🌲🌲Forest Run Fest Results
“I hate this part, I just want to time travel forward to 4 hours into the race when I'll be in the mountains, at night, settled in and doing my thing.”
Your weekly fix of NZ trail running news
We’re the Irvines pie of the trail running world. A bit soggy and sh💩t, but you’ll still consume it if it’s the only thing on offer🤣
Here's what’s in the drop bag this week:
🌲Forest Run Fest Results
😎UTMB Week IS HERE
❓Q&A with Simon Cochrane & Cameron Kerr
🍹Morwots August Giveaway (Paid Subscriber)
🏁Upcoming Events: Terry Davis’ New Event
💩Worst Run Ever Announcement
⛰️💊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.
Forest Run Fest, Christchurch
Another week, another forest, another big turnout.
Over 1,000 runners converged on Bottle Lake Forest(Churchur) Sunday to conclude August’s Forest Run Bonanza.
Forest Run Fest - 21KM
Women’s Podium
🥇Marina Ferguson - 1:30:03
🥈Niamh McMullan - 1:38:37
🥉Shelley Nelson - 1:44:09
Last year, Hannah Oldroyd blazed her way to victory and overall glory in 1:23:40. This year, Marina Ferguson dominated the women’s race and led the assault on the men’s field💪.
At the end of the first loop (10 km), Ferguson had built a 3-minute lead over Niamh McMullan and ran in 2nd outright, 4m35s back from Hayden Zervos.
Ferguson kept the Hoka to the floor, running away from McMullan and the rest of the women’s field to claim victory by over 8 minutes.
Shelley Nelson rounded out the podium in 3rd, just holding off a fast-finishing Nicola Whalley by 11 seconds.
Men’s Podium
🥇Hayden Zervos -1:20:12 🔥NEW CR🥳
🥈Sam Parker - 1:30:38
🥉Julien Marechal - 1:32:33
This race was over early. Hayden Zervos dropped the clutch, filling the air with the smell of burnt pine needles, and then he was gone.
As mentioned, through the first 10 km, he had a 4-minute lead over Marina Ferguson, and 2nd place penis Sam Parker was a further 1.5 minutes back.
Julien Marechal was 3rd through after 10km, 30 seconds back from Parker, and that’s how the race would finish.
Congratulations to Hayden Zervos on his Course Record🔥. He sliced 2m32s off Dan Watson’s run from 2021.
Forest Run Fest - 10km
More scorching times in the 10km, with both winning times being within 30 seconds of the CR!
Men’s Podium
🥇Lee Calderon - 38:21
🥈Regan Wood - 40:18
🥉Matthew Day - 48:21
Women’s Podium
🥇Lily Aynsley - 40:57
🥈Joy Courage - 45:45
🥉Rebecca Good - 46:07
For the full results, go here and check out their Facebook Page for more event coverage.
UTMB Week Is Here
Thank f🤬ck for that. I can’t handle my social media feeds being filled with picture-perfect trails and peaks for too much longer.
To get in the spirit of things, why not listen to some Conquest of Paradise while reading the rest of the newsletter?
iRunFart has put out their previews if you want to read a full write-up 🏃🏃♀️
But ain’t nobody got time for that, so I thought I would fill you in on who I’ll be watching.
UTMB:
Imagine being 5 again. Then imagine waiting for your birthday all year, only to be told you’re not having a birthday this year. Well, that’s what happened to Ruth Croft after falling ill on the eve of last year’s race.
She hasn’t raced a tonne this year, but when she has, she’s taken all the lollies. I don’t want to jinx it by saying she’ll win, so I’ll whisper it instead … I think she’s gonna win.Katie Wright and Brooke Thomas were flatmates down in Queenstown, and now they will race each other at UTMB. Katie had an impressive run last year, finishing 18th at UTMB and 5th at this year’s Tarawera 100km.
Brooke raced CCC last year with a broken elbow and is now stepping up to the full circuit. She’s had an impressive 12 months, with some big results on the NZ Backyard Ultra circuit (and is still the TA FKT holder).Naomi Brand might be listed as South African, but I’m claiming Kiwi. She’s put her life as a vet down south on hold and has spent the last 9 weeks in Europe, fulfilling a dream 20 years in the making. Fingers crossed for a Hollywood ending!
Scotty Hawker has had his highest highs and his lowest lows in Chamonix. 3rd in UTMB 2019, 2nd in CCC 2021 and 2 DNFs in 2018 & 2022. He’s been working through an injury in the last couple of months. Fingers crossed, it’s come good🤞.
