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 have always wanted to write an iRunFar-esque preview. So I went to their TNF50 preview as I do each year as it’s on at the same time as the Kepler. However I just don’t know enough about everyone in the field to name 57 men and 35 woman as people to content, win, podium, watch or not start. So I’ll keep it brief.

Last year 57th place male went to Wayne Ramage, he’s lining up again this year. Wayne is a Mosgiel local so as I write this he’s about 5km away at work, like I am supposed to be. He has plenty of experience with this being his 4th Kepler and has the goal that most of us who return regularly aim for, and that is to run a PB. I’ll bet a lazy $5 he lines up for his five year medal next year as well. Have a great day Wayne.

On the womans side, 35th place went to Cherie Richardson, but she doesn’t appear to be starting this year. The nearest I can find who is returning is Sally ‘The Gazelle’ Law. Word on the street is that Sally has been on a coaching program, so if conditions are favourable expect to see her run a PB.

Womans Field-

Ruby Muir winning the 2012 Kepler.

Last years 1st and 2nd, Ruby Muir and Beth Cardelli have been joined by the return of the record holder Zelah Morrall.

Ruby Muir – in 2012 Ruby (as far as I can tell) became the 2nd fastest woman at the Kepler with a 5:37:55. Since then, while injury hasn’t stopped her from winning it has hindered her desire to chase the race record of 5:23:34 set by Zelah in 2003. Ruby has spent the winter running Cross Country and Marathons, so barring anything going wrong, I suspect she will be motivated to push hard from the start and see what she can achieve.

Zelah Morrall – 5:40ish jogging around taking photos in 2002, followed by her race record and 2nd overall in 2003 before returning home to the UK never to be heard from again. Until now. It may well be 12 years since the race record, but THIS year she ran her Marathon PB of 2:47 in London, and October/November have seen her run two more in what I assume was a solid training block. Who knows what she will be capable of on Saturday, but the track will be in better condition and she is faster than when she set her record.

Unless Ruby or Zelah have other plans or some misfortune, the race will be between those two, a 5:30 or course record is possible.

Beth Cardelli – a fantastic and dominant year of running in the inaugural SkyrunningANZ series, a 6:07 last year but should go better than that. Exceptionally good climber and if the above two are conservative, Beth could take the QOM title.

Lizzie Wesley-Smith – 1st at Abel Tasman, 1st at Jumbo Holdsworth (Course Record) and plenty of marathon experience.

There haven’t been two woman break six hours since 2010. These four could.

Mens Field-

Martin Dent on his way to setting the Kepler course record in 2013.

The return of last years top three, plus 3x winner Vajin Armstrong and Australian David Byrne.

Martin Dent – All good journalist have sources, I’m not a journalist so I make stuff up, maybe. “Marty is in great shape. I reckon he’ll clear out early.”
When one of the contenders says that, you’d have to think that another 4:3x is on the cards of conditions play their part. Everyone else is running for 2nd.

Mark Green – 2nd last year, but I suspect will need to improve on 5:04 and is six foot track 3:20 earlier this year suggest that is possible.

Stafford Thompson – ran out to the swamp after Moturau then corrected himself only to start running back to Moturau before being further corrected by Mark Green. Clearly a man who knows how to run right to the very limit. Expect to see him push the 5 hour mark.

Vajin Armstrong – the 3x Champion with a 4:55pb is back. You’ll never die wondering if Vajin has been training hard, he very rarely has a bad day and is very self-aware of his strengths and weaknesses.

David Byrne – editor in chief at “The Long Run”. David is from the old school, where “elite” means you’ve been to World Champ or Olympics, not someone who wins back yard races. The former Strayan XC rep, has been quietly dipping his toe into trail running in the last couple of years, bit by bit. My pick is for Dave and Vajin to go hammer and tongs at each other with the result being a coin toss for 2nd.

Steven McKinstry- A name I’ve always wanted to see on the start list. He is a Three Peaks winner, 2 day coast to coast winner as an individual and teams, with a 4th fastest ever over the Mingha/Deception run.

QUIZ – who is the fastest Miler and 3000m runner in the field. He’s my dark horse for the top five.

Luxmore Grunt –

In the woman, expect to see Emma Rilen, Louisa Andrew and Shireen Crumpton to battling it out. In the men’s, it is likely to be a race between Tane Cambridge, Kirsten Day and Richard Ford.

