Blaine Bourke: Noosa 100km Champion Q&A

Some athletes chase records. Blaine Bourke chases something harder to quantify: the limit of what's left when preparation runs out and only will remains. The Queensland-based ultrarunner and Tarkine athlete claimed victory at the 2025 Noosa 100km — one of Australia's most demanding and beloved trail ultras — in a race that tested every gram of his mental and physical reserves. Crossing the finish line at 13:36:18, hand-in-hand with his kid dressed in a duck costume, the image said everything about who Blaine Bourke is: a competitor who runs for something bigger than the podium.

The Noosa 100km, organised by The Trail Co., winds through the Noosa hinterland across 100 kilometres of trail that deceives you with its beauty before brutalising you with its terrain. The bulk of the climbing is concentrated between kilometres 35 and 55 — a mid-race gut-punch that separates the prepared from the determined. For Blaine, this was his third start at Noosa, and he arrived without a massive training block behind him. Two young kids, a new job, and a no-nonsense approach to quality over quantity defined his lead-up. He didn't have the volume. He made up for it with something else.

"If I can only train half the amount of time as my competitors, then I need to be prepared to hurt twice as much on the day." That philosophy — raw, honest, and utterly Tarkine in spirit — is what carried Blaine through cramping legs, a closing gap, and 100 kilometres of Queensland wilderness to claim the win. We sat down with him after the race to get the full story.

How did your training block leading into the race go?

It wasn't a big training block leading into Noosa. The start of the year has been busy with two little ones and a new job, but I try to focus on the sessions that give me the most bang for my buck. I make sure to hit one or two faster sessions each week and get in at least one or two big efforts. I find those bigger efforts give me a really good sense of where I'm at and how hard I can push on race day.

I tell myself that if I can only train half the amount of time as my competitors, then I need to be prepared to hurt twice as much on the day.

How do you feel about your performance on race day?

There are definitely areas to improve. It was my third time racing Noosa 100km, and it's always deceptively challenging. The bulk of the climbing sits between 35–55km, so you have to be smart about how you run leading into that section. I was happy with how I dug deep over the final 20km to close out the race, but next year I'll need to spend more time training in the heat. I really felt the effects of lower training volume throughout the day.

What were the biggest challenges you faced out there?

I struggled with cramping from about 30km, and it really impacted my running form and pace. I tried spending a bit longer at each checkpoint to cool down, but before I knew it, second place had closed the gap from 15 minutes to five. Last year at Noosa, I was chased down in almost the exact same way, and that was still fresh in my mind.

So when my crew told me the gap was closing, I found another level. It was possibly the hardest I've ever pushed, and going through that has given me a lot of confidence for future races.

Blaine Bourke at Hardcore Harry's King of the Hill — another race on his hit list for 2025.

What did the course teach you?

It's a great course. There are some beautiful views, and you pass through some of my favourite hinterland towns. With most of the climbing in the middle, you really have to respect the terrain and make sure you don't go too hard too early — something I learned the first time I raced it (my one and only DNF). I feel very relaxed on those trails now.

It's my hometown race, and my family comes out each year. The course holds some of my fondest memories, and I look forward to racing it for years to come.

What's next for you?

Next up is the Guzzler 100km. Last year I was penalised out of the race for not having a snake bandage, which has now become a bit of a running (pun intended) joke. Then at the end of the year, I've got Hardcore Harry's King of the Hill. Just like Noosa, there's some unfinished business at both of those races.

I love to race and I love competing, so the goal is pretty simple: I'm in it to win it!

That's the Blaine Bourke equation. Less volume, more hurt. A finish line crossed in the dark, hand-in-hand with a kid in a duck suit, a clock reading 13:36:18 overhead. Unfinished business turned finished. And a whole lot more to come.