🏃🏃♀️Marina 2 Marina Results & A Great Worst Run Ever
"I decide, after a couple of seconds of deep thought, to store some in my stomach for safe-keeping."
Your weekly fix of NZ trail running news
We’re here for you like the last 2 squares of TP, you wish there was a bit more, but it’s enough to deal with all the💩
Here's what’s in the drop bag this week:
🏃🏃♀️Marina 2 Marina Results
😵💫Brighton Beach Backyard Ultra
🎯Things You May Have Missed
🤢Worst Run Ever
⚔️September Segment Showdown Recap
🏁Upcoming event: Rakiura Challenge & Abel Tasman Coastal Classic
⛰️💊Mountain Skag Pic of the Month & 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.
Marina 2 Marina Results
Marina 2 Marina celebrated 10 years on Saturday. With all the stormy weather, it’s great to see the event go ahead unaffected and The Link track back open to headline it.
The Link - 24 KM
🏃♀️Women’s Podium
🥇 Jackie Allan - 2:04:23.18
🥈 Stacey Goble - 2:06:20.93
🥉Annabel Jeaffreson - 2:17:48.23
🏃Men’s Podium
🥇 Gus Marfell - 1:44:22.03
🥈 Oliver Linscott - 1:47:48.20
🥉Sarn Hunnisett - 1:54:24.89
The Snout - 13 KM
🏃Men’s Podium
🥇 Dougal Shepherd - 59:32.64
🥈 Brendon Corner - 1:02:54.97
🥉Scott Smith - 1:03:19.62
🏃♀️Women’s Podium
🥇 Megan Begg - 1:21:43.52
🥈 Katy Marshall - 1:25:18.06
🥉Lisa Johnston - 1:26:33.71
I thought I would try something different today and post the results without adding analysis/waffle/guessing.
Let me know your preference in the comments or reply to this email.
Brighton Beach Backyard Ultra
Whoopsies! This one slipped through the cracks. I knew it was coming up but didn’t realise it was this weekend.
Scott Weatherall hosted the inaugural Brighton’s Backyard Ultra on Brighton Beach, Dunedin. It was a fundraiser for the local school. How good!
75 runners turned up to do battle. Some with each other🤺. Some just with themselves.
This was certainly a unique course. Nice and flat, but with plenty of sand to get in your nether regions.
Steve Anderson was the last man standing with 28 Laps, with Sibron Cromarty taking the assist.
Mel Warhurst was the last woman standing with 16 laps.
By all accounts, the event was a great success. Plenty of PBs, funds raised for the school, and a couple of legends duking it out past the 100-mile mark.
Check out the Facebook page for more photos and results.
Things You May Have Missed
Scotty Hawker wins the Atacama Crossing 6-day, 250 km stage race in Chile
Ruth Croft is back racing and took 3rd place at Ultrapirineu
Worst Run Ever
This week’s Worst Run Ever brings a new meaning to ‘Runners High’🤣.
Now, I wouldn’t recommend storing mushrooms in your stomach, but it makes a great story - and remember, kids, Drugs are bad, Mmmkay?
It’s autumn, Sunday, also known to some as long run day. I’m running along a path In Wainuiomata on the way to some hills and a golden sparkle catches my eye. I’m in no rush so I let the sparkle take my attention and it’s lucky I do.
It turns out to be a gang of gold top mushrooms🍄 and it looks like they could turn blue at a moments notice.
I decide, after a couple of seconds of deep thought, to store some in my stomach for safe-keeping. They will surely be picked by another keen mycologist before I can return so it’s the safest option.
“Good decision, Sam. Sound reasoning, backed up with solid evidence in the form of a likely scenario”
Future Sam wasn’t as impressed and he thought maybe a few more seconds of deliberation wouldn’t have hurt. In a review of that day, it would be found that this decision, to eat the mushrooms, likely turned out to be one of the biggest influencers on how the day unfolded.
We’re probably 25 minutes in after ingestion and 23 minutes into digestion - things are going good. Indifference has morphed into interest as scratchy branches and rough terrain is replaced by softly glowing nature, and I’m covering the ground smoothly.
I keep flowing along with all sorts of questions making their way to the forefront of my mind.
“Why aren’t roads made of tyres? That way everyone could just drive on the hubs of their car wheels. Does wind really need to exist? Would moths fly to the moon if we didn’t leave our lights on all night?”
I’m already a big fan of running but the run is going great, no doubt about that. However, the early reaction to the mushrooms is a little worrying as this often indicates high potency🤯. As it turns out, these mushrooms are strong and not long after reaching the peak, I’m ready to start heading back to my car.
“Wrap it up.” I signal, rotating my hand in a circular motion👆 which means it’s time to start closing up shop. Not long after deciding to call a close to the run, my first issue of the day arises - my vision isn’t keeping up with my pace so I change down a gear. Easy-fix, issue resolved.
My next issue is a little more difficult to figure out. I don’t know where I am. It’s all very familiar and I’m on a track so I’m not overly worried. I had been following my nose up til then but decide keeping to the track is the best option from now on. My nose is ready to explore new ground, off track.
“Not today, Nose👃, it’s time to go home”
The track leads me to a carpark which has no car that is owned by me contained in it. Here, I’m able to recover my bearings but the memory of where I parked my car must’ve been orbiting on the dark side of my brain and is still unrecoverable.
There are plenty of other cars here though and my current mind-set is leaning towards a communist’s approach to life.
“All of these cars are mine and my car is free for someone else to use as well”.
