We’re like the seam-sealed jacket of the NZ trail running scene— most of the time not required, but when you need it, we’re buried at the bottom of your pack 😂.
Here's what’s in the drop bag this week:
🏃🏃♀️Aotearoa Ultra Results
😵💫Cheese Roll Sandy Point Backyard Ultra
🎯Things You May Have Missed
🥤HYDEE Paid Subscriber Giveaway
🟣Worst Run Ever by CurraNZ
🏁Upcoming events: The Goat, The Revenant, Mash Backyard
⛰️💊Mountain Skag Pic of The Week
Note: Due to the length, some email browsers will hide some of the content - make sure you click ‘view entire email’ or click through to substack.
Just as you thought your inbox was safe from fake news, missplelled names & outdated gifs😎.
You can’t get rid of me that easily! I love writing this newsletter😍.
Almost as much as Tina from Turners loves cars. And she LOVES cars.
So, what’s in the pipeline for Trail Running NZ for 2025?
More of the same.
Don’t fix it if it aint broke, as my Grandma used to say.
I’m planning to get to a few more events in person again this year, starting with volunteering at the M*A*S*H backyard next weekend.
I’ll also be throwing elbows deep in the mid-pack at Jumbo Holdsworth, The Xterra Festival Trail Marathon, The Tararua Mountain Race and I’ll make the rest of the year up as we go.
Anyway, enough about me - let’s jump into some results.
Aotearoa Ultra Results
Saturday, January 11
The Aotearoa Ultra kicks us off for 2025. With just over 80 people running over the 3 distances, Aotearoa continues to grow slowly each year.
It does surprise me, though. I would have thought we could crack 100 runners easily in our 2nd biggest city.
What’s the story, Christchurchians? Is it the course? The potential for it to be 40 degrees? Still in holiday mode?
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📏101KM | ⛰️4550M
🏃♀️Women’s Podium
🥇Helen Graham - 13:50:03 - 🔥NEW CR🔥
🥈Ketina Chivasa - 15:24:34
🥉Ella Clark - 15:48:03
It was no surprise to see Ketina Chivasa jumping in at the last minute to defend her Aotearoa Ultra title. It felt like she raced almost every weekend in 2024💪. She ran 36 minutes faster than her victory last year but ultimately came up short.
Today was all about Helen Graham. She controlled the race from her first step to her last, taking the first Ultra Trail title of 2025 and setting a new course record at Aotearoa Ultra🥳.
Ella Clark had a huuuge 2024. She ran her first miler at Tarawera, PBed at UTA100, and completed a bucket-list event: the 240-kilometer Coast to Kosciuszko Ultramarathon.
She’s started 2025 on a high, running her fastest ever 100k and her first taste of the podium.
🏃Men’s Podium
🥇Rafe Persson - 13:35:21
🥈Callum Jary - 13:43:22
🥉Owen Haigh - 13:52:13
The men’s race was tighter than my hamstrings on Monday after my first full day back in the office. Rafe Perrson pulled through to take victory by 8 minutes over Callum Jary.
Over such a long race, that works out as just under 1% faster. Taking a couple of extra photos along the way, re-tightening your shoes, a few extra shakes—it all adds up!
Owen Haigh outlasted Nick Hand in a race for the podium, beating him out by just 50s.
📏53KM | ⛰️2278M
🏃Men’s Podium
🥇Simon Cromarty - 5:09:08 - 🔥NEW CR🔥
🥈James Rice - 6:14:32
🥉Hannes Diener - 6:50:04
Simon Cromarty is a baaad man. He famously beat ‘The Flying Doctor’ in the Wellington Marathon last year, wearing a Cartman Southpark T-shirt in 2:27.
That tells you all you need to know about the toughness of this 50km course. I can’t think of any 50km races around the country without a sub-5 course record on the men’s side.
With that said, Cromarty put the previous CR of 6:22 to the sword in his crusade through the hills of Churchur.
