My First Technical Trail Run - 2025 Trails Plus Wonderfalls

I did my first technical trail run on Saturday 16/08/2025 at Trails+ Wonderfalls. It was epic! I started my trail running journey last year with a 5km race at the Trails+ Halloween Howler (now Heroes & Villains) on a relatively flat surface which gave me the appetite for something more technical. Did I get more than I bargained for? Read on! To skip ahead, click Trail Run or Recovery.

Preparation

I would say this stage started not too long after my first trail run in late 2025. At that time I used a Salomon Cross Season Belt which was perfect for the short distance with a small water bottle and big pocket for keys and snacks.

However with the quiet hunger for a more technical challenge building over time, I gradually armed myself with the following: 

I had the opportunity to continually wear my Salomon Advanced Skin 12 during Chill Run Crew Melbourne sessions to get a feel for the weight of at least the trail running vest with water filled Salomon 2L Reservoir (Bladder) and 2x Salomon ULTRA soft flasks.

Believe it or not, I've spent a few nights rehearsing the adaptability of my gear - especially the pulling out and putting back in of my Masters Trecime Carbon Adjustable trail running poles.

The Salomon Custom Quiver proved even at that time to be the most user friendly solution for pole storage in case a more dynamic approach was required during my upcoming technical trail run.

I found Bogong’s Adventure Workshops to be incredibly useful as well. Learning from the experience of Brand Ambassador Sia Kindberg and her friends as well as Store Owner Neil Blundy and Floor Staff proved to be equally advantageous.

It's amazing what you can take away bit by bit and apply to your own trail running journey. I highly recommend checking out our trail running blogs for more information from Sia and our other Brand Ambassadors Matt Crehan and Nicole Paton as well as Trail Run Magazine.

The day before Wonderfalls was additionally important. I was able to top-up on some gear at the last minute at Bogong Equipment - one of which was the Outdoor Research Swift Cap. A floor staff recommendation would prove to be just as invaluable as my trail running poles.

The night before was the pre-run checklist. You know what gear you have but it is beneficial to lay it all out to know what goes where and make sure nothing is left behind or to chance (including planning out the day on my phone calendar like driving, bus transfers and estimated duration of my trail run).

This was also the time to fill my hydration system. I followed the electrolyte instructions to the letter and used one of the house mixing bowls to cook up 1.25L of sweet pineapple flavoured solution. Then I used a measuring jug to fill the soft flasks.

It's awesome playing scientist with your body. Fortunately I know what I like after trying out other hydration mixes like from Skratch Labs over the years whilst working at Bogong Equipment.

I heeded the good advice to bring a change of clothes from the Trails+ Wonderfalls Runner Information Guide (read it from cover to cover, a very well put together package). I locked them away for extra security in my Tatonka duffle bag at the kit bag storage tents.

It also goes without saying but worth mentioning anyway - get a good night's sleep! I got a bit less than 8 hours as my mind was racing with excitement for the trail run and had to calm it down.

Wonderfalls

Woke up at 0600 as per my alarm and phone schedule. Quick shower only as I had my usual the night before. Light breakfast of tea, banana, crumpet with butter and Marmite. Yum yum.

0620 I'm out the door with all my gear and bags in hand. Mont drink bottle and crisps in-car for good measure when it comes to post-run recovery and returning to Melbourne - plan ahead.

Arrive 0830 at designated carpark and make way to the bus pick-up point. Having a heated bus take you to a racing site is a superb creature comfort, especially after exiting your car into 5 degrees temperature or less in Lorne.

On the bus I'm privy to pre-run conversations and the atmosphere is already electric. I had already seen the beautiful Great Ocean Road coastline being baked by the morning sun and continued to see more along the way.

I opted to get to the event site 2 hours before my trail run start time just to give myself plenty of time to chill and hang out with my fellow trail runners. If there were any nerves, they were obliterated by caring colourful courageous comradery.

We got to the event site and the location didn't disappoint. Quite the opposite in fact. Greeted by remarkable rock faces, a river and hints of a rainforest behind the soft border to the trails.