It’s a good thought but I have no idea how to follow through with grand theft auto so I leave it with the other cars in the carpark. My key won’t work on other cars, that much I do know. For this communist car system to work in the future, universal keys will be needed. Off to the next carpark.
After what feels like 200km of travel (probably less), three carparks, and a vast but unknown amount of time, I’m still without my car. I’m also still fronting the costs of an expensive mushroom bill. It’s time to give up on the car.
Dishevelled and forsaken😩, I start the trek home which my drug-addled brain has calculated as being 10. Unit of measurement is not specified. Whatever the distance, it’s a long way for a man coming down from a flight✈️ whose pilot was a mushroom🍄.
The trip home is an arduous one due to the above and the busy road producing, louder than usual, car noise. As I approach my gate, I see my grey car sitting in the driveway.
“Oh yeah, great.”
I give it a little pat as I walk past and head straight for my bedroom. On the way there, a memory of me leaving for my run from home plays in my brain. It would’ve been a very helpful memory at a particular time of that day but unhelpful at that moment.
Now was time for a nap😴, I’d deal with a thorough analysis of the day’s events in the morning.
-Sam The Man
September Segment Showdown Recap
Grant’s Grunt proved to be a hit (be careful saying that out loud)
Track conditions and navigation played a big part in this one.
🏃👑Thomas Barnes - 6:59
Temporary crown warmers: Tom Peck, Glen Chesterman
🏃♀️👑Allira Hanczakowski - 9:51
🏃♀️👑Allira Hanczakowski - 7:05
🏃👑Tom Peck - 5:09
Temporary crown warmers: Asher Cook, Paul Fulton, Dave Hume
Keep an eye on the Strava Club - New Wellington segment out tomorrow.
If you’re keen to get some friendly competition flowing in your town, email trailrunningnz@gmail.com with your segment of choice or post directly to the Strava Club.
Upcoming Events
Rakiura Challenge - 32KM | 1200M ish
Saturday, October 7th
The Rakiura Challenge got its feet dirty for the first time in 2019. It sold out in minutes and was a great success.
Like most things, C🤬VID stuffed it all up for a couple of years. However, they breed them tough on the island, and they weren’t giving up just because of some pesky virus🦠 with the race returning in 2022.
Next weekend will be the 3rd running of the Raikura Challenge, and I’ve had it confirmed this week that it’s once again sold out🎉 (250 participants).
It’s an excellent opportunity to visit Stewart Island and experience the deep South. The course runs from Oban to Horseshoe Bay, following the Raikura track.
Looking at some of the pictures below, it’s not hard to see why it’s so popular.
Resident and keen runner Tamsen Walker was generous enough to answer a few questions about the race.
When you think back to 2019, what are your memories of the inaugural Raikura Challenge?
“I didn’t run in the first edition of the Rakiura Challenge (don’t think I’d started running yet.. #lockdownrunner, but this was one of the events at the top of my list and last year was a great event.”
“The weather was primo and it was one of the best all round events I’ve participated in. Think I was smiling for the majority of my run.”
What sets the Raikura challenge apart from other races?
“The southern hospitality is what sets this event apart, for sure. The dinners at the race briefing and at prize giving are an excellent spread, with lots of great Rakiura kai on offer. And they give plenty of opportunity to meet other runners and locals.”
“The location means it’s a full weekend activity, and the race organisers have made it super easy to plan for.”
What are the current conditions like? Should participants expect plenty of the famous Raikura mud?
“There will be plenty of Rakiura mud this year! Track conditions will be variable, with some dreamy gravelled single track, a good sprinkling of steps, and of course a decent amount of mud (especially for those of us at the back of the pack..).”
“The race team have been lucky in previous years to have the track be relatively dry, but if it’s not raining on race day this year, it probably will in the days beforehand, so be prepared for some slippery sections and a few good ol’ bog holes. Cannot wait!”
Check out their Website or Instagram for more info.
Abel Tasman Coastal Classic - 33 KM
Saturday, October 7th
Next Saturday, 300 runners will take on the Abel Tasman Coastal Classic. It’s been around for 30 years, so there have been a few versions of the race, and Chris Gates has been there for them all. How good 💪?!?!
These days, it’s a 33km race from Awaroa to Marahau along the Abel Tasman National Park (hence the name😅). Last year’s race was an abbreviated version due to track damage. DoC has put in the hard yards, and the track is now open.
The event is based at the Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve Camping Ground (try saying that fast after a couple of brews).
If you’re not into needlessly early race starts, this could be the race for you. Catch a boat at 7:45 AM, and the race starts at a respectful 9:30 AM.
If you can’t get your morning delivery away in that time💩, you’ve got other issues.
Here is the video from the 20th anniversary in 2013—a more simple time. Watches only lasted a few hours, and I didn’t spot one pair of HOKA HOKA ONE ONE’S.
Check out Nelson Events for more details and other races in the Nelson region.
#Mountain Skag Pic Of September
It’s time to decide the winner of #Mountainskag September.
Make sure you vote for your favourite below.
#Mountain Skag Pic Of The Week
This week’s pic is from David “The Flying Doctor” Haunschmidt.
He doesn’t do anything half-arsed. It was probably taken after a back-to-back ER shift and volunteering at the local soup kitchen😅.
“Great fun running from Eggishorn (2926m) to Bettmerhorn (2858m) along a stunning technical ridge above the beautiful and mighty Aletsch Glacier.”
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.
Next week, we will have the Raikura Challenge, Abel Tasman Coastal Classic results, and more.
It takes hours to write this newsletter but only 8 seconds to forward it to a friend.
PS: The monthly paid subscriber giveaway and quarterly “e-zine” will be out next week😊.`