Running the Kepler can be tricky and getting your pacing wrong can make the last section from Rainbow Reach long. Really messing up your pace and the run down the Iris Burn can be very very long. While seeing people implode so badly they are reduced to walking down hill has a certain entertainment value, what is far more entertaining is seeing people run to their full potential. So to help people cash in on the hard training Matt Bixley has made the tables below to help with pacing.

I deleted Facebook for a while, had some time out. Highly recommended and not even sure why I reactivated it. Perhaps it’s my lack of will power or OCD and like the Kepler, I keep coming back. About an hour into my return (edit: 23 minutes exactly) a request came in for splits on the Kepler, the 2^nd request for splits came in precisely 89 minutes after the 1^st. The 3^rd request ………

So here we are, my favourite time of year, pouring over useless bits of information about an arbitrary, but beautiful loop in a remote part of South-West New Zealand. With Kepler #11 about to be enjoyed with friends here is my best guess at the times you need to run for each section of the track. Actually it’s not a best guess, it is remarkably accurate given the constraints of variation in human performance. There are a lot of caveats and little old heteroscedasticity (look it up and try and say it, even better, try and use it in conversation one day J ) is a bit of an issue. I have data, I developed a model, I used terms like machine learning, k-fold, cross-validation. None of that means anything if you’re not reasonably fit, aware of your abilities and realistic about your goals.

Above Luxmore Hut

The run to Iris Burn should take just a little longer than the run from there to the finish. That should hold true for everyone in an ideal world. But the race is long, so getting things wrong is all too common. It’s all too easy to do the first half much harder than your skills dictate. I say skills, because even the fittest can outrun their abilities in the 1^st half, particularly in getting to Luxmore Hut. There is many a story of a 72 minute trip and 4^th place to Luxmore, followed by a grovel home in 6 plus hours.

Having goals is worthwhile, but the above tables should be used as a tool, not a target. If you have a time goal, but the split to Luxmore finds you putting in too much effort, you’d better give up on your goal and settle down. You have more chance of getting close to it if you let it go. If you keep pushing you will suffer. The 1st three quarters of the run HAS to feel comfortable and easy (read  My Way  to understand what I mean). Sometimes however, the risk of blowing up is worth it. Two of the three splits that I’ve tailored, are for specific, down to the minute goals, sometimes there is nothing more satisfying than the personal races between mates to beat their time. That holds true for the full length of the field, not just the Martin Dents. Speaking of whom, these are Martin Splits for his 2013 course record 4:33:37

Brod Bay – 20 min
Climb to Luxmore Hut – 44 min
Forest Burn – 26 min
Hanging Valley – 20 min
Iris Burn – 30 min
Rocky Point – 36 min
Moturau – 34 min
Rainbow Reach – 24 min
Finish – 39 Min

Some interesting things to note about those. Several 5+ hour runners get to Brod Bay in 21 minute each year. Phil Costley reached Luxmore 1 minute quicker in his record run and ran the last section 2 minutes quicker. Several people each year run 30-31 minutes for the descent to Iris Burn, ie Course record pace, slow down. Both Martin and Phil while not only talented, were clearly very aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and ran to those.

As an about to be unemployed statistician I should be selling this information. Offers of jobs, cash and beer would be greatly appreciated thanks. If anyone wants something specific and/or tailored to their skills and goals then let me know and I can work something out. email: mattbixley72@gmail.com

Accuracy: >95% if you run smart,

At the end of the day it could be the weather and track conditions that keep the current blistering course records (Zelah Morrall 5:23:34 in 2003 and Martin Dent 4:33:37 in 2013) safe, but this should not distract from some exciting racing for the top positions, especially in a deep women’s field-

Ruby Muir on her way to owning the 2012 Kepler. Photo: Graham Dainty

Ruby Muir returns as the 2 time defending Kepler champ and the only woman to run faster at the Kepler is Zelah Morrall when she set the current course record. Since winning the 2012 Kepler in 5hr37 Ruby has had an up and down time, with big wins (Tarawera 100km and Kepler again in 2013), but also large chunks of time off with injury and ended dropping from this year’s Skyrunning Ultra Champs in Chamonix. But her 5hr37 was off less of a build up than she has had this year and she is still the favorite, but she will be pushed more than she has in the past.

