes, but still his technique and race strategy were completely out of the ordinary. Cliff realized he could survive on minimal sleep, and that gave him an edge over his competitors. Cliff also had a unique running style, which was dubbed the Cliff Young Shuffle. It was kind of a cross between a powerwalk and
a jog. No one had ever seen anything like it in a marathon before, but it appeared to help Cliff run further for longer. By day three of the race, one runner had already dropped out. Cliff was still going, though, and not only was he still going, he gained a thirty five klum a lead. I'll show these jokeers a thing or two before I reached Melbourne. He said, no one thought Cliff had a chance, but he was beginning to prove them wrong. By this point, news of his
unlikely lead began to make national headlines. He was interviewed on TV as he ran, and people lined the streets to cheer him on as he passed through towns. On day four, a second competitor withdrew nine runners remained. Cliff was still leading when he reached the town of Aubrey and decided to take a nap for a couple of hours, but he was awoken suddenly by a voice at the door of the caravan. Hello, old buddy, I've caught you sleep tight. It was one of the other runners who
had finally caught up to him. Cliff was startled. He got up immediately, quickly got dressed and started to run, determined to catch them. Eventually, his opponent needed to rest, so Cliff kept going and regained his lead. Cliff's progress was being followed very closely now, and as he approached Melbourne, he realized he'd become somewhat of a celebrity. Everyone wanted to get a glimpse of Australia's new national hero. Cliff
just smiled and waved and kept on shuffling. On the final day, Cliff passed through Melbourne as thousands lined the streets to cheer him towards the finish. Police closed off roads to clear the path, but they couldn't do much to hold back the crowds. Some locals even joined Cliff, running alongside him for moral support. Nothing could stop Cliff now. It was shortly after one pint thirty in the morning
when Cliff finally crossed the finish line. To everyone's amazement, he completed the Ultra marathon in five days fifteen hours and four minutes across the whole race, he only slept about twelve hours. A large crowd gathered for the presentation ceremony. Cliff was awarded a check for ten thousand dollars, most of which he donated to charity and gifted to his support team and other runners in the race. After the presentation, Cliff was carried off stage his legs had finally given up.
Over the following days, Cliff made endless public appearances, meeting fans and giving interviews. He assured people that success and attention would never change him. He'd go back to his normal life on the farm, and that's exactly what he did. But he also left a legacy for the sport. The Cliff Young Shuffle was recognized as a running style that expends less energy, and to this day it's the preferred
technique for long distance runners around the world. I'm Tony Armstrong and you've been listening to the poolroom and iHeart production. Catch you next time for more incredible sports yarns