It all started for me in May. I was on holiday in the North Island when I got a message from one of my good mate’s dad and friend, Hemi Vincent. I’m based in Wanaka and Hemi wanted me to go into the Night & Day to find out what happened the previous night, resulting in my buddy Kahu Vincent ending up in a coma and being rushed to Dunedin hospital,. I felt sick after hearing this. “I can’t help” I said,  as I got more details from him and wondered what kind of twisted person would do this to another human being. My holiday was coming to an end and I was camped on 90 Mile Beach- it was stunning and that evening I decided to go for a run on the beach, having barely run anywhere before! I ran about 3kms and it totally cleared my head, from then on I decided I would keep at it when I got back to Wanaka.

Some winter training on Mount Iron. Photo Brook van Reenen

The next day scrolling through Facebook a sponsored message from Queenstown Marathon came along, “flat out beautiful” it read, I jumped at the chance and signed up then and there! It was still 6 months away so I thought that was enough time to train and I thought it would be a good goal to achieve before I turn 30 next year! Back in Wanaka I asked a mate Andrew Town how to train for a marathon, he sent me back a basic 24 week training programme. I checked the dates and discovered that the next 24 weeks through the middle of the coldest winter we’ve had in a long time and Spring that I was going to be running a lot but I was keen. It was pretty full on and I enjoyed every minute. There were days that I couldn’t be bothered but I was determined to complete every run and sometimes they turned out to be the best runs!! September 5th came around and my buddy Kahu Vincent was doing well, I was using his step by step progress as motivation for my own step by step progress towards my goal of running a marathon. It was also the day of my first ever half marathon at Jacks Point in Queenstown put on by Andrew Town. It was steep, muddy and greasy but I was stoked to finish it in 2 hours 19min. A prize was up for grabs just for entering and I somehow got lucky and won an entry to the Kepler Challenge. I’d often wanted to walk it but didn’t know the crazies ran the big 60km lap in a day! I spoke to Andrew and he thought I’d be too tired as it was 2 weeks after the Queenstown Marathon, but me being me I like to take every opportunity that I get and I decided to go for it! I wanted to run it for Kahu! He was home now getting better and it was good to see him again. It was a whole lot better than seeing tubes in him when I visited him in Dunedin hospital.

Cromwell Half.

Next up at the end of October it was Cromwell half marathon. I’d learned a lot from Jacks point, as well as from picking mates Andrew’s and Grant Guise’s brains and I went into it feeling fresh. It was fast, hot and a lot of road running which I wasn’t used to but I paced myself and got home in a time of 1 hour 42. A new personal best and I felt I was on track for the big one less than a month away! From now on it was getting intense. I was training during the week for Queenstown and on Sunday’s hitting the hills and training for the Kepler. Breast Hill, Mount Roy and Corner Peak were some good work outs – I had improved a lot and was getting fitter. I thought about how awesome my mate Kahu was doing, he had bet me at a game of chess and I admired his strength and determination.

Kahu, and friend Matty Town, after beating me at Chess!

November 21st Rolled around, Queenstown Marathon day. I had 4 hours in the back of my mind and it was cloudy and quite chilly, near perfect running conditions. We started at Millbrook and headed through Arrowtown, where everyone was in good spirits and towards the end it was a thrill to run through the closed streets of Queenstown with random supporters cheering everyone on. I finished in 4 hours 6 minutes and was stoked to see my Mum and Dad at the finish. Then it was back to Wanaka and time to rest up with 2 weeks to go for the ultimate goal- The Kepler Challenge!

Queenstown Marathon.

Kahu was doing awesome he had now made it to the top of Mount Iron. I was impressed as it is a tough wee climb and a perfect hill to run and train on. Friday the 4th of December came around and I packed my gear and running shoes into the car and headed to Te-Anau excited and pretty nervous at the same time! I caught up with Grant Guise and got some nice last minute tips and was stoked to meet running legend Malcolm Law! Malcolm’s book one step beyond had inspired me after he ran 7 of the great New Zealand walks in 7 days. The Kepler was his last stop!

The view on the way to Luxmore Hut.

