Back when Hayden Pohio (Hall | Sargood 1989–1993) was at St Paul’s Collegiate School, even a 10km run through the streets of Chartwell felt like a big challenge. Fast forward to November 2025, and Hayden tackled his first-ever 100-mile trail run, the Oceania Alpine Kosciuszko Ultra-Trail in the snowy mountains of New South Wales. The race covers 162km with 4,800 metres of elevation gain and reaches the summit of Mt Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest peak.

Pushing his body and mind beyond anything he had previously experienced, Hayden says simply, “I somehow crossed that finish line – barely.” The event delivered exactly what ultra-runners expect, and more. “Wild weather, brutal climbs, and terrain that tested every ounce of resilience I had,” he says.

The race began at 3 am after just two hours of nervous sleep. The early stretch past Gaden Trout Hatchery and along the Thredbo Valley Trail to Bullock’s Flat was blustery and chaotic, dust swirling, hats flying, and even one runner forced to turn back with a rolled ankle. From there, runners climbed into sheltered valleys before hitting exposed ridgelines near Perisher, where temperatures dropped, and winds intensified.

“The course takes you through glacier-carved valleys, wildflower meadows, and snow gum forests,” Hayden says. “By mid-afternoon, I stood atop Mt Kosciuszko after crossing a volunteer-cut snow drift, a surreal 360-degree panorama that almost made me forget the pain.”

The real battle began after 94km. Blisters burned, fatigue deepened, and rain turned the trail treacherous. Hayden credits his pacers, Peter Scott (Scotty) and Ben Richardson, with getting him through the darkest stages. When severe hail and lightning forced a 45-minute halt to the race in the Thredbo ski fields, medics wrapped him in a survival blanket while Scotty kept him focused and calm.

With just 3.7km remaining, all downhill, the finish was still not guaranteed. Hayden had only six minutes to cover the final kilometre to beat the 36-hour mark. “Every step hurt, but I ran harder than ever,” he says. He crossed the line at 36:00:17.

Hayden finished 201st out of 340 competitors, with just 223 finishes. He describes the experience as “epic and emotional, proof that mateship, grit, and a dash of madness can turn the impossible into possible.”