🏃🏃♀️Tararua Mountain Race & Routeburn Classic Results
...Full somersault kinda vibe but luckily managed to just get back up and push to the end
Your weekly fix of NZ trail running news
Here’s what’s in the drop bag this week:
🏃🏃♀️Tararua Mountain Race Results
🏃🏃♀️The Routeburn Classic Results
🎁TRNZ Get FKT Challenge Update
🎯Things You May Have Missed
🏁Upcoming events: Alexandra Airport Carousal BYU
⛰️💊Mountain Skag March Winner & The Week
Note: Due to the length, some email browsers will hide some of the content - make sure you click ‘view entire email’ or click through to substack.
Tararua Mountain Race Results
Saturday, April 12
For the second year in a row, the weather gods smiled upon the Tararua Mountain Race.
“The Tararua Mountain Race
20 per cent chance of sun,
10 per cent chance of no wind,
100 per cent chance of blood, sweat and tears.”
Either the race is getting extremely lucky, or this thing is heading to the commerce commission for false advertising next year😂.
Southern Crossing:📏36km | ⛰️2300M
Men’s podium:
🥇Jake Mclellan - 5:07:12
🥈Chester Holt-Quick - 5:10:51
🥉Nicholas Craig - 5:11:07
Like a lot of races, the TMR has 3 self-seeded waves. 6:30, 7:30 & 8:30 AM. But unlike most other races where the fast w🍆nkers take off first, at TMR, the unwritten rule is big dogs eat last.
Last week, I said my gut was that Sam Hansby would win. Turns out that was just indigestion😝. The reality is that there was no clear favourite heading in, and the scene was set for someone to take their moment in the sun.
The race got off to a sizzling start, with Chester Holt-Quick and Nick Craig setting the early pace, with young gun Jake Mclellan holding on.
Holt-Quick was the first into Alpha Hut, the unofficial halfway point(19km / 1300Mish), with a 1-minute lead over Craig. Mclellan was well placed, only 30s further back, and it was very much still game on with Sam Hansby and Arran Whiteford all within striking distance.
Holt-Quick continued to surge ahead around the Dress Circle before his climbing legs started a conversation with him that he didn’t want to have.
“You remember how you gave it all at 3 Peaks + 1 2 weeks ago?, Well, we do too.”
He made it to Kime in the lead, but he had now been joined by Mclellan, who had moved past Craig. At this point, the race transitions from a grinding climbathon to an all-out 10 km ankle-snapping rocky descent.
Who would make the first move? Make a break too soon, and you risk blowing up. Don’t make a move at all, and you risk being out kicked.
It’s no surprise to see that the fearless youth of Mclellan went for the knock-out blow early, making his break on a technical section coming off Bridge Peak. With roughly 8km to go, Mclellan had Holt-Quick on the ropes. Would he be able to find a counter punch?
One punch was all Mclellan needed. He continued to pull away, extending his lead down from Field peak into the long grassy flat of the Otaki River valley below, steaming across the bridge to take victory by over 3 minutes in a time of 5:07:12💪.
Holt-Quick never gave up, chasing hard the whole way down to take 2nd in front of a fast finishing Craig, who fended off a move across the tops from Hansby to take the bronze.
Jake was generous enough to answer a couple of questions:
How did the race play out at the front?
“The race kicked off fast, and I couldn’t stick with the early pace, so I settled into my own rhythm and made sure to save some gas for the back half.”
“Just after Alpha Hut, I spotted the leaders a couple of minutes ahead — that gave me a real boost and helped me keep pushing across the tops. I made good time across the tops and caught up to Chester at Kime Hut.”
“After Bridge Peak, I put the hammer down on the technical descent and managed to pull away. From there, it was just a fast hobble down from Field Hut to the finish.”
What does it mean to you to win one of NZ’s most iconic mountain races?
“I'm absolutely stoked to take the win at such an iconic event! It's an honor to have my name on the trophy alongside some legends of the sport.”
Amazing stuff, Jake. To win a race like this at 17 is mind-boggling. 🤯 I look forward to seeing what else you achieve in the next few years.
Women's podium:
🥇Kate Annan - 6:29:14
🥈Bridget Watson - 7:13:42
🥉Katy Ashton - 7:33:38
The top 3 women ran out of the 7.30 AM wave, and as predicted in last week’s preview, Kate Annan, the Spectacle 100km champ, dominated the day😎.
Annan led the charge up Marchant Ridge, powering her way to a 12-minute lead at Alpha Hut over Bridget Watson and Katy Ashton. Bridie Macky was next, 10 minutes back, not out of it by any means.
Annan was in a league of her own across the overgrown, slippery af, sinkhole-strewn tops. She had the title in the bag vest, barring disaster, having pulled away by a further 15 minutes at Kime Hut.
Watson had also slipped away from Ashton, putting 3 minutes between them across the tops.
Annan continued her dominance, easily negotiating the rocky technical descents from Kime. She didn’t let off either, keeping the hammer down from Field Hut to the bridge, to take the victory by an impressive 44 minutes💪.