The briefing was that night and the next morning bright and early at 6am we were underway, this one was for my buddy Kahu. Grant was out in the bush supporting everyone at the start and I gave him a high five as I ran past, finding out later that he would get 3rd in the 27Km Luxmore Grunt! The run to the first hut, Luxmore was a grind- I checked the time and it was 10 to 8. I was feeling good and got my gear checked by the people dressed up as animals at the first aid station it was going to be a long day but fun! I understood early on why we needed all the gear, I put on my polypro and jacket as a cold southerly was coming through and some sideways rain blowing on my face! Pretty soon the gloves came on as well! I got onto the switch backs and running was a breeze it felt good and I met up with another mate who I’d met at every event I’d done previously Glen Christiansen, from Cromwell. We had a good yarn until we got to the Christmas themed aid station Iris Burn where I fueled up and he went on ahead. He told me to pace myself because now it starts to hurt, with 25kms to go!! He was right, from only eating energy bars, fruit, jet planes, drinking GU and water all day, my body started playing tricks on me and I started feeling sick. I got to Rocky Point had an orange and a rest, and carried on to Moturau Hut, which was 16kms to go. I sat down at one of the tables and had a decent rest, drank some more water and got up again, I was determined to finish this.

It was a good feeling heading into Rainbow Reach, at the 9km to go spectator area. Mum and Dad had come to support me and I told Mum I was exhausted but I plodded on. It was the longest 9km of my life! Every hill big or small was torture! 5km to go there was another aid station, another cup of water and I carried on. By now I could hear the sound of the commentator’s voice travelling down the Waiau River- more torture! I continued on, shattered and exhausted and made it to the finish line in 9hours and 47 Minutes! A finisher’s medal went round my neck and I had my photo taken! Mum and Dad greeted me I was tired but pretty stoked with what I’d just achieved. Kahu hadn’t given up and even though I felt like it, I hadn’t give up either!

Kepler Finish line.

That night after dinner Grant invited me around to where he was staying for some long overdue beers! and a catch up on the day’s events. Among others Malcolm and his wife Sally Law were there, Ruby Muir the first girl home in 5 and a half hours! Matt Bixley and 2nd place getter in the Luxmore Grunt, Kristian Day. There was lots of camaraderie in the room and it was cool to be there and meet those talented people. I was hooked on running and we were already thinking ahead to the New Year and planning our next events! Motatapu, The Routeburn Classic? Who knows! So thanks to everyone who has supported me in my new hobby and my friend Kahu for being such an inspiration. This Quote helped me throughout the year when I felt like quitting “It always seems impossible until it’s done” Nelson Mandela.

I’m going to get this out of the way early in the piece:  The La Sportiva Helios could be the last pair of running shoes you’ll ever need.

My relationship with the Helios began 9 months ago. In my preparation for the Coast to Coast, I searched for every conceivable advantage- I needed a light shoe, with the right grip to tame the slick Granite boulders which the race is famous for. I tried several other shoes, which from the outside looked to have a lot of grip, but discovered they were almost useless when it came to real world conditions, where a runner might encounter any number of surfaces during a run. Over Goat Pass, some “trail running” shoes are almost useless. By my definition, a trail running shoe relies on its aggressive tread pattern to have traction on soft surfaces like grass, mud and trail. However the rubber which makes them great for that purpose makes them almost useless when it comes to traction on slick wet surfaces.  Goat Pass demands a Mountain Running Shoe, and in the Helios you have it.

La Sportiva is an Italian company that was founded in 1928, with its roots in mountain sports. In the mountains, having the right grip can be a matter of life and death and these guys have a reputation for making the stickiest climbing shoes out. Their mastery of rubber has trickled into their running shoes, and when you wear them, you’ll feel like Spiderman.

Sam during the 2015 C2C.

On to why these may be the last pair of running shoes you’ll ever need:  I am a multisporter, which by definition means I take part in a multitude of sports and often under the toughest of conditions. So here is a rundown of what I have put my Helios through:

Several Multisport races, including podium finishes in the New Zealand, European and World Championships. Several Adventure races, ranging from 6 hours to 5 days. Two Ironman triathlons and two 70.3 races,  an ultramarathon, the world’s largest swim-run race, dozens of trail runs, Northern Europe’s largest kayak marathon and hundreds of hours of training in between.

