🏃🏃♀️The intel machine is smoking...
“Still shocked at how the legs kept on giving, right to the end..."
Your weekly fix of NZ trail running news
We’re here to keep things interesting … like that friend who orders Pizza Roulette🌶️ from Hells Pizza and doesn’t tell you …🔥🥵
Here's what’s in the drop bag this week:
🏃🏃♀️Remutaka Rail Trail Results
🏃🏃♀️Toi’s Challenge Results
🏃🏃♀️Mt Isthmus Traverse Results
🏃🏃♀️The Taniwha Results
🏃🏃♀️Arrowtown Backyard Results
🎊Dan Jones Subscription Winners
🎯Things You May Have Missed
🏕️Mission Corner
🏁Upcoming events: Hunua Hillbilly & Pirongia Trail Run
⛰️💊Mountain Skag Pic of 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.
Remutaka Rail Trail Results
Saturday, November 11
Remutaka Rail Trail 📏21.1KM | ⛰️250M
On Saturday, 100’s gathered out the back of Upper Hutt to see who put the ‘HARD’ in ‘UPPER HUTT HARDCORE’.
Engines were revved, and tattoos were compared, but ultimately, it came down to a good old-fashioned footrace.
🏃♀️Women’s Podium
🥇Anna Spencer - 1:43:03
🥈Joanna Browne - 1:45:15
🥉Jennifer Mattlin - 1:46:57
In a tight race, Anna Spencer came away with the bragging rights, running away from Joanne Browe down the final stretch, taking the victory by 2:12m with Jennifer Mattlin only a further 1:42m back.
🏃Men’s Podium
🥇Daniel Clendon - 1:18:10
🥈Joshua Campbell - 1:22:24
🥉Oliver Howitt - 1:23:34
Daniel Clendon had too much speed for Joshua Campbell, pulling away at the 3km mark. Campbell, feeling every km from the A100, managed to hold off Oliver Howitt for the silver.
Since this race is at the heart of UPPER HUTT HARDCORE, I thought who else would be better to ask how the day went than Kevin “The Fink” Panther😎.
“Predictably, the front pack got away at sub 3 min thirty ks, so me and good mate Andrew Thompson settled in at around 4 min ten. Andrew chatted happily away whilst I did my best impression of someone who could breathe and talk at the same time.”
“At the 7km mark, the course veers off onto the "back road". My heart rate spiked, not because I was struggling, Andrew and I were both moving well, slowly picking off runners that were spat out the back of the front pack, but because it had started to dawn on me that the "small bump" that I had described to my lovely wife who was also running the 21km race that morning may be slightly longer and bigger than I described. It may be a frosty night in the Fink household tonight🥶.”
“At km 12, the course rejoins the incline, mostly downhill to the finish. It was here that AT put on the afterburners🔥 as I struggled to maintain any sort of consistent pace, and I saw him disappear into the distance.”
“We rejoined the shorter distances, I rediscovered what was left of my shattered mojo, and I managed to roll into the finish in a respectable 5th place.”
“More importantly, although as my wife came through the finish line, she seemed less than impressed about the "small bump" and also how the course ran slightly long at 21.3 km once we got home, she was very enthusiastic about the beauty of the course and the helpfulness of the on-course volunteers.”
Fink Panther UPPER HUTT HARDCORE
Thanks for the recap, Kev. I hope the couch is comfy😝.
Check out the full results here
Toi’s Challenge Results
Sunday, November 12
Toi’s Challenge 📏19.7KM | ⛰️800M
Toi’s challenge swept right past my intel machine last week. Thank you to Liam Dooley for putting me right. It’s only been going for 30-odd years😂.
NOTE: The Toi’s Challenge is 1.7km longer than the traditional course due to trail work.
🏃♀️Women’s Podium
🥇Matilda Lawrence - 1:49:49
🥈Kate Moore - 1:50:22
🥉Michelle Ashley - 2:00:00
Matilda Lawrence edged out Kate Moore in a tight race, with Michelle Ashley taking out 3rd in a satisfying time of 2 hours on the dot.
🏃Men’s Podium
🥇Daniel Jones - 1:29:56
🥈Liam Dooley - 1:34:18
🥉John Mering - 1:38:19
Hometown hero Dan Jones took a commanding win over Liam Dooley, showing he still has the speed over the short stuff in a good tune-up for the Queenstown Marathon.
John Mering squeezed onto the podium with Brad Mcnamara only 5 seconds behind.
Here is what Liam Dooley had to say:
“Chasing DJ around the course pulled me through for a PB.
Stoked to get a good hit out in the local race, which is perfect for building into Luxmore Grunt in December!”
