🦘🐨Ultra Trail Straya Results
"I left it all out there and am thrilled I earned that gold belt buckle!"
Your weekly fix of NZ trail running news
We’re the Koala of the Trail Running scene—a bit of fluff, a little slow and lazy, but one of a kind.
Here's what’s in the drop bag this week:
🦘🐨UTS Ultra Trail Straya Results
🎯Things You May Have Missed
🚒Sky Tower Challenge Update
🎁The Long Run, Autumnish Edition
🏁Upcoming events: The Bay & Vert Day
⛰️💊Mountain Skag 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.
Ultra Trail Straya Results
Crikey! UTA has turned into an absolute juggernaught. There were 6,802 starters across the 4 distances and 2,144 starters in the 50km alone🤯.
Of those 6802, there were 179 🥝Kiwis ready to do battle. There were also plenty of Pavlova athletes like Margie Cambell, who’s lived in Dunedin for years, but still runs under the Strayan flag.
To put these numbers in context, Tarawera had 4,035 over 5 distances this year, with 1,569 runners starting the 50km.
It’s great to have Ultra Trail Straya 🦘back to its best. Although there may have been course changes once again, they worked well and ran true to the original course.
Congratulations to all of you who took on UTA over the weekend, no matter the result. You did the training, turned up and then through down on the 2nd biggest trail running stage in the world💪.
Now, let’s take a look at the results.
📏100KM | ⛰️4520M
Women’s podium:
🥇Beth McKenzie - 10:41:43
🥈Lucy Bartholomew - 11:00:34
🥉Stephanie Auston - 11:11:17
Beth McKenzie from Murica🌭 took the race out hard, looking to make the most of any runnable terrain.
24km in, she had built a 5-minute lead over Lucy Bartholomew, with Stephanie Auston a further 3 minutes back. Both Bartholomew and Auston have had great success in the Blue Mountains, so there was a lot of racing still to come.
Bartholomew and Auston split shifts running in 2nd and 3rd, but McKenzie continued to press her advantage.
Through the Katoomba Aquatic Centre (56.2KM), McKenzie had stretched her lead to 15 minutes.
This race was far from over. McKenzie was only in her second 100km race, and with plenty of technical running and a big climb to the finish, it would be a huge test for the former pro triathlete’s ability on the trails.
Bartholomew worked through a rough patch, gapping Auston to move into 2nd. When she arrived at the Queen Vic Hospital aid station (78.5km), she had cut McKenzie’s lead to 10 minutes and was 5 clear of Auston.
That was as close as it got, with McKenzie pushing hard into the finish, taking her first 100km victory over Bartholomew by just over 18 minutes.
Auston stuck at it but couldn’t close on Bartholomew, taking the bronze and finishing 11 minutes back.
A shout out to Naomi Brand (she might run for South Africa, but I’m claiming Kiwi), who finished in 6th place after she wasn’t sure if she would even start.
Beth McKenzie was kind enough to fill us in on her big day out.
“After my first 100km in Tarawera in February, I knew there were some things I could work on to have a great day that I was capable of… and UTA was just that.”
“At Tarawera I learned a lot about aid stations (basically not wasting time) and pacing. I think I ran to my strengths- which are going quick on all the runnable bits.. and the rest, I just got through and kept moving forward.”
“I hit a really low spot after a really endless technical section around 75km and was getting a little delirious and ‘over it’. I took a fall and it took me some time to regroup.”
“Lucy made up about 5 minutes on me in that section. So, when I got to the 78km aid station at Queen Vic Hospital, I took some time to get in some noodles and coke, and then really dug in.”
“I came good a few km later and just trucked to the finish. I couldn’t have really asked for more- I left it all out there and am thrilled I earned that gold belt buckle!”
Beth McKenzie
Men’s podium:
🥇Michael Dimuantes - 9:01:24
🥈Shaun Pettit - 9:55:27
🥉Josef McGrath - 9:56:55
Michael Dimuantes had a front-row seat as he watched flatmates Sam Harvey and defending champ George Murray attempt to rip the legs clean off the field through the opening stages.
Much like last year, Murray shot to the front of the race, looking to apply the early pressure. 24km in, he had a two-minute advantage over Dimuantes, with Harvey a further two minutes back.
However, there was no fairy tale ending this time. Dimuantes harboured the early onslaught, and by the time he rolled through the Six Foot Track, he had gained control of the race. Murray struggled to keep in touch, and Harvey began feeling every kilometre of the 460 he recently ran at Dead Cow Gully.