They also combine well with a pair of blue jeans.

As always, there is no “right shoe “ for everyone, but if you’re searching for a great all round shoe that performs  on the road and on the highest peak, then the La Sportiva Helios might be the shoe you’re looking for.

Sam finished 2^nd at the 2015 Coast to Coast Longest Day, using his La Sportiva Helios over the Goat Pass mountain run. To find out more on Sam, check out his athlete page.

The event is a fundraiser for Kaitoke School, one of three small primary schools on the island and is sponsored by Sea link.  A hundred or so volunteers make this a special community event.

It is the adventure aspect of the Wharf to Wharf that sets it aside from other events and makes it a real challenge. People know they have accomplished something special when they finish the Great Barrier Island Wharf to Wharf Marathon.  Now a well publicized and popular event it attracts people from all around New Zealand and from all over the world.

The event is also unique, consisting of both track and road. The first half of the course begins at Port Fitz Roy Wharf at the northern end of the island. Department of Conservation tracks climb and meander through beautiful native bush, home to some of NZ’s endangered and special native species such as kaka, kereru and chevron skink.  Reaching an elevation of 180 metres there are spectacular views over the Hauraki Gulf and Pacific Ocean.

The track half marathon finishes at Blind Bay Road, Okupu after winding around the bottom of Te Ahumata (White Cliffs), once a site of silver mining on the island.  From here the second half of the course is on the road with views of white sandy beaches, green farmland and small settlements.  There are a couple of reasonable climbs along the way and a bigger climb just before the finish of the full marathon and the road half marathon at Tryphena Wharf.

This event is dedicated to the memory of local hero Barry Mouat who was a staunch supporter of Kaitoke School which his children attended.  He loved to introduce people to the island with all its beauty and quirks. In 2007 Barry walked the Wharf to Wharf supported by family and friends, despite having been diagnosed with the cancer that was to take his life just over a year later.

Testimonials from past participants;

FANTASTIC event, well-organized and lots of fun!  Loved the community spirit as well. Definitely coming back next year!

Met some fantastic people, beautiful island and we had plenty of time to have a look around and do some of the walks after the event.

Totally cool event, perfect balance of organized and Barrier, huge effort from all the organisers and volunteers, thank you.

I loved travelling on the ferry with other competitors … kept bumping into them and chatting … it was very friendly.

It was a fantastic day- well-organized, and the marshals and all volunteers were amazing – always cheery and supportive.

People at the aid stations were great and I loved being greeted by name at the first checkpoint by the policeman. Kids signs were great too.

It was a lovely weekend. I did enjoy the non-commercial aspect of the event. Everyone was very friendly and relaxed. Nice place to visit.

More info at the Wharf to Wharf website.

This is far from a  ”Race Preview”, but rather a quick look at a few names that jumped out on the start lists. So remember- don’t fold under the pressure if you see your name and don’t get hurt feelings if it is not listed

Adventure Run runners nearing Jack Hall Saddle during last years event.

Marathon- Without Vic Beck or Sarah Douglas running this year one might think the women’s race is wide open- enter Mel Aitken. Clearly in good form, Mel is a favorite for the marathon win, with Johannah Jackson another name to watch.

Vajin Armstrong will be looking for his 2nd win at Motatapu after running 2hr51 for first in 2011 (and 2hr57 for 2nd in 2012). Mr ActiveQT Adrian Bailey’s name is on the list  and it will be good to see him lining up, but we are not sure what sort of form he is in. After marking out the Shotover Moonlight course he will be strong if nothing else. Eliot Drake, formally from Reno, but now Queenstown based will mix it up and be in the top 3 to arrive in Arrowtown. Former New Zealand age group title and record holder Dominic Channon is now based in Wanaka and lining up- if he has been training Vajin might not have it all his own way.

