Coast to Coast Ultra Night Trail. The name alone sends chills down my spine. I even analyze all data to look at past races to understand this beast. This is my story. It wasn't perfect, not even close. At times, I felt like I was just a regular person who joined the army by mistake. But that's ultra running, right? It's a wild mix of strong will, pain, and choices you might regret, all set in Yogyakarta's hidden beauty. This experience will give me stories to tell for years to come, each one a song of survival.
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| CTC Ultra 80K |
My race prep was not good. Other runners ate lots of carbs and dreamed of winning. I was fighting a cold. I drank ginger tea, a local remedy. I even got a vitamin shot, my first one ever! I was so scared of getting sicker. Running an ultra while sick is not smart. Still, I had no excuses. Even though my body felt like it was at war, I knew I had to try. Ultra running is a mind game as much as a foot race. I was determined to finish, to push through the pain and find the finish line.
Section 1: Start To Queen South (0-6.8Km)
It was four in the afternoon. A traditional dance started. The dancer moved with such grace and power. The music made the air feel even colder, even in the warm sun. Then, we ran forward, a group of hopeful, maybe crazy, runners. Sand flew as we ran on Parangtritis beach. What a start! The sun was hot, and I kept chewing on Degirol. It took me about 18 minutes to reach the first checkpoint at Queen South. I was around 60th place. Not bad, since I felt like I was breathing through a tiny straw while being hit by sand. Not many people quit here. Maybe we were too stubborn to quit so soon. Maybe we didn't know what was coming. I just hoped my ginger tea would stay down. It did not, alas.
Section 2: Queen South To Alas Curukboto (6.8Km - 13.3Km)
Leaving Queen South, I felt a little bit hopeful. Maybe, just maybe, I could do this! The next 6.5 kilometers to Alas Curukboto were tough. There were climbs, drops, and slippery roots. It took me about one hour and 18 minutes. I stayed around 54th place. Eleven runners quit in this section. I knew why. Good times, indeed...I said with gritted teeth, each step a battle against the terrain.
Section 3: Alas Curukboto To Palgading (13.3Km - 18.8Km)
I escaped the jungle, or so I thought. The next part, 5.5km to Palgading, was not easy, but at least I could see where I was going. Rolling hills and open fields gave me a break from the jungle. I reached Palgading in about one hour and seven minutes. I moved up to around 50th place. Maybe the bugs slowed down the others. Two runners quit here. They were tough. Or maybe they knew what was coming next. I started to feel good, enjoying the views.
Section 4: Palgading To Omah Pojok (18.8Km - 26Km)
From Palgading to Omah Pojok, the course was another 7.2 kilometers. The sun was starting to set, making long shadows on the fields. This part is a blur, to be honest. I remember gentle hills and feeling like the night would be very long. Omah Pojok was the first COP, and we had to get there before 11 PM. I got there in about one hour and 29 minutes. I was still around 47th place. Eight more runners quit here. The long distance was hard, I guess. I was very hungry, but I only got a small piece of egg on rice and some noodle soup. I kept going, running on desperation.
Section 5: Omah Pojok To Giritirto (26Km - 33Km)
Omah Pojok disappeared behind me. The sun had gone, and the night took over. The trail to Giritirto, seven kilometers long, felt like going into the dark. I remember villages going by, the sound of crickets, and the distant music of gamelan. One hour and a half later, I arrived at Giritirto. I was still in 47th place. Nine more people had quit for the night. Night running is a different world. I turned on my headlamp, slowed down, and got ready. Now, the real test would start.
Section 6: Giritirto To Ngoro Oro (33Km - 37.9Km)
Ngoro Oro was less than five kilometers away. It seemed like a dream with trees and shadows. This part was hard, but I don't know why. Maybe I was just tired. Maybe the dark was making me feel strange. Almost an hour later, I walked slowly into Ngoro Oro. I was around 45th place. Seventeen runners had quit! Seventeen! That's when I knew how hard this race really was. I stopped, forcing myself to eat. Here, the mind would win...or lose.
Section 7: Ngoro Oro To Cerme Cave (37.9Km - 41.8Km)
I had never run so late. The path to Cerme Cave was only four kilometers. It was rocky and in the forest. My headlamp blinked, lighting up the rough ground for a moment. Forty-seven minutes later, I got to the cave, still near 43rd place. Two runners had quit. Maybe the cave, a light in the dark, was pulling us forward. I stayed at Cerme Cave a little longer than I should have. I ate more noodle soup and waited for my friend to change from his bag. The darkness pressed close, the air bit deep. Deeper we ran, into the heart of the night.
