Road runner trapped in middle of nowhere

One of Tasmania's most seasoned runners ahead of his fifth decade pounding the roads is set to end plans of ticking another off the bucket list for one that was not even listed last year.

Andrew Law is certain that a trip up north to Launceston looks to be a "goer for sure" after this year's Tasmanian Running Festival was locked in to return on December 13.

"That's probably all I can do. If New York doesn't go ahead, I would also not have been able to do the Point to Pinnacle, either," Law said.

"So if we're home I'll do Launceston, Point to Pinnacle and then Bruny Island."

Law fears that the race that weaves its way through the five boroughs of New York in November will be cancelled.

The Taroona 60-year-old and his running wife Patsy have paid up their entry fees, booked accommodation and flights, while the marathon travel company coordinating the itinerary is liaising with the couple on latest updates.

ELSEWHERE IN SPORT

"If the Australian government says there's no overseas flights for tourists, we got no choice but to stay no matter how safe New York thinks the marathon is," he said.

Law already has competed at two of the Abbott world marathon majors after recent trips to Berlin and Tokyo.

"We've done ones where there's between 30,000 and 40,000 on one day of the one morning and not spread over a number of days," he said.

"It's just incredible. When we did these other two races before, everyone was saying to us just how well organised New York is and if there is one I must have to do it's New York above everything else."

But like the other majors including London, Chicago and Boston, New York is in a holding pattern to run as the epicentre of the pandemic.

Preparation was to face up to the Melbourne Marathon "damn hard" before relaxing into a more casual approach than serious for New York.

So casual that he picked out a koala suit to wear.

"I thought that would be fun," Law said, with a grin.

But it has not all been fun and games running in more races than years. Gearing up for ultra-marathons "all the time" is a part of his DNA.

The first was running the 1988 Launceston to Hobart to finish a credentialed fourth.

Then Law got serious in back-to-back Westfield Sydney to Melbourne races that Cliff Young made famous.

"I did it a few years after Cliffy did it," Law said.

The tradie was the first Tasmanian to finish the 875km race first crack in 1990. Sore feet and all, he returned 14 and a half hours faster to finish third place in seven days, nine hours and 32 minutes.

"It was a bit of a bonus, really to finish high," he said.

But 42.195kms just looks easy after ultra marathons.

"Mentally it's not as tough, but because I have been running so many years it can be tough on the body," Law said.

"There's just no going into any marathon thinking how tough am I going to suffer in it.

"It's just go through it, have fun with it and come out the other side no expected times.

"These days I don't really time myself or anything like I did."

Subscriptions are available here.

Sign up to our Sport email here.