Welcome to the next episode in the 2026 Melbourne Frontyard Ultra Mini-Series on the ZenRUN Podcast.
This series follows a handful of athletes through their actual Melbourne Frontyard Ultra journey – not just the neat little result at the end, but the real story along the way. The pre-race nerves. The crew tent chaos. The tired check-ins. The food, the feet, the weather, the tiny naps, and eventually the wrap-up chat when their race is done.
In this episode, we’re following the wonderful Luke Slater.
Luke came into Melbourne Frontyard Ultra with a lot of Backyard Ultra experience, a big goal, and a very special crew – including his daughter Della, who was there from start to finish, sorting feet, managing gear, saving minutes, and somehow still packing down the marquee while we were doing the final interview.
Honestly, Della deserves her own medal.
Luke was born in Norwich in England, came to Australia originally to play soccer, studied law, became a criminal lawyer, and now lives in Shepparton with his four children.
His running story is fairly recent, but very Luke.
After years of soccer and boxing, he started running properly after seeing people doing the Shepparton GV Backyard Ultra and wondering why on earth they looked like they were on the edge of death.
And instead of thinking, “That looks terrible, I’ll stay away from that,” he thought, “I’d like to have a go at that.”
As you do.
Since then, Backyard Ultras have become his main running love. Before Melbourne Frontyard Ultra, his best result was 52 yards, which had him sitting high on the Great Britain list and chasing a potential spot at the Backyard Ultra World Championships.
So Luke came into this event hoping to go further, cement that position, and see what he could do.
But, as always with this format, you can have the experience, the goal, the crew, the plan, the foot prep, the ginger, the no-milk strategy, and still eventually find yourself deep in the second night asking one of the great ultra-running questions:
Why am I doing this?
In this episode, you’ll hear Luke before the race, relaxed and getting his feet sorted while his family were gathered around the tent. You’ll hear him early on around yard 5 after a fast lap, a tumble, a wash, noodles, and some excellent work from Team Della.
You’ll hear him around yard 20, sleepy but steady, adjusting to the new norm after around 130 kilometres and looking ahead to the challenge of the second night.
And then you’ll hear him around yard 33, where the dizziness, tiredness, loneliness and second-night grind were starting to make things much harder – but he was still moving, still clear, and still surrounded by a great team.
Luke eventually made it to 37 yards – nearly 250 kilometres – before the lack of sleep, dizziness, and the slow creep of “what on earth am I doing?” brought his race to an end.
And in the wrap-up, he reflects beautifully on the whole experience: the suffering, the life lessons, the memories, the pressure of needing help from other people, the value of family, and what it meant to have Della crewing him so calmly and capably through it all.
This episode is thoughtful, funny, honest, and full of that strange Backyard Ultra mix of practicality and philosophy.
Because yes, it’s just running 6.7K loops around a park.
But also, somehow, it’s never just that.
Why You’ll Love This Episode
- You’ll hear Luke’s journey from soccer and boxing into Backyard Ultras
- Luke talks about chasing a place on the Great Britain Backyard Ultra team
- There’s a lovely father-daughter thread with Della crewing him through the event
- We talk blisters, feet, sleep, stomach issues, ginger, and avoiding milk
- You’ll hear how quickly the event changes once the second night arrives
- Luke shares honestly about dizziness, fatigue, loneliness, and questioning why we do these things
- It captures the strange beauty of suffering with purpose
- And yes – there is a lot of appreciation for Team Della
A Few Favourite Themes
The crew story matters
Luke’s daughter Della was a huge part of this episode. Calm, capable, organised, and fully committed to helping him get back out one more time.
Experience helps, but it doesn’t make it easy
Luke had plenty of Backyard Ultra experience, but the format still found a way to test him.
The second night is a different beast
Around yard 33, things started getting much harder. Less sleep, more dizziness, more mental fog, and that feeling of being deep in the event with no easy way through except forward.
Sometimes you question everything
At one point Luke talks about seeing casual runners in the park looking like they’re having a great time while he’s wondering why he’s doing this to himself. Which feels very relatable, frankly.
There is meaning in the suffering
Luke reflects on how these events can teach us something about life – managing discomfort, dealing with hard moments, and keeping going when things are no longer fun or easy.
Listen In For
- Luke being very politely corrected on the pronunciation of his own surname
- His four children helping in the tent before the event
- Della stepping into chief crew mode
- Growing up in Norwich and coming to Australia to play soccer
- Life as a criminal lawyer in Shepparton
- How watching a Backyard Ultra sparked his running obsession
- His 52-yard PB and Great Britain team goal
- Blister prevention and foot prep before the race
- Avoiding milk after previous stomach issues
- Yard 5: fast lap, dusty feet, noodles, a tumble, and feeling fresh again
- Yard 20: settling into the “new norm” after around 130K
- Yard 33: dizziness, fatigue, and the second-night grind
- Why Della brought the chair to the corral to save every possible minute
- Finishing 37 yards and nearly 250K
- The strange mental space of needing help from others
- Steak, Guinness, and not running for a week
- Whether Luke and Della might swap roles in the future
Mentioned In This Episode
- Melbourne Frontyard Ultra
- Ultra Series Australia
- Shaun Kaesler
- Shepparton GV Backyard Ultra
- MVP
- Backyard Ultra World Championships
- Great Britain Backyard Ultra team
- Dead Cow Gully
- Mount Buffalo
- Melbourne Knights
- Shepparton Marathon
- Della, Scarlett, Sunny and Zendaya
- Troy
- Tim Kęprazak / Better By Next Week
Melbourne Frontyard Ultra
Melbourne Frontyard Ultra Event Website – https://www.melbournefyu.com.au/
Interested in the 2027 Melbourne Frontyard Ultra?
Entries are open now for Saturday 1 May 2027 – and if 2026 is anything to go by, it’s going to be bigger, better, and likely to sell out.
Enter here: https://www.melbournefyu.com.au/
💛 Want your running to feel lighter again?
If this conversation resonated, you might enjoy The Running Reset – a simple bundle of guided runs and practical tools to help you reset your rhythm, clear your head, and reconnect with why you run.
👉 https://www.zenrun.app/courses/the-running-reset
🙏 A couple of big favours
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2️⃣ I’m always looking for runners to interview. If you or someone you know has a running story to share, I’d love to hear from you.
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Photo cred – https://www.instagram.com/libby_gem/