From here, Dimuantes got in his groove and pulled away from the field. There were several changes in the positions behind him, but he was well clear of the carnage.
Murray would ultimately pull the pin at the Katoomba Aquatic Centre, and Harvey was reduced to mere mortal speeds and slowly dropped through the field.
At Queen Vic Hospital, Dimuantes had a 37-minute lead over Josef McGrath, who was 11 minutes ahead of a fast-finishing Shaun Pettit.
Diamuantes avoided disaster and powered home to break the tape in an impressive 9:01:24, 44 minutes clear of Pettit.
Pettit managed to catch McGrath inside the final kilometer, with one of the UTA crew managing to capture it on film.
What a fantastic race from Mikey Dimuantes. As you can see below, everything went perfectly.
“I had such a perfect day. I’m not sure I’ll ever have another race go so well, so I’m just trying to soak it up while I can!
“I feel so lucky to have run over such beautiful trails with such amazing crew and support from the volunteers and spectators. I loved the event and can’t wait to go back.”
Michael Dimuantes
📏50KM | ⛰️2442M
Men’s podium:
🥇Charlie Hamilton - 3:57:19
🥈David Haunschmidt - 3:59:41
🥉Clément Durance - 4:05:16
Charlie “Cowboy” Hamilton went one better than last year to claim the biggest victory of his young career.
It was a predictably fast start to the men’s UTA 50, with only 5 minutes between 1st and 10th place through the first 15.5 km of the race.
Hamilton had moved to the front, 30 seconds clear of David “The Flying Doctor Haunschmidt, who was running stride for stride with Clément “En” Durance.
Running into the Queen Vic Hospital, that lead had grown to 3m30s over Durance, with the Flying Doctor a further 30s back.
Haunschmidt would move past Durance in the next section and then set about trying to lasso in Hamilton. His efforts were too little too late, with Hamilton claiming the victory by a margin of 2m21s over Haunschmidt.
Durance would fight on, taking the bronze, well clear of the chasing pack.
The Flying Doctor ultimately ran out of dirt, but here’s his take on his race:
“I took the first half a bit too conservatively and gave away way too much time to Charlie, who was having a great race on home-turf.”
“I haven’t ran this distance or vert for more than 6months, so was a bit nervous about my fitness and durability to handle the fast long descent and then the massive climb at the end.”
“Got to 35k feeling great and then knew I’d stuffed up and could have went way harder. It was a joy to have just ran my own race though, had fun, and experienced the UTA trails.”
“One I’d definitely come back to in the future. It is an amazing place to run, with stunning tracks and scenery. Overall, a great tester for me and so pleased to know I am back on form leading into some racing over the rest of the year.”
The Flying Doctor
There might be an Aussie standing on top of the podium, but if we claim Doug Goulding(RSA) as a Kiwi, we have 4 out of 10 spots in the top 10.
Women’s podium:
🥇Kate Avery - 4:46:25
🥈Sarah-Jayne Miller - 4:49:13
🥉Margie Campbell - 4:52:35
Kate Avery had enough gas in the tank to hold on and secure her first 50km win on the UTMB circuit after podium finishes at Tarawera in the last 2 years.
Avery led from start to finish, but it was a tight race. Through the first 15.5km, Avery had a slender 1m25s lead over Dunedin's favourite resident Aussie, Margie Campbell. Sarah-Jayne Miller was only 50s back from Campbell and looking strong.
Running into the Queen Victoria Hospital, Avery’s lead was only 1m17s over Campbell, and Miller was still knocking on the door, only a further 1 minute back.
Like Haunschmidt in the men’s race, Miller moved past Campbell in the final 6 km and shifted her eyes towards Avery.
But Avery was determined to take the win, holding off Miller and then extending her lead to take the UTA 50 crown by 2m48s. Cambell got home in 3rd, a further 3 minutes back
Shout out to 🥝Juliette Soule, who had another strong race at UTA and finished 6th in 4:59:10.
Click Here for the full results, including the UTA22 & UTA11 races.
Check out the Ultra Trail Straya Instagram for videos and photos from the weekend.
This Week’s Newsletter Is Brought To You By…
“How the f🤬ck can a running top feel so damn good?”
That was my first impression of the Ranger 01 Trail Tee.
