⛰️❄️Mt Difficulty Results
PLUS World Mountain & Trail World Championship Results
Your weekly fix of NZ trail running news
We’re here for you like that stranger out walking their dog who says, “Well done, you’re almost there,” without any idea where the finish is. A bit misguided but full of enthusiasm😂
Here's what’s in the drop bag this week:
Mt. Difficulty Results
World Trail & Mountain Running Championship results
My Worst Run Ever
Mountain Skag Pics Of The Week
Ensure the Nescafe tin is nice and full; you’ll need an extra scoop to get through this one.
Mt. Difficulty Ascent Results
✅Snow & Ice❄️
✅Sun☀️
✅Mountains⛰️
✅Mysterious inversion layer🌫️
All the stars aligned to create magical conditions for over 200 runners to celebrate Grant Guise’ 10th appearance at the Mt. Difficulty Ascent on Saturday.
Men’s podium:
🥇Hamish Elliot - 4:54:14
🥈Cam Ker - 5:02:53
🥉Brendan Clark - 5:31:17
Hamish Elliot continued his excellent form (🥉 at Routeburn), dominating the race from start to finish. Cam Ker was there or thereabouts for most of the day, but daylight was a clear 3rd.
Sub 5 hours here is very impressive. To put it in context, current NZ Trail Champion Weston Hill posted 4:52:30 in 2020 ahead of Scotty Hawker, 4:56:02.
Here is what Hamish had to say:
“The run went well. With the course being so challenging and demanding, it was important to look after myself early with effort output up the climbs, controlling the downhills and nutrition intake.
Being efficient in both areas of running and hiking helped the overall performance too. Cam Kerr kept me honest all day by staying in striking distance, though it was special to take the win in the end!
Being more of a “multisport athlete” doesn’t get you into great shape for a 5hr mountain run, but I do enjoy the challenge of hitting out at trail running events like Mount Difficulty!
Hats off to everyone who showed up and took on a race like this; they’re all winners in my books!”
-Hamish Elliot
Women’s podium:
🥇Ali Wilson - 5:41:49
🥈Rose Pearson - 5:54:47
🥉Hannah Wall - 6:03:02
Ali Wilson proved too strong for the rest of the field, also leading from start to finish and completing the multi-sport dominance of the day. I’m unsure if it is a CR, but my thorough 2-minute Google suggests it might be.
Rose Pearson chased hard all day and ducked under the 6-hour mark. Hannah Wall also had an impressive run to round out the podium.
Here is Ali Wilson’s take on the day.
“Mt Difficulty, 3000m+ of honest ascending, combined with 3000m+ of epic runnable descending, makes for one mean mountain run. Managed to hold onto first from the go, although I was pretty confident I'd go from 1st to last after attempting to run off Mount Difficulty...eventually, the legs came right on the remaining 'undulations' to cross the line in 5hr41mins”
-Ali Wilson
For the full results & the 25K and Rustic Runs, click here.
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World Mountain Trail Running Championship Results
Innsbruck, Austria, hosted the World Mountain & Trail Running World Championships last week (June 6-10). Over 1400 athletes descended on Innsbruck to race across the 4 races.
More importantly, 19 Kiwis pulled on the black singlet and let rip on the world stage.
Let’s take a look to see how they went.
Vertical Race: 7.1KM📏 | 1020M👆️
The Vertical race was first up. It was run as two races, with the men and women running separately.
The races were absolute carnage. There was a mad sprint off the line before everyone had to squeeze through a small gate at the bottom of the hill.
The highlight of the race was watching everyone come up the 30% gradient ski slope at the end through a tunnel of spectators - it had dat’ Zegama vibe going on.
🥝Kiwi Women
🏃♀️Maia Flint - 1:00:42 - 68th
🏃♀️Sarah Douglas - 1:00:46 - 70th
🏃♀️Kate Morrison - 1:01:30 -72nd
🏃♀️Sabrina Edwards - 1:02:29 - 76th
Young gun Maia Flint was the first over the line for the Kiwis. Less than 2 minutes separated the rest as they took this race on as a team.
Although we finished 18th out of 22 nations, they should be proud of their efforts - they left it all on the hill in a very competitive field.
Kiwi Men
🏃♂️Toby Batchelor - 48:05 - 54th
🏃♂️Niam Macdonald - 49:40 - 70th
🏃♂️Michael Sutton - 51:34 -87th
We finished 21st out of 31 in the men’s Vertical. Toby Batchelor once again was NZ’s top performer, finishing 54th (out of 122).
