Warrnambool ultramarathon runner Jarrod Mast will take on that challenge on Sunday June 14.

Mast had been training for his fourth Comrades Marathon in South Africa but that was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It has been turned into a virtual event called Race the Comrades Legends.

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So Mast will run 90-kilometres in the south-west and join a worldwide community - more than 65 nations - taking on the virtual challenge.

"It's good, there are a few hundred people from Australia that have entered," he said.

Normally Comrades would only involve the 90km event.

But this year there are also virtual 5km, 10km, 21km and 45km races.

Mast will start at Camperdown War Memorial at 5:30am on Sunday.

The cut-off time is 12 hours and he aims to reach the finish line at Lake Pertobe in 11 hours.

His course will take in some of the south-west's iconic spots including Childers Cove.

The long-distance runner will need to submit his time on the Comrades website after completing the feat.

Mast, who is on the Warrnambool Athletics Club (WAC) committee, has invited other athletes to join him for all or part of his ultramarathon.

WAC's Regina Cassidy has already put her hand up to run 45kms.

Mast, who has completed about 30 ultramarathons, has learnt plenty over the years.

"What you learn is mentally you're ready to give up before your body is actually done," he said.

"The hardest part of training is having your brain in the right space to keep going.

"Sometimes it hurts but you're not done yet."

He added the more you race in events such as Comrades, the more you learn about what is good and bad pain.

Mast, who had been training for Comrades since October 2019, had to adjust his training plan due to the pandemic.

But he has continued to run four times a week to maintain a strong fitness base.

The Warrnambool runner, who completed Comrades in 2011, 2012 and 2015, was keen to get back to South Africa this year for the 95^th edition.

"There's a group of us from Australia, we've kind of made a pact that we'll go back every five years," he said.

"Every five years they do a commemorative special event year."

Warrnambool's Sam Edney had also registered for Comrades in South Africa.

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