Kudos to James Rice, who btoiled away all day, chasing the ghost of Cromarty. It’s not often you break the previous CR by 8 minutes but finish 2nd by over an hour.
🏃♀️Women's Podium
🥇Toni Gracia - 6:34:29 - 🔥NEW CR🔥
🥈Anne Harvet - 6:42:38
🥉Emma Roche - 6:51:07
Yeeee ha! The women brought the heat today. All 3 podium-getters were miles ahead of the previous CR of 7:06:53.
But it was Toni Gracia who raised the trophy and now lays claim to the 53 km course record. She finished 3rd overall and 8 minutes ahead of the hard chasing Anne Harvet.
Emma Roche ran 15 minutes below the previous CR, which was good for the bronze.
CLICK HERE for a complete list of results, including the 15KM race. Follow them on Facebook for more coverage.
This Week’s Newsletter Is Brought To You By…
I could throw in a whole heap of fancy words, but here’s the low down: Ryan Woolley is fast AF, and his brain turns over as quickly as his legs.
He ran 2H28 in Boston - holds a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science, and has over 20 years of trail running and coaching experience. In short, you might be staring at your new partner in crime.
Ryan’s back in his hometown of Wellywood after a stint in Seattle, Murica🌭 (clearly loves seam-sealed jackets), and he’s looking to grow his stable of athletes.
Do you find yourself asking…
“I’m looking for a coach who…”
✅Offers apersonalised training plan taking into account my experience, goals and current fitness levels ✅Helps me to adapt and manage my programme when life, lifes. ✅Will help me stay injury-free and become a more efficient athlete and teach me what strength training is.
Mention you saw this ad, and he’ll knock 1 rep off your first set of hill sprints.
P.S. Just so we’re clear, he’s looking to coach runners. This is not an audition for Ultra Runner Wants a Wife.
Sandy Point Backyard Ultra
Saturday, January 11
9 am Saturday, Sandy Point, Invercarrrrrgill. 44 runners ticked off “Run a backyard ultra” on their 2025 bingo card.
Organised by Tailwind Trail Blazer Patrick Manulet (Discount code MTNSKG for 90% off😝) with a tonne of support from the local running scene and sponsors.
Congratulations to Blair Logie, the inaugural Sandy Point Backyard Champion.
Firstly - that’s a glorious beard. Runners With Beards, if you don’t have Blair signed, you’ve just found your new Mr. January for the 2026 Calendar.
With 44 runners starting the event, it was always going to be a push to break deep into the 2nd day. Sandy Point followed the trend of most other smaller fields by finishing up just north of the 100-mile mark.
The crew laid a strong foundation, with 17 of the 44 starters making it past the 100km mark. The Grim Reaper found 5 victims on the other side of the 100 km milestone. And just like that, by 120km, the field was on its knees with just 6 runners left.
Logie, Budd, and Thomas made it to 100 miles before Thomas didn’t return to start lap 25.
Logie & Budd, just one more lap. Photo: Sandy Point Insta
Logie & Budd battled for 2 laps before Budd pulled the pin, with Logie having no issues completing his 27th lap and taking the win.
With the explosion of backyards in NZ and some of the insane results we saw in 2024, it’s easy to shrug your shoulders when you see 174km.
But let’s not forget that it is still a long far king way to run, no matter how you slice it. Credit where credit is due.
Probably the best Last Person Standing trophies on the circuit
“However, we faced numerous obstacles, including the ongoing closure of State Highway 1 and the removal of access to key areas due to the ongoing Chateau Tongariro disputes.
This required significant changes to our registration plans, bus routes, the finish line and post-event barbecue venue. While we worked tirelessly to adapt, the increased costs and additional staffing needed to ensure the event’s safety have made it unviable without a significant increase in registrations.”
Ohakune Events Charitable Trust
It was always going to be tough to put on The Goat and have the Tussock Traverse on the following weekend. Add to that all the logistical issues, it’s not overly surprising that they haven’t been able to attract enough runners.