Registration was a breeze and I got mingling once settled. What I didn't expect was to see an old friend from my days learning to glide with Grampians Soaring Club in Ararat, Victoria. He was just about to start the 25km and I had to say hello!

I then enjoyed a breakfast sandwich and hash brown from the nearby food van about 1 hour or so prior to my race start. Bit cheeky but a good blend of carbs and protein for the day ahead.

A fellow trail runner in the kit bag area reminded me to double tie my shoes. Who knows what could have happened if I didn't do so. I thought of myself as being perhaps over prepared but it’s easy to miss the obvious - making sure to not let ego get in the way of good advice.

Time flies and with the final 30 minutes before my 14km trail run start (that's right, almost triple the distance from last time!), I did my 15 minute warm-up followed by the race briefing. T-minus 2 minutes after that and GO!

Trail Run

It has begun. Needless to say I'm stoked. Embarking on my most serious adventure of the year, other than trying to buy a house of course. All the preparation comes down to this and we're on our way.

The course begins with a loop around the caravan park. This allows for a bit of separation between the fastest trail runners and the rest of the pack. More so to reduce congestion on the narrow trails among other things.

What kind of trail run was I doing? Since I had next to no training in the lead up and being my first technical trail run, I went for the experiential option. The beauty of trail running is that you can do it your way and everyone still loves and respects you for it.

I won't sugar coat it. It was cold and it wasn't going to get warmer than 10 degrees, maybe 9. But that wasn't on my mind or anyone else's. We were here to trail run!

1st Quarter

The first quarter involved navigating small to large boulders with relatively flat track in-between. During this time I was able to keep up with the pack at a relatively good pace. Again captivated by the beauty of my surroundings, I started taking photos to preserve some early memories.

Then I hit the first water crossing. In the words of our race director Brett at the briefing, "you can stay dry by hopping over the rocks but you'll be wet anyway with the next two" - I went straight for the wet option!

Things got already squirrelly for me at that point. Unable to see the rocks well enough in the water, I had trouble with my footing. Fortunately out of nowhere, a mystery hand reached out for mine and helped me get to the other side. I thanked the person wholeheartedly for the assist.

Fortunately I was able to navigate the next 2 water crossings with relative ease. The first one seemed to be the most difficult by comparison.

That was until the hike.

Almost 300m of brutal muddy ascent. Fortunately I still had a fellow trail runner to keep me company. I love the colour blue and my new friend Lee was wearing a blue jacket that gave me a great marker to follow. Other than the well marked trail course.

Without hesitation, the poles came out of their house aka Salomon Custom Quiver. Through various trekking techniques I gradually made my way to the top. I opted for areas with the most traction to step on which included grasses and trodden bark.

Lee gave me some welcome encouragement and got to know that his daughter got him into trail running. Keep in mind that Lee is in his 70s, so I had no excuse but to get the job done.

I mentioned early on in this blog about the Outdoor Research Swift Cap recommendation from the floor staff at Bogong Equipment. It proved ideal in containing and/or repelling the rain which allowed me to keep focus and utilise my poles as much as possible during the ascent.

2nd Quarter

At the top was an aid station maintained by 2x well spirited volunteers. It was such a relief after such an extreme hike or at least for me. I sampled snakes, chocolate and chips. Even with my hydration system in place, the solid food was a treat and a much needed boost for the next leg.

Not sure what happened but I kind of bolted and caught up with Lee in a relatively short span of time. I think it was the chocolate. I then passed him as I found a fresh groove with newfound energy and ran with the beginning of the second quarter.

I seem to enjoy mild ascents the most. Something about going up that way is a reflection of my natural optimism. Even with the hike just passed, I embraced it and did what I had to. Then there was an unexpected descent into a valley.

I maintained form on a relatively stable section of the descent until the rest of the track was covered in red rocks and not giving me the traction I needed to go down with some speed. I chose to take the right hand side but with caution.