Niam Macdonald was next over the line in 70th, with Michael Sutton another couple of minutes back in 87th.
Unfortunately, Michael took a tumble early on and never really recovered.
Here is what Toby Batchelor had to say about the race.
“122 on the start line that fitted 8 wide. Everyone knew they had to be in the top 30 after 900m to not get caught in the bunch.
I probably started a bit too conservatively at the start and paid a little, as there was a lot of stop-starting once we hit the single track when we started going uphill. Memories of the legs blowing up last year possibly contributed to this cautious start!
I was able to move up the field once there was an opportunity to do so on the switchbacks that reminded me of the skyline track in QT.
The final 600m up an open ski slope was a 30 percent plus incline lined with epic crowds. I got a good old Southern Alps power hike on and moved up the field some more. 54th/122. The field was way stronger than last year and near double the size. Happy with the result, but very keen to keep improving on that one.”
-Toby Batchelor
Mountain Classic 15KM📏 | 751M👆️👇️
The Mountain Classic Up’n’Down was the final race on day 4 of the championships. Most athletes who competed in the Vertical race were back for more.
The atmosphere was pumping for this one as it started and finished in Innsbruck, with runners completing 2 laps.
🥝Kiwi Women
🏃♀️Maia Flint - 1:21:06 - 65th
🏃♀️Andrea Peat - 1:24:49 - 75th
🏃♀️Sabrina Edwards -1:25:22 - 76th
🏃♀️Sarah Douglas - DNF
Maia Flint was the first Kiwi home again in another impressive performance by the 19-year-old.
Andrea Peat & Sabrina Edwards were not too far behind, rounding out another solid Kiwi performance.
Unfortunately, Sarah Douglass had to drop due to a calf injury after Lap 1.
Maia Flint sums up her race below:
“Running downhill really does make running on the flat feel like running uphill (poetic?)
Hard hard, hard holy moly, I was so tempted to tap out after one lap!
Still, finished 3 places further up than the VK (65th) and first Kiwi as a wee bonus.
BRING ON THE PASTRIES!!!”
🥝Kiwi Men
🏃♂️Toby Batchelor - 1:04:36 - 53rd
🏃♂️Niam Macdonald - 1:07:34 - 73rd
🏃♂️Andy Good - 1:08:28 - 81st
Just like Maia Flint, Toby Batchelor backed up his impressive Vertical race by being the first Kiwi across the line.
Niam Macdonald finished his 3rd race in 7 days; quite the week he’s had, and I’m sure he will be happy with the results.
Current NZ Mountain Running Champ Andy Good spent the 2 days before the race sick in bed but still gave it a decent nudge. Fair play.
Short Trail Course: 45.2KM📏| 3132M👆️| -2719M 👇️
Day 2 saw the short-course trail runners get their chance for glory.
The course was a testing net-uphill route. Exactly what you want for a championship race, by all accounts; the terrain got more brutal and the climbs longer as you got more fatigued.
Unfortunately, the weather didn’t play ball. 50-odd runners got cut off at the 35KM mark when bad weather rolled through the course's high point.
🥝Kiwi Women
🏃♀️Caitlin Fiedler - 5:21:10 - 12th
🏃♀️Katie Morgan - 5:57:34 - 50th
🏃♀️Jessia Campbell - 6:26:07 - 75th
🏃♀️Amelia Horne - 7:02:40 - 100th
We finished 11th out of 21 on the short trail course. Caitlin Fielder was our top finisher placing 12th, which tells you all you need to know about this field's competitiveness.
Katie Morgan appears to be well and truly over the calf injury she picked up at Old Ghost Ultra and finished in 50th (164 starters).
Jessica Campbell and Amelia Horne made it over the high point before the weather rolled in, posting excellent times on such a challenging course.
Current NZ Trail champion Katie Morgan had this to say:
“The race was super tough, but what an amazing experience! It started out at a fast pace on a steep hill, and it was a bit of a hectic first 10km, pretty much running in a line on a single track and passing or being passed where possible 😂
After the first aid station, it got into the real good stuff up in the mountains, and wow was incredible.
My legs felt really good on the climbs, but whenever I got to 1900m elevation, they were just injected with lead, and it got a whole lot harder!
Was relieved to get to the top at 39km and ~2350m as I think my legs only just made it, and then it was a 1400m descent in 6km to the finish line.