Jo Johansen more or less came from nowhere and dealt to the most competitive women’s field that the Tarawera Ultra had seen earlier this year. She then went on to win The Hillary Ultra and recently the Aorangi Undulator. Jo has been targeting the Kepler for most of this year.

Lara Prince is the Queen of Avalanche Peak and has also finished 2nd at Kepler before, with a 6hr30- no doubt she will be looking to make a big improvement on that. For the history buffs out there- Lara’s father, Russell, was the first ever winner of the Kepler Challenge.

Jean Beaumont will be as solid as ever- she placed 4th here last year in 6hr21 and will be looking to repeat that no doubt.

Bridge Thompson is rumored to be in very good form. I believe this will be her first Kepler, but word on the street is her father (happy 60th today Russell!) is worried about her and that puts her in the 6hr flat range!

Australian Girls

Hanny Allston will be well known among the compass map reading crowd, with multiple world orienteering titles to her name. Hanny has also won the Six Foot Track and Cradle Mountain Ultra, 2 of Australia’s oldest trail races. Oh, and she has Australian and New Zealand marathon titles to her name and boasts a 2hr40 marathon best.

Beth Cardelli ran a 2hr30 Luxmore Grunt back in 2011, but that is not why we are listing her here- it is the multiple wins at TNF100km in Australia where she has shown her class. Recently she set a new women’s course record at the Yurribrilla Trail in Adelaide.

Julie Quinn is, I believe, actually a kiwi girl, now permanently based in Canberra for sometime. Julie is another multiple TNF100 winner  and will bring a lot of experience to the start line.

Sara-Jane Uden could be a bit of an outside shot, but she did recently finish 2nd to Hanny Allston at the Bright Four Peaks and has a sub 3hr marathon to her name. Can go up hill and run fast- the 2 things you need to do well at Kepler.

In the men’s race I don’t think anyone will be betting against Martin Dent to make it back to the control gates in first place some time well before 11am come Saturday the 6th. His run last year here was pretty mind blowing, but with course knowledge (and now knowing what a seam sealed jacket is) I would not at all be surprised if he betters his course record. Possibly the only thing in his way will be track conditions up high.

If Martin is our hot favorite for 1st, then 3 time winner Vajin Armstrong is equally our favorite to take 2nd, providing the ankle he rolled at the Tarawera 50km in mid Novemeber is healed and strong. Vajin clocked 4hr55 last year.

Stafford Thompson is one that could very well break 5hrs. Stafford is a multiple winner at Dunedin’s Three Peaks, took first at the Motatapu Marathon earlier this year and Kelly’s Canter. He will have no doubt have been talking race tactics with his father in-law and 6 time Kepler winner Russell Hurring. He is my top pick for rounding out the podium.

Mick Donges is best known in New Zealand for winning the 2012 Tarawera Ultra 100km and Mick has a heap of wins in trail races in Australia. If he is in form, expect something in the 5hr15 range, if not faster!

Mark Green currently lives in Sydney but he can claim to be a local boy, having grown up in Te Anau. His father, Wayne, was one of the founders of the Kepler Challenge back in 1988. He has a 5hr08 best and I imagine he will be somewhere between that and the 5hr18 he ran here last year.

Danny Garrett is a guy I admittedly know very little about, other than he gave me a beat down back in October at the Waihi Xterra of about 15mins and he has been leading the BCR Strava group the last few weeks. Going off that run at Waihi, I’d say he is in the 5hr10 range and will be very competitive.

Timo Meyer will probably find the Kepler a bit short to really excel, like he has in the HURT and Leadville 100mile races, but after taking 2nd recently at the Tarawera 50km he should hold his own all the same.

Scott Hawker has had a big year, racing all over the place with some great results. Scott would/should be another sub 5hr10 guy, but has said he will just be jogging the Kepler this year, running with his father. We will see….

And the dark horse is…. well, he wouldn’t be the dark horse if I told you all about him now would he

LUXMORE GRUNT- the “fun run”. It is the shorter of the 2 races taking place, but that dose not make it “Just” the Luxmore. It is still a 27km mountain run that climbs to Luxmore Hut, at over 1000m.
In the women’s race Jo Brischetto, Louisa Andrew and Christina Taylor will be the main players. Hard to go past last year’s winner Louisa.

The men’s race should also be a great battle, with Richard Ford, Luke Hurring , Nathan Jones and Alan Funnell  all set to feature.

Keep an eye on BCR’s Facebook page for live Kepler updates on race day!

