🏃T42 Results & a lesson for all🤢
"My body now was unable to thermoregulate as the temperature quickly dropped in the high country. At this stage I was unable even to shuffle on a gentle downhill"
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Your weekly fix of NZ trail running news
We’re here to get you going for the week like a quadruple shot espresso ☕🤪💩
Here's what’s in the drop bag this week:
T42 Results
Louis Schindler: A First Time For Everything
My Worst Run Ever
Stuff You May Have Missed
Upcoming Events: South Island Ultra
Mountain Skag Pic Of April & The Week
T42 Results
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With talks of atmospheric rivers🌊 and generally sh💩t weather around the country, seeing the T42 catch a break and go ahead as planned was a relief. It was great to see over 250 runners & walkers turn up despite it being on the same weekend as the Rotorua Marathon.
Women’s podium:
🥇Chrissi Faber - 4:00:55
🥈Abbie Evans - 4:22:13
🥉Aimee Elliott - 4:24:50
Chrissi Faber dominated💪 the race in some tough conditions coming painfully close to dropping under the 4-hour mark. It was a tighter battle for 2nd and 3rd, with Abbie Evans edging out Aimee Elliott
Men’s podium:
🥇Mo Winders - 3:26:24
🥈Johan Bergman - 3:27:54
🥉Chris Fransham - 3:37:32
It was a close battle⚔️ at the front of the men’s race. Local runner Johan Bergman led a large part of the race before being passed by eventual winner Mo Winders with about 10 KM to go. Here is what Johan had to say about his day:
“Perfect running weather⛅ greeted us at the start line of the T42 in Owhango, although there had been quite a bit of rain🌧️ leading into race day.
The race started with a small down hill section which was then followed by a big climb. The next 10ish kms was some of the toughest, technical running I have encountered😱. Thigh deep water, slippery clay and steep up and down sections made for some energy sapping running.
Once through this it was time for some of the best down hill gravel running around. It was around the 30km mark I realised the wet, technical section may have taken a bit too much out of me and I went from leading to second😫. I tried not to let this get me down too much and put my head down and dug deep.
The next 10kms seemed to fly past and it wasn't long till I reached the bottom of the final 1km climb to the finish. I could see the leader about half way up, this really motivated me to get stuck in. Ultimately I could not catch him but I was proud of the way I finished strong.
What a great event Total Sport put on, everyone I talked to had a great time. If you want to run a fun, tough and well put together event I recommend giving this one a go.”
Johan Bergman
Check out the full results and other distances here
Louis Schindler: A First Time For Everything
Louis Schindler raced the Canyons 100 Mile last weekend. Coming off a 4th place (and 1st Kiwi home) at TUM100 in February, building towards UTMB, I followed this with interest.
If you’re unfamiliar with Canyons 100 Mile, it is a looped course starting and finishing in downtown Auburn, California. Runners experience many famous trails from the Western States race, now part of the UTMB circuit.
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Following online, everything seemed to be going well until it wasn’t. Unfortunately, the day didn’t play out as per the race plan. It was gutting to see Louis pull the pin. I reached out to Louis to check everything was ok - this is what he had to say.
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While running a 100miler is not complicated, it becomes very complex when you layer temperatures in the mid 30’s on top of the distance. Effort, environment, fuel, and hydration are the key aspects, and each will impact all other 3.
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I paced and fuelled really well. My crew was absolutely amazing and went far and beyond to have everything in place to battle the elements and optimise the potential of this amazing day.
We had a great cooling strategy in place that worked in temperatures in the mid to high 30’s. What I miscalculated was the (extra - extra)
amount of fluid I should have taken in from the start. I took extra fluids as planned but but not to the extent the heat demanded.
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Despite not overheating I started to steadily dry out to the point where at about 90km my body started to reject any fluid and eventually all fuel. Over the last 25km I ingested less then 200 cal 10H deep into the race.
My body now was unable to thermoregulate as the temperature quickly dropped in the high country. At this stage I was unable even to shuffle on a gentle downhill.
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My body started to give me serious feedback that it is getting injured on the inside.
Finally I reached Forrest Hill where I saw my crew for the first time in over 4 hours.
