I’d really been looking forward to this one, it is meant to be a 100k ultra starting from Rotorua past the Tarawera Falls and through wonderful country. We flew up to Auckland on the Friday and drove down to Rotorua, all the time very aware of the chaos that Cyclone Lusi had caused on it’s way towards New Zealand, forcast to hit the North Island on race day. Events were being cancelled all over the country and unfortunately word got out late Friday that the course was to be shortened as the forrest owners were closing a large part of the route. Initially we were told it would be 65k, so we found a craft ale pub to comiserate in and work out a rough plan of attack.
By the time we got to the race briefing before the start the next morning they said it would be 69k and it actually ended up at 73k with ~2600m climb, slightly more elevation than the original route! Although it was a real shame not to do the full thing it maybe wasn’t too bad for me as I had a couple of nasty falls while running the Bedrock 50 three weeks before and was having a few issues with me right knee which had curtailed training somewhat. The weather was cool but not cold (vest and shorts temp though at Carnethy that is probably _any_ weather) as we gathered before the start where we got a welcome from the local Iwi and a local girl with a banjo singing a song about the race – great atmosphere. It was then all systems go! For about 1km! we then hit a bottleneck that took a few minutes to get past, think the old Carnethy 5 bridge + 2mins!
There were some amazing athletes in this event, having just been added to the Ultra-Trail World Tour. With the modified course having an out and back element, the best bit being I would actually get to see these elite athletes in action rather then have to read about it and see some pictures. I took an easy start in the back half of the field and moved at a steady pace for the first 10k, chatting to lots of like-minded folk as I was going and decided to up the pace a little as I thought I’d been a little too slow from the start. It was quite satisfying that after that I moved up the field for the rest of the race (except for the odd relay runner who went past me). All hail the power of rice pudding. The terrain was pretty good running trail, not too technical (all of the really technical stuff was in the part of the route we were no longer doing) with a big climb and then never ending descent down to the end turning point at ~55k. A nice touch is everyone’s first name is on their number, so you can encourage folk as they pass. It says a lot that while I was clapping the leaders coming back past me (at some pace it has to be said) many of them said “thanks Andy” or “you’re running well Andy” as they passed. Doubt you’d get many elite road runners doing the same! A mega slog back up the hill involved a lot of walking, nice running once the main climb finally finished.
Lusi never really got going until the second half, and even then it was more the rain than wind which did make the final ascent and descent a bit slippy; the elites had finished by then! I finished first Carnethy home in under nine hours to get handed a beer, find my wife and I still felt in good enough shape to sit in the spa (thermally heated from the ground directly beneath our motel) with a couple more beers and then walk to the pub. I am after all a highly tuned athlete.
Last year they had to alter the course due to fire risk as it had been so hot, this year that pesky cyclone hit it so maybe next time I’ll get to run the proper course 🙂 maybe I’ll see some of you over here for it. Results can be found here: http://www.sportsplits.com/Live?id=531&clientId=34
Andy Millard