Liam Dooley
Check out the full results here & more coverage on Facebook
Mt Isthmus Traverse Results
Saturday, November 11
Mountain Marathon 📏42.4KM | ⛰️2000M
🏃Men’s Podium
🥇David Haunschmidt - 3:18:44 🔥NEW CR🔥
🥈Patrick Manulet - 4:20:48
🥉Matthew Gummer - 4:23:30
Surprise🤯. David “The Flying Doctor” Haunschmidt blew the doors off another course record. Can someone do us all a favour and sneak an air tag onto his visor so we know which races not to bother turning up to?
Haunschmidt aside … there was a great race for 2nd and 3rd between Patrick Manulet and Matthew Gummer.
Gummer ran 6 minutes faster than in 2020 when he came 2nd, but it wasn’t enough this time, with Manulet taking the silver🥈.
Here is what Patrick Manulet had to say:
“This is my 1st Mt Isthmus Traverse and will not be the last. I enjoyed the 360-degree views of both Hawea and Wanaka.”
“Vertical climbs were brutal, which makes the course more challenging. Rocky 4WD tracks and all exposed. It’s a very well-organised race by Adrien and his team, great job to them.”
“There were aid stations every 6-7km with tailwind nutrition, water and power bars. An epic battle for the 2nd overall spot. Luckily, I still had the legs to push the downhills and grabbed the place.”
“Despite the warm weather, Thanks to Tailwind Nutrition NZ #mountainskag⛰️, which kept me going with its balanced nutrition and electrolytes. Definitely all I need.”
Patrick Manulet
🏃♀️Women’s Podium
🥇Brooke Cox - 4:47:17
🥈Elyse Doty - 5:06:12
🥉Elle Bach Kolling - 5:17:29
Brooke Cox came down from Aoraki⛰️ and broke up the Wanaka party. She took the tape in 4:47.17🔥, the 2nd fastest time (Nancy Jiang, 4:33:22) at the event and a comfortable 20-minute win.
Wanaka locals Elyse Doty, Elle Bach Kolling and Rachel Bridgewater battled it out for the remaining podium spots.
Doty took the silver🥈, with Kolling just edging Bridgewater by just under a minute for the bronze🥉.
Shoutout to Rachel Bridgewater, her first race back after breaking her ankle. I’m sure that gave the ankle and the mind a good test.
Check out the full results here (Including the 27km & 10km races) and more coverage on Facebook and Instagram
The Taniwha
Saturday, November 11
The Taniwha 📏44KM | ⛰️650M
🏃♀️Women’s Podium
🥇Nikki Hill - 3:57:30
🥈Icey Metcalfe - 4:06:01
🥉Emma O’Rourke - 4:08:07
🏃Men’s Podium
🥇Tom Wilford - 3:56:45
🥈Graeme Dunn - 4:06:39
🥉Gywnn Ashcroft - 4:08:01
The Taniwha turned into a battle of the sexes, with the top 6 being split 🏃3🏃♀️3.
Nikki Hill and Tom Wilford crossed swords for over 44kms, but Wilford would surge away to take the overall marathon win by 45 seconds at The Taniwha.
Hill would take 1st female and 2nd overall, finishing 8:30 in front of Icey Metcalfe, who scored one back for the girls, edging out Graeme Dunn by 38 seconds for 3rd overall.
Gwynn Ashcroft and Emma O’Rourke rounded out the podiums, with Ashcroft edging out O’rourke by 7 seconds.
Check out the full results here, including the 22km, 16km & 7km races.
⛏️Arrowtown Backyard Ultra
Saturday, November 11 …
8 a.m. Saturday. One of the strongest and largest NZ backyard fields assembled for the start of the ⛏️Arrowtown Backyard Ultra.
The vibes were flowing, and the anticipation reached a fever pitch. 153 runners jammed in a square, ready to test their limits, whatever they may be. The village looked more like a music festival than a running event.
The excitement of the new course wore off, and the familiar beat of the backyard resumed. Milestones came and went, claiming victims who had that number in mind.
Day turned to night, and with it, we learnt who was here for the long haul. The sun rose on Sunday, revealing the biggest field to have made it through the night in a backyard event in NZ.
This is probably a good time to remind you of Brandon Purdue’s prediction from last week’s edition.
“Predictions all depend on if Sam Harvey shows up or not 😉”
“Either way, I think we’ll push into the 3rd day and knock off the NZ record💪”
Well … Sam Harvey did turn up, and things looked business as usual. Until it wasn’t🚑. Harvey called it a day after lap 34, suffering from
“I RAN 600KM’S 2WEEKS AGO’ITUS”.
