Cliff YoungPrint Page 
The gumboot commemorates athlete Cliff Young.
Albert Ernest Clifford "Cliff" Young (8 February 1922 - 2 November 2003) was an Australian potato farmer and athlete from Beech Forest, Victoria, best noted for his unexpected Westfield Sydney to Melbourne Ultra Marathon win at 61 years of age. Cliff trained for the race by running in gumboots on his property.
In 1983, the 61-year-old potato farmer won the first Westfield Sydney to Melbourne Ultra Marathon (875 kilometres, 544 miles). The race was run between what were then Australia's two largest shopping centres: Westfield Parramatta, in Sydney, and Westfield Doncaster, in Melbourne. He ran at a slow loping pace and trailed the leaders for most of the course, but by denying himself sleep and running while the others slept, he slowly gained on them and eventually won by a large margin.
Location
| Address: | Beech Forest- Lavers Road, Cliff Young Park, Beech Forest, 3237 |
|---|---|
| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -38.636672 Long: 143.569505 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Sport |
Dedication
Dedicated to the memory of Cliff Young
Potato farmer and athlete from Beech Forest.
8 / 2/ 1922 - 2 / 11 / 2003
In 1983 aged 61 Cliff won the inaugural 875km Westfield Sydney to Melbourne Ultra Marathon in five days, fifteen hours and four minutes becoming a national hero.
He trained on his farm chasing cattle in gum boots and started the reace wearing the unusual footwear which became part of his national image.
Cliff`s peculiar style, labelled the "Cliff Young Shuffle", has since been adopted by other ultra marathon runners.
For many years Cliff was a familiar sight around the district as he trained or "shuffled" along the local roads. He went on to run more that 20,000 km over his competitive career.
Initiated by the Bech Forest Progress Association
