The Bendigo Bushland Trail (BBT) is well known by runners and riders. With a few running mates recently claiming a FKT, the BBT was an attainable goal and perfect training for an upcoming event. Completing it as an unsupported run added a little more complexity with respect to topping up water - a priority given the warm conditions in Bendigo at this time of year.
Sarah and I started just before 3am on Saturday morning at White Hills Botanic Gardens (photo) and ran anticlockwise. This was the only feasible starting place at this time as the only available public water taps were along the southern part of the route. We had a map of the route from a friend who'd ridden the track several weeks before - they are also a member of the BBT committee - so we were confident of the route between the map and the signposts. We made a few little errors in the dark due to the density of tracks in some parts, but were quickly back on the right track. We arrived at Kangaroo Flat Botanic Gardens around 6:30am (photo) where we stopped to eat some food and fill up our water. From here on the track network was more familiar to both of us as we regularly run in this area. The morning started heating up as we climbed over One Tree Hill and out to the McIvor Highway. We had been moving well but the last 20km was flat and warm. We arrived back at our starting location in just over 6.5hrs.