This cast the door wide open for a new hero to arise …
Overall Winner:
🥇🏆👑 - Glen Sutton / Jeremy Pelvin TBD
I went to bed early Monday morning, and there were 7 crazies left. It had been raining for a few hours after another hot day. This would have been a welcome relief to some and a good excuse to call it a day for others.
It’s now 6.13 AM, the sun is up, and Glen and Jeremy are still at it on lap 46. If they complete this loop, it will tie Sam Harveys NZ Backyard Ultra record of 46 yds.
Will they work together to break the record and then play rock, paper, scissors to decide who’s pulling the pin?
Or do they have bigger plans? It feels like we’re close to the end, but you only need 2 … there is a lot on the line here. Dunedin vs Christchurch
Top DNFs
🏃☠️John Bayne - 42 yds / 281.82km
🏃☠️Shannon Rhodes - 42 yds / 281.82km
🏃☠️Brion Matthews - 41 yds 275.11km
🏃♀️☠️Brooke Thomas - 37 yds / 248.27km(🏆🏃♀️LWS)
🏃♀️☠️Shannon-Leigh Litt - 35 yds / 234.85km
🏃♀️☠️Helen Waterworth - 31 yds / 208.01km
There is no doubt that the course Highland Events has put together is set up to go long. But the results over the weekend are just as much about the quality of the field assembled.
Many of the top 10 have run 4 or 5 backyards in the last 2 years, getting smarter (or stupider?), stronger and more confident with each passing event.
Check out some of these stats:
78 runners ran over 100km. That's over half the field.
22 runners made it to the 100-mile mark (🏃17🏃♀️5). The most in an NZ Backyard Ultra.
15 runners joined the 200km club (🏃11🏃♀️4). Remember, Katie Wright won the first Riverhead Relaps with 200km.
Brooke Thomas tied Fiona Hayvice for most yards by a woman in NZ (Katie Wright ran 50 at Bigs in Tennnneesssse).
On the completion of lap 38, the 8 remaining runners were all in NZ PB country. (John Bayne ran 51 laps at Dead Cow).
7 runners made it through 40 yds / 268.4km
Congrats to Highland events and the crew. Everyone I have heard from can’t say enough about how well the event has been run and the great atmosphere at the event village.
Click here for a complete list of results. Follow them on Facebook or Instagram for more coverage.
Danny Jones ‘Lessons from The Long Run’ Winners
First of all, thank you so much to all the paid subscribers. The support is genuinely appreciated🙏.
Your support helps pay for the private jet to UTMB HQ and my $600 Nike Carbonplate prototype shoes that power me through my weekly 3km run from home.
November’s Paid Subscriber Giveaway winners have been drawn.
Congratulations to:
🥳Emily Heath
🎉Todd Woods
Check your inbox. There should be another email all up in there.
If you haven’t checked out Dan’s newsletter, read it here.
Things You May Have Missed
Last week, the 50KM & 100KM Championships were held at Hagley Park, Christchurch. Vajin Armstrong(7:05:46) & Shannon-Leigh Litt(8:29:05) took down the 100KM titles and Hannah Oldroyd(3:23:31) & Dayle McLauchlan(3:15:38) took the inaugural 50KM titles
Mission Corner
My intel machine started smoking over the weekend. If people weren’t out crushing races, they were in the hills getting their fix.
I’m not sure if I missed the memo that it was the season opener for the Tararua Range, but there was some serious action going down.
💊Tarn SK Traverse Sub 24 | Jonothan Armstrong
💊Main Range SK Traverse attempt | Maciej Surowiec
💊Multiple Southern Crossings (You can race this as the TMR)
💊Mt. Hector out and back | Daniel Pringle
💊Eastern Main Range | Callum Mangin
It was Jonothan Armstrong’s Tarn SK that got me the most excited. He boldly started at 10 PM, navigating through the unmarked Northern section in the dark to finish in the light.
He rolled into the Car Park of Glory (IFKYK) in 19:45h💪.
This time puts him in the top 5.
Jono has put everything into the Tararua Ranges over the last 2 years.
He knocked off all of the huts and 1500s within 6 months
Completed the SK Valleys.
Has had failed attempts at the Main range, and the Tarn SK
It’s amazing to see his hard work and persistence pay off.
Here is what Jono had to say about his big day (and night)
“I’m still shocked at how the legs kept on giving right to the end. Last year’s double disappointment has made this year’s SK Tarn triumph even sweeter. Quite simply, hard work pays off.”
Jonothan Armstrong
The flow of Worst Run Ever’s has stemmed, and not everyone can take great photos📷. So, with the summer mission season now open, the Mission desk has been dusted, and the fax machine fired up.