Kepler Start, Martin Dent centre left. Photo: Barry Harcourt

The day started early, although it was 10 minutes later than planned, due a self-created alarm fail. Fortunately, Rowan Walker was my back up alarm and woke me at 4:10am. This was damn early, just a few days before we had been in Canberra where it was now 2:10am.

After a bit of breakfast (two pieces of toast and a coffee) and some other mucking around we were on our way to the start. Everything seemed low key and without much, if any, warm up to do there was plenty of time for last minute preparations. I did do about a 500m warm up to make sure my feet felt right in my shoes and to mobilise myself for a few light stretches. After a few pictures and chatting to the Aussie crew (John Winsbury and Rowan) as well as some of the New Zealanders I had met the day before (Vajin Armstrong and Grant Guise) we were on the way at 6am.

Vajin hit the track first and I tucked in behind him. We started rolling along fairly well in the early light and would have been well under 4min/km. After about 2km I thought I would have a turn at the front and went past Vajin. I may have started running a little faster as within a few hundred meters Vajin dropped off. It was bit tricky to tell the pace, but before 20min I hit the Brod Bay drink station. I did some quick calculations and realised that I must have been close to 3:30/km for the first 5.6km. That suited me.

It was time for the climb I had thought so much about in the last couple of months. All I knew was that we climbed about 800m over 8km and 66 minutes would be a good split to Luxmore Hut. The climb went on and on and the switchbacks kept coming. My heart rate would have been up, but I was confident in my ability to recover once I got to some easier running. I looked back a bunch of times on the switchbacks expecting to see Vajin. I managed to run the whole way up including the stairs. After about 35min I eventually broke through the tree line and the gradient backed off. I saw a few spectators here and then looking ahead could see that the main climb was behind me. I pushed through this section trying to have a look at the fantastic view while recovering from the climb. Soon enough, 63minutes in, I was at Luxmore Hut for the gear check which I was anxious about as I had never done anything like it before. I took the chance to put on my gloves. The gear check went fine except for almost running in the wrong direction after the check. Soon enough I was on the climb out the back of Luxmore Hut.

I was feeling really positive here as knew I was ahead of record schedule, and I still felt fine with only two major climbs to go. I started to think about drinking a little more water from my bottle and work out where I would need to refill it. I tried to see if I could spot anyone behind, but couldn’t see anything from the top of the climb around the side of Mt Luxmore. The tracks through this section were pretty wild, but I was in control and still climbing fine. I scooted down to the drink station at Forest Burn Saddle and probably should have refilled, but I was running fairly fast downhill and was past it before I knew it. I still had some water so it would have to wait.

The next section was bumpy and rough and at one stage I fell, but fortunately it was on an uphill. I was trying to look ahead to see the terrain coming up and which way I should be going. At one point the ski poles headed off to a little summit, but the trail went around the side of the mountain. A moment of hesitation and fortunately I correctly followed the trail. After 110 minutes into the race I was at the Hanging Valley Shelter. I refilled my 500ml bottle and drank two cups of water. I think the stop was all of 20 seconds. I was getting the hang of this!

Now the downhill would start. The stairs were fun, I went two at a time in places taking it more carefully on some of the steeper sets. It was a relief to be back in the tree line soon after and roll down the mountain. The switch backs were good and bad. Nice to slow down for a moment, but reaccelerating every time was a challenge, especially when they were close together. I was running quite quick though and tripped a few times on rocks just managing to stay upright. I was excited to spot the balloons of the drink station at Iris Burn and the sign that said half way with 2hrs and 20min on the clock. I think I grabbed a drink here and said hello to the crew that had been there over night.

The climb out of Iris Burn was a pain. I felt flat and lacking in strength, but after hitting some flat parts and passing hikers I started to perk up. During the next 5km I was thinking it was getting close to less than two hours to go and I felt alright. After a while it started to get a bit monotonous and I was expecting the next drink station at Rocky Point Shelter to appear any moment. It did about 15 minutes later than I thought, with 2hrs 55min down. It was a relief to get there and I smashed a cup of water and Leppin in matter of seconds. Now I was on the home run I told myself.

I was trying to remember the distances to the various drink stations from here and how long until Rainbow Reach. I think there was sign at Rocky Point that said 14.5km to Rainbow Reach. I told myself I run that on my easy runs in an hour. If I could do that I would be there 5 minutes under record pace and I could cruise in.

