🏃🏃♀️Rakiura Challenge, Marina 2 Marina Results
“I was lucky enough to round a corner and have a large brown kiwi chilling out on the track”
Your weekly fix of NZ trail running news
We’re the budgie smugglers of NZ trail running. We just cover the good bits😎
Here’s what’s in the drop bag this week:
🏃🏃♀️Rakiura Challenge Results
🏃🏃♀️Marina 2 Marina Results
🟣Worst Run Ever September Winner
🎯Things You May Have Missed
🏁Upcoming events: Taupo Ultra & Abel Tasman Coastal Classic
⛰️💊Mountain Skag Pic of the Week & September Vote
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Rakiura Challenge Results
This year, after a concerning 2023, which saw a lack of mud at the Rakiura Challenge, it was back to its mud bath best.
Rakiura received 110mm of rain in the last fortnight, half of that in the three days leading into the race, which caused large sections of the famous trail to look like the area behind the portaloos on the last day of Rhythm & Vines.
If you’re on the Island and looking for a side hustle, there are at least 6 or 7 shoes that could be fished out and put on FB marketplace.
Unfortunately, I think I saw that a few runners couldn’t make it in time for the race due to weather delays (some people are taking sandbagging to the next level, eh?😂), but at least the event could go ahead and be on the ‘A’ course.
Now, it’s a different pace of life on Rakiura. So, at this stage, I don’t have any ‘official’ results to over-analyze. I did manage to snag the names of the top 3 on Instagram, but I don’t have the times.
Regardless, it sounds like another great year. Put it on your matrix, and watch for when entries open, as it’s limited to 250 entries and has become one of the hottest tickets in town.
🏃Men’s Podium
🥇David Haunschmidt
🥈Sagar Khemani
🥉Alexis Migounoff
He puts the vid in David, and that’s what I saw all up in my Instagram stories on Saturday afternoon—a video of The Flying Doctor sprinting in to take another victory on NZ soil. There can’t be too many races he hasn’t won (well, there is Kepler, but that dude Dan Jones keeps rocking up😉).
I know nothing about Sagar Khemani and Alexis Migounoff, but thanks to my little friend Paincave, I see that Khemani finished 6th in last year’s race. The pick of his results would be a 7th at Luxmore Grunt in 2:07:22.
A 3rd place here is easily Migounoff’s best result, with a 7th at Forest Run Fest in the 10KM being his only other notable result.
David Haunschmidt is still answering my calls and here is what he had to say.
How does the Rakiura Challenge stack up to some of your recent Euro adventures?
“Fantastic event. Destination run on a NZ great walk is right up my street.”
“Lovely people, loads of support from locals and sponsors, two great meals included, the mud just adds an extra element/challenge.”
“Not a fast year, with at least 3 or 4K in the middle of unrunnable deep mud and plenty of challenging saturated sections. DOC do a great job of maintaining it despite this.”
“I was lucky enough to round a corner and have a large brown kiwi chilling out on the track. Gave each other a fright and went our separate ways. Would defo recommend for a great run weekend away”
The Flying Doctor David Houndawg
🏃♀️Women’s Podium
🥇Amy Rice & Becca Firth
🥉Rosalind Poulgrain
Now, I don’t know if Amy Rice & Becca Firth are BFFs from way back or just became best friends on the trail. But they came flying over the line together, each with a big smile on the dial. Congratulations on your victories!
Rosalind Poulgrain followed up her victory in the 15km at Cape Kidnappers in Hawkes Bay last weekend with a bronze here on Stewart Island. Not a bad 7 days!
Check out their Instagram for coverage of the event. The full results are available here when they’re uploaded.
Marina 2 Marina Results
There must have been some nervous moments for the M2M team as the heavens opened at the back end of last week.
The Link Track only reopened again last year after being MIA due to extensive track damage after some BAS (That’s meteorologist speak for ‘Big Arse Storms’).
But fear not—the event and ‘The Link’ went as planned. It was a great turnout, with over 400 runners and plenty of walkers doing their thing accross 4 distances.
The Link - 24 KM
🏃Men’s Podium
🥇Sam Hansby- 1:48:42
🥈Alex Robertson - 1:52:47
🥉Jacob Stapleton - 1:57:04
Sam ‘The Man’ Hansby was back in action after disappearing into his Wainuiomata lair post Faultline Ultra Miler.
