๐Upcoming events: South Island Ultra, Best DAM BYU
๐TRNZ Get FKT Challenge Update
๐ฏThings You May Have Missed
โฐ๏ธ๐Mountain Skag Vote For April
๐๏ธWorst Run Ever
๐Vert Day Is Coming
โฐ๏ธ๐Mountain Skag Fix Of The Week
Note: Due to the length, some email browsers will hide some of the content - make sure you click โview entire emailโ or click through to substack.
Itโs 7.33 p.m. Sunday, and Iโve just sat down to write this thing. F๐คฌck thatโs right, there are no results to write up this week!
After last week's action-packed edition with Faultline and Skedaddle, I feel like Iโve gone cold turkey. Nevertheless, missing a week is not an option - so letโs jump straight into a couple of previews.
Upcoming Events
The South Island Ultra
Saturday, May 10
Itโs backโthe race that destroyed the internet cable connecting the West Coast with the rest of the world๐.
Weโre two years removed from the drama, but the first thing I think of when I see the name South Island Ultra is โฆ
โThatโs the generous race that made a $10,000 donation to Dan Jones at the start of his Ultra career.โ
โThatโs the race that made Andy Dubois a household nameโ
โThatโs the race that made international headlines for offering up $10,000 to the first male or female runner to break 8 hours, instead of having a menโs and womenโs timeโ
Thatโs the race that needs a rename!
When you see the name South Island Ultra, where and what do you think the race is?
My first pick would be an event in Christchurch or Queenstown, but it could also be a stage race running the length of the Island!
An ultra event finishing in the Metropolis of Hokitika is about #27 on my list, but what do I know? I called this thing Trail Running NZ๐.
Now that Iโve got that outta my system - letโs take a wee look.
Distances on offer: ๐100KM| Greymouth to Hokitika ๐54KM | Old Christchurch Road to Hokitika ๐24KM | Lake Kaniere to Hokitika
What should you expect to see on your stroll along the cycle trail?
โRunners will see Lakes, Reservoirs, Rivers, Streams, Water Races, Swing Bridges, Bridges from Historic Tram Lines, A Western Town, Forestry, Wetlands, Board Walks, Mountains and the Sea, just to name a few thingsโ
SI Ultra Website
Itโs not every race that you get to see a Western town!
As youโd expect from a cycle trail, the trails are well graded. Your finish time should be closer to your road running time than other trail races.
I would take an uneducated guess that itโs the fastest course in the country.
When I think of other fast flatish races, I think of Crush The Cargill, Naseby, Taupo & Tarawera.
This is faster than all of those. Dan Jones ran faster this year at Tarawera, but Iโm pretty sure his Strava title was โRecovery Runโ when he ran 7:44 here in 2023๐ฅ.
As an avid power hiker, Iโve got to say I find this race quite intimidating. Iโd be like the smokers of old needing to go out the back of the bar every 30 minutes๐.
If youโve run the South Island Ultra or are planning to run it next weekend, Iโd love to hear your thoughts. I suspect this might be a bit of a hidden gem.
Actually, I just watched the race video from 2024โthe scenery looks sick! However, it definitely seems a little flat for this wannabe runner๐คข.
If this has got you dreaming of updating your 100k or 50k PB, entries are still open.
Itโs the inaugural Best Dam Backyard Ultra this weekend, but it already feels so DAM familiar! Thatโs because itโs the byproduct of a heavy drinking session from the team at Inch Long events (Steve Tripp & Chris Taylor).
They first trialed the course for last yearโs World Satellite Teams Backyard Championship Ultra Thingy.
They think theyโve found a winner with the location and are now promoting it as a stand-alone race.
You're not alone if you have no idea where Otematata is.
Iโll leave Steve Tripp to explain.
โOtematata is the middle of everywhere - smacked roughly halfway between Dunedin, Christchurch and Wanaka. In other words the only places that really matter.โ
โIt has a wetlands walkway which is not wet. Itโs got almost no vert and covers an area between the pub and Lake Aviemore - both have scenic value.โ
The metal Pterodactyl and the infamous Shannon Rhodes Photo: Brad Tripp
โThereโs a day course (looping around the wetlands) and a night course (out and back towards Benmore Dam). Both courses have between 17 and 27m of vert (flatter but much prettier than Blue Lake).โ
Someone let Steve loose on Chatgpt, and heโs posted a bit of an athlete preview. Readers' discretion is advised.
