He ran over 1,000 kilometers in six days on meat pies, Coco Pops, and sheer willpower — and now he’s in a hospital bed with a drain in his thigh.
Australian ultramarathon legend Phil Gore is facing a serious medical setback after what was initially dismissed as a minor leg injury turned out to be a dangerous abscess requiring emergency surgery.
The 40-year-old world champion pushed his body to its absolute limits last month, completing 152 laps of a brutal solo backyard ultra attempt — and it seems his body has finally handed him the bill.
Here’s what happened, why it nearly became life-threatening, and just how extraordinary Gore’s recent record-shattering run really was.
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A Misdiagnosis That Could Have Turned Deadly
After completing his staggering 152-hour solo effort, Gore noticed persistent pain in his left thigh that simply wasn’t fading the way he expected.
An initial medical assessment pointed to a haematoma — a localized blood swelling that typically resolves on its own without intervention. For most people, that diagnosis would have been the end of it.
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Gore trusted his instincts instead.
I just didn’t quite feel right about it, so I wanted to get a second opinion.
That decision may well have saved his leg — or worse. When a second sports doctor attempted to aspirate what was believed to be built-up blood, the situation took a sharp and alarming turn.
He went to aspirate it and realised it wasn’t blood. It was pus, which means that there’s an infection, more likely an abscess, and he suggested I go back to ER.
Gore was immediately directed to emergency care at Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth, where surgeons got to work.
Surgery, a 12cm Incision, and 500ml of Fluid
The numbers from Gore’s surgery are as jaw-dropping as those from his running — just significantly less inspiring.
Surgeons made a roughly 12-centimeter incision in his thigh and drained approximately 500ml of infected fluid — close to a full pint of pus — from the abscess. A drain was then inserted to continue clearing residual fluid while Gore remained under medical observation.
Surgery went well. I got a roughly 12cm incision in my thigh and about 500ml of fluid was cleared, and I’ve got a drain in now, still clearing more out. I have to stay in the hospital for 48 hours while it drains and I’m kept under observation.
Gore was quick to express gratitude toward the medical team at Fiona Stanley, acknowledging just how serious the situation could have become without timely intervention — adding that it could have gotten a lot worse if left untreated.
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He also paused to apologize to his massive base of supporters for not responding to the flood of well-wishes pouring in. Classic Gore — hospitalized and still thinking about everyone else.
The Moment His Leg Began to Break Down
In a detail that perfectly captures Gore’s remarkable mental fortitude, he went back through the live stream footage of his attempt to pinpoint the exact moment his thigh started giving him trouble.
What he found was both staggering and almost hard to believe.
Found the part where my leg started to hurt. Lap 104. Still made it another 2 days.
Lap 104. He ran for two more days on a leg that was quietly developing a serious abscess. That’s not stubbornness — that’s a level of pain tolerance that defies conventional understanding.
What Gore Actually Accomplished Last Month
To fully appreciate the weight of this medical situation, it helps to understand exactly what Gore put his body through to get here.
Borrowing the format from backyard ultra racing — where competitors run one 6.706km lap every hour, indefinitely, until only one person remains — Gore embarked on a solo attempt with no competitors to outlast, only his own limits to confront.
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His fuel? Nerds candy, meat pies, Coco Pops, and a cheeseburger. The diet of an absolute champion.
Gore completed 152 laps over 152 hours, covering just over 1,019 kilometers before his body finally gave out after six days and 15 hours. That performance didn’t just break records — it obliterated his own official world record of 119 laps, set at last year’s Backyard Ultra World Championship in Tennessee.
That championship victory — where he covered an astonishing 764 kilometers — had already cemented his status as one of the most extraordinary endurance athletes on the planet.
He Fell Short of His Goal — and Still Raised Nearly $300,000
Gore had set his sights even higher than 152 laps, ultimately collapsing before reaching his target. By any reasonable measure, though, the effort was an overwhelming success.
The entire attempt was live streamed, drawing an audience that rallied behind a cause much bigger than athletic achievement — raising close to $300,000 for medical research and health services supporting children in Western Australia.
The irony that he’s now on the receiving end of medical care himself won’t be lost on anyone following his story.
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Gore is currently resting and recovering at Fiona Stanley Hospital, with the drain still doing its work. Given that this is a man who ran two full days on an infected abscess without stopping, his recovery timeline may surprise everyone — including his doctors.