Originally from Blenheim, M2M has been a happy hunting ground for Sam, previously finishing a close 2nd and taking the win in ‘The Snout’ 13km back in 2015 & 2016 (That’s Sam in the header for the race, just before he lost the lead in 2015)
Alex Robertson made the short trip up from Nelson to take the silver, finishing comfortably ahead of the race for 3rd.
Jacob Stapleton outlasted Bradley Vile & Cameron Livingstone to take the bronze by just 36 seconds.
🏃♀️Women’s Podium
🥇Ruth Delahunty - 2:14:34
🥈Sophie Bonarius - 2:25:25
🥉Amanda Harvey - 2:26:10
Picton local Ruth Delahunty made it look easy, taking a comfortable 10-minute victory over Sophie Bonarius.
The rest of the podium was much tighter, with only 2m30s separating 2nd through to 5th.
Full results are available here, including the 13km, 10km, and hotly contested kids’ dash.
Worst Run Ever by UTMB 🟣CurraNZ
September Winner
Congratulations, Ruud Verplancke!
You’ve won the monthly draw for a 30-pack of purple little pills from CurraNZ🟣.
Don’t mix them up with blue little pills, or you might have a new Worst Run Ever to send in … you can read Ruud’s doozy of a ‘Worst Run Ever’ HERE.
Keep the stories coming in for your chance to win with CurraNZ for October!
Please 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.
Things You May Have Missed
Olympic Harriers hosted the Wellington
HillMountain Running Champs in classic Wellington weather over the weekend. Andrea Peat got the lollies, and Eric Speakman added to his collection of every Wellington race this year in the long course. Full results here.
The NZ Backyard Ultra Circus continues to expand. The TauRANGA council has given the green light for Rockys Backyard for December 14th at Mclaren Falls. Why does that date sound familiar … any way. I’m a bit disappointed to find out that it doesn’t appear to be a Rocky Balboa themed backyard😥
There’s been a late change to the NZ BYU World Champs team, which starts on October 19th. Jane McAlpine is now in because Steve Tripp has dropped out, citing a case of ‘notsureifIcbfrunningthatfaragainitus’. We will take a closer look at the team and event in the next couple of weeks.
Upcoming Events
Taupo Ultramarathon
Saturday, October 12th
Taupo Ultramarathon is here, and I’m f🤩🤩king pumped for this one.
The racing is going to be ballistic. All Course Records are on notice.
I don’t have a starters list, but I’ve had several reports that Sam ‘The Northland Express’ Rout is steaming down the tracks from Whangarei, pulling a carriage full of Northland speedsters. Look out🔥.
Tarawera might get the international spotlight, but I feel that Taupo is edging closer each year in terms of the overall ‘product.’
If you don’t know Taupo from Takanini, it’s known for fast, runnable, well-groomed trails. If you want to run your first ultra or set a PB, this is a great place to do it.
There are 4 distances on offer, and the 100 km doubles as the team relay.
📏100km 👆1853m
📏70km 👆1455m
📏50km 👆1155m
📏24km 👆966m
Last year, there were a tonne of memorable performances.
Nathan ‘The Viking’ Ryken lead the charge for Northland in the 100km, with Cullen ‘Bring Home The Bacon’ Rhind taking back-to-back Silvers. Tom ‘Backwards Cap’ Barnesy stormed the castle, smashing the 50km CR and taking his first major trophy on NZ soil.
It was the first year of the new 70km (remodeled from the old 74km), which was dominated by premium TRAIL RUNNING NZ MOUNTAINSKAG SUBSCRIBERS ‘Shoe Review’ Stu Munro & Sean ‘The Emaciated Nemesis’ Martin (It pays to be VIP).
But when I think of last years Taupo Ultramarathon I immediately think of none other then Nikki ‘The Smiling Assasin” Everton.
She broke Cecelia Flori’s long-standing CR by 45 seconds. No one else had got within 45 minutes of that record!
Nikki will be racing the Abel Tasman next weekend, but she was generous enough to answer some questions about the Taupo Ultramarathon.
Last year you broke the long standing 100km CR, What are your memories of that day?
“Biggest memories are probably…
A spectator going into the only portaloo right before me at the 27km aid station and being in there for what felt like 10 mins, it sucks being a female on trails sometimes!”
“The state of my feet - I knew they hurt while I was running but I blocked it out, and it wasn’t until I finished that I realised how bad they were. I’ve got some pretty impressive photos of my post race toes which strongly resembled yams!”
“Seeing how stoked and excited my 3 sons were at every crewed aid station.”
What is your favourite part of the course?