Julia Chamberlain: Fast. Young. Dangerous. With a PB of 51, sheโs here to remind everyone that youth isn't wasted on the young โ itโs weaponised. She eats 12-hour races as a warm-up and smiles while doing it. Could possibly win. Will definitely make it look easy.
Glenn Sutton: Ultra-legend. Veteran of battles lost and won. But last year's Otematata run? Letโs just say... the trails had the last laugh. Glennโs back, beard bristling with vengeance, ready to reclaim his honour โ one angry shuffle at a time.
Hunter Wight: Previously Glenn's assist, now stepping out of the shadows. Redemption arc loading. Heโs got scores to settle, muscles to flex, and electrolytes to guzzle. Motivation level: 11/10. Sock game: unknown but assumed strong.
Isaac Tripp: Yes, he's the organiserโs son. Yes, people mutter "nepotism" in the portaloos. But this year? Heโs trained. Heโs serious. He might even have new shoes. No longer just โthe kid with ok geneticsโ โ Isaac wants loops, not favours.
Lydia Pattillo: Pigs Backyardโs last woman standing. Cute name, terrifying grit. When she runs, the trails politely move aside. Others hallucinate snakes at night โ she just stares them down until they apologise.
Andy Smith: Heโs not flashy. Heโs not fast. But he will not stop. The ultra worldโs equivalent of a diesel tractor โ slow, steady, unkillable. Age is just a number, and heโs been ignoring numbers for years.
Ella Chibnall: Mountains fear her. Hills try to hide. Ella eats elevation for breakfast, washes it down with river crossings, and snacks on altitude. If sheโs smiling, itโs because your uphill pain is her downhill joy.
Kieran Philip: Backyard newby. Alexandra Carousel champ. Never DNFed. If you told him the loop was infinite, he'd say "sweet, see you Wednesday." Might not speak much. Might not blink. Might actually be part diesel.
Sebastian Potgieter: Legs like tree trunks, willpower like bedrock. A Crush the Cargill Miler survivor and peak-bagger of terrifying intent. If the course grows steep and cruel, Sebastian just smiles โ after all, he considers it a "nice recovery walk."
In recent months, backyards have struggled to pass the 200km mark. However, Iโd be surprised to see this one finish under 250 km! There are currently 9 runners registered with a PB of 30 yards + (201.3km), and on this course, this has the potential to be a David Lange.
Now you know where itโs going down and who to look out for โHereโs the Starters Listof all the crazies starting this thing.
Oliver tied the segment time of 10:45! According to rule #62 clause #9
โIf a competitor ties the target time, they can GO GET FKT!โ
Well done, Oliver. You hit the target, and weโll let you scrape in!
Merrell Gift Vouchers are on the way!
A big thank you to everyone who got out there and joined the fun๐ฅฐ, especially with this run of weather. The Merrell NZ prize draw is now closed, and winners will be announced in next weekโs newsletter.
Also, a big thank you to Merrell NZ for providing the cheddar and supporting one of my silly ideas โฆ๐
Things You May Have Missed
The Best Running Guest Interview Ever
I forgot to include this one last week. If youโre a regular DCR listener, youโll know what Iโm talking about. If not, listening to Jean Beaumont is well worth your time.
Sheโs an absolute legend of the game, and if we had a Hall of Fame, she would be aย shoe-in๐ช. Sheโs won more 100-mile races than most people have entered (Northburn x 6๐), and just last year, she summited Aoraki.
Jeanโs approach is a palate cleanser for the overstimulating trail running world we currently inhabit. I even think she said something about โGoing out there and having fun. I really like running.โ
Otaki Forks ALMOST Back In The Cutlery Draw
Hereโs the latest Blue Bluff update for the Tararua lovers.