Watson continued to pull away from Ashton to take 2nd, with Ashton doing enough to hold off a fast-finishing Macky for 3rd.
Kate had this to say about her day:
Give us a quick overview of your day at the Tararua Mountain Race yesterday?
“I had a great day out! The volunteers were fantastic and really encouraging, and the weather even allowed us some views. The people from the 6:30 wave that I caught (and the 8:30 guys who caught me) all seemed to be having fun, which is always great to see.”
“The Marchant Ridge was as rooty as I remember it being, but better as a starting climb than a finishing descent. There was even more mud than I anticipated the whole way around - I'm maybe getting too used to dry Nelson trails.”
You’re based in Nelson now - what would you say to someone on the fence about travelling from outside the Wellington region for the race next year?
“I would definitely encourage people to travel for TMR next year!”
It's such a classic mountain adventure, but sharing it with others as part of the race adds so much to the experience. It's certainly a tough one with no "easy k's", but it's worth the mahi.”
Thanks for that, Kate! Hopefully, we will see you back up from Nelson next year to defend the title!
Congratulations to everyone who made it over the Southern Crossing on Saturday. I was reminded Saturday that there is no easy way across. Every step is a battle! I’ve run it two years in a row now, and I’ve got to say, it might just be my favourite race😍.
Full Results, including the Kime Climb, Field Dash & Teams results.
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The Routeburn Classic Results
Saturday, April 12
📏32KM | ⛰️1100M
With the first cold snap passing through the region the weekend before last, I’m sure there was a lot of nervousness behind the scenes heading into race week.
The Routeburn has a history of being cancelled due to bad weather, but thankfully, there was nothing to worry about!
The race got away under moody skies before opening out into a rip snorter of a bluebird day.
Women's podium:
🥇Frances Redmond - 3:27:49
🥈Elina Ussher - 3:35:57
🥉Ruby Knight - 3:37:20
Frances Redmond is no longer a rising star - she has arrived!
With a second at Taupo 50 and Kepler last year, it’s no surprise to see her take the leap. Leading out aggressively, it seemed it would be first or bust for Redmond. Sometimes you’ve got to risk it all to win big (says the midpack warrior😂).
And win big she did, breaking away from Elina Ussher and Ruby Knight to have her first taste of life on top of the podium. Shooey and all!
Frances was generous enough to take the time to fill us in on how the race panned out.
How did things play out at the front of the race?
“It was a truly tough start to the race. Elina, Ruby and I fought it out throughout the first 12km but I managed to slip in front heading up to the pass just after Mackenzie Hut.”
“That was when I decided I needed to just run my own race. I’d push were I could and ran pretty recklessly. The grind up to the Pass was real but managed to break away a touch.”
“I hit the final 10km and really put in the work. My mindset was, if someone was going to catch then good on them because I really left it all out there.”
“I had a massive fall with 3km to go. Almost race ending. Full somersault kinda vibe but luckily managed to just get back up and push to the end.”
(Frances would also like to apologise to the person beside her on the track. She doesn’t usually use such language😝.)
How does it feel to take out one of the most iconic races in NZ?
“Ahhh man, winning is truly magical aye. It’s my first time winning a race and to take out such a huge race does taste pretty sweet.”
“I feel incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity and ability to run in one of New Zealand’s most picturesque areas. The competition was there, the support was there and the vibes were high. I’m still buzzing.”
Thanks for that, Frances! I’m sure it will be the first of many victories.
Men's podium:
🥇Jack Harris - 2:43:34
🥈Piotr Babis - 2:46:30
🥉Hywell Dinnick - 2:50:50
Queenstown local Jack Harris made a triumphant return to the Routeburn Classic. After a few years in London, He hasn’t long been back in the country. In 2021, Harris finished 5th in a time of 3:05. On Saturday, he cut 21.5 minutes off that time to take the victory on the trail that first inspired him to get into trail running all those years ago.
I’ll let Jack tell you how it all went down:
How did the race at the front play out?
“I really enjoyed the early part of the race, Hwyel lead it out and it was nice to have someone setting the pace and clearing the hikers (who were great). We ran together through to Lake McKenzie but Bobby and Piotr weren't far behind and we could all see each other on the climb out.”
“I didn't have any intention to take the lead but Hywel stopped for water before the traverse across. I knew I was strong on that section so thought I'd start running my own race and maybe had 30 seconds on the chasing guys (I think Hywel rolled his ankle early in this section).”
“Coming over the Harris saddle I tried to get some more separation and might have started the descent 90 seconds ahead. I wasn't sure how the legs would respond to the downhill but they held up well.”
“I knew some of the faster splits from the saddle to the carpark and was matching those so figured that someone would have to have an all-time descent to chase me down. The legs started to cramp with a couple of kms to go but everything held together to get across the bridge in front.”
“It was a nice to stamp this one after the big goal of 3peaks ended with a hospital visit a couple of weeks before.”