It’s all a bit of blur to Moturau Hut but my GPS said I was there at 3hrs 30min. I stopped, refilled my bottle, drank two cups of Leppin and trudged out of the drink station thinking its only 10 miles to go. My pace was consistent and although in every other race I have done 4:00/km would be a disaster, in this setting it was flying. I had planned to meet my wife, Kathie, at Rainbow Reach with some flat coke and I really hoped she made it. She was also handling our 7 month old daughter, Layla, so she would have been forgiven if she hadn’t. After having a couple of moments of indecisiveness on corners leading into Rainbow Reach I spotted Kathie and Layla up ahead. Kathie even got some GoPro footage of me running past! The coke went down a treat. Around the corner I was at the drink station and went to grab a water – the cup was empty, I don’t think they were expecting to see the first runner yet! So I grabbed Leppin and threw it on my face as I was feeling warm by now.

With 3hrs 54min having elapsed, I had 43min to run 9.5km to break the course record. I didn’t need to take any risks, so I continued on at a similar pace of just under 4min per km on the flats and downhills and 5min/km on the up hills. I was pleased to see the next drink station not long after and grabbed a cup of water to tip on my head. I started to tell myself that I could jog it in and still get the record. The hills started feeling bigger and I just wanted to get to the last drink station. Finally it came and I started to count down the minutes to the end. With a kilometre to go I could hear the speakers from the finish line and even heard my name mentioned at one stage. I spotted the stretch of gravel we had started on 4.5 hours ago and jumped through the finish line in 4hrs 33min. I felt awesome and smashed at the same time. This had been my longest ever race. I had always felt in control, but was definitely getting very tired by the end.

The smile and time say it all- Martin at the finish. Photo: Scott Underhay

Vajin came in at 4hours 55min a few seconds faster than his best and Rowan was third in 5:09, first finisher over 40 as I reminded him!

It was a nice feeling to finish a four day hike by 10:30am locally (and 8:30am in Canberra!).

Thanks to Steve and the rest of the organising committee, the volunteers, the event sponsors and the people of Te Anau for creating such a unique and wonderful event. Thanks also to my parents who looked after my three boys back in Canberra while I was away, my sponsor New Balance (I ran in 890 v3) and my wife Kathie who supported me in getting the training done to prepare for Kepler.

Hopefully I will see everyone again next year.

Splits

Brod Bay left turn 20:00

Tree line 54:40

Luxmore hut in 1:03:20

Luxmore hut out 1:04:00

Forest Burn Shelter 1:30:05

Hanging Valley in 1:50:14 bottle refill + one cup water

Hanging Valley out 1:50:29

Start of switch backs 1:58:27

Iris Burn 2:20:25 cup of water

Rocky Point 2:55:20 two cups of water +1 leppin.

Moturau Hut 3:30:20 Bottle refill 1 x cup water 1 x leppin

Rainbow Reach 3:54:44 coke, bit of leppin, most on face!

5.5km to drink station 4:11

Finish 4:33:37

6x Gu -0:05, 0:45, 1:15, 1:45, 2:15, 2:45

Vajin eating a gel at Iris Burn in 2012. Rumour has it is he will be eating Australians during this years Kepler. Photo-Barry Harcourt.

The 2013 men’s Kepler Challenge, like the woman’s race, should will be epic! On paper the line up  promises fast times and a depth that has been absent for some years. I don’t think this is going to be the same as the days of the epic Hurring/Murry show downs of the 1990′s (go to 20min45 in that video- 5 under 5hrs!), but it has the potential. there is some real speed and experience up front.

Leading pack-

• 
  Vajin Armstrong (MacPac/Ultimate Direction/Saucony)- 3x winner and defending Kepler champ. What else do we need say- his exploits and success has been well documented here on BCR. He will be as focused and determined as ever and it is pretty hard to go past Vajin as the pre-race favourite, but if there is one person that could dethrone the current Kepler King, it is the man below. “My build up has been the best I have ever had, I am feeling stronger than ever before and am looking forward to seeing what I can do on Saturday. This year I expect that the race is going to be fast. With the quality there is at the front of the field this year I can’t see things playing out any other way.”