โThe slip at Blue Bluff on ลtaki Gorge Road is nearly cleared.โ
โThe clearing work revealed a natural spring on the cliff face. Engineers are designing a method to manage the spring's flow to prevent future slips.โ
โThe original retaining wall was found to be in fit-for-purpose condition, but an additional section needs to be built to support the road near a steep drop-off.โ
โThis extra work is likely to extend the project by a few weeks, with the road now expected to reopen in June or July.โ
So close now! Fingers crossed๐ค.
New Rakiura Speed Dating Run Club
I donโt remember writing โMake beaks light sabresโ, But it was May the 4th โฆ
Rakiura has started a new run club. Iโm guessing if you live there, you probably already know that โฆ so this isnโt really news. However, on the off chance that you donโt know about it, join the Strava Clubfor details. Unless you havenโt been invited for a reason โฆ awkward๐คฃ.
Tararua Mountain Race Video Recap
After running TMR this year, I received quite a few DMS and emails from people around the country asking what it was like. I thought this might be helpful: Andy Carruthers has compiled a 5-minute video from this yearโs race: some post-race interviews, some stories, and some top-notch drone footage.
Shannon-Leigh 11 Ultraโs From A Rest Day?
Itโs been a hot minute since I included Shannon-Leigh in the newsletter. Only because sheโs like clockwork, so itโs not news anymore! But sheโs been pretty public about targeting 500 days of 50 km+ in a row, which would mean weโre 11 runs away from Shannon potentially rejoining the human race.
Vote for your favourite #mountainskag winner from April below.
Iโve taken the names off the photos to avoid it being a popularity contest.
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Worst Run Ever
This week's โWorst Run Everโ was delivered Mission Impossible styleโa self-destructing cassette tape. There was a knock on my door, and there it was. There was no sign of who left it; it was just an old cassette player with a yellow Post-it note attached, โWorst Run Everโ.
โThat was My Worst Run Ever. This tape will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck.โ
โI was away on a trial trail weekend with an AMAZING NZ trail runner. Oldest of the tribe present and freaked myself out mentally before even hitting the special available-to-us long Sunday run trail bc of a grant by the owners.โ
โI walked into the room beforehand confessing like an AA meeting newbie that I hadnโt slept well, had been for way too many nervous poos, and wasnโt sure how this was going to go.โ
โAlas, my top two inches were madly correct - walked most of the up, trotted much of the down. Gorgeous day, but- alas - wrecked me mentally and have barely even put my shoes on since.โ
โMy worst run ever. And Iโve even had to in the woods before.โ
Weโve all heard that one way to improve your running is to run with faster people. Well, if Iโve learnt anything from this week's story, thatโs not entirely true.
No one talks about how it can utterly destroy you and make you feel inferior, and want to give up running altogether๐ญ.
Why would you want to be the slowest in the group? Find your slow mates, run them into the ground and feel like royalty!๐
Iโm on the prowl for more stories - just like this weekโs, it can be anonymous.
DM them on Instagram or email them to trailrunningnz@gmail.comโIโm happy to help flesh them out!
VERT Day Reminder (Free Virtual Event)
Saturday/Sunday, May 31st - Just 1st.
Vert day is ALMOST here. Think of Vert Day as a free virtual event. It will only cost you your time, quads and potentially your will to live.
Itโs simple. How much vertical gain can you stack inside 24 hours?
This will look different for everyone. The main thing is to get out there and challenge yourself.
Wellington BSR ready to go to war, 6 AM Vert Day 2023
Last year, Wellington made it 3 years on the trot over bitter rivals Christchurch.
Queenstown also entered the fray, and this year, it is actively recruiting runners looking to build upon last yearโs effort.
If this sounds like a bit of you (free, type 2 fun) and youโre keen to set up a focused assault in your town, get in touch. The more cities that enter, the better.
Maybe we can even make a silly trophy๐?
Entrants are encouraged to donate to the Himalayan Trust, which funds projects that improve the health and education of remote communities in Nepal.
This weekโs dose is from Stu Meiklejohn from a recent trip around the Thunderbolt circuit in the Kaimanawa Ranges. A definite must-do if you live north of the Cook Strait.
PS. Weโre heading into that awkward not as many not-as-many-events time. Iโll be fleshing the newsletter out with UTA, Western States & UTMB Chat BUT โฆ Iโm gonna need more than that. Let me know what you want to read!
