Your weekly fix of NZ trail running news
We’re like your drunk Nana who knocks over your Christmas Tree - just a little bit loose, but someones gotta do it
Here's what’s in the drop bag this week:
Riverhead Relaps Round up (Try saying that while taking a gel)
My Worst Run Ever
Shoe Review Stu
Stuff You May Have Missed
Mountain Skag Pic Of March Vote
Riverhead Relaps Round-Up
9 AM Saturday, 123 runners lined up to run into the unknown, that is the Riverhead Relaps Backyard Ultra. Spirits were high, and so was the anxiety. A new course, rain on the horizon and the added pressure of Lazarus Lake (Backyard Ultra creator) looking on. There were a lot of unknown factors this year, but some things remained constant.
Run 6.71 KM on the hour every hour
Far too many nipples were on display
Trevor Mallard turned on the sprinklers again - did someone say mud?
This was the “not muddy” part
🥇 Sam Harvey - 33 yards (221.43 KM)
Sam Harvey celebrating his win Photo: Aerobic Edge
Top DNFs - Men 🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️
☠️ Caleb Pearson - 32 yards (214.72 KM)
☠️ Troy Field - 30 yards (201.30 KM)
☠️ Stephen Harney - 30 yards (201.30 KM)
Top DNFs - Women 🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️
☠️ Shannon-Leigh Litt - 21 yards (140.91 KM)
☠️ Kelly Davenport - 16 yards (107.36 KM)
☠️ Sarah Bauer - 13yards (87.23 KM)
☠️ Sandrine Douarin - 13 yards (87.23 KM)
Sam Harvey was the hot favourite heading into the event. He has a PB & NZ record of 46 yards, aka 308.66 KM🤯. He won Pigs backyard (2022) and Krayzie Winter Backyard (2022), got bored at Riverhead last year and settled for a draw and also came 2nd in 2021. I’ve got that as a total of 218 yards for 1,462.75 KM.
But endurance running is never a one-horse race, especially in the backyard format. You never know who will turn up to have a crack, and you still have to run a stupid amount of loops to win.
You can analyze the stats and try and make a judgement based on how different runners look. But at the end of the day, it comes down to who wants it the most. You don’t need to be the fastest; you don’t need to be the strongest. You can hang on all day (and night) and still have the same chance of winning as anyone else.
Andrew McDowall with Lazarus Lake - 2 absolute legends Photo: A Mcdowall
Ultimately, Harvey lived up to his billing. As everyone else was tapping out, he was warming up. There were strong performances all around. However, there can only be one winner, but everyone can find their limits and push through. Pigs backyard, 2023 winner Shannon Rhodes got to find his limit by posting an impressive 28 yards, 3 more than his victory at pigs.
In the top 10 (Harvey aside), every runner set a new PB or had never run a backyard before. Caleb Pearson, who was the final DNF, posted 32 yards (214.72 KM) in his first attempt. It will be interesting to see if he’s got the bug or is one and done. A big shout out to Shannon-Leigh Litt. She posted 21 yards (140.91 KM), up from 16 (107.36KM) in 2022, and was the highest-placed female DNF.
Shannon Rhodes DNF’ED but hit a 3-yard PB of 28
Shaun Collins & co pulled off mission impossible. Up against it with venue and course changes, they managed to put it all together. Lazarus Lake was at base camp, which got the place buzzing. Tonnes of supporters made it out, and with all the tents, it creates a music festival-esque vibe. Riverhead Relaps has established itself as a must-do event on the NZ running scene.
Below I managed to get a few words from a couple of the Wellington BSR (Big Sunday Run) crew.
“Ten hours in the pain Cave, 100 km of fun. Probably the longest I've ever gone without a speck of enjoyment, but glad to have got it done. Harder than expected, just not fit enough for this sort of event, and the terrain got out of hand after some early rain.”
Josh Campbell - Upper Hutt Hardcore
Josh Campbell, deep in his pain cave
“Riverhead relaps was my first backyard ultra and I definitely wasn't prepared enough! It was definitely harder than I thought, keeping a relentless consistent pace each lap is difficult especially when you throw in tricky course conditions with thick mud and decent elevation. The pairing of physical and mental strength required is astounding. Everyone was super supportive there and it was a festival vibe, I definitely recommend it if you are thinking of doing a backyard!”
Kelly Davenport - First-time Backyardererer
My Worst Run Ever
This week’s story has flown in all the way from Vancouver, Canada. It’s a good reminder that you can train as much as you like, but sometimes you get punched in the face👊.
This week’s AI masterpiece
After months of training and a good few race results🏆, I had put myself in position to finish at the pointy end at my next outing. My only concern was the last 10Km of the race.... After spending hours training the ups and the downs, race pacing, and fueling⛽, I thought I was in a good position overall to throw down come race day.
