Climbing more than 210,000 metres in one year may sound like an airline frequent flyer, but one Australian Army officer has achieved that running up hill.
Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) Officer Commanding Alpha Squadron, Major Iain Best, who competes in trail running, recently placed fourth on the world stage.
Major Best has always enjoyed physical activity and relied on running as his primary means of fitness, including through recovery from three shoulder surgeries. He's been trail running for more than a decade, and in 2019 progressed to ultramarathons.
After some advice from his running coach late in 2023, Major Best decided to specialise in uphill running.
"My coach reached out to me and said from what he could see from my results, I was doing well by being really good at the uphills and not so good coming back down, so we decided to try some races without the not-so-good parts," Major Best said.
"At the end of last year, I focused my training to specialise in uphills and it was with fairly immediate success - I came third in my first uphill race in New Zealand."
A month later, Major Best won the Tasmanian Kunanyi Mountain Run Vertical Kilometre (VK), automatically qualifying for the 2024 World Skyrunning Championships in Spain last September.
'Spending this time with the trainee officers has been some of the most enjoyable and rewarding times of my year.'
With 41 countries represented, the Australian mixed team of 12 came ninth overall, with Major Best finishing as the first Aussie in the VK.
His best achievement was in the VK Open Championship, a series of nine races in eight countries. Major Best came fourth in the final in Portugal and subsequently fourth in the overall championship.
He is grateful for the support he has received from ADFA and Army to train and attend races in countries including Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Bulgaria.
He has also been able to use his running experience as a coach and mentor for ADFA trainee officers.
"My running has led to my involvement in formal and informal running groups at ADFA where I get to have one-on-one time with the trainee officers while out for a run," Major Best said.
"It means I get to know them on a more personal level because, while our conversation may start with running, it eventually evolves to everyday life and how they are getting on.
"Spending this time with the trainee officers has been some of the most enjoyable and rewarding times of my year.
"I enjoy seeing people become passionate towards various goals. It is really rewarding to be included in someone's ambitions and to go on the journey with them as they achieve those goals.
"I'd also be lying if I said it wasn't fun in a highly competitive place like ADFA, with hyper-competitive 18 to 21-year-olds, to throw down a running challenge or two."
This year he's averaged 100-200km and 5000-6000m of elevation across an average of 12 runs each week. It's not for everyone.