Louis Schindler, AKA The Mountain Grinder, met his match last year, hitting the showers a little early. He’s back, looking for vengeance. He’s had some great results back in NZ this year. Watch this space.
CCC
Danny Jones is still searching for that big international podium performance. He was oh so close at Western States this year, with his mate Hayden Hawks spoiling the party. He’s raced 100km more than the miler, so this course may suit him better than UTMB. My heart says he’ll get his podium, but my head says there are too many mountain specialists in the field.
Jub Bryant, the Major of Queenstown, will be gunning to take victory in his category: 30-39M, Bearded Vegan not using
bitchstickspoles running in $80 New Balance shoes. I think he’s a hot favourite.Chris Sanson and Dane Danesin are leading the way for the fast Kiwis that could break out of the midpack and do something special on their day.
TDS
I’ve never met anyone who’s transformed their life so radically with trail running as Fabiano Petroni. Earlier this year, I had the privilege of sharing some of his story. The next chapter is about to begin.
Grant Pritchard from Wellington Big Sunday Run is also lining up on the start line at TDS. Grant is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. He’s also got a terrible habit of leaving his phone behind mid-race and hitting things with his head. I’m taking bets on whether he finishes with both his phone and a scrape-free knogan.
OCC
Caitlin Fielder has had success in this race before, with a 4th place last year and a bronze back in 2021. She’s been there or thereabouts in the World Golden Trail series this year, currently placed 9th overall.
The Flying Doctor, David Haunschmidt, has been up to his old tricks, but this time in Europe. Another weekend, another podium finish. I don’t think he’s starting in the elite box, but if anyone can pull off some crazy sh💩t, it’s him.
Q&A with Simon Cochrane
Simon Cochrane is another athlete I’ll be following. He’s the Ultra Man World champion and CR holder, the only Blue Lake Claw winner, and the NZ 24-hour Track champ.
When did UTMB first get on your radar, and when did you decide you wanted to run it?
“As soon as you start racing some ultra's, UTMB is on everyone's radar. It is pretty much the World Chmps or Olympics of ultra running. It has a huge history, and is one of the most challenging courses on the circuit. (172km with 10,000m elevation gain).”
“It was a bucket list race for sure, and when I was offered an elite start last year - there was no way I was turning it down. (qualified with my 5th place at Tarawera miler).”
What’s it taken to get over to France and the start line?
“A big commitment both financially, and physically. A three week trip to Europe is epic, but that means time away from the family, and also a decent cost involved.”
“Luckily my wife is coming over for race week which will be great - and will be definitely be bringing the whole family back to the mountains of france when the kids are a bit older (and can summit some 3000m plus peaks!)”
“Getting to the start line feeling good is another challenge, This build up has gone particularly well, having just finished my biggest 10 week running block of my life. Plenty of volume, and also elevation is needed to get ready for this beat of a race.”
“It's been a different approach than in the past, as I am usually fitting my ultra run events in during the NZ summer triathlon season. It has been quite nice (and beneficial) to drop the swim and cycle training right back, to allow for the bigger run load.”
You’ve won some massive races and set world records in Ultraman. What does it feel like to head into an event like UTMB, where you’re not expected to win?
“It's actually quite a nice feeling going in with a bit less pressure. Obviously I have some personal expectations, but I feel it's a race where you need to stick to your own plans, or shit can get messy - real quick!”
Everything goes smoothly, your body is strong, and you have your dream day. What time is on the clock when you cross the line?
“Time is pretty irrelevant for this race as conditions each year can change the winning time by hours. Chasing a time is probably a dangerous way to race UTMB in my opinion.'“
“Once again, stick to your own plan and execute the best you can. Saying that though, anything around 24hrs is going to be fairly competitive.”
Anything else you would like to say to the NZ trail community (feel free to plug your shit)
“Can follow along on IG - @cochranesimon and also my coaching page @athletic.peak.”
“Always happy to chat to anybody about coaching and running, and keen to hear some of your big goals and aspirations. Get in touch via IG DM or at www.athleticpeak.co.nz”
Q&A with Cameron Kerr
Captain Cam Kerr is also back in Chamonix looking for redemption after a tough DNF deep into the race last year. He’s since had shoulder surgery and won the national champs at 3 Peaks, chasing down Backwards Cap Barnes on a bad cankle. He’s also working on a video that will showcase his journey to UTMB this year, watch this space.
How are you feeling about the race? Confident, excited, nervous?
“Terrified.”
“I hate this part, I just want to time travel forward to 4 hours into the race when I'll be in the mountains, at night, settled in and doing my thing.”
