⛰️Kepler Preview
"Kepler Afterparty looking for a new DJ"
Your weekly fix of NZ trail running news
We’re here for you, like Black Friday—over hyped, no one knows how it started, but you still click on all the emails anyway.
Here’s what’s in the drop bag this week:
🏃🏃♀️Kepler Preview
📰International Results Desk
🎖️SK News Desk
🎯Things You May Have Missed
💰His & Her Events Giveaway WINNER
🟣Worst Run Ever by CurraNZ
⛰️💊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.
The Kepler Challenge
Saturday, December 2
December is here.
That means 2 things.
I will explode in approximately 3 days from hearing Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas’ for the 10,211th time.
The runners with the fastest internet in the land make their pilgrimage to Te Anau for the premier mountain race on the NZ race calendar: the Kepler Challenge.
What Is The Kepler Challenge:
If you’ve only just met the lord and been saved from the evil pavement bashers, here’s a little background on Kepler.
The Kepler Track is one of the great walks in the Fiordland National Park. To celebrate its completion in 1988, three Fiordland College teachers decided to organise a one-off event. On 10 December 1988, 149 carefully selected competitors completed the first Kepler Challenge. The rest … is history.
36 years later, it’s as popular as ever.
Some quick hitters
Zelah Morrall holds the female course record in 5:23:34 (2003).
7-time winner Ruby Muir has been the closest in 5:24:54.Dan Jones has won 6 on the trot but is surprisingly not the course record holder. Martin Dent set the record of 4:33:37 in 2013
It’s one of the few trail races in NZ with some cash on offer.
🥇1st man & woman receive $1,800, free entry with travel and accommodation assistance.
🥈$1300 also with a free entry.
🥉Bronze will head to the pub with $800 and a free entry.
In 2023, the racing was electric. Dan Jones won his 6th consecutive title, holding off The Flying Doctor and speed demon Daniel Balchin (don’t say it; you’re better than that).
Last week, Jones went with the Adidas Terrex team to Ultra Trail Cape Town, winning the 35km race. He’s pulled the curtain on his racing for the year, so Kepler has been blown wide open.
It’s a shame to see Dan not race this year, but it is exciting to know that there will be a fresh face sitting on the Te Anau throne.
I’ve had a scan through the starting list, and I’ve stared into the tea leaves …
This is what I saw.
Oddly specific. I couldn’t quite make out the names, hit reply to let me know what you think.
In the women’s race, one of our most underrated athletes, Katie Morgan, downplayed her chances of defending her title last year but went on to convincingly win over a stacked field, including Robyn Lesh and Nancy Jiang.
Katie is back this year, looking to complete the hat trick. I’ve scanned through the starters list, and only one name made me pause.
Beth McKenzie from the Sunshine Coast. The former pro triathlete from Murica🌭, based in Straya🦘, finished 2nd behind Ruth Croft in the Tarawera 100km this year and took out UTA 100 across the ditch.
I don’t know if she’s here to win, or here for the views. Either way, seeing one of Straya’s best come out and race Kepler is exciting.
I give Katie the advantage being the defending champ and running the race for the 4th time.
All the best to everyone who’s racing, running, or just eating with a bit of mountain jogging thrown in. Enjoy your week knowing there are around 1000 other people on the wait list hoping you get injured between now and race day.
Hit REPLY to let me know who you think will win Kepler this year.
For more details on the Kepler Challenge, check out the website and follow on Instagram and Facebook.
This Week’s Newsletter Is Brought To You By…
Run Pōneke
The Run Pōneke dream is alive and kicking. Check out the video below to see Will’s vision.
The Pledge Me campaign is in full swing. $11,275 of the minimum $14,985 has been raised.
You can help by:
Making a pledge HERE
Spreading the word to your mates you think would be interested.
Will has offered up a 10-trip Sauna voucher as a prize to TRNZ readers.
Winning is simple.
Make a pledge (it doesn’t matter the size) and send a screenshot of your pledge to trailrunningnz@gmail.com to enter the draw.
Will will draw the winner at the campaign’s close on the 16th of December.
If you’ve already pledged, you can still enter the draw.