I was happy with my clearance New Balance tops, but after testing the Ranger 01 Trail Tee for the last 3 weeks, it might be time to throw them in the fire.
What I love about their Ranger 01 Trail Tee:
📏Looong: It’s perfect for a long torso-challenged runner like me.
No more builders crack, no more back chafe.
🧸Soft: It’s like they’ve fused a teddy bear with body armour. It’s built to last but also super comfy.
🩸Nipple friendly: I didn’t tape or lube my nips on a 5-hour night run when it was a little chilly (if you know what I mean), and I didn’t have the slightest irritation.
If you’re in the market for a new running tee,
CLICK HERE to check out the Ranger 01 Trail Tee.
Things You May Have Missed
Check out this absolute unit who ran the UTA 100 in barefeet😮
Check out this short video on Inia Raumati’s recent experience at the Namib Race, the hottest race he’s ever done.
Danny Jones strikes again. 🥇1st in the Bryce Canyon 50K & new CR. Things are really starting to take shape for Western States.
Isaac Tripp and his friend Anita (I’m gonna guess Smith) ran the Otago Rail Trail in a day (152km), complete with snowstorms. Is this the First Known Time? If not, what’s the Fastest Known Time?
This has been out for a month, so you may have already seen it. But this is probably the best trail running race video I’ve watched. The scenery at MOAB is just mind-blowing.
Sky Tower Challenge Update
Last week, Trail Running NZ Subscriber Neil Smith reached out as he was taking on Auckland’s hardest trail race, The Sky Tower Challenge.
Not only does this race go to the highest point in Auckland, but it also covers some of the gnarliest terrain North of the Bombays😉.
I followed up with Neil, and he’s given a rundown of his day below.
“Last year my time was 12 minutes 15 seconds and I finished 8th overall, with my improved training this year I was hoping to crack the top 5, I even dared to dream of a top 3 finish.”
“Race day was finally here, my muster time was 7.15, I got up at 5.15 to go for a warm up run and to go up and down the stairs at the hotel to just get my body slightly prepared. I got kitted up and went to the Sky Tower and met with my fellow competitors.”
“Each competitor sets off individually with a 20 second gap between, I was around the middle of the pack and was soon at the start with the 20 second clock ticking down.”
“I set off, going at a steady pace but not getting any real rhythm going, I needed to settle and focus. I kept my head down, not wanting to know what floor I was on, just focusing on putting 1 foot in front of the other and trying to calm my breathing.”
“The first time I looked up was on the 37th floor and I was struggling, I felt like I'd already exerted way too much energy and I was slowing, I had overtaken 2 people by that point which gave me confidence but knew the next 14 floors were going to be really tough.”
I stayed focused, kept moving and just gritted my teeth. I overtook one more person but then someone came galloping past me which is a horrible feeling.”
“I struggled my way to the finish line on the 51st floor, absolutely exhausted, just wanting to tear my mask off and inhale some proper air, I was guided to a seat by some of the volunteers and they took my cylinder off my back, I just collapsed in to it, gasping for air.”
“Once I'd got my composure back I pulled my phone out and went on the website to check my time and position. I finished it in 11 minutes 31 seconds, 45 seconds better than the previous year which I was really happy about but it also told me that I was in 7th position overall (that's the top 3 and 5 finish out the window) and they still had 950 more people to go.”
“As the day went on I kept checking my overall position, each time dropping down the order, 10th, 12th, 13th, 15th and finally 16th. It was a really weird feeling, to be so happy to knock 45 seconds off my best time but to be so disappointed to be worse off than last year position wise.”
“I had to pull myself together and look at the bigger picture. Firstly, I did all I could to control how I went in the event and I succeeded in doing that and secondly, the purpose of the event is to raise money for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer NZ and I did all I could for that too.”
“It was an amazing day, absolutely incredible to be apart of it, to watch so many people give everything they have to drag themselves up that massive tower, it was absolutely inspiring to be there and witness it and I'll be back next year with my Twizel team to do it all again.”
“I'm now gonna be in training for the Mount Difficulty Ascent (44km) and can't wait to mix up the training and get some long runs under my belt rather than steps!!”
“A big shout out to anyone who donated to my page, thank you from the bottom of my heart, it means the world.”
Neil Smith
Neil was aiming to raise $1500 for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer NZ. When the newsletter went out last week he was on $1155.
Today? He’s raised $2005. Thank you to all those who donated and for supporting one of your fellow trail runners.
