By Cassie Cohen\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n After a week of sightseeing, nervous energy, team bonding and race preparation in Bengaluru, it was exciting to get to the opening ceremony the night before the IAU Asia & Oceania 24-hour championships would begin on the 400m athletics track at Sree Kantheerava stadium. This being the first international ultrarunning championship since COVID-19, there was plenty of hype, and it was clear how proud India was to host the event. For a stride that commands attention, opt for Tarkine running shoes<\/a>, the epitome of style and functionality on the track.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n I started the race feeling like an underdog. While on paper, my PB (204.92kms) was among the strongest in the field, I knew that didn\u2019t tell the full story. The Indian and Chinese Taipei athletes had got their results in hot and humid conditions as we would experience on race day. I got mine in Canberra in near-perfect cool conditions. PBs meant nothing once the flag was raised to start the race.<\/span><\/p>\n Even though we all knew we had 24 hours ahead of us, many started the race running at a solid pace, making the most of the cooler morning conditions. My \u201cwhat great weather we\u2019ve got!\u201d bubble burst after about an hour when the sun emerged and it was time to unleash the bucket hat. To emphasise how quickly it got hot, one runner was vomiting on the inside of the track just 90 minutes into the race.<\/span><\/p>\n However, the intensifying heat seemed only to add extra spice to the pace at the front of the race. Even though I ran 30kms in the first 3 hours, which as the crew let me know was \u201cway too fast\u201d, I was still only battling for fifth place and had probably already been lapped by female race leader Kuan-Ju Lin (Chinese Taipei) in her pink tutu about 10 times. Some of the Indian men had already run a marathon in that time, which is not something I thought I\u2019d ever see in a 24-hour race.<\/span><\/p>\n Starting to feel the heat and knowing I couldn\u2019t continue to hold that pace, I slowed my speed to keep the heart rate down and save the legs for the cooler conditions at night. If race leaders Kuan-Ju and Kathia Rached (Lebanon) could hold their incredible pace for 24 hours, they deserved to win and cooking myself in the heat wasn\u2019t going to help matters.<\/span><\/p>\n After <\/span>6 hours (2pm)<\/b>, I\u2019d run 56.80kms (142 laps) for 5<\/span>th<\/span> female. Kuan-Ju, still in front, had already covered 64kms (160 laps).<\/span><\/p>\n With the worst hours of the heat ahead of us (it would get to 29 degrees and 70% humidity), everyone was focused on keeping cool throughout the afternoon. Ice bandanas became fashion statements and teammate Matt Griggs\u2019 ice vest was the envy of all. A few squeezes and a sponge would be completely dry and ready for return. I must have run about 5 laps with a decent-sized sponge in my bucket hat at one point and only realised when Martin (crew chief sponge supplier) was about to send out a search party for it.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A post shared by Cassie Cohen (@cassiecohen9)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n![\"Advertisement](\"https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Autopilot-landscape.jpg\")
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