Too Hot to Trott?
Pigs results & 102K TUM preview
Your weekly fix of NZ trail running news
We're here for you, like that aid station angel you've never met, popping your blisters and telling you "you look great".
Here's what we've got for you this week:
Pigs Backyard Ultra Results
Race preview: Tarawera 102K
Mountain skag pic of the week
Pigs Backyard Ultra - Too Hot to Trott?
10 AM Saturday, 65 keen little piggies🐷 lined up in the starting corral for the 2nd year of Pigs Backyard Ultra. It was a bluebird day with temperatures soaring well over 30🌡️.
Overall Winner:
🥇 Shannon Rhodes - 25 yards
Top DNFs
☠️ Auren Clarke - 24 yards☠️ Andy Smith - 18 yards☠️ Hamish Sutherland - 18 yards☠️ Ben Adams - 17 yards
Shannon Rhodes finishing his victory lap
Shannon Rhodes smashed his total from last year by a whopping 8 yards. He still had plenty in the tank; his last yard was a speedy 47 minutes (he was averaging 54.38). Not only did he win, but he was also the "Most improved pig" (the biggest increase from last year).
The final 2 make it through the night
Looking at the results it looks like the heat may have been a big factor. 19 competitors completed less yards than 2022, while only 8 improved. Last year, 7 pigs made it over the magic 100-mile mark. This year? Just the final 2. In backyards, you need at least 4-5 people pushing each other to see the big 200K+ results.
The Pigs Backyard team put on another great event and fingers are crossed that the event continues to grow. It's in a great spot, they put on a great spread and there's even live music! Congratulations to Shannon Rhodes, and to all those that pushed him along.
Chef Chris whipping up the slaw
Check out the full results here. Great coverage and highlights on their Instagram
Tarawera Ultra Marathon 2023
Saturday 11th/12th
It must be Tarawera race week. "Rotorua weather" & "How to transfer Tarawera race entry" are up 1000% on Google search. It doesn't matter if you're racing, crewing, volunteering or at work refreshing the app - It's the biggest weekend on the calendar. After a 2 year hiatus, Tarawera is back and has UTMB & Western States entries up for grabs.
However, If you've been living under a rock, it's been a touch wet up North. A large slip over the weekend has blocked off the Eastern Okataina trail, arguably the best part of the 102K & 100-mile courses. There will be an announcement later today (Tuesday 7th) on what changes will need to be made. With so much at stake, the pressure on the race committee to still deliver a great course.
Okataina Ridge Track
102KM - Golden ticket race
The 102K is the jewel in the crown. For the first time, it is a Western States Golden Ticket race. That's a big deal! It has cemented Tarawera on the international scene. It also provides a great chance for our own local athletes to qualify for the big dance.
Women's race: Course record Ruth Croft (NZL) 9:21:03 (2021)
🔥Top Speedsters: let's take a look at the contenders and their recent form.
Stephanie Auston (AUS): 🥇Kosciozko 100K, 7th UTA 100, 🥇Elephant Trail 50K
Anna Mckenna(AUS): 🥇UTA 100, 🥇Margaret River 50K, 🥉Noosa 50K
Naomi Brand(RSA): 🥉Ultra Trail Capetown 100M,🥉UTA 100, 🤢(DNF) UTMB
Aroa Sio (ESP): 🥇Vouga 55K, 🤢Transvulcania 100K, 8th UTMB, 12th Western States
Nancy Jiang(NZ): 22nd CCC, 🥇Trail La Rosiere, 🥈High Trail Vanoise
Brooke Thomas(NZ): 🥇Taupo100K, 🥇Naseby Miler
The women's race has 2 Aussies in great form. Steph Auston and Anna Mckenna. Mckenna blitzed the field to take the victory at UTA 100, with Auston taking a respectable 7th. Auston backed this up with 1st place at Kosciozko 100K.
Anna McKenna 1st @ UTA100 Photo: Tim Bardsley-Smith.
Who has a chance to break up the party? Naomi Brand of South Africa. She was 3rd at UTA 100 and also has had success here at Tarawera, taking 3rd back in 2020. Aroa Sio of Spain also had a great 2022 with 8th place at UTMB and 12th at Western States.
Nancy Jiang and Brooke Thomas will be leading the charge for the Kiwis. Jiang spent 2022 racing in the mountains in Europe. She returns to Tarawera for the first time since 2018 where she placed 2nd in the 62K. Thomas will be looking to add a Tarawera podium to her impressive CV. She is the current Te Araroa FKT holder and Taupo 100K champion.
Prediction: 🥇Anne Mckenna, 🥈Stephanie Auston, 🥉Nancy Jiang
The Aussies will run away from the field with only 15-20 minutes separating 3rd through to 10th.
Men's race: Course record - Tom Evans 8:03:29 (2020)
🚀Top Speedsters: Let's take a look at the top dogs and their recent form.
Dan Jones(NZ): 🥇Kepler, 🥇Lake Sonoma 100K, 6th Canyons 100K
Sam McCutcheon(NZ): 🥈Kepler, 🥉UTA 100, 🥇Wuu2k 62K
Hayden Hawks(US): 🥇Kosciuszko 100K, 🤢 CCC , 🥈Western States
Ryan Montgomery(US): 🥇Paramount 50K 🥇Austin Rattler 50K 🥈Javalina Jundred(2021)
Vlad Shatrov(AUS): 🥈Kosciuszko 100 Mile, 🤢UTA 100K, 🥇Brisbane Ultra 100Mile
This is shaping up to be the battle of the Bromance. Dan Jones and Hayden Hawks have been tearing up the hills together all summer. Hawks has the big-time results and experience at the 100K+ distance and Jones has dominated NZ racing for the last few years. However, he has had some mixed results stepping up to the 100K distance.
Dan Jones (left) and Sam McCutcheon (right) out front at Kepler Challenge 2022
Sam McCutcheon is no stranger to the podium at Tarawera or racing Jones, finishing 2nd behind him at Kepler 2022. We asked Sam if he was excited to have another crack at Jones over the longer distance.
"DJ is a machine and I will have to be absolutely on top of my game to beat him at Tarawera. Having the past experience should help me out as we get deeper into the race and I can't wait to line up against DJ next Saturday."
Another man on a mission to win a Golden Ticket is Vlad Shatrov. He set Tarawera a blaze in 2020 smashing Jeff Brownings CR in the 100-mile race. After a recent DNF at the UTA 100, Shatrov will be hungry to prove he still has what it takes to win the big races.
Vlad Shatrov 2020 Tarawera 100 Mile Champion
Prediction: 🥇Sam McCutcheon, 🥈Dan Jones, 🥉Hayden Hawks
Hawks & Jones run each other ragged with McCutcheon taking a late lead to win all the marbles.
Mountain Skag pic of the week
Dundas ridge, Northern Tararua - Tim Sutton
"It was a magic sort of evening where now and then, the clouds would part, revealing the sawtooth ridgeline before swallowing you up again in an all-enveloping whiteness. Tararua holy grail, the Main Range S-K" — Tim Sutton
Good luck to all those running at Tarawera this weekend. Remember, you've already done the hard work. Go have some "fun".
We will be back next week with the fallout from Tarawera.
Tag us on Instagram @trailrunning.nz with all things trail running.
PS - It will probably be another Tuesday edition. Head keyboard basher Bradley, will be splashing his way around the 100-mile course @ Tarawera.