Adventure Run- For the first time the Adventure Run can be completed as an individual event and despite a smaller field this should offer some good racing, at least for the minor placings. American Jason Schlarb, who finished 4th at last year’s Ultra Trail Mt Blanc, is the clear favorite. Bas Smith (along with Jess Simpson) has the course record of 6hr40 in the teams race and will be strong. As will Andy Millar who is looking to build on a solid summer that has included the Ultra Easy and Bedrock50. If Paul Timothy can build on the form that saw him run sub 5hr50 at the Kepler in December he should be in the mix also.

In the teams race, the Dynamic Duo from Alexandra, Malcolm Mcleod and Ned Kelly will take the win with ease, even with Mal’s dodgy knees.

Miners Trail- Few names jump out here. No course record holder Alun Williams this year. Andrew Town is returning again and will be in the mix, as long as he can stay on course…

BCR will have Xterra Waihi preview next week.

50+ km in the first few days of the Hoka’s touching down was enough to know a few things- 1- the feel/ride of the shoe was like nothing I had used before, 2- unfortunately the Mafate Speeds were a touch too narrow around my small toes. This made longer test runs in the Mafate a no go, but I was still able to out and about quiet happily for 1hr runs in them.

Outer sole- Once I got past the massive oversized midsole (around 2.5x more than a “normal” shoe), the first thing that jumped out at me was the aggressive outsole of the Mafate. They are very much a trail shoe, with an outsole that reminded me of the Salomon SLAB Soft Ground. Having run mostly on soft, winter effected trails, the outsole and lugs are holding up well. I also used them on pavement and rocky trails and they seemed fine for all this terrain- not so aggressive they are terrible on the road, but enough they hold their own on all but the muddiest of trails.

The midsole is, well they are Hoka’s! Disguised within the midsole is a minimal drop of just 4mm, this combined with the 30+mm of cushion under foot make for a unique, but smooth ride. On the first dozen or so run’s I did I found myself spending the first 15mins of the run looking at my feet, so unique the shoe felt. Once I settled in I soon forgot and enjoyed. It was fun running hard downhill with so much underfoot, but when trails got technical I did lose confidence. I think over time I would get use to it, but I always felt like I had so much shoe under me, something could snag or get caught up on the rocky outcrops I was running over.

The upper, other than being a little narrow for me, is well made, lightweight, and breathable. It has a seamless overlay, with the “Monomesh Debris Screen”, which works great at keeping out unwanted dirt, rocks and mud. The standard “Race Lace” that come in the Hoka shoes are average at best- quick, but hardly effective. I was told a few years ago by a Hoka rep the first thing you do with a pair of Hoka’s is remove these! Not sure if it would be the first thing I did, but Hoka does include an extra pair of laces with each shoe if the “Race Lace” is not to your liking.

So, would I buy a pair of Hoka Mafate Speed for myself? No, but that is primarily because of the fit. Not because I don’t like the shoe or the concept, quiet the opposite. At a time when barefeet and minimal was all the rage, a few crazy Frenchmen went off in a totally different direction, that has started a whole new way of looking at shoe design and left many a “Clown Shoe” basher now looking like a clown.

I could definitely see a pair of Hoka’s (that fit me right ) being of value on my shoe rack, if I had room! Many folks claim these to be a game changer recovering from injury, recovery runs, long runs, and even for bigger/heavy set runners.

Hoka One One- Now available in New Zealand

Heading up “The Big Walk” at The Buffalo Stamped with La Sportiva Helios on.

I finally got my feet in a pair of their shoes- the 200gm Vertical K- on the Friday afternoon before this year’s Shotover Moonlight Mountain Marathon and happily raced in them the next day. I was impressed to say the least. My next pair was the original CrossLite- my lead in time for these was a bit longer, 5 days I think before I laced them up for the Motutapu Adventure Run. Again I was impressed and before I knew it I had my 3^rd pair of La Sportiva shoes for the summer- The Helios. The Helios arrived the Tuesday before The Buffalo Stampede Ultra and were my first pair of La Sportiva’s I received for free from La Sportiva here in New Zealand, as a sponsored runner- yeah I am sponsored by La Sportiva- so take my review of the Helios with a grain of salt if you must.

