Record-breaking ultrarunner has 500ml of pus drained from leg: ‘I just didn’t quite feel right’

Phil Gore’s legs have delivered extraordinary numbers, including running more than 1,000km last month in a solo attempt during a backyard ultra marathon. This week, they produced another: 500ml of pus, roughly the equivalent of a pint.

The 40-year-old Australian saw a doctor earlier this week after a pain in his leg was not going away following his extraordinary, 152-hour solo ordeal aided by Nerds, meat pies, Coco Pops and a cheeseburger.

In his left thigh, what was initially thought to be a haematoma – a swelling of blood that usually disperses on its own – turned out to be something more serious.

“I just didn’t quite feel right about it, so I wanted to get a second opinion,” Gore posted on Instagram.

He went to a different sports doctor on Monday who went to aspirate, or suck out, the buildup.

“He went to aspirate it and realised it wasn’t blood,” Gore said. “It was pus, which means that there’s an infection, more likely an abscess, and he suggested I go back to ER [emergency].”

Gore checked in to the Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth, and had the procedure.

“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.”

He added he was grateful to the hospital staff because “it could have gotten a lot worse if left untreated” and apologised to supporters for not replying to their well wishes.

Gore won last year’s Backyard Ultra World Championship by covering 764km in Tennessee, USA.

In backyard ultras, the winner only ever covers slightly more than the runner who finishes in second place.

The format drove Gore to test himself late last month in a solo bid, borrowing the backyard ultra format – running one 6.7km “lap” per hour for an entire week.

He fell narrowly short of his goal, collapsing after six days and 15 hours, but still raised close to $300,000 to help fund medical research and health services for children in Western Australia. His 152 laps easily eclipsed his official world record of 119, set last year.

Gore spent time this week working out the exact time during his effort – which was live streamed – his thigh began giving him trouble.

“Found the part where my leg started to hurt,” he said. “Lap 104. Still made it another 2 days.”