Never thought I would be so content with a 50th place as what a field of incredible women to be in.
Hats off to the legend Caitlin for her 12th position and to my other teammates Jess and Amelia, who also did so well out there and made it such a fun trip ❤🤙”
🥝Kiwi Men
🏃♂️Dwight Grieve - 5:46:48 - 110th
Sorry Dwight, my intel processing machine has failed me. I can’t find much on how your race went. You finished what you started and beat an Aussie🦘, so I will consider this a decent result.
Long Course: 84.9KM📏| 5554M👆️| -5966M👇️
Well … in the preview, I said it looked brutal AF. 43 DNFs out of 176 starters would confirm that this course is the real deal.
Based only on a gut feeling, I would hazard a guess that minced meat quads caused 78.26% of those DNFs.
🥝Kiwi Men
🏃♂️Weston Hill - 11:17:32 - 39th
🏃♂️Sam Hansby - 13:01:07 - 93rd
🏃♂️Wayne Botha - DNF
To get a team ranking, you need 3 finishers. Unfortunately, Wayne Botha missed the cut-off around halfway, so it was all down to individual glory.
Weston Hill went full Upper Hutt Harcore mode and finished a hard-earned 39th. After his last couple of big international races being impacted by illness, I’m sure he’s stoked to get out there healthy and give it a full send.
Sam Hansby gutted it out to the finish, coming over the line in 93rd. Top 100, yeow!
Here is Sam’s take on the day:
“It was such a brutal course. Not much running on the uphills, but I was feeling strong on those.
I had trouble on the downhills because I smashed the first two without thinking about the next 5. By the last downhill, I was ruined, walking backward down the steep sections.
With 7km to go, I was sick of trail running altogether but pulled myself together and had a great last 1.5km on the flat into the finish.
The NZ team over here were amazing at aid stations and provided so much psychological boosting support throughout the race. Weston’s performance was inspiring.”
-Sam Hansby
🥝Kiwi Women
🏃♀️Shannon-Leigh Litt - DNF
Unfortunately, Shannon made a wrong turn relatively early in the piece, which resulted in her missing the cut-off at 30 km.
Full Results for all races here.
My Worst Run Ever
This week’s Worst Run Ever is the Worst Attempt Ever at a Worst Run Ever. Everything went better than expected 🙈.
I made all the easy mistakes, I couldn’t have set myself up better. This’ll be my worst run ever, finally I’ll be in print. For one Monday I’ll be famous, like L&P.
A storm⛈️ had passed a few days earlier so the snowline was low🏔️. Slush and ice guaranteed.
I’d picked the wrong shoes👠, you know the ones that are the wrong size, too narrow, but you can’t admit your mistake and move them on. I take them out a few times a year to check if they have grown, they haven’t🤦♂️.
It was late in the day, closing in on sunset, I left my headtorch at home🔦.
I left my jacket🧥 at home too, the warmth of the sun☀️ in the front yard won’t be there on the shady side of the valley.
I was all set for the worst run ever.
The trail starts with a down hill, it was perfect, buttery soft dirt. Sh🤬t, where’s the mud and slush?
As the trail levelled out I left the mtb trails behind and now it was just a narrow foot trench in the snow.
The mud was there but it was grippy, the creeks weren’t higher than the stepping stones. The forest🌲 sections were sweet beechy cornflakes, not even any windfall.
It was getting cooler🥶, but I was still warm enough, the shoes felt secure in the mud and snow. I didn’t really even have wet feet yet.
I got to the saddle, the turn around point, the alpenglow was good. My worst run ever was falling apart.
Time to knuckle down, bring on some chafe and blisters😢, slip in the mud, get attacked by a wild goat🐐, something!
Nope, the mud was slowly freezing firm and grippy. I didn’t see any goats. I got back before it was proper dark or cold.
I even set a few PB’s on a segment or two. It was a good time, a good run. I could probably Dirt Church this sh🤬t. F🤬🤬🤬k!
What a fail. Getting a “Worst Run Ever” is harder to get than a refund from Fusion Events😂.
-Adam Carlson
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#Mountain Skag Pics Of The Week
This week's #Mountain Skag pic is out of this world. Thanks Steve.
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PS - Good luck to the NZ Crew heading to the Aussie Backyard Masters next week at Dead Cow Gully - With some luck, you’ll still be going when I send out next week’s newsletter.