“Partly I'm nervous about the race, but then I also feel like a total outsider right now. France, and in particular Chamonix, is packed to the brim with literally THOUSANDS of runners in head-to-toe matching kit who are VERY serious about running, dedicate themselves to it, are presumably pretty fast, and jog around at an "easy pace" far faster than mine discussing training weeks that I couldn't even dream of hitting.”
“I feel embarrassed to be here with them. I typically feel like I'm going to get whooped up on at a 100 person race in New Zealand, and now I'm at the biggest race in the world, lining up to let thousands of global athletes smack me around the racecourse and crush my last remaining bits of self esteem.”
Last year, you were sitting inside the top 40 and, unfortunately, DNFd at 155km. Does it feel like you’ve got a monkey on your back, or have you been able to turn that experience into fuel to get even better?
“Yeah, 155km of 170km. The amount of times I've been told "damn, so close to the finish!" is honestly infuriating. I should've DNF'd far earlier to avoid this. Learn from this mistake.”
“But no, DNF'ing fucking sucks. It sucks even worse when you've put so much effort into training and spent a laughable amount of money travelling to the other side of the planet just for one race. I'd sure like to not do that again.”
“Having said that; 100 miles is a disgustingly long way - I guess that's kind of the point.”
“Really pushing the limits of what your body can take, in terms of distance or pacing, I figure if you're not overcooking it every so often, you're probably not pushing hard enough, and even the pro's have things pop up and end up with a DNF on the record.”
“Ultimately, I let myself be sad about it for a little, because it sucks, but then I just analyzed the effort and the training, tried to learn from the experience, forgave myself and moved on.”
“In some ways it's been a good point of reference to drive the training. If I can put a few more bits of the puzzle together, then it sure looks like I'm capable of moving from the middle of the mid-pack to the front of the mid-pack. Wouldn't that be nice!”
Have you changed anything in your training and or nutrition strategy this year after last year’s experience?
“The nutrition/pacing felt pretty spot on, and I had good energy the whole way until I withdrew, so there's not going to be much change there!”
“Having run (or tried to run...) 100 miles a couple of times now, it seems like my weak link is definitely joint pain/swelling, particularly in my knees. Both times this has become crippling late in the race. Partly I think that's a function of being relatively new to ultra-running, and immediately pushing to the 100 mile distance, and partly that my training volume has been relatively low.”
“The strategy has been heavily revised this year, with the removal of lots of interval sessions, biking and whatever else I needed to cut in order to focus on increasing weekly running volume by around 50% compared to last year. Basically, I figure that it doesn't matter if I've managed great interval sessions and am fit enough to run 5% faster for the first 120km if my body is breaking down and I'm taking twice as long for the last 40km - or dropping out entirely.”
“The thinking is that building that level of body durability takes years in the sport and the gradual accumulation of lots of miles. Hopefully now I've been focused on running for a few years, and have managed to gradually increase training mileage, that I'll be able to function as a runner rather than a walker right to the finish. Unfortunately, that kind of durability is hard to test until raceday. I have no idea if the plan has worked, but I guess we're about to find out.”
“If it goes well and I manage to get to the line without being reduced to a painful hobbling mess, then I might return to more focus on intervals and traditional 'fitness', but for now, I've just been trying to become robust enough to go the distance!”
What does success at UTMB look like for you this year?
“30th, 60th, 100th, 200th could all be results to be proud of in different ways. The bib numbers are split between male/female and seeded in terms of ranking. I'm lucky number 206, so I guess the UTMB organization thinks I'm capable of 103rd (male) position. Beating that would be a nice feeling, but ultimately, I don't have a particular outcome goal.”
“In terms of true on the day goals, there's a few boxes I want to tick, and they're all input based;
Be Sensible. Make good decisions in terms of pacing, nutrition and self care from start to finish.
Be Confident. At some point in the race, push the pace up at a level I'm not certain I can sustain to the finish. When I'm feeling bad, have confidence that things will get better again. The highs and lows are sometimes hard to believe in, but you WILL feel good again eventually (well, mostly. 60% of the time it works every time).
Get Mongrel. Give it the beans and stay "in it" as a racer, even when it just feels like survival.”
“And then ultimately, the focus for the whole year has been to get my body to a point where I can truly race the full distance. While I can't do much about that on the day, it'll certainly be the time where we find out, and I will be so, so proud if I've managed to crack that, or at least move closer than I was last year.”
What aspects of the course do you enjoy or think you can excel at? What parts are you expecting to be difficult?
“Cranking out the peak training block in Queenstown in winter means I'm certainly prepared for the cold and the dark and I'm comfortable handling myself in the mountains, so during the night shift (which also coincides with the highest mountain terrain) I expect to be moving up the field.”
