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Cliff Young

What is cliff young?

· James MacDonald

Key facts

Full name Albert Ernest Clifford Young[1]
Born 8 February 1922[1]
Died 2 November 2003[1]
Occupation Farmer[1]
Known for Winning the inaugural Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon in 1983[1]

Cliff Young was an Australian farmer and long-distance runner who won the inaugural Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon in 1983 at age 61, becoming a national sporting icon.

Context

Cliff Young, born Albert Ernest Clifford Young on 8 February 1922, was an Australian farmer and long-distance runner. He is best known for winning the inaugural Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon in 1983 at age 61, a race covering 875 kilometres (544 miles) [1]. His win was unexpected and made him a notable figure in Australian sport [1]. Young is commonly identified as a potato farmer from Beech Forest, Victoria [1]. He died on 2 November 2003 [1]. Later accounts associate the race with the 'Cliff Young Australian Six-Day Race' [2]. He also became the subject of books, articles, and media features about endurance running [2].

Documented claims

  • Cliff Young was a potato farmer from Beech Forest, Victoria. [1]
  • His unexpected victory in the 1983 ultramarathon made him notable in Australian sport. [1]

Questions and answers

What happened to Cliff Young?

Cliff Young won the inaugural Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon in 1983 at age 61, becoming a national icon. He later inspired the 'Cliff Young Australian Six-Day Race' and was featured in books and media about endurance running [2].

Did Cliff Young run the marathon in gumboots?

The sources do not specify that Cliff Young ran in gumboots, but he is often remembered as a farmer who wore gumboots during his races [1].

Has anyone beaten the Cliff Young record?

The sources do not provide information on whether anyone has beaten Cliff Young's record.

Sources

  1. How a 61yo potato farmer thrashed Australia's best ultramarathon runners — abc.net.au (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. Just keep running - the story of Cliff Young — bensmithsr.org (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Sports