International Results Desk
“Kosci Kosci Kosci, Oi Oi Oi”
On Friday, thousands of Aussies and a splash of Kiwis descended on the Snowy Mountains Southwest of Canberra, Straya🦘 to take on Ultra Trail Kosciuszko by UB40.
It was a crazy day and night of racing, with the 100km & 100-mile races being paused over 2 hours for thunderstorms. Get it together, Straya. If it’s not a snake or a spider the size of your face trying to kill you, it’s the weather!
Well done to everyone who took on Kosciuszko, but let’s look at our notable performances.
🦘Kosciuszko 📏30km
11 Kiwis took on the 30km, including Matt Rayment from that other podcast newslettery thing.
🎉7th - Michelle Rennie - 3:14:06
Well done, Michelle. Top 10 at a UTMB event is the new top 3!
Michelle was also 1st in the Fine Wine (40-44) category.
🦘Kosciuszko 📏50km
17 Kiwis started the 50km with our top performance coming from:
🎉29th - Matt Blundell - 5:26:23
Shout out to Matt, who took out the hotly contested Silver Fox (50-54) category.
🦘Kosciuszko 📏100km
26 Kiwis were in the mix in the highly eventful Kosci 100km. Runners were stopped at aid stations for over 2 hours while they waited for thunderstorms to pass. The time they spent waiting was taken off their finishing time.
Sydney-based Juliette Soule had a day to remember in her 2nd ever 100km.
🥈Juliette Soule - 5:26:23
She was kind enough to answer a couple of questions.
How did the race play out up front?
“The race played out pretty smoothly for me, other than the 2 hour pause due to weather during which we were held at the 50km aid station.”
“I ran on Abby Hall’s heels in second place all day with third quite far behind me, so felt fairly confident in securing my ticket to CCC. I fueled well and felt good throughout.”
How does it feel to take out 2nd at a 100k UTMB International event?
“It feels amazing, I’ve had a long journey with injuries so this performance is a long time coming for me. I’m super proud but definitely feel like I’m just getting started, so motivated to get out some more results!”
Other notable performances:
🎉9th - Cam Kerr - 13:44:17
🎉13th - Guyver Fu - 14:10:43
🎉16th - Zach Kelly - 14:21:05
🦘Kosciuszko 📏100mile
6 Kiwis finished what would turn out to be a very tough 100-mile race.
Our top performance? You may recognise the name.
🥇Sam Harvey - 16:39:34
The miler was affected by the same thunderstorms as the 100km race. Sam was running in 2nd behind Aussie Mike Carroll before the race was paused, and Mike was picked up 3km out of an aid station and brought back.
The race eventually restarted, but unfortunately for Carroll, his body never really got going again, dropping at 116km. Harvey kept his foot on the throat, running away with the victory by over 2.5 hours.
Where does this stack up with all your other running achievements?
"I've never had a race with a 2 hour stop. It would have been one of my top achievements if we managed to hold that pace all day. I feel like they robbed Mike of his victory though"
Sam Harvey
Kosciuszko looks like another great race to add to your Matrix. However, it does sound like you need to be prepared for extreme weather. In 2022, it ran on a B, and this year, it looked absolutely miserable in parts.
Check out the Full Results Here
SK News Desk
“Maybe I should get a new hobby.”
Those were my exact thoughts when I came across this scroll-stopping post on Facebook😂.
Jake McLellan completed the 2nd fastest Valleys SK traverse ever in a time of 12:57🔥,
You may recognise the only person who’s gone faster.
Daniel Jones, 10:50.
Did I mention that Jake is only 17 and got dropped off by his Mum?
It was hard enough to get my mum to drop me off at the movies, let alone at the foot of the Tararua.
Ripped straight from the Big Sunday Runs Wellington Facebook page:
“Perfect day for my first S-K Valleys, loved every minute of it!”
“12:57 at 17 years old (youngest, and stoked with my time.”
“Big thanks to Harriette for inspiration and advice. And big thanks to mum for being an amazing support crew.”
“Tararua’s I will be back”
Well done, Jake, that is immense. You’ve obviously got a bright future ahead of you. On the next one, can you make us feel better by saying you felt a bit tired the next day?
To find out more about the SK, follow this link.