Fingers crossed, The Goat goes well this weekend, and they can march towards a successful Ring of Fire comeback in 2026
St James Cancelled
“Hi all sadly and with great reluctance we have been forced to cancel next months St James races due to a lack of entries. We got through covid without cancelling, we got around not having a vital bridge but as I have always said at every single prize-giving we can't hold these events with competitors and sadly that is the case now.”
St James Facebook
I'm starting with all the happy news this week😢. St James is another grassroots event that has struggled to attract enough runners. That makes it 2 years in a row where they’ve pulled the pin.
Unfortunately, It’s hard to see a way forward from here. Attracting new runners when there’s now a history of cancelling the event a few weeks before is going to be tough.
Krayzie Chicks Frontyard Ultra
Stephanie Grace (director of Krayzie Mid Winter Backyard Ultra) is holding the first-ever Last Women Standing Frontyard Ultra this weekend on Kaiapoi Island, Christchurch.
It has all the same rules as a Backyard Ultra but has shorter laps (6km) designed to give women the experience of a backyard ultra with a little less time pressure. If this sounds like a bit of you, head to the Facebook page or Website.
Karel Sabbe, from Belgium, loves an FKT. He will start his attempt to claim the Te Araroa Trail FKT on Wednesday or Thursday this week.
George Henderson currently owns the title. He ran it in 2019 in 49d 14h 27m 0s.
I heard Sabbe is aiming for 100 km a day, which would take him around 30 days. I think that’s a little ambitious, and he will join the long list of TA hopefuls who hit the Tararua and want to cry a little on the inside.
He will get the record, but I think it will still have a 4 in the front.
Comment below or reply to this email to let me know your thoughts.
I’m not going to lie. I feel Isobel is sneaking through a dodgy Dirt Church Radio ‘Best Run Ever’ here, but I’ll take it—anything to pass them in the ratings.
Loop The Peel
“…But some of my rambles have proved more epic than I intended, take my idea to loop Little Mt Peel in mid Canterbury earlier this year.”
“I’d done my research, packed a good selection of food and clothes, my PLB and a head torch, just in case I might be out a bit late now sunset is around 6pm..”"
“HAH! That south ridge route up is a monster!”
“The mist was still rising from the tops as I slogged up and up, thankfully only able to snatch glances of how much bloody further it was to go!”
“OK, I had expected steep and it’s around 25% but it’s also well bushy and scrubby and tussocky once on the ridgeline proper.”
“Every second step I was tripping over a tussock I was standing on, having to wrench my poles out of every single shrub and that’s not to mention the boot sucking mud.”
“I am not going to admit how long it took me, safe to say it was at least 120 minutes longer than I had hoped for.”
“Once at the top though, oh wow! Silence, not a breath of wind, the sun heading westward really fast and the whole of Canterbury below MIA under a layer of cloud around the 700m level.”
“There’s a super shelter up there that had been in the sun all day so was lovely and warm. I had a crack at drinking all the water in the tank and took stock.”
“I was not going to get down in daylight even taking the ‘easy' way on Deer Spur but hanging around the shelter all night didn’t appeal especially as rain was forecast over night. So tempting as it was to stay put and watch the stars come out it was time to head down.”
“Thankfully the Deer Spur track is positive luxury with boardwalks and stairs and DOC signposts and an actual cut track! Cellphone coverage happens to be excellent so to prevent my husband calling SAR I kept up a stream of messages and photos to reassure him.”
“I hope you think they at least approximate the simply awesome experience of being high in the hills in utter silence, the sole witness (messages not withstanding) to the sheer grandeur of Te Wai Pounamu, other peaks appearing like islands at sea, the sky streaked with outrageous colours.”
“What you can’t see is a deer barking at my sudden appearance, possums keeping me company once back down in the forest, probing mud holes with my poles to see if there is actually a bottom or my next step is going to see me drown in mud!”
“I got slower and slower, muttered more and more loudly but finally got back to the car, exhausted. That was the worst run ever; saving some amazing highlights. I was swearing I would never do that again, as well as just swearing!”
