Running events

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RuapehuEXPRESS Half Marathon

Date: 27 February 2016
Distance: 19.1km
Time: 2:09.36

The birthday boy having a peaceful night.
Overcast and a bit fresh at the start.
Rob and me – ready for action.
Less than a minute to the start.
Briefing by Tim Day.
Shortly after the start, a dash across a paddock.
More paddock (cross country) running in the first few kilometres.
Time to shed a layer as it quickly warmed up.
Gerry comfortably jogging along as I was huffing and puffing to keep up.
A short stretch of farm road.
Jumping fences is normal for these kinds of events.
Having a blast out on the trails.
“If you go into the woods today, you’re in for a big surprise”.
Rob about half a kilometre ahead of us.
An awkwardly placed water station. First you veer off to the left, missing the table (my thoughts were that the water point was maybe meant for the 15km guys?) and when you pass it again from the other side, you turn away towards the right before reaching the table, missing it again.
Crossing one of many similar little bridges.
The trail winds through beautiful forests.
No doubt we’re on the right track.
A short little uphill after crossing the railway line.
Remnants of the Taonui viaduct.
Halfway – yay!
The cobblestone of the historic path is still visible in parts.
Pete still going strong.
Information boards along the Old Coach Road.
The second water point about 2km from the finish.
On the home straight back to the Powderhorn Chateau.
Final bridge across the railway line before the finish.
All done. Happy with what I’ve managed to achieve.
Prize-giving.

As it was Gerry’s birthday on the 26th, we decided to make a little outing of the trip. Not sure where we would stay – the only requirement was to camp somewhere nice and quiet – we went to the nearest DOC campsite only a few kilometres outside of Ohakune on the mountain side. It looked quite nice but decided nonetheless to check out the campsite at Raetihi which was only $4 per person more. However, the latter being more busy and civilised, we opted for the more scenic out of town rustic option at the foot of Mt Ruapehu. Continue reading →

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How not to do a 60km trail run – the mud, blood, guts and glory of the Tarawera Ultra

Date: 6 February 2016
Distance: 62km
Time: 12:30.48
Previous: 2015

Nervously waiting for the start in anticipation of the day ahead.
Uhum, is that a slightly nervous face?
Although it was wet, the temperature was fairly warm in the early hours of the morning.
A misty rain covered the whole landscape.
The wide forestry roads helped to spread out the runners.
We looked somewhat despondent.
Deep in thought.
Finally reaching Blue Lake.
I should really try to go faster so that Gerry can get rid of his excess energy!
Trying my luck with crisps. It left no ill effects.
Encouraging signs scattered throughout the course.
Imagine having such a huge group of friends all participating. Must be a blast!
A short stretch on sealed roads.
A jingle-jolly water point before heading back into the forest for more muddy trails.
A big chunk of the trail looked like this.
The single track sections were trampled by all the runners.
Another mud slide.
Beautiful scenery despite challenging terrain.
Some seriously eroded downhills.
A marshall who made herself a little shelter to take cover from the rain.
Peace man! Another lovely water point.
Cool attire and more friendly helpers at the Peace water point.
At the Tarawera falls.
Soaked to the bone, cold and really sore at this point.
We made it!
Finally at the finish line.
Medals to boot.

All photos by us, except the ones containing the TUM logo which are courtesy of Photos4sale and TUM. 

Standing at the start line of the Tarawera ultra, it still hadn’t dawned on me what I was about to do. For some strange reason, the whole event hadn’t registered with me at all. Maybe it was a way for my mind to cope with the fact that we were going to run 60km, not having done the hard yards in training? Whatever the case might be, my mind chose not to make it a reality. And were it not for the excruciatingly sore muscles the day after, I still wouldn’t have registered what happened the day before. Continue reading →

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20 miles of hope and 6 miles of truth (Queenstown marathon)

Queenstown marathon

Date: 21 November
Distance 42.2km
Time: 5:51:44

At the start at Millbrook Resort.
Self-seeded wave starts helped spread out the trail of runners to ease congestion on the walking tracks. We had no problem whatsoever, not sure what was going on in the front.
Not long now – grrrr …
And we’re off. Long road ahead.
The downhill into Arrowtown which was the start of my ITB problems.
Arrowtown – a quaint historic gold mining town north of Queenstown.
Gerry making his way through the suburbs.
Running next to Arrow River.
Enough runners not to be alone, and not so many to congest the walkways.
Lovely scenery and a perfect day for it!
Flying round the corner on a downhill. Yeah right.
One of many bridges across streams and rivers.
Queenstown Trails Trust was getting $10 from each entry towards the maintenance of the river/lake walkways.
A mainly flat course with just a few undulations and a hill or two thrown in for good measure.
Water point with lots of little helpers. All stocked with water and Powerade. Most of them also offered Sport Beans.
Point taken.
One of the short sections on a sealed road, running along the Arrowtown Lake Hayes Road towards the lake.
Reaching and rounding Lake Hayes.
Have to fool myself to look strong, although I was far from it.
The sound of a band drifting across the water, made for a very enjoyable run.
Beautiful paths to keep your mind off the pain.
So very far to go still …
Nice pathways through boggy areas.
Not too far from the end of the 7km circle around Lake Hayes.
Gerry still going strong and having a ball.
Colourful dots all along the walkway.
After what felt like an eternity, we finally reached the halfway mark. Took us 2:37.
A steep downhill which I had to walk on account of my terribly sore ITB’s.
Lush new growth on the trees.
At 26.5km we reach the waterpoint before crossing the Shotover River.
Gerry on the Shotover River bridge.
High fives all round!
Around this area we passed some waterworks which wasn’t all that pretty. But the lupins cheered me up.
Just a few little hills to keep things interesting. This one dubbed “Marathon Hill” which is quite tough at around the 32km mark.
Lots of inspirational posters en route with this one near the top of the hill. 🙂 Next to the Kawarau River.
Some more musicians. I love events that have local bands to entertain runners and crowds.
The Frankton Arm of Lake Wakatipu in the back.
The organisers made the most of the main sponsor, Air New Zealand.
Gerry still doing well next to the Frankton Arm.
Turns out it wasn’t only my legs that didn’t work so well anymore – it was also my trigger finger! Luckily the photographer got his Charlie Chaplan jump at the right time.
With only about 1km to go, these guys were really going all out cheering runners on.
Through the streets of Queenstown with lots of support along the closed roads. This must have been fantastic for the guys who were still part of the event. Being so far behind, we definitely missed out of some highlights the event had to offer.
With his landing gear out, Gerry is on the runway taxiing his way to the finish.
Very happy to have made it to the finish with near nothing training in the two months leading up to the event.
Chilling in the finish zone with bananas, water, Powerade and a happy grin.
Prize-giving. Our luck has definitely run out this year. 🙂