After my experience with the Vertical K I had no issues jumping into my biggest goal race of the year, Australia’s first ever Sky Running Race, The Buffalo Stampede with what was for me more or less an untested shoe. I knew the 74km, 4500mD+ out and back course had a wide variety of underfoot conditions- fire/dirt road, single track, steeps, mud, rock and paved road.

With a catalogue weight of 230gm, a 4mm drop and a light weight upper they are light on the foot and have  a ”race” feel to them, but offer much more in the mid sole than many other shoes in this range. The mid sole is probably the biggest standout feature of the shoe, with the wave like “MorphoDynamic” midsole. While the midsole/outsole have pretty minimal traction I have found the “waves” offer good grip in soft/muddy conditions. La Sportiva do soles- that is one of their things- ask any climber about the quality of the La Sportiva rock climbing shoes.

If you want a nice photo of the Helios then click on the link below. I like to see a shoe 4 months on and how it is holding up. This is after some fun on muddy Port Hills trails.

I have to be honesty, I kind of expected the upper of my Helios to take a hammering at the Buffalo. I guess they did, but they came through surprisingly well, even more surprisingly they are still holding up really good now, 4 months on.

One of the biggest reasons for me being happy to jump right into the Helios for Buffalo was the roomy toe box. In the past I have had toes mashed and squashed in narrow shoes over the course of 8+ hours, resulting in puffy feet and a lack of toe nails. Not the case here, but I could see someone with narrow feet finding them “sloppy”.

I guess the only real issue I would have was with the foot bed bunching under my toes. We had to get the Helios sent in from La Sportiva in Australia, and while my Vertical K’s in 43.5 fitted nicely, only 43 and 44 sizes where available. Being an ultra and possibly in the heat, I went with 44. The extra room was great for my toes, but with wet shoes on steep descents I got the foot bed bunching. Luckily it seemed to work itself-flat as I ran on, and ended up not being a big issue.

I could also see possible issues for people running hard on really rocky terrain, as there is no rock plate in the forefoot area of the Helios. But in saying this I did race with the Vertical K (very very similar shoes) at the Northburn100 21km and Routeburn Classic, with no real issue.

The La Sportiva Helios will soon be available in New Zealand, most readily from The Frontrunner shops (and possibly the BCR Trail Shop), and I recommend giving them a look if you are after a neutral,  all-round work horse trail shoe, suitable for a wide variety of trails/conditions – training or racing.

Check out La Sportiva’s full Mountain Running Range

Tarawera Ultramarathon race directorPaul Charteris gives us the run down on the Tarawera entries that open today-

Entries for the 2015 Vibram Tarawera Ultramarathon open at 11am on Sunday 1 June NZ time. It’s alway super exciting seeing how popular the race has become – although this year I am genuinely worried about the server crashing. 

In what is almost a perfect storm (pardon the pun) with the rapid growth of the event facebook group, massive exposure in the trail ultra community provided by the Ultra-Trail World Tour and international TV broadcasts going out to over 20 countries, expect entries to sell out. Combine that with a few hundred runners who have still not made it to Kawerau (sorry about the weather) and really want to do so – and I expect entries to sell out pretty quickly. Other similar events around the world sell fill up in a day or sometimes hours.

My best guess (and it is purely a guess) is that all 1000 entries for next years race will be snapped up in a few days or perhaps a few weeks in June. When the race is full we’ll have a waitlist and new entrants will be allowed to enter as runners withdraw. When the race is full and we have a waitlist, you will not be able to transfer your entry to other runners. All the details about entries, refunds and the waitlist are on the website.  No matter if the race fills up in five hours or five weeks – I’ll keep you in touch with how full the race is on the event facebook group.

For some extra motivation and inspiration, the interviews, media coverage, photos, videos and race reports are all collated here: trailrunz.blogspot.co.nz  Enjoy!!

Watch Racing The Cyclone: The story of the 2014 Vibram Tarawera Ultramarathon.

Before we get into that- make sure you check out the 2014 Vibram Tarawera Ultra Marathon Race Guide that is now available. Looks very nicely done, and a great race guide for what is a great race.