“I haven't traditionally done well in the heat, and again, the Queenstown winter certainly hasn't prepared me for that, so if the day shift in the last half of the race starts heating up, we'll see if I can hold myself together or not!”
“I'm lucky enough that my crew chief is my Mum, who loves me, but generally acts like she hates me during races. I'm expecting minimal stopped time at the aid points as she hands me food, water, pushes me out the door and tells me to get the hell on with the running, so there shouldn't be any time lost faffing about there.”
August Paid Subscriber Giveaway
It’s your last chance to get in the draw to win 1 of 5 1KG Pouch of Morwots Drink Mix
Christchurch pedal basher Bede Torrance, the man behind Morwots Drink Mix, reached out to see whether there would be demand among trail runners for his drink mix.
There is only one way to find out.
How can you get Morwots up in your grill?
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?Comment below or Email trailrunningnz@gmail.com.
What would you name your sports nutrition brand if you started one?
Lines of Mountain Skag, anyone?Get your name drawn out on the 2nd of September.
Update: I used it on my long run this week and survived.
I can confirm that this is not a cyclist trying to knock off a few pesky trail runners.
Don’t want to wait?
Click Here & use the code ‘trailrunningnz’ for a 15% discount
A big THANK YOU to ALL the Paid Supporters who help keep this snowball rolling.
Upcoming Events:
Terry Davis New Event Alert
Sunday, 1st of September
From the sadist that brought you North ‘F🔥🔥king’ Burn & Mt. Difficulty Marathon comes …
Okay, that's not quite what I was expecting from Terry Davis.
It’s not gonna blow up your gnarl meter, but if the weather is clear, it could be the most scenic marathon in the country.
🏃🏃♀️Distances on offer:
📏42.2KM | ⛰️800M
If you’re unfamiliar with the Dunstan trail, it’s a hardpack cycle trail that runs from Clyde to Cromwell around Lake Dunstan. It does have some hills, but because it’s made for bikes, it’s at a painful “I guess I should be running this” gradient. The Motatapu Trail Marathon is probably the closest comparison (coming from someone who hasn’t run either 😂.)
The event is capped at 500 athletes, but only 168 are currently entered. If you’re on the fence, I would get in this year. I’ve got the feeling this will be the next South Island race that gets swamped by Aucklanders and sells out every year.
If you’re on the gram, check out the teaser vid below:
Entries are still open; you can follow the event on Instagram & Facebook.
Worst Run Ever Announcement
The Worst Run Ever is easily my favourite section of the newsletter. However, prying these gems out of you can be a lot of work.
To help, starting next week I’ve got a sponsor on board. (It won’t help you find your car during a mushroom trip, but it MAY help you recover enough to run back to it when you remember where you left it.)
Every entry will go into a monthly draw.
That’s a 1 in 4 chance of winning something just by telling a yarn you’ve probably already told 1000 times.
You can send your story in complete form, or if you need help dotting the t’s and crossing the i’s, I’m more than happy to help.
Send all your Worst Run Ever’s to trailrunningnz@gmail.com
I’ve got one lined up for next week already. It’s a doozy…
“…where the diagnosis by the 15 ?? year old doctor was "just a strain", nothing some paracetamol wouldn't fix.”
“All good and well, until I went to the toilet in the middle of the night, and I fainted…”
#Mountain Skag Pic Of The Week
This week's #Mountain Skag is from Nathan May, who got a hit of the good stuff on a rainy AF ‘Coromandel Traverse’ last Saturday.
Tag @trailrunning.nz and use #mountainskag on Instagram or email trailrunningnz@gmail.com to enter.
Every entry has a chance to win the monthly giveaway of a Mountain Skag T-shirt or hat.
We will be back next week with the Naseby Water Race and Dunstan Trail Marathon results, a breakdown of how the Kiwis went at UTMB, the Mountain Skag August Vote, and whatever else I find in a mad panic Sunday night.
It takes hours to write this newsletter but only 8 seconds to forward it to a friend.
PS: Good luck to all the Kiwi’s who are lining up in Chamonix this week. Whether your at the front, firmly in the middle or bringing up the rear. I hope it’s everything that you’ve dreamed of.
PPS: Don’t forget that The Great Naseby Water Race dot watching starts on Wednesday with the 200 miler!
Liquid Kudos™ : The world’s first FDA-approved Dopamine supplement for when the Strava server is down
Asked my hubby. He suggested “F$&k yeah” as a nutrition brand name. Personally I’d go for “Throw down” …