The Air New Zealand Queenstown International Marathon saw its second running in 2015. It boasted a huge field of 9000 participants across all three events (42.2, 21.1 & 10km, plus a kids 2km). At $149 entry fee it is not the cheapest marathon in the country ($10 goes towards the Queenstown’s Trails Trust). Add to that the $15 bus fare, and, if you want, the official event cotton T-shirt at $40, and you’re already looking at $200+. Other event branded merchandise like technical tops, peaks, caps etc were also on offer. The expo consisted mainly of sports-related brands advertising and selling their goods. Continue reading →

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Hatuma Lime Half Marathon

Date: 20 September 2015
Distance: 21.1km
Time: 2:09
Previous: 2011, 2014

Despite terrible weather, still a rather big field.
Ready for action!
We started off with a 400m out-and-back stretch.
A high-five with Rob.
Lake Hatuma in the distance.
Gerry being handed water at the first drink station by a little volunteer.
A dreary day for it, won’t you say?
Wet, windy and rainy. Could have been worse, I guess. 🙂
Lovely country roads.
Gerry quite visible, especially on an overcast day.
Prize-giving took place on the grand stand, out of the rain.
Nichola handling the prize-giving with a representative from the main sponsor, Hutuma Lime.

 

Evidently ’tis the season to be sick, for me. Despite gulping down fists full of vitamins and probiotics, I can’t seem to build up my immunity to fend off any germs coming my way. This has been the case since having to undergo minor surgery end of June coupled with a course of antibiotics. The latter will surely be the end of us as a species … Continue reading →

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Marton to Wanganui relay

Date: 12 September 2015
Distance: 66.37km
Time: 6:05.58
Previous: 2011

Team Going Nowhere Slowly ready for action!
Bill handling the registration.
Jolly banter at the start with Peter and Kevin.
And we were off.
Having fun on leg one.
The first change-over. Change-overs between legs are very laid-back and informal.
Gerry and Marian having a chat.
Sunny and warm in the countryside for the first half.
Downhill with a warm morning sun in your back – bliss!
Some support from other teams.
Support crew keeping busy, doing … uhm, not much (Steph, Kevin and Peter).
Marian getting support from Peter and Kevin.
A wonderful blue-skies morning with just a chilly breeze to keep us from getting too comfortable.
Given the length of the race and the relatively small field, there were a few lonely stretches, but for the most part it was quite a social morning.
Support vehicles lining the side of the road.
Peter making sure Marian gets the necessary hydration.
Supporters point of view.
Running in the beautiful Rangitikei countryside, with some slips remaining as proof of the recent floods.
Catching up with some walkers who left earlier.
Another gentle downhill allowing Gerry to pick up the pace.
Flying down a long, winding downhill stretch.
Nothing beats a good morning in the NZ countryside.
Catching up with a Manawatu Strider walker.
The miles fly by when you smile.
More evidence of the devastating floods that hit the region a few months back.
Silt-filled paddocks serve as a reminder of the recent flooding.
These paddocks were lakes a few months ago.
Two cattle in the road nearly brought everything to a standstill: bikers, cars and Gerry on his leg.
The toughest hill on the course, a 2.5km climb up Reid’s Hill.
Nearing the top with support from Gerry and a couple of Striders team members.
As we caught up with the larger walking teams, change-over points were humming with activity.
Despite a warm-ish start, and lovely blue skies, the day got chillier as we got closer to the finish.
Still having fun!
An off-road stretch …
The second last leg – undulating and gravelly.
Having a chat to one of the Taranaki walkers.
Gerry passing the Okoia School.
The last leg – not far to go.
Gerry digging deep to keep up the pace over the final couple of kilometres.
Peter on his last lap.
Gerry on his way to the finish.
All done! Despite a much faster run than last time, we were feeling surprisingly fresh.
Kevin snapping his team-mate Peter at the finish line.

When Gerry and I did this event the previous time, we were fairly new to the area and hardly knew anybody. Although the event is quite sociable, I still remember running by myself for the most part, with Gerry supporting, and vice versa when he was on. We leap-frogged the whole course which I enjoyed thoroughly. Continue reading →