But the one thing I didn’t train was how to attack⚔️ a 1 km ascent after already racing for 25 km. Come race day I was pumped and doing good, but maybe too good. I came to the realization that the wheels could come off about 1km before the ascent began when I looked down at my watch to see I was way ahead of pace🔥. I guess that’s what happens when you get into a downhill race at only the halfway mark.
At the base of the climb I was in second place 🥈and still feeling confident I could grind out the assent and finish strong. 50m into said ascent, reality struck, and it struck hard. As most of you could probably guess, somewhere along the side of the trails were my quads and apparently my right calf. Its at this stage that my "worst run ever" began.
It was 10km of cramp, anger😡, regret😞, and the biggest mental challenge I've had to face in my 20years of running. Luckily, I wasn't alone as the bulk of the field hit that same wall🧱. An hour later, I crossed the line in a disappointing, but respectable 4th place and I just collapsed.
After swearing 🤬I was never going to do that race ever again....I later signed up for the 2023 outing vowing to avenge my Worst run ever!
Thomas Ditchfield
Uh oh - I’m all out of stories! I’ve been getting tonnes of feedback on the Worst Run Ever segment, but it only works if people send them in!
Send them to [email protected]
They can be short or long. Funny😂 or sad😭.They can even have a happy ending. We can make them anonymous too.
Shoe Review Stu
Alright, coming at you with a new segment. Stu Munro is a confessed shoe addict, and he’s also my 2nd hand (foot?) shoe dealer. He loves shoes so much he bought an extra suitcase on his recent European trip to bring back more shoes!
Shoe Review Stu’s UV Resistance Testing station on his front porch
This week he brings you the much-hyped Nnormal Kjerag. I’ve put in the key takeaways below, but if you’re a shoe nerd, it is well worth the time to read the full review here.
The Nnormal Kjerag
Facts & Figures
⚖️My 11.5 US clocked in at 254g
🥾Vibram litebase outsole with 3.5mm lugs
🧪Eexpure foam - Nnormal’s own compound
👠Heel stack height of 23mm and 17mm in the toe for 6mm drop
❌👻No insole, your foot sits on top of the foam
❌🍽️No carbon plate
New shoe, who dis?
Summary & best use
The Nnormal Kjerag’s are my favourite trail shoes of 2022/23. They are quick, nimble and versatile and have been my shoe of choice for all of my recent races;
-Kepler Challenge
-Tarawera 102km Xterra
-Wellington Festival 15km
They do exactly what they set out to - provide a fast and durable shoe with top-class components that can be used for various terrains. They are wide enough to be comfortable over the long run, and the lockdown is excellent, so they also perform well on short and fast runs. I have enjoyed them so much I was tending to grab them for pretty much every run, including recovery runs.
Likes
⚡Light & fast
💪Durable
🥾Excellent grip
🏎️Pretend you’re Kilian while trudging around the Waikanae river on a rainy Tuesday
Dislikes
🤕The overlays could be more protective
😞The tongue can bunch and crease, but this is easy enough to adjust and solve.
😡Price in New Zealand - see below.
Right here’s the thing, they are expensive. In today’s market, it’s expected to pay north of $300 NZD for this type of shoe. In addition, Nnormal is essentially a start-up, which is another reason why it might cost more…
We now have a New Zealand distributor, which is great, but the cost to us here is outrageous. I paid £170 in the UK, which is around $340 NZD, yet they cost $475 in New Zealand! Perhaps there is an obvious reason for this I don’t understand, but on the face of it, that seems like a crazy markup.
Again, my favourite running shoes I own and my shoe of choice for all my recent races, but I can’t recommend them to anyone at $475 unless money isn’t an issue for you. At the price I paid in Europe, I would recommend them because they last well and perform exceptionally.
Thanks for the review Stu - Follow him on Insta for more reviews and shoe chat
Things you may have missed
Alex Bezzina, aka The Lost Hobbit from Straya🦘, just posted an unofficial FKT for the Te Araroa record going South to North in 60 days. I will have more on this next week.
Jackie Holley & David Haunschmidt took out the Porirua Grand Traverse Mountain Run on Sunday
Vote for your Mountain Skag pic of March
A - Gwenan Riley
B - Sean Martin
C - Joe Benbow
D - Daryl Ross
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The winner will be announced next week - taking home their choice of a Mountain Skag T, cap or beanie.
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We will be back next week with more on the Lost Hobbits Te Araroa adventure & more.
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PS- Have you or your friends done something epic? As the race season slows, I would love to chat with more people creating their own adventures.