The Day a 61-Year-Old Farmer Accidentally Won One of the World’s Hardest Races

Wearing overalls and gumboots, he turned up with no coach, no plan—just a lifetime of chasing sheep. And he outran the elite athletes by days.

In 1983, Cliff Young, a 61-year-old potato farmer from rural Australia, showed up to the starting line of the Sydney to Melbourne ultramarathon—a brutal, 544-mile (875-km) race that takes elite athletes nearly a week to complete. Cliff had no formal training, no sponsors, and ran in his work boots and raincoat. The other runners laughed. But while they slept at night, Cliff kept shuffling along. He ran continuously for five days, inventing what is now known as the “Cliff Young shuffle”—a slow, steady gait that turned out to be incredibly energy-efficient. He didn’t just finish. He won the race, beating all the professionals and becoming a national hero overnight.

“I grew up chasing sheep—sometimes we ran for two or three days straight.”

~ Cliff Young, post-race interview

“He had no ego, no training plan, just determination and potatoes in his belly.”

~ Ron Clarke, Olympic runner

“He ran with a kind of purity that no one had seen before. It humbled the sport.”

~ Martin Thompson, ultramarathon historian

“People cried watching him finish. They saw what grit looks like.”

~ Wendy Parsons, race official

“Cliff reminded us that greatness doesn’t wear lycra—it wears gumboots.”

~ Steve Moneghetti, Australian marathon legend

Knock-on effect: Cliff’s victory changed ultrarunning forever. His shuffle technique is now widely adopted for endurance racing. More importantly, he proved that raw perseverance can beat polished perfection—and that age, gear, and glamour have nothing on heart.