Ready, set, race: Narrabeen gets ready for its annual ultramarathon

Perseverance is the secret to crossing the finish line for 61-year old Glenn Lockwood, who will be competing in his 100th ultramarathon next month.

The 17th edition of the Narrabeen Allnighter, the 12-hour ultramarathon and midnight marathon, is set to take place on the weekend of 14-15 December. The Narrabeen Allnighter sees contenders running for 12 hours from dusk to dawn, with little to no sleep - and very sore feet.

“The biggest thing for me is the mental challenge,” said Glenn. “Obviously you need a body that’s willing to put up with what your putting it through. I’m fortunate that I can keep doing it.”

While he ran in his youth, Glenn didn’t consider marathons until he was in his 40s. His first goal was to compete a marathon, which he succeeded in.

“As you get older your performance and your time counts less, and you think what can I achieve in this sport. In my case, it’s longevity,” said Glen, who is the co-race director alongside Ron Schwebel.

“It becomes a battle of your will, no matter how hard it gets. With the longer races you know you're going to go through some bad patches and you keep coming up with strategies so things turn around and get good again,” said Glenn.

Expected to compete on the day are 150 runners, many of whom are from the Northern Beaches.

The main event is a solo trail race to complete the furthest distance in 12 hours, from 6pm to 6am. Adjunctly, an 8-lap marathon starts at 10pm, as well as a teams event for the 12-hour race, for teams of two.

The races will be held on a 5.27km out-and-back trail loop, adjacent to Narrabeen Lake, 20km north of Sydney.

An ultramarathon is defined as anything more than a marathon, which is capped at 42.2km. Ultramarathon races can span up to 48 hours and vary in length.

This year, Glenn will be donating his profits from the Narrabeen Allnighter to Overcomers Outreach, a charity that helps those fighting addiction. The donation is in honour of his late son.

To register your interest in racing or volunteering for the Narrabeen Allnighter please visit http://www.narrabeenallnighter.com