Things You May Have Missed
Naomi Brand 2nd in Ultra Trail Cape Town
Well.. something I may have missed is more accurate. After her disappointment at UTMB, it’s great to see Naomi throw down a race she’s proud of on her favourite Cape Town trails. She took 3 hours off her time from last year, finishing 2nd in the miler at 26:35:21. Fantastic result.
Kirsty Gilmour 3rd in GPT100 Stage Race
Last week I missed 2 women race results, and Andy DuBois subscribed to the newsletter … coincidence?
Well done, Kirsty! That Grampians Peaks course looks next level, and racing every day in 35+ degree heat is insanity. What a fantastic result and a great way to cap off a top year.
Shannon-Leigh Litt is up to #336
Shannon is up to ultra #336 in a row. Oh, and did I mention she’s now in Thailand? #NotDoingItTheEasyWay. It’s reached the stage where I wouldn’t be surprised if she announced she’s going for 2 years in a row!
Inia Raumati Racing In Antarctic
Inia Raumati, aka the Ultra Maori Doctor, is off racing his 8th stage race of the year in his quest to be the first person to race a self-supported stage race on every continent in a year. He’s currently in 5th overall after 2 stages.
Movement 4 Archie - December 7th
Next weekend, there is a fundraising event in Kerikeri for Archie and his family. Archie was born not breathing and without a heart rate. He requires non-funded, critical physiotherapy to counter the effects of Cerebral Palsy. You can help by:
Sponsoring Kieran Horne, who is running the 12-hour enduro as a fundraiser
🥳November Paid Subscriber Giveaway
Congratulations to …
🥳Jane McAlpine
You’ve won a His & Her Event Kit for your next backyard.
Here is her letter to Santa
Dear Santa
Please can you send us a His and Hers set up for Rockys BYU in December? For the first time I'll be sharing a tent with our 14 year old son Toby who has been inspired to give a backyard a go. Super stoked Mum here. BUT our gazebo, chairs etc have seen better days and Id really like to give him a good experience so he comes back for more!
Thanks
Jane (and Toby)
Good luck at Rocky’s Backyard Jane and Toby!
A big THANK YOU to all the Paid Supporters who help keep this thing rolling.
Worst Run Ever by UTMB 🟣CurraNZ
This week, David Ballinger was the brave soul, sending in one of his Worst Run Ever.
Chicken Wire Meet Face
“I made the mistake of trying to get some sneaky road mileage in to substitute for trail running time.”
“I was getting close to the end of a lazy half, apparently shuffling more than I usually do and managed to catch my toe under some loose chicken wire the CHCH City Council had loving put on the cycle way bridges to aid with grip on frosty mornings.”
“Having one foot stopped dead while the rest of me had forward momentum meant I transitioned from the vertical to the horizontal fairly quickly but luckily managed to use my face to slide along the aforementioned wire to slow me down.”
“Along with two bloodied knees, I scraped the skin off a patch of forehead and lost the majority of skin down the bridge of my nose. My hands were perfectly fine as apparently my instincts were to not use them to save my face.”
“The fun part was freaking out the various people I passed as I made my way home the last few km.”
”The worst part - I was up for Jury duty the next day and the bastards still picked me. Took the other jurors three days to ask me for the back story.”“Not the most blood I have spilled to the trail running gods in a single incident but certainly the most visible. Miraculously no permanent scars left on my face.”
“Worst Run Ever”
David Ballinger
You’re in the draw for some little purple pills from 🟣CurraNZ.
They won’t get your off Jury duty, but they MAY help the wounds scab over a little quicker.
Keep the stories coming in! Send them to trailrunningnz@gmail.com
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.
#Mountain Skag Pic Of The Week
This week’s Mountain Skag pic is from Kate Morrison’s recent 50-km muntaineering trip in Arthurs Pass. This will be counted as the last week of November.
You can also check out her reel from the trip below
Tag @trailrunning.nz (NOTE THE “.”) 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.
PS: There are only 2 more editions of the TRNZ newsletter for the year! I’ll take a break from the 22nd of December through to the 11th of January.
Is there a Daniel or Craig Ball?!
I'm seeing a backwards cap Barnesy and a Gene Beverege. Who's the middle picture?