Munters gonna munt, Hillbillys gonna' billy?
“If I was to tell my younger self that I would grow up to become a munter and get to run all these munter races, I think he’d be proud.”
Your weekly fix of NZ trail running news
We’re like the Netflix of trail running. Lots of content, but not all of it’s good🤣.
Here’s what’s in the drop bag this week:
🏃🏃♀️Hunua Hillbilly Results
🏃🏃♀️Pirongia Trail Results
🎯Things You May Have Missed
🏕️Mission Corner
🏁Upcoming events: WAI2K
⛰️💊Mountain Skag Pic of the Week & October Winner
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.
Hunua Hillbilly Results
Saturday, November 18
Hunua Hillbilly 📏60km | ⛰️3000M
5.05 AM. The rain poured down on 69 Hillbillys, ready to do battle with the mighty Hunua Ranges⚔️. Torches were lit, pitchforks raised, and Hi-4s were dished out all around.
🏃♀️ Women’s Podium
🥇Mari Manger - 9:10:03 🔥NEW CR🔥
🥈Emma McCosh - 9:34:18 (Also under the old CR)
🥉Debbie Chambers - 10:28:35
Mari Manger was the first Billy home. She went one better than her 2nd place finish in the Xterra Hunua earlier this year.
However, this was a 2 yokel race. McCosh was only 2 minutes back through the 1st checkpoint at 22km. The 2 of them had already gapped the field by 15 minutes.
Manger managed to extend her lead through the rough middle section and went on to a commanding victory of 24 minutes and set the new CR🔥 (previously Clare Cooke 9:38:17).
This left Debbie Chambers and Elizabeth Palmer to battle for the podium's final spot. Similarly to the battle for 1st, the race for bronze was tight through the first 22km.
Chambers gained an 18-minute advantage through the technical middle section. This proved too much for Palmer to claw back, who would cross through the Hunua gates 24 minutes back from Chambers.
🏃 Men’s Podium
🥇Cullen Rhind - 7:18:56
🥈Brent Kelly - 7:36:25
🥉Eli Ewens - 8:02:20
Cullen Rhind backed up his 2nd place at the Taupo 100 with a mighty fine display out in the Hunuas.
Ya’ll probably be sick of me already, so here is Cullen with how the race went down.
“I went back and forth between 2nd and 3rd over the first 20km before catching first place at about 23km.”
“I then went back and forth with Brent Kelly over the next 20km before he pulled away from me going down a steep and technical section.”
“But I really hammered a climb at about 42km and just kept pushing. An awesome day even if the weather was less than ideal”
Cullen Rhind
Well done to everyone who lined up and competed this weekend. Conditions were less than ideal⛈️. It would have been easy to give it a miss.
Full respect to the back of the pack Hillbillys putting in a big 14-hour shift. That is what it’s all about💪
Check out the full results here, including the Team Relay.
Pirongia Trail Run Results
Saturday, November 18
Pirongia is notorious for its bogs, and the rain leading into the event ensured things were Bogilicous come race day.
There were deep ones and shallow ones. Some even had surprises in them. But no bog was the same.
The Munter 📏36.70km | ⛰️2600M…ish
🏃 Men’s Podium
🥇Sam Hansby - 5:59:01
🥈James Conway - 6:25:41
🥉Hamon McKay - 6:39:41
When things were all said and done, NZ Trail Running Rep Sam Hansby was crowned King of the Bogs. He took the lead at the 4km mark and never looked back, taking a comfortable 26-minute victory over James Conway.
Hamon McKay stepped up to the Munter after a 6th place in the Grunter last year and nabbed the bronze, showing he’s pretty good at munting as well as grunting.
This victory makes Sam Hansby the biggest Munter in the country.
🏆Mukamuka Munter 2018
🏆Mega Munter 2021
🏆Pirongia Munter 2023
“One munter to rule them all, one munter to find them, one munter to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them; In the Land of Wainuiomata where the shadows lie.”
Sam was kind enough to answer the tough post-race questions.
How does it feel to be the biggest Munter in NZ now that you’ve won the Mukamuka, the Mega and now Pirongia Munter?
“Haha I wish the was the biggest munter. I reckon you have to win both munters in the same calendar year to be the biggest munter, but it feels great being a pretty big munter.”
“If I was to tell my younger self that I would grow up to become a munter and get to run all these munter races, I think he’d be proud.”
Sam Hansby
🏃♀️ Women’s Podium
🥇Natalie Bunting - 7:48:34
🥈Justyna Blajerska - 8:14:21
🥉Roisin Quillan - 8:29:51
You know what they say? Munters gonna munt.
And wow, can Natalie Bunting munt. She smashed it out of the park to take the Munter title for 2nd year running with a 26-minute victory over Justyna Blajerska.
Roisin Quillan took home the bronze, 15 minutes back from Blacjerska, but comfortably 30 minutes ahead of Kat Pett in 4th place.
Bunting’s course record still stands at 7:39:24, but this year’s race might be more impressive due to the underfoot (and overhead) conditions.
It might be time for Bunting to take her Munter title on the road and head down to the Mukamuka Munter for a unification title fight in 2024⚔️.
The Grunter 📏13km | ⛰️1161M
This might be the most deceiving elevation profile chart I’ve ever seen🤔. It looks like a gradual hill over 4km before levelling out and just bumping along before rolling back down.
The Reality:
Every step is a battle, dragging yourself up the mountain with chains.
Reading course profiles and the little numbers on the side can be very important!