You’re a big fan of the Routeburn - is there anything you think could improve the race going forward and will you be back to defend your title?
“I love that trail, you don't get many 30km courses that offer more anywhere in the world. I'm not sure how we make it happen but I'd love to see a big group of NZ's best runners line up one year and really push the course. Maybe the organisers can shoulder tap a few names from years past for 2026.”
Thanks for that, Jack! I agree. You could start calling people out on social media, like in Boxing🤔. I suspect if a little bit of cash was stumped up for breaking either CR, you would find a few more elites on the start line.
Full Results are available here.
Trail Running NZ Get FKT Update
We have our first 2 winners!
Congratulations too …
Katie Smith
Who beat the Vernon segment and now owns a new shiny crown set at 31.25.
Steve Anderson
Who took on Mt. Alford from the carpark segment, lowering the Strava Crown on Mt Alford to 41.15
You’ve both won a $100 Merrell Gift Voucher!
Steve and Katie both joined as paid subscribers before taking on the challenge to double their victory! (otherwise, it’s $50)
144 people are currently registered for the challenge through the Strava Club. This is the easiest way for me to track the segments, so make sure you join if you want to enter the prize draw.
Remember, it’s not just about beating the times. Every attempt on the segment gets you in the Merrell prize pool, which doesn’t close until the 4th of May.
If you have no idea what this is about, read the post below!
Things You May Have Missed
Paulina Zäck from Germany breaks the TA record
And just like that, both the TA records have been exported to Europe. Is it too late to charge a tariff? Hang on. I don’t think that's how it works, but it seems no one does😝.
I had no idea Brooke Thomas’s time was even under threat! Unlike Thomas, Zack completed the TA northbound and was self-supported. This means she carried all her own sh💩t, relying only on commercial services and mail drops. Quite the flex.
I don’t know much about FKT do’s and don’ts (clearly, IYNYN😉), but if I were Brooke Thomas, I’d still be clinging to being the fastest Southbound!
Dan Jones Breaks Lake Sanoma Marathon CR
Danny Jones is back Stateside, winning the Lake Sonoma Marathon in a CR breaking time of 3:02:57. Although he was easily the favourite in the field, you’ve still gotta go out there and win. The Danny Jones train is full steam ahead for Western States🚂.
Youtube Channel Shoutout
Chester Holt-Quick, not content with getting his name in the newsletter for finishing 2nd at TMR, sent this to me on Saturday night.
…by a dude I’ve just recently met and who did the SC yesterday - Aaron Zhao.
He covers some great trails in NZ and the video is really high quality with a nice (peaceful, zen like!) narrative and bg music.
Pretty hard to find a good channel in this regard and this the best I’ve found for NZ coverage.
I have to agree with Chester. The quality is very high, and it isn’t just Aaron filming his feet for hours at a time like so many other channels.
He’s got a wide array of videos, from the Tararua to the Motatapu Marathon. This is a great channel to watch on a wild Friday night or to research your next trip.
Upcoming Events
Carousel Backyard Ultra
Saturday, April 19th
Up next on the NZ Backyard Ultra circuit is the Alexandra Airport Carousel.
Yes, that’s right. Not only does Alexandra now have both power and the internet, but they actually do have an airport. This coming Easter Saturday, you have the chance to get very acquainted with it!
The course is a lap around the Alexandra Airport on single and 4WD tracks. It’s a combo of hard-packed trail and pine forest, weighing in at around 50m of elevation.
The entry list and live tracking can be found here.
Don’t let the small field fool you. We’ve seen the combo of a small but committed field on a long weekend cause chaos up at Kings Backyard Whangarei, where they broke the NZ record.
My predictions:
🏃♀️Last Women Standing:
Naomi Louisa - Has a good shot at winning outright.
🏃Last Man Standing:
Kieran Philip
🍺Most beers drunk between laps:
Jub Bryant.
You can follow the Airport Carousel on Facebook & Instagram
Check out the Website for more details
#Mountain Skag March Winner
Congratulations, Pete Robinson - You’ve been voted to have the skaggiest skag of March.
#Mountain Skag Pic Of The Week
This week, Tony Sharpe is dealing out the Mountain Skag
“Rediscovering off track explore mode after a long break. Great to test all the navigation and route finding skills again. Red Peak and Mt Lyndon. Fogged out for the descent just to make it interesting.”
Tag @trailrunning.nz (NOTE THE “.”) and use #mountainskag, DM 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 results from Alexandra Airport Carousel and a preview of The Faultline Ultra.
It takes hours to write this newsletter but only 8 seconds to forward it to a friend.
PS. Next week’s edition will be out on Tuesday due to Easter. Have a great long weekend. I hope you all get somewhere mountain skagilicious 🤤.
P.P.S Move over Action Figure self-portraits - Lego is where it’s at
😂 more likely to be a chunk of my ego or soul 😝
Thanks for the YouTube channel recommendation. There’s some great content on there for us dreamers