“At least until the next time. And folks; always pack a head torch.”
Isobel Stout
Thanks for sharing, Isobel.
You’re in the draw for some little purple pills from 🟣CurraNZ.
They can be short or long. Funny😂 or sad😭. You can own it, or it can be made anonymous. They can even have a happy ending.
January Paid Subscriber Giveaway
This month, 2 x Lucky Paid Subscribers will win an electrolyte bundle from HYDEE worth $240 large ones … It pays to be VIP
HYDEE? Never heard of them. Where have they been HYDEEING?
I’m going to be completely transparent - I have never tried HYDEE. Chelsea slid up into my DM’s in December, and I’m a sucker for slick packaging.
HYDEE is a new player in the sweaty electrolyte market made here in NZ. Rather than waste it on me, I thought I would crowd-source whether it’s any good.
No artificial flavours or sweeteners - they’ve even kicked old Uncle Steve(ia) to the curb.
It comes in 2 strengths - “Everyday” & “Ultra”.
The Ultra comes with a big salty whack of 1000MG, perfect for a preload.
If you are victorious in the paid subscriber battle royal this month, you will win:
1 X 30 serving pouch of Everyday Electrolyte
1 X 30 serving pouch of Ultra Electrolyte
2 X 15 ‘On the go’ servings of Everyday & Ultra Electrolyte
How can you get HYDEE up in your orophus?
Sign up as a Paid Subscriber (if you’re not one already.) It’s $5 a month. WTF can you buy for $5 these days?
To celebrate Andy Dubois recently subscribing to the newsletter, there will be one male & female winner.
Don’t want to wait?
Click Here & use the code ‘TRNZ’ for a 20% discount
A big THANK YOU to ALL the Paid Supporters who help keep this snowball rolling.
Upcoming Events
The Goat - Tongariro
Saturday, January 18
After notching up 20 years with The Goat, Jason Cameron and his Victory Events team handed over the reins to Ohakune Events Charitable Trust.
This will be their first foray into the wild world of trail running. No pressure. Don’t f🤬ck up 20 years of hard work😅.
With the Tussock Traverse stuck in purgatory and the Ring of Fire not planned until 2026, this is your only chance to race on the central plateau.
If you’re unfamiliar - The Goat is a 20 km race with 1K of vert that runs pretty much from The Chateau to the Turoa access road on Mt Ruapehu.
You can expect ancient beech forest, stream crossings, rock hopping, a tonne of mud, cramp-inducing ascents/descents, and you even get to climb up a waterfall. The race finishes with a mad dash up some tar seal called Mammas’s Mile. There are no easy K’s in this one.
One of the highlights of The Goat Photo: The Goat Insta
I haven’t been able to get my mitts on a starters list, but I can confirm that THE GOAT of The Goat, Sjors Corparaal (he’s won it once or twice) and defending champ Kaya Corparaal (Sjors son) are both sitting this one out.
The men's trophy is there for the taking.
On the Women’s side, NZ rep Miriam Clark is always tough to beat and will again be lining up to her shot at The Goat glory.
If the news that Sjors and Kaya are out has caught your attention, or you think you can take on Miriam, you’re in luck - Entries are still available.
The NZ Backyard circus rolls on🤡. From the Deep South up to Windy AF Welly. M*A*S*H is also a brand new backyard for 2025.
It’s been puzzling that the Wellington region hasn’t had a BYU until now. Fiona ‘Flying Fi’ Hayvice thought the same, so she jumped in the deep end and traded her running shoes for the clipboard.
The battle commences at 9 AM Saturday at QE Park, 35 minutes north of Wellington CBD. It’s conveniently Wellington Anniversary weekend, so this one might be a David Lange.
The course is flat … for Wellington (70m). It features wetlands, dunes, kahikatea forest, and historical landmarks
Fiona recently put some new recruits through their paces on the course, which you can check out on Instagram below (FB Video Link for the boomers)
Entries are still open but limited to 150. I don’t think there will be too many left, so if you’re just chilling on Wellington Anniversary, it could be a chance to burn off all those Christmas/NY Snackachangis.