The Long Run - Autumnish Edition
‘The Long Run’ is a collection of bonus material for Trail Running NZ Paid subscribers (free subscribers can claim one free preview.)
The full post is available here: but you can skip straight to the articles below.
One generous Paid Subscriber is donating a Wild Things VIP Membership (worth $62.50).
If you purchase a Trail Running NZ annual subscription ($50), you will be entered into the draw to win the Wild Things Membership. That’s 2 for the price of 1!
Fabiano, A Journey to TDS
Race Report:Tararua Mountain Race
A big THANK YOU to all the Paid Supporters who help keep this thing rolling.
Upcoming Events:
The Bay, Nelson
Saturday, May 25
First of all, we know there is only ONE “The Bay”, and that is the glorious Bay of Plenty.
However, this ‘The Bay’ is the latest race to set up in the trail running mecca that is Nelson. With The Spectacle also starting in December, Nelson is starting to have the events the city’s trails deserve.
The Bay is based around the Cable Bay Adventure Park, in the same area where the failed Fusion Events The Island Ultra was to take place before the great floods of 2021.
🏃🏃♀️Distances on offer:
📏55KM | ⛰️3000M
📏34KM | ⛰️1800M
📏24KM | ⛰️1400M
📏10KM | ⛰️500M
Those are some grunty stats. I can’t think of any 50KMish Ultras off the top of my head with 3000M of vert.
Generally, that kind of grunt is reserved for mountain races, but this is right on the coast.
What you can expect at the race:
🏖️Coastal walkways with views over Tasman Bay
🐄Farmland
🌲Forest tracks
🏝️Access to Pepin Island (private land)
As of May 15th, there were roughly 150 entrants across the 4 distances on the Entrants List.
There’s a good mix from all over the South Island, some from Wellington and as far as Kerikeri up in the far North.
All the best to the team behind The Bay. It looks like a promising event. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a great weather window next weekend.
Entries look like they’re still open, and you can find out more about the event HERE & you can follow them on Facebook.
VERT Day (Free Virtual Event)
Saturday/Sunday, May 25th & 26th
Holey flying sh💩t balls Batman, It’s Vert day. It’s actually here.
The day where the tough get going and the going gets tough.
Think of Vert Day as a free virtual event. It will only cost you your time and your quads.
It’s not rocket surgery. How much vertical gain can you stack inside 24 hours?
A great starting point is running 100m of vert for every year you’ve been on this planet.
10 years | ⛰️1000M
30 years | ⛰️3000M
72 years | ⛰️7200M
It may seem counterintuitive.
It gets harder as you get older.
But it gets easier as you get harder.
Traditionally, this has been a battle between Big Sunday Run Wellington and Big Sunday Run Canterbury.
I’ve heard of some Vert Offensives in other cities, but at this stage, they could all be vicious rumours.
Top tip: If all the Nelson runners who are signed up to run The Bay also sign up for Vert Day, you’re going to get 2 for the price of 1. That would make a challenging total to beat.
If you’re planning on stacking some vert next weekend and you’re outside of Wellington and Christchurch, please get in touch by replying to this email. We want to make sure you and your town are included in the final standings.
Entrants are also encouraged to donate to the Himalayan Trust, which funds projects that provide better health and education for remote communities in Nepal.
You can read more about the trust here.
Sign Up 4 Vert Day Here | Vert Day Strava Club | Previous Results | Common Misconceptions
#Mountain Skag Pic Of The Week
Tony Sharpe takes out #mountainskag for this week with this snap.
“Summit of Dumblane last weekend with my lad Jordan. I'm only operating on one foot right now but the pain was worth the vertical km gain. Highly recommended.”
Tony Sharpe
Tag @trailrunning.nz (NOTE THE “.”) and use #mountainskag, DM on Instagram, or email trailrunningnz@gmail.com to enter.
You could look as awesome as our very first winner, Sean Martin. Seen here at the start line of UTA, the day before he went and smashed the 100km in 13:40:16💪.
Every entry has a chance to win the monthly giveaway of a Mountain Skag T-shirt or hat.
We will return next week with The Bay results and a rundown on how BSR Wellington crushed BSR Canterbury at Vert Day once again.
It takes hours to write this newsletter but only 8 seconds to forward it to a friend.
PS. If you ran UTA over the weekend and want to share about your experience, get in touch. I want to put together an article on UTA for next quarter’s bonus content.