Coming up on the 22nd February-

• In the Coromandel- the Colville Connection, with marathon, 1/2, 10 and 5km options.
• In the heart of the Southern Alps, one of New Zealand’s only true mountain running races, the iconic Avalanche Peak Challenge. Maybe not as iconic is the new 13km course- starting and now finishing in Arthur’s Pass Village, but still including the Avalanche Peak summit. This new course has been received with mixed feedback. You can read defending APC champ, Tane Cambridge’s take on it HERE. While I do share many of Tane’s views, I also understand why these changes have been made and it is still a pretty cool course. Just a shame that so much race history will be lost.
• Speaking of history, this Saturday’s Bedrock50, in the Canterbury foothills, is set to be the 4th and final. It will be a shame to see a race with a lot of potential end, if this is the case.

Epic ridge running, about 25-30km into the SMMM.

• In just its 3rd year (it feels like its been around for longer) the Shotover Moonlight Mountain Marathon will be run in the hills just behind Queenstown. Easily one of the highlights on the NZ summer calendar and arguably our premier mountain marathon. Setting this race apart from others is that it is run over  the Ben Lomond High Country Station, which is private and not normally accessible to the public. This and race director, Adrian Bailey’s willingness and motivation to attract and invite NZ’s top trail, ultra and mountain runners.

The top of the big descent down to the Stock Bridge over Moonlight Creek.

The winner of the first 2 SMMM, Martin Cox, will not be returning this year, so there will be a new winner of this race. And it looks likely to be an Australian. Top kiwis on the start list are Braden Currie and Vajin Armstrong, but sounds like both are not likely to start the race, at this stage. Leading the Aussie charge will be Blake Hose and Ben Duffus. Expect 2013 Northburn 100km winner Matty Able to be in the mix also. Kiwi Jacob Roberts, who has been living in Australia, will be lining up, but is not sure on his form. Jacob has won races like the Avalanche Peak and Routeburn is the past, so is not to be discounted.

In the women- well we have not seen a start list, but do know that the one and only Anna Frost will be on the start line!

Backcountry Runner will be again doing live updates of the SMMM. Make sure you keep an eye on our Facbook page on Saturday for these updates. The quality and frequency of the updates will depend on cell coverage and timing with the helicopter- we will do our best to get some great updates and photos out to you!

View from the ridge coming into Ces Clarke Hut and looking down into the Grey Valley and finish at Blackball.

Coming at you this week-

- 2014 trail season kicks of with the return of the classic “Croesus Crossing“. In the past this has been a Nelson Events race, but last year they dropped it, but it is back, renamed “The Goat Race” (sounds familiar, I know) and run in conjunction with the “Mountain Man” race. What ever name it i snow going by- it is an epic little mountain running race and it is great to see it is back. Local lad, and winner of the 2013 Nasbey 50km, Ben Aynsley will be lining up. If he is rocking his BCR visor there is no doubt he will be the coolest kid on the start line and I expect him to be in the mix at the front of the field also (we have not see a start list). Ben being the nice guy he is has already promised us a race report and an update on Saturday!

- Hutt River Trail Events- sorry- have not had a chance to look into this one much. The 60km looks like a great race and have heard lots of great feed back- if anyone can, please post in comments some details!

- Further a feild the Ultra Trail World Tour kicks off with the Hong Kong 100km. A stacked field will be lining up, including kiwi’s Vajin Armstrong, Scott Hawker (Perth based) and Shannon-Leigh Litt. Look out for an interview with these 3 later in the week.

Coming up over the next month or so (and I think it is not to late to enter!)

25th Jan-

• Tussock Travers 26km (and Reverse)
• Jumbo Holdsworth 24km
• The James Stampede Ultra 50km
• Big Easy Mountain Marathon (which will double as the BCR AGM)

1st Feb-

• Hammer Nutrition Kaweka Mountain Marathon
• Ultimate Direction Mt Oxford Odyssey

Pretty much all the above events have shorter and/or walk options. If anyone out there is running in one of the above races and wants to do a pre or post race report fro BCR that would be great!