• Martin Dent, Australia (New Balance)-  Martin is bringing some serous speed to the start line- a marathon best of 2hr12 (current course record holder Phil Costley’s marathon PB is 2hr13), and Martin represented Australia in the marathon at the last Olympics in London- so yeah, he can run! But over the years there have been a few top marathoners come unstuck during their “lap”. A fast marathon is not everything, but jeez, in Martins case it will help! And Martin has plenty of mountain and trail running experience.“Kepler has been my main race focus for the last few months, but with the Kepler taking more than twice as long as I have raced before I will be going outside of my comfort zone. I expect to be competitive at the front of the race and am prepared to take some risks to get the result I am after.”
• Rowan Walker, Australia (Asics)- Another class marathon runner from Australia, I can see Rowan rounding out the top 3. He has experience at ultra races and sounds like he has recovered well from another solid run in Auckland- “I‘m really looking forward to the race and visiting the area. I raced Auckland Marathon four weeks back and managed to hold on to third feeling strong–if not fast. I’ve since recovered really well and put in a few more solid trail runs in training with an emphasis on climbing. In all I’m feeling strong and think I can put in a solid performance. Without knowing the course first hand, or the competition other than my friend Martin Dent, I’m not too sure that I’d want to make any bold predictions. I’ll shoot for the top ten and see how the legs hold up for the last 20 kms.”

The Chase Pack- this is where things could get really interesting, especially if we have a few “blow ups” out front. Well in the past few years the “depth” has been in the 5hr30-6hr range, I think this year might see a lot more in the 5hr-5hr20 range. At least on paper it has the potential.

• Martin Lukes (Asics/Ultimate Direction)- the 3x Kepler winner, with a 4hr49 best at Kepler (no one on the start line this year has run faster!) Marty should really be listed above! But we don’t want to put to much pressure on the old boy . He has never finished worse than 3^rd in his 10 previous Keplers, I expect him to keep that steller record in tack.
• John Winsbury, Australia- John will be very familiar to many here in NZ, with a string of solid performances and wins in NZ. He has a 5hr03 best at the Kepler. A shoe-in for sub 5hr10 and if he keeps it together sub 5hrs is on the cards.
• Kohta Araki Kumamoto, Japan- Yeah, I have not heard the name neither, but my source in Japan tells me he is the real deal. A 2hr22 marathoner, we hear he has had some very good success in trail races in the 30-40km range. He is one to watch! Just hear Kohta is now not coming due to work commitments.
• 

  Gary Melhuish at Shotover Moonlight early this year. Photo-GTG

  Gary Melhuish (Merrell/Patagonia/Ultimate Direction)- I made the call back in April’12 that Gary would one to watch – a 3^rd at Loop the Lake, a 6^th place 5hr25 Kepler last year and then breaking the Motatapu Miners Trail course record. If things fall into place a 5hr0X is not out of reach for the “Hack”

• Flavio Vianna, Brazil/New Zealand (Specialized/Chain Reaction)- Flavio, original from Brazil, is likely to be the happiest guy you will come across at the Kepler, OK, maybe not last year when he ran 5hr45 (I think he is still having nightmares about Ruby passing him), but if he finds the form that saw him finish 2^nd at the Shotover Moonlight (in front of Richard Ussher, Armstrong, Lukes and Melhuish!!) then look out! Flavio did race the Big Day at the Office last weekend, so  we will see how he has recovered…
• Mark Green, Australia- Mark has a 5hr08 Kepler to his name, that was back in the late 90’s, so hard to know if he can run that time again. But he has had a strong 3^rd place at Six Foot in Sydney beating the likes of Mick Donges, so should certainly be in the mix.
• Christiaan Greyling, South Africa (Salomon)- We know Christiaan represented South Africa in this years World Trail Running Champs, but beyond that our only real reference (ie has raced some one we know) for how quick he is- finishing 13mins ahead of Ruby Muir at the Otter Trail in South Africa. Put it this way, 13mins ahead of Ruby at last years Kepler = 6^th place!

What are YOUR predictions?? Leave a comment! 