I made it to the next aid station and was greeted by similar goodies to the first one. It was manned by a cool trail runner recovering from injury. I was surprised as to how much energy I had expended on the way down. I also had to use the nearby toilet. Good timing after all the fluids that I had injested up to this point.

What goes down must come up! The next phase in the second quarter brings on another ascent albeit not as extreme as the first hike. I came across a trail runner who was being brought down by 2x friends with what appeared to be a twisted ankle. I offered to help but they were sorted.

The incident couldn't have happened too far up ahead on the track and soon I saw why. Very muddy! I exercised extra caution to reduce any likelihood of injury. My partner said to me the day before "we're buying a house, you can't afford to be injured".

I had short stints of running but picked my moments carefully. With the thickness of the mud and hidden and/or non-hidden obstacles, I was grateful for said moments.

Then like many of the trail runners of the day, I visited Lower Kalimna Falls. What an extra beautiful sight. I spent probably a good 15 minutes there to take it all in. There was something magical and majestic about that place. Just had to soak it in completely before moving on.

On my way to the top again for the third quarter, I took a pause to take in the sensational silence of the forest. It's an experience that you can only feel and not really put into words. After 100m give or take, I heard the most serene bird song. Perhaps that I've ever heard. I don't know the species but it was wonderful.

3rd Quarter

Once I got back to the top (although I wasn't sure until making it back to the first aid station) in the late third quarter my legs had almost nothing more to give after dealing with the most technical terrain I've come across in a trail run or life in general.

They exclaimed "no more running, we've engaged walk-speed". I was wise to listen because there was a highly technical descent coming up. At the same time, it was a bit of a shame due to the pretty flat and wide section of track up there.

It was still nice to pack the poles away even for a little while and enjoy the warmer temperature. I even opened up my jacket to let myself breathe a bit and enjoy the sunshine. Trail runners passing me say variations of "I'm doing great and to keep going". I also sincerely say the same things back.

I had a couple of Clif Bloks Energy Chews (yummy strawberry flavour) which helped me keep going around the big bend. They sure hit the spot and I was able to push on.

4th Quarter

I eventually made it back to the first aid station and readied myself for the fourth and final quarter. Last intake of snakes, chips, chocolate and addition of fabulous fruit cake. Poles redeployed. "Let's do this."

I don't know if there are any photos taken of me during this extremely difficult descent or during that first ascent but the struggle was real. Obviously with experience I could be a bit more of a Jumping Jack Flash down the mountain but that was not this day, especially with the worsened conditions by active rainfall throughout the day on that part of the course and below.

The first part of the descent was okay. Pretty straightforward with gravity doing its thing but utilising my poles as brakes to retain control of movement. I didn't want to trip or worse.

Until I got to the mid section.

Gravity is not really your friend at this point, at least for me anyway. I considered just sliding down this portion of the course but who knows what could happen. A more uncontrollable option for sure.

This is where it is not only a physical challenge but a mental one. I say to myself "this is dangerous" and think I was right. Unbeknownst to me, the sweep was not far behind. So if anything was to happen, help was around the corner. Having said that, I knew there was one person to get me down the mountain. Me.

I don't know how long it took but it was one step at a time with words of encouragement from other trail runners or sweep most likely. Again, I kept moving forward and even backwards with minor mud slippage to help me get to the next step and so on. 

My Masters Trecime Carbon Adjustable trail running poles were absolutely essential at this point. Providing much needed stability to navigate the unpredictable and even more muddier terrain than in the morning.

I eventually made it down to the first of the 3 river crossings, this time in reverse. My poles continue to serve me well and act as stabilisers in between water covered rocks whilst holding onto the rope and making it to the other side.

With the second river crossing I was too reliant on the rope and unfortunately fell in. I got myself back up shortly before the sweep appeared on the side I just came from. She asked if I was ok and I said in a calm voice "all good, I just fell in the water". I made my way to the other side and pressed on to the final river crossing.

