Inaugural Sydney-to-Melbourne winner
Won in 5 days, 15 hours, and 4 minutes at age 61, finishing well ahead of the field.
Source-checked athlete record · Updated Aug 18, 2026
Cliff Young
1983 Sydney-to-Melbourne champion and Australian multiday running pioneer
Cliff Young won the inaugural Sydney-to-Melbourne race at age 61, then built a substantial record across 24-hour and six-day events.
AustraliaColac, Victoria
The record so far
Cliff Young was an Australian ultrarunner best known for winning the inaugural Sydney-to-Melbourne race in 1983 at age 61. He completed the journey in 5 days, 15 hours, and 4 minutes, finishing about ten hours ahead of the next runner.
The result made Young a national figure, but it was not an isolated performance. DUV records 77 events and nearly 20,000 competition kilometers, including 100-mile wins, six-day races, and repeated 24-hour appearances from 1981 through 1999.
Young’s later results included 749.600 km at the 1984 Colac six-day race and 235.969 km in a 1985 Sri Chinmoy 24-hour race. He continued racing into his late seventies, recording 492.400 km at Six-Days-Colac in 1999.
Defining performances
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749.600 km at Colac
Completed the six-day race at age 62 and placed sixth among men.
Sri Chinmoy 24-hour winner
Covered 235.969 km to win the race outright at age 63.
Nearly two decades of recorded ultra results
DUV lists 77 events and 19,965.957 competition kilometers across his career.
Performance history
| Date | Event | Performance | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Six-Days-ColacSix-day race | 492.400 km | 12th man · 13th overall · 1st M75 | View ↗ | |
| Nanango 1000 Mile Track RaceSix-day split | 514.990 km | 13th man · 14th overall · 1st M75 | View ↗ | |
| Coburg 24 Hour Track Race24-hour track | 171.650 km | 3rd overall · 1st M70 | View ↗ | |
| Six-Days-ColacSix-day race | 670.400 km | 11th man · 14th overall · 1st M65 | View ↗ | |
| Westfield Sydney-to-Melbourne Ultramarathon1,060 km point-to-point | 9d 13:17:00 | 14th man · 16th overall · 1st M65 | View ↗ | |
| Sri Chinmoy 24 Hour Festival of Running24-hour track | 235.969 km | 1st overall | View ↗ | |
| Colac Ultra MarathonSix-day race | 749.600 km | 6th man · 8th overall | View ↗ | |
| Westfield Sydney-to-Melbourne UltramarathonMultiday point-to-point | 5d 15:04:00 | 1st overall | View ↗ | |
| Sydney 100 Miles Track Race100-mile track | 14:37:54 | 1st overall | View ↗ |
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