The Revenant, AKA NZ's Barkley Marathons, is back for another suck on the sav.
I found this statement on the website, which does a great job of summing up the event.
The Revenant: 200km & 16,000m-ish of vertical ascent, or possibly a wee bit more.
Unsupported individual Ultra Adventure Run. Map and compass only.
No watches allowed. You have 60 hours to complete the challenge, if you can tell when 60 hours is up.🤣.
So, it's not exactly a trail running race, but it's close enough!
I thought I would ask some previous victims what makes The Revenant, unlike any other event in the country.
First up is the legend that is Jean Beaumont. She’s had several cracks at The Revenant, but it looks destined to be one of the few events that she will never finish.
What’s the toughest element at The Revenant - the physical challenge, the mental toughness required or being able to figure out where the hell you’re going?
“I don’t mind the brutal heat.”
“The impenetrable Matagauri.”
“The tussock that is taller than me.”
“Whacking my shins on rocks 100 times in the Nokomai river.”
“The f…ing Spaniard grass.”
“But being unable to navigate due to sleep deprivation sucks!”
Thanks, Jean. Adam Keen is another person who can’t get enough but still hasn’t tasted the whiskey.
What keeps you coming back to The Revenant?
“For me this race always gives more back than it takes and it takes a lot! Scott, Tom and everyone that helps put on the Revenant put in a massive amount of work and it shows!”
“From the build up to the after match shindig it’s always a great few days to be a part of. The uniqueness of having to navigate the epic terrain as well as work with or drop other competitors makes the race exciting.”
“Nothing quite beats being incredibly fatigued and taking in a sunrise or moving up the Nokomai river looking for the next checkpoint. The Revenant is a real adventure with a high chance of failure, no support, no watches or electronics and for me it is a chance to see what is capable against shitty odds.”
Adam will be taking another crack at it this year. All the best.
From one beast to another. Shaun Collins has this to say to first-time Revenanters.
If you could only offer one piece of advice to someone who is taking on The Revenant for the first time
“My biggest advice would be to try and chill out - go with the flow! Look after the things you can control – eating, drinking, staying cool (dunking hats/heads/sleeves etc in whatever water you come across), navigation, not spending ages in the event base between loops (hint, hint, most people, who seem to spend ages and then wonder why it’s so hard to leave and then quit!) and pace.”
“Roll with the punches on everything else – most of the surprises, changes, head fucks and unknowns happen before the start whistle! Be it the unknown start time, course changes, starting in different directions, splitting the field in half, being blindfolded or having to go three legged with someone else – it’s all games the organisers like to play and you can’t control it, so don’t stress on it.”
“This was my biggest learning – in the first year it was all an unknown and the brain fatigue from constantly being “on”, eventually radiated into body fatigue making me stop at about 1.5laps around.”
“The constant unknown pre-start and then once we’d started the stress of navigating to the correct spot but not being able to find the friggin little Sistema lunch box with the book in it! (they are a lot easier to find now) The second year I made myself chill and once we’d started made sure I switched the brain off when I could.”
“Obviously, we knew what to expect the second time round but it’s still a big mission (nav and just getting the body around that terrain for that distance) and by me concentrating on what I could control I got around the course to finish! Whoop whoop!”
It should be another cracking year at The Revenant.
If you want to follow live, The Revenant team does a great job updating Instagram with live race coverage, so follow along.
P.S. I’ve seen a few people joining this Strava group (which has a corresponding FB group). Just to make things clear, these have no connection to the newsletter😊.
Inspired by the book about the young girl who runs around with boundless energy in the mountains of Switzerland.. and brings joy to everyone she comes across.
Short for hydration & like the name Heidi..
Inspired by the book about the young girl who runs around with boundless energy in the mountains of Switzerland.. and brings joy to everyone she comes across.
Always keen to try new products so I can crack this fickle game of fueling. HYDEE is short for hydration (sorta) and inspired by Heidi.