Section 8: Cerme Cave To Srunggo (41.8Km - 47.6Km)
Six kilometers to Srunggo seemed like forever. My legs screamed, my stomach rebelled, my head pounded. The trail went up and twisted, demanding every ounce of strength. One hour and forty minutes went by so slowly. I arrived at Srunggo, near 47th place. Six more people had quit. I ate food that tasted like nothing. I just kept moving, one step at a time.
Section 9: Srunggo To Eagle Statue (47.6Km - 56Km)
The longest stretch yet: eight and a half kilometers from Srunggo to the silent Eagle. My world was just the small circle of light in front of me. I only saw the ground. I just thought about the next step. Up, then down: my legs were burning. Around 2 AM, it started to rain. It was cold and wet. I tried not to fall asleep. Almost two hours passed before I got to the statue, near 56th place. Thirteen more people had quit. The Eagle watched from the dark, a stone witness to our pain. I couldn't even lift my hand to say hello.
Section 10: Eagle Statue To Surotopo (56Km - 59Km)
The Eagle seemed to promise things would get better, but it was wrong. The few kilometers to Surotopo felt like forever. Every step was a fight with my body. I wanted to sleep so badly. One hour went by slowly before I walked into Surotopo. I was still around 56th place. Only two more people had quit. Were they too close to the end to quit? Or were they just as tired as me? Surotopo was where I could get my drop bag. I grabbed it. I wanted dry clothes, but there was no place to change. So, I changed in the chicken coop! Don't ask. I drank, looked into the darkness, and wondered if I was moving at all. Maybe I was just dreaming.
Section 11: Surotopo To Khayangan (59Km - 69Km)
Surotopo to Khayangan: ten kilometers. Just words, but they felt like a joke. It felt like running a marathon on the moon. This was the longest part, a test in the dark going uphill. My headlamp made the trees look like dancing monsters. Then, the sun came up, making the sky look pale. I pushed harder, trying to go faster. I knew the last COP was near. Three hours later, I walked slowly into Khayangan, near 62nd place. Two more people had disappeared. Three hours of pain, so real and never-ending. What made me keep going? Just being stubborn, maybe. Or dreaming of a soft chair and a hot meal at the end, though there was nothing.
Section 12: Khayangan To Sand Dune (69Km - 74Km)
Khayangan: a pause before the storm, a moment to breathe before the last part. But the Sand Dune was calling to me, like a song in the night. Every step was hard, my feet sinking deep. I just kept going, without thinking. The Sand Dune was the last COP. We had to get there before 9 AM, one hour before the end. One hour went by slowly, and I was near the end, still around 64th place. Many runners had quit here, so close to the finish.
Section 13: Sand Dune To Finish (74Km - 80.9Km)
The end was close; I could taste it. The last few kilometers were like walking through sand on the moon. I knew I'd make it to the finish before the final cutoff, so I just walked. Pride be damned, I wasn't racing anymore. Driven by relief, and the burning need for a shower, I put one foot in front of the other. An hour passed. Then, I saw the finish line. I was 64th. It was over. I walked across the line, feeling happy and surprised. I had survived CTC Ultra.
Lessons Learned and Takeaways
Looking back, CTC Ultra taught me a lot. The data showed that this race was too hard for many people. Half of the runners did not finish. I started quite strong, then struggled in the middle, and finally made it to the end. My pacing was bad, my food choices were not good, and my will almost broke. But I learned. I found strength I didn't know I had. I learned that ginger doesn't work magic. And I learned that ultra runners are wonderfully crazy.
What did I learn from this hard experience? A few things that are true. Listen to your body. Don't just ignore the pain. That cold I didn't care about? That was a mistake. Control your speed. Going fast at the start doesn't matter at the end. Fuel your body. Gels are not enough. And most of all, be strong in your mind. When your body is weak, your mind must lead. CTC Ultra tested me more than ever before. It made me wiser.
No one can finish an ultra alone. Even though I was suffering for hours, I felt the help of others: volunteers and other runners. The volunteers were like angels in the night. They gave us water and hope. And the runners were my brothers and sisters in pain. We all understood each other's craziness. We helped each other go forward, one painful step at a time. Thank you to all of you. You made the suffering worth it.
CTC Ultra. It was one of the hardest races I have ever done. It broke my limits, burned away my weakness, and left my body feeling like a war zone. But it gave me something special: a look at my own strength. Would I do it again? Ask me in a month, when the pain is not so bad. Until then, I will be happy knowing that I survived. And maybe, next time, I will stop to take a picture of the view.
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