“Honestly, the whole course is amazing - stunning bush and beautiful trails. Running through the single track at the start in the dark is a pretty cool experience too. The tracks are great quality, so if it hasn’t been too wet in the lead up, you could definitely get away with wearing roadies too.”
You’ve had great races at both Taupo and Tarawera. What do you see as the main differences between the two races?
“Taupo is 100% runnable the whole way and has no crazy hills - I take my hat off to anyone who can run up Okataina non-stop for Tarawera.”
“There’s also a solid 10km or so road section in the middle of Taupo which makes for a faster run, so that can be good or bad depending on your mental state and whether you like running roads in the first place!”
What’s the race schedule looking like for you over the summer?
“I’m excited to run the final Abel Tasman Costal Challenge this Saturday with the hubby, then probably just a couple of random events and some run adventures until Old Ghost in Feb.”
“From there I’m eyeing up UTA 100 in May in the build up to UTMB/CCC (distance TBC for that one). Also going to have a crack at Hyrox in Auckland in Feb to mix things up a little!”
Thanks for that, Nikki; all the best for this weekend, and I'm excited to see you build towards UTA 100!
Check out their website for more details, and follow along on Facebook for the latest updates.
Abel Tasman Coastal Classic - 33 KM
Saturday, October 12th
Next weekend is the final Abel Tasman Coastal Classic by Nelson events.
If you’re unfamiliar with the event, it’s a 33km race from Awaroa to Marahau along the Abel Tasman National Park trail (hence the name😝) at the top of the South Island.
It’s my honour to pass this preview over to Graeme West, aka Gazza Southside, the roving reporter for what will be his final gig.
Take it away Gazza…
“Saturday’s Abel Tasman Coastal Classic is Nelson Event’s “swan song” after 30+ Years of filling around 40,000 Drink Cups over 200 or thereabout Events.”
“The “Classic” began back in ‘94 in more than mean weather but a 6 knot sea breeze on the boat journey to Awaroa on Saturday coupled with warm spring 16 degree running conditions will be more than welcomed by the Sold Out for this months 350 Competitors.”
”Sure, some won’t show, but there will be more than one ready for an extra Subway Lunch once they have crossed the Marahau Finish Line.”
”Vajin Armstrong will be keen to add to his 2017 and 2019 Victories as will last year’s Women’s Winner Hannah Oldroyd , who posted 2.47.59 for the Women’s Course Record and could have daylight with Nikki Everton (Havelock North ) and Julia Grant (Christchurch) chasing.”
“Armstrong’s quest for honours in “the final fling” could be erased by either Auckland’s Tommy Hayes or another Cantabrian William Lindscott.”
“Always hard to predict who will stand on the podium as all have to provide a half marathon estimate..many modern day trail runners not having run one and a lot only worried if they will miss mid point cut off times and “cry in their cups” rather than enjoy a post run beer or wine at the Prizegiving Buffet…!!”
“Canterbury provide 130 competitors, Wellington 74 with the rest scattered from all around the Nation and a few from Overseas, Australia, Germany and United Kingdom.”
“Obviously it will be mixed emotions for the West Family Organisors, (Averil, Abbe, Amanda , Greg & Graeme) plus their loyal NBS Strider Hands Helpers who have given it all to everyone who has participated in their events over the last three decades but everything and everyone has a life…Nelson Events and their Team can stand proud that they have delivered a quality product at the Top of the South and can “head to the Grandstand” mission accomplished.”Graeme West
Thanks for that Gazza. I presume I speak on behalf of everyone when I say thank you to you and your family for all your service to the NZ running scene; I trust the grandstand has something great waiting for you.
Unfortunately, If you’ve only just heard of the Abel Tasman Coastal Classic, you’re too late! However, if you’re still keen to experience the Abel Tasman, it’s easy enough to plan your own self-supported mission for the summer.
#Mountain Skag Pic Of September
Vote for your favourite #mountainskag winner from September below.
I’ve taken the names off the photos to avoid it being a popularity contest.
#Mountain Skag Pic Of The Week
This week’s #mountainskag pic is from one of the biggest addicts around, Kyle Malone.
Not satisfied with running the Barkley Fall Classic marathon, he’s now over in Europe hitting the white stuff. Check out this shot of Tre Cime di Lavaredo in the Dolomites, Italy.
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 Taupo Ultra & the final Abel Tasman Coastal Classic results and whatever else you guys fire my way.
It takes hours to write this newsletter but only 8 seconds to forward it to a friend.
PS: Paid Subscribers, let me know what type of giveaway you’d be keen on this month. Bring back the cookies, or keep going down the running-related consumables route? (comment below or email).