The much dreaded thought to DNF had crossed my mind and had been part of an internal dialog for a while.
I firmly rejected that option but at the same time it was a moment to be tough and accept facts and not to be stupid. I respect and cherish my body and know enough about science and especially Rhrabdo (Rhabdomyolysis, severe kidney injury) that all the signs were on the wall.
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Voicing my decision to the official marshal to DNF was quite emotional and the hardest part.
It is somewhat bizarre to walk away from my first DNF with confidence and stoke. I knew a DNF had to happen at some stage, especially when you keep surging for the limits.
Thank you for sharing, Louis - we often only hear about the glory🥳. I’m sure everyone can take a little away from this.
For me? You can have the best-made plans and the best support crew, think you’ve got everything accounted for, and still come unstuck. Running 100 miles is tough AF, even when it goes well.
My Worst Run Ever
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Looking around the email inbox for more Worst Run Evers
No ‘Worst Run Ever’ this week - I’ve been getting many messages about the segment, so I presume people want to keep hearing them, but it does require people to get involved!
If you’ve got a ‘Worst Run Ever’ to share, send it to [email protected]
They can be short or long. Funny😂 or sad😭. We can also put it down as anonymous.
Things you may have missed
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Upcoming Events
Destination Westland - South Island Ultra
Saturday 13th of May
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At the end of March, The South Island Ultra hit the headlines worldwide.
$10,000💰 for the first athlete to break 8 hours in the 100KM race. However, it wasn’t the size of the prize that made the press. The fact there was only one prize and the same target time for both men and women that sparked an online WW3.
Athletes, coaches, weekend warriors, and armchair experts all weighed in. At one stage, Andy Dubois even knocked Rob Hutchings off as the number one Wild Things NZ Facebook group poster.
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The result? An extra $10K was stumped up. So the first man and woman to break 8 hours will receive $10K. Not the revised target time for women that many asked for, but a compromise nonetheless.
So now you’re up to date with the controversy, let’s look at the event.
The South Island Ultra takes place on the West Coast, running along the Westcoast Wilderness Trail. This is a well-graded scenic cycle trail, so expect fast running and plenty to look at. Check out the video below to get a feel for the event.
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There is a 24 KM, 54KM, and 100 KM option. The 100 KM is the main spectacle, with the course running from Greymouth to Hokitika.
This is the 5th edition of the event. The last couple of years have seen 60-70 runners take on the 100KM; I’m interested to see if the extra press from the $10K carrot has bumped up the entries.
Several athletes in NZ have the ability to take home the 10K, but I couldn’t find a starters list, so I will have my intel machine tuned into Strava and Instagram this week to see what I can pick up.
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Doom scrolling looking for who’s in Greymouth this week
Nancy Jiang & Ruth Croft are obvious contenders on the women's side, but they’ve headed off to Arizona and Europe. Current record holder Konoka Azumi is in the mix, but dropping 24 minutes won’t be easy. But, of course, with such a big prize on the line, I also wouldn’t rule out some fast ladies from Straya🦘 taking a little hop over the ditch to try to scoop all the lollies, either.
On the men’s side, it’s hard not to think Dan Jones will turn up ready to rumble. He’s still in NZ and had a light week of “only” 195 km - it smells like a mini taper. Then you’ve got David Haunschmit, Sam McCutcheon, Weston Hill, Ryan Carr, Scotty Hawker, and countless others who have the legs to break the 8-hour mark. So will this be an epic race that goes down in the history books or an absolute anti-climax?
Vote for the #Mountainskag pic of April
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A - Heather McDonald
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B - Steve Tripp
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C - Kate Morrison
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The winner will be announced next week - taking home their choice of a Mountain Skag T, cap, or beanie.
This week's #Mountainskag pic is from Katie Smith on her recent Thunderbolt loop in the Kaimanawas.
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Tag @trailrunning.nz and use #mountainskag on Instagram or email [email protected] to enter.
Every entry goes into the monthly draw to win a Mountain Skag T-Shirt or hat.
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We will be back next week with South Island Ultra Race results & more.
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PS- Good luck to all those traveling to compete at Ultra Trail Australia this weekend. Fingers crossed🤞 the weather plays ball.