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The Kokoda Challenge
Hutchinson (SER Regional Crime
Coordinator), the most senior police
officer involved, and also the fittest.
He was back for his seventh Kokoda
Challenge as part of ‘Cops on the Run’.
He unfortunately lost his regular
teammates Detective Inspector Brian
Swan and Detective Senior Sergeant
Lincoln Macleod due to injury, but
found other worthy replacements in
the form of seasoned long distance
runners from outside the job.
An eight-time participant of the event
is Senior Sergeant Ryan Clark (SER
Regional Intel Coordinator). He has
formed a well-drilled and heavilytrained
team with his wife and two
sisters, and over the years they have
cut massive amounts of time off their
previous best times.
They are ‘Team Peelers’, and Ryan
set the goal of becoming the fastest
family in the event this year, because
he narrowly missed out in 2011.
Standing in his way was Inspector
“You cannot assume that you can go for a few
runs with the dog and be ready to tackle this
beast.”
Greg Baade (Gold Coast Major Events
Planning Unit) and his wife Sergeant
Linda Baade (Gold Coast PCYC) and
two of their family members.
Their team ‘Beat the Bah’ is also
well-seasoned, having in the past
completed several attempts at the
Challenge. Greg and Linda have also
completed the real Kokoda track in
PNG with their son and daughter.
There were many other QPS members
in the event this year, and I apologise
for not mentioning everyone. I will
describe the Challenge from the point
of view of a mediocre team, so any
really fit people will know they will do
it easy.
PRE EVENT TRAINING
Don’t underestimate The Challenge.
You cannot assume that you can go for
a few runs with the dog and be ready
to tackle this beast.
The event requires at least a few
months of heavy, mountain-hiking
training. Because the slower teams
will compete all night in the dark,
nightlight training is necessary to
become used to handling rough
terrain under torchlight.
It is also necessary to become
accustomed to exercising while
fatigued because there is no sleeping
during the event, and many teams will
take over 24 hours to complete the 96
kilometres.
We spent most of our time training
between February and late June,
often hiking and running for six hours
at a time. It is here that we started
to discover the injuries and chafing
Queensland Police Union Journal August 2012
39