Did you or your friend get out on a big mission and want to tell everyone about it?**
Email trailrunningnz@gmail.com, and let’s get some awesome mission reports flowing.
**Mt. Cargill does not count as a mission.
Upcoming Events
Hunua Hillbilly
Saturday, November 18
The Hunua Hillbilly is back for hoedown #2. The Hillbilly was created in honour of Steve Neary, an absolute icon😎 of the New Zealand running scene who unfortunately passed away on November 7th, 2016.
“We feel this event is the perfect way to celebrate Steve’s life and loves: trail running, kokako (and all the NZ birds, Tui’s and Kereru were his other favourites), New Zealand’s native bush, family, friends, and fun.”
Now, this isn’t your standard 60km trail run.
🏕️Camping is encouraged for both Friday & Saturday night
🪕There is a Hoedown on Saturday night. Low, slow BBQ, complete with country tunes from Coopers Run
💃Dancing shoes are just as important as your trail shoes
The Course
📏60KM | ⛰️3000M
The race is a 60km circumnavigation of the Hunua Ranges. The Hunua are apx 45 minutes southeast of Auckland.
The closest I’ve got to the Hunua Ranges is Queen St, so I thought I would throw it over to someone who knows a little more.
Glen “The Flying Mo” Chesterman threw down last year and went home with 2nd place and some possum pie🥧.
He was kind enough to shed some light on the Hunua Hillbilly.
When you hear “Hunua Hillbilly”, what are the first 3 words that come to mind?
"Wholesome. Great atmosphere, the camping aspect makes it pretty special"
"Scenic.What a spot! The Hunua ranges are a true gem."
"Challenging. Alot of vert coupled with technical trails make it a beast of a run."
You’ve run in a lot of different places- if 10 is the Tararua Main Range, and 1 is Oriental Parade, where would you place the Hunua Hillbilly in terms of how tough the terrain is
“Probably around an 8! Don't underestimate the Hunuas, be prepared for true DOC track wilderness. The middle section is the gnarliest, so buckle in mentally for some slow ks.”
“I would recommend having the course loaded on your watch or phone just in case you do stray from the track. Also a huge savior for me in the final 20k was poles, if you are used to running with them I would put them in your drop bag for that section 👍”
Check out the Website for more details, and follow on Facebook.
Pirongia Trail Race
Saturday, November 18
The Pirongia Trail Run is a community-based event encouraging participation for all ages and abilities on Pirongia maunga⛰️.
The event is operated by the team at the Kiwi Challenge Foundation, so it’s a not-for-profit event with the main aim of promoting active and healthy living outdoors.
“With help from the Community Partners, the PTR works with local schools and youth groups to facilitate free entries for community youth. How good. Clap, Clap for the Community Partners.”
With that being said, it’s not all hugs and kumbaya.
There is still some racing to be done, and none of it will come easy.
Check out the races on offer:
The Munter |📏36.8km 👆2163m
The Grunter|📏13.8km 👆1161m
The Punter |📏8.2km 👆616m
The Runter |📏3.0km 👆100m
Even the little runts get a dose of the vertstick! How good?
Here is a wee teaser from The Grunter
“A short ridge sidle and a chain section on the exposed bluff (take care!) puts you on Mahaukura, the tallest peak on the loop.”
Nothing gets a mountain skag addict hotter under the collar faster than the mention of chains.
It’s sold out this year, so if this tickles your pickle🥒, you’ll need to get in early next year, as there are only 350 spots available.
Check out the Website for more details, and follow them on Instagram & Facebook
#Mountain Skag Pic Of October
I will throw Substack under the bus and say the poll feature was broken last week, but it was probably a user error.
Thank you to all those who emailed to let me know no one could vote.
Let’s try this again.
If the poll still doesn’t work, please reply to this email with your pick!
VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE BELOW!
#Mountain Skag Pic Of The Week
This week’s #mountainskag pic is from Callum Mallet on his hybrid ‘Eastern Main Range’ at the summit of Mt.Hector.
It's a mint-looking loop. Check out the stats on this.
42.26km, 4263M of vert. How satisfying
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 Hunua Hillbilly & Pirongia Trail results and whatever else gets blown my way.
It takes hours to write this newsletter but only 8 seconds to forward it to a friend.
P.S.: If you made it through, please let me know what you thought. There are some big clashes on the racing calendar, so there is way more content to deal with than when I started this thing, and I’m still working out how much is too much.
This is a fantastic Substack, well done! Loving the NZ coverage and the format you've got going on is awesome :) Looking forward to following along
And go Tanya!
Hey Brad, don't forget WAI2K is coming up fast on 25 November - 50km, 25km & 12km options this year!