Of all the river crossings I did today, this felt like the best one. No rope, just poles and calculated instinct. Made it across in no time at all. What I didn't realise is that what felt like light work getting to the first river crossing at the start of the race, proved more difficult on the return. I suspect it was again due to the continued rainfall throughout the day and heaps of foot traffic.

No matter. I knew it was the last stretch. Navigating the boulders and the like still required caution. There were parts of the track I could run for a bit but not much. Until the home straight.

It's an amazing feeling when you can see the event tents/marquees on the way in. You find that second wind to finish off in style and even think about your crossing the finish line pose. Or at least I did - haha.

When I crossed that finish line I felt a release of euphoria and wobbly legs. I promptly moved to the side for chip collection and my medal. I've received medals in team sports but this is the one I felt I truly earned as an individual.

2025 Trails+ Wonderfalls 14km Trail Run: 4:07:10

Note: I didn't know that I was bringing up the rear at any point during the trail run. I continued to run my own race and that was just fine by me, plus there was so much to see and take photos of. Poetically speaking, I kept moving forward and that's a great way to be in my opinion. I also rarely checked the time if at all. I was having so much fun that I didn't have a care in the world!

Recovery

After I finished, I got changed as soon as I could into very comfortable heavy fleece clothing along with other essentials from my kit bag. There was a food van serving an array of meat and vegetarian dishes but needless to say, I devoured my brisket burger and chips in no time at all. Washed down with a can of Sunkist.

I then very slowly made my way to the bus pick-up and it wasn't long until it arrived. Getting on it was difficult and more so getting off. Otherwise holding onto a strong feeling of accomplishment and new level of confidence.

On the way to my drop-off point, I finished the remainder of the electrolyte mix in one of my Salomon ULTRA Soft Flasks along with some water from the 2L Salomon Reservoir (Bladder) to balance it out.

I thought that I'd over prepared for my event but turns out it was just right with a contingency for extra refuelling if needed on my trail run.

My eyes were quite heavy from the run, so I took the opportunity to have a 5 minute nap in the car before the 2+ hour drive home. Man did it work a treat but still a struggle with the mind numbing 30km straight section on the M1 Princes Freeway.

Once I got home, I immediately zapped myself with the massage gun followed by a warm shower, pasta dinner and resting in bed with a movie.

I noticed that I only used about a quarter of electrolyte mix in my 2nd soft flask and about the same by the looks of it with my water bladder. Could I have done a 25km distance with those resources? Who knows...

I had one of the best 8 hour sleeps of my life and the day after I did all my usual stretches after being on the roller for a good 10-15 minutes combined with an up and down movement to help loosen my lower back.

Thanks to the many years of dragon boat training (more specifically for the 2024 Club Crew World Championships), a good walk in the CBD and more rest with another movie - I seemed to bounce back nicely over the next few days after the event (no pun intended).

Room for Improvement

I only had one short training run a week after coming back from a Vietnam holiday (the week of Wonderfalls) and other life happenings. If things were different I'd have done a few more training sessions including simulated trail runs on the Yarra Bend track(s).

Having said that, I'm aiming for a half marathon distance next year and that will require more of a regular commitment to training in order to complete the distance in a more timely manner.

Even though my La Sportiva Jackals were my weapon of choice for the event and held up beautifully for the most part, I considered making a last minute change to Ultra Raptors due to the potentially heavy muddy conditions but based on floor staff feedback, the consequences could have been disastrous! Mainly that water would’ve got into the shoes at the water crossings but wouldn’t come out - waterproof, not submersible. The Jackals are quick-drying and my feet never got cold with near constant movement on the trail.

The other point is to have a different pair of gloves with more grip and insulation, especially if I do another winter based trail run. I've invested in a pair of Lill Sport All-Round leather gloves which should do the trick.

Thank You

Big thanks to the Trails+ organisers, sweeps, volunteers and fellow trail runners that truly made this event and my first technical trail run really special. And Brett (Race Director), there were no dry spots to be found on the course except for the bridges and the summit! See you all at the next event, whenever that will be.

See our range of trail running gear, or have a look at previous Bogong Blogs by Lucas.

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