How long does it take to walk a 60km, 45km or 30km Coastrek? Well, that depends on how many swims, coffees and wee stops you have along the way!
For the 30km event, the average finish time is six to eight hours, but you've got 10 hrs to complete the course before we turn off the lights! For the 45km event, we expect you to take around 8-10 hours, 12 hours max. For the 60km event, you have up to 18 hrs to cross the line, but most people come in between 12 and 15 hours.
How long it takes you to complete 60km, 45km or 30km will depend on a variety of things, such as how much training you did prior to Coastrek, if you have any old injuries that may niggle toward the end of the trek, if you don’t stop to give yourself enough love at the Luv Stops… or if you stop for too long!
Most reasonably fit people walk around 4-5km per hour, but on an endurance walk, you’re likely to get slower towards the end. Don’t set off at a cracking pace at the beginning as you will lag and struggle through those last few kms! 4-5km per hour gives you a good pace to work with and is sustainable over the period of your Coastrek walk so you are able to enjoy yourself and still finish in a good time. Remember, it’s not a race, it’s a challenge!
HOW TO KEEP THE PACE
Enlist a Support Crew!
We strongly recommend enlisting the help of a support crew on Event Day. They can bring you food, fresh socks and coffee along the way, as well as shower you in hugs and hoorays as you make your way past them!
A support crew will allow you to pack lighter, and their support will put a bit of pep back in your step – helping you keep the pace up. Make sure you check out our Support Stars E-Book, which will help you get the most out of your support crew and ensure they have everything you need. Or, read why you will LUV a support crew here.
You can meet them as many times as you like along the route - but don't meet them too often as it'll slow you down. Once every 15km is a good guide.
Take care of your feet
Looking after your feet and preventing blisters will help you sustain a good pace when endurance walking. We include a lot of hints, tips and guidance on blister prevention and care in our Blister Sister e-book, which is included in registration and can be found in your dashboard. Ensure you read these and are prepared to attend to any rubbing spots on your feet as soon as you start to feel them.
Get a little LURVE at the Luv Stops
Our Luv Stops are there to help you refuel and rest in preparation for the next leg of the trek. Make use of these! Fill up water bottles/bladders, take stock of your supplies, feet and gear, and have a good rest. Some Luv Stops have massage and First Aid, so take advantage of these goodies – they’re there for you! It’s also a good idea to go to the toilet and check in on team morale if you haven’t already been doing that along the way.
Faff around at agreed times
The thing that'll slow you down and make everyone unnecessarily tired on Event Day? Faffing about. Agree on where and when you're going to have your toilet stops, lunch stops, rearrange pack stops and shoe checks - it's much more time efficient if all your teammates do this together.
Put the slowest person at the front
If you have someone on your team who is a slower walker, put them at the front of the group. At the back, they’ll just get slower and slower until you’re waiting for them at every corner. Up the front, they have the opportunity to set the pace, and they’ll naturally walk faster.
Remember it isn’t the time it takes to complete Coastrek that really matters, it’s the positive impacts on your physical health, your mental health and on those who utilise the services of Beyond Blue that really matters.
No matter how fast or slow you are, we'll be there at the end to cheer you across the line and make you feel pretty special - because honestly... walking that far is extremely impressive and we're proud of every single one of you.