🏃♀️ Women’s Podium
🥇Sandrine Douarin - 2:47:00
🥈Ella Chibnall - 2:52:20
🥉Alie Corporaal - 3:02:03
Sandrine Douarin gave the lads a bit of a hurry-up en route to a 5-minute victory over Ella Chibnall. Alie Corporaal took 3rd place, finishing a further 10 minutes back.
🏃 Men’s Podium
🥇Cameron Potts - 2:30:48
🥈Aaron Hurley - 2:43:16
🥉Andrew Marshall - 2:46:11
In a bit of a boil-over, Cameron Potts slipped and slid his way to victory over Aaron Hurley and Andrew Marshell.
Hurley and Marshell had a tight race for 2nd and 3rd, with 1st place female Sandrine Douarin breathing down their necks.
It was great to see Pirongia Trail Run sell out in its 2nd year. It offers a different experience to many other central North Island races, a great addition to the Trail Running Calendar.
Check out the full results here, including the Punter and the Runter.
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Things You May Have Missed
Campbell Forlong has put out this cool video of his experience at the A100
Mission Corner
As promised, we’re kicking off Mission Corner.
What is a mission?
For the purpose of Mission Corner, we will define it as:
A run, fast pack or death march that has nothing to do with a race.
It’s not about training or getting fit. It’s about exploration of both a location and yourself.
What that looks like will vary from person to person.
The Celtic Tiger, AKA Jonothan Armstrong, has posted his Mission report from last weeks Tararua Tarn SK.
It’s a great unfiltered look inside the mind of a man on a mission.
“No stopping...constant steady pace...when I piss, you piss...we need to empty the bladder to ensure we lose more weight prior to each and every climb. If I piss, you piss, even if you don’t need to piss, you take a piss anyway.”
“Finish strong! Finish strong! This is Tarn, this is SK fucking Tarn, bully it to the very end! I am a machine; I am a fucking machine!”
Read it in all its glory here.
Briony O'Farrell also got out on her own mission over the weekend.
“Back home from the most AMAZING weekend running with friends in the breathtaking Abel Tasman National Park. 🏃🏽♀️❤️”
”We caught the water taxi out to Wairima/Bark Bay, then we ran 22.5km along the coastal track back to Mārahau.”
”I ran well, felt strong and energised, and the photos speak for themselves. I am one happy girl 😊😍”
Thanks for the tag Briony. It looks like you got the pick of the weather. Well done on getting out exploring the Abel Tasman.
Did you or your friend get out on a big mission and want to tell everyone about it?
Email trailrunningnz@gmail.com, send me a DM, tag @trailrunning.nz on Insta or send a fax to 1999 and let’s get some more awesome mission reports flowing.
Upcoming Events
The WAI2K Running Festival
Saturday, November 25
The WAI2K is the WUU2K’s long-lost twin. We first met the WAI2K back in 2020, and wow, they couldn’t be more different😮.
The WUU2K is warm and outgoing. Confident in who he is and very popular.
The WAI2K … well, he’s quiet and menacing. He’s got a neck tattoo and a scar on his cheek he said he got when he was on the ‘inside’. You can tell he’s wild AF. You don’t mess with the WAI2K.
That probably explains why the WAI2K has struggled to reach the heights of popularity of the WUU2K.
It’s just got that “Don’t f🤬ck with me” resting face.
I’ve dated both, so I feel I’m qualified to judge.
Now, the WUU2K is a nice guy, but the WAI2K is where my heart is. You just need to get to know him better.
He will take you out for a gel-filled picnic on the Frith Track.
Single track with views over the Wairarapa and the Tararua.
Puffer Saddle will take your breath away
Kaitokie Ridge Track, the best ridge in Upper Hutt HARDCORE
And the Climax? Mt. Climie. Need I say more?
Races on offer:
📏100km 👆3000m*
📏50km 👆2000m
📏25km 👆1200m
📏12km 👆500m
*Unfortunately, the 100km was cancelled this year because Josh Campbell won it too many times, so no one entered, presuming he would win again.
Because I left things a little late this week… I thought I would ask myself a couple of questions.
What are your memories of the WAI2K?
Wondering how on earth I hadn’t run the Frith Track before. It was THAT GOOD.
Wondering why I changed into the worlds slippriest heaviest HOKA road shoes for the last 5km section down the river with about 30 river crossings (the 100km in the first year finished on the Tauherenikau.)
Meeting Stu Munro who had won the 83km over complimentary IV’s in the back of an ambulance at the finish line.
Beating Kevin Fink
What is your advice for someone taking on the 50km course next week?
Don’t burn all your matches on the Frith track. The course slowly gets more runnable as you move through the day. Get to the bottom of the Kaitokie Ridge track with legs still ready to run and you will be in good shape.
Entries are still open, and local events like this can always do with a helping hand if you can volunteer, even if it’s just a few hours.
Check out the website for more details, or follow on Facebook.
#Mountain Skag Pic Of October
Congratulations, Tim Sutton. You’ve taken out #mountainskag for October.
This sweet Jumbo T is heading your way
#Mountain Skag Pic Of The Week
This week’s #mountainskag pic is from Ben Taylor. Absolute bluebird day out exploring the Torlesse Range.
Tag @trailrunning.nz (NOTE THE “.”) and use #mountainskag, DM 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 WAI2K results and whatever else gets blown my way.
It takes hours to write this newsletter but only 8 seconds to forward it to a friend.
P.S. The segment showdown will be back in December with a new format.