Leading kiwi runners:

Ruby Muir on her way to owning the 2012 Kepler. Photo: Graham Dainty

• Ruby Muir (Vibram) last year’s winner in the 2^nd fastest time ever by a woman at the Kepler. It has been a MASSIVE year for Ruby, I know how she would like to finish it off, but it will depend on how the lingering injures and niggles are holding up- ‘’If my injuries let me through then I’m fairly confidant I can still run a time similar to last year as I have a whole year of running behind me instead of a year and a half on the couch.”
• Whitney Dagg (The North Face) had a great run at the Surf Coast Century 100km beating Australia’s leading females, but has struggled with a knee injury since. More than capable of going under 6hrs (6:10 in 2012), but a lot will depend on the long downhill and how her ITB holds up. -“I have only been back running for 3 weeks due to my IT band friction syndrome. So I have been doing some last minute Kepler training to try get as fit as I can for the race. I don’t want to miss out on a great race so just going to give it my best shot.”
• Shireen Crumpton (Mizuno) has run a 5hr46 (2010) and holds the long standing Luxmore Grunt record along with numerous national titles. Shireen is very experienced, getting up and over the hill will be no problem, you cannot count her out!

Internationals:

• 

  Kami Semick racing in China earlier this year.

  Kami Semick, USA (The North Face) Her record is long, most notably winning the World 100km and 50km titles in 2009. She placed 3^rd in the worlds biggest ultra-marathon, Comrades, in 2011 but was forced to withdraw in 2012 and 2013 with injury. You’d be wrong if you think she’s a road runner- 2^nd at Western States 100mile and course record at Vermont 100mile to name a few and Kami has been over the Kepler before. She will bring a mass of experience to the start line. “The build up has probably been the most unique of any race I’ve done. I had a 300km journey through Western China/Eastern Tibet in Sept, then quickly followed that with a stage race in Nepal a couple of weeks later. So I’ve had some good altitude exposure, but…doubt it will last!”

• Landie Greylings, South Africa (Salomon Running)- possibly a name that most have not heard of in NZ. A solid 9^th in the 2013 World Ultra Trail Champs in Wales shows she can run, but probably of more interest  to us, is the fact she was less than 4mins behind Ruby Muir at the Otter Trail Run in South Africa back in September- it promises to be quite the re-match! “I am looking forward to Kepler and had really high expectations, but came down with a terrible flu, so have been flat in bed since last Monday….”

Chase pack- The 2013 Kepler winner will likely come from one of the above 5 names, but on their heals, picking up the carnage that will no doubt result from a fast race up front will be the following ladies-

• DAWN TUFFERY (Vibram)
• JEAN BEAUMONT
• KERI HOUSTON

What are YOUR predictions?? Leave a comment! 

Matt approaching the Hanging Valley Shealter

In 2004 I ran my first on the alternate course (Luxmore/Moturau out and backs). I ran 7:29 and came 224^th out of 386 Finishers. I ran my fastest (so far) in 2011 when I managed 10^th place with 5:50. My first run was from a Fatty (I have lost nearly 20kg) to starter in 7 months, I did 3 long runs, 2 of them were half marathons and the 3^rd was 22km. My 1^st Kepler hurt, as did my 2^nd, 3^rd ……. and so on. I have run it the week after racing the Heaphy 50 mile, I have run it 2 weeks after the World Rogaine Championships (24 hours), that one really hurt. I have run it with 8 weeks training on an MTB due to a stress fracture, it broke/unzipped again just after Rainbow Reach, now that hurts.  I have run it averaging 135km/week and 0km/week. This will be my 10^th race and 13^th lap. In all those years and variations in preparation, one thing has remained constant. Getting to the start line is the hard bit, finishing is easy.

Start to Brod Bay ~6km
If you can’t run a half marathon in under 90 minutes there had better be at least 50 people standing in front of you at the start. If you don’t think you can win, you’d better let at least 2 rows of people be in front because they are going to run 4:00min k’s for the next 20 minutes. The track goes from 8 wide to 2 wide within 100m, being too far back is a blessing in disguise. Whilst it might be frustrating, the 2 minutes it costs you getting to Brod Bay will almost certainly save you 30 minutes at the end of the day.
If it feels comfortable and easy, stick with that.
Grab a drink and a snack at Brod Bay

Brod Bay to Luxmore Hut ~8km
None of you are Jono Wyatt. Therefore don’t expect to run uphill for 8km like he can.
edit: OK turns out one reader is actually Jono Wyatt, feel free to run up the hill like Jono then.
WALK. Even when I finished 10^th, there was walking, not much, but it was there. Walking is less taxing on your legs, it gives your running legs a break and when you can run, it will be faster. Anyone planning on taking 7-8 hours should be walking at least 50% of the hill. Anyone taking 8+ should be walking ALL of it. I don’t care what your mate/coach/ego says. The bigger picture is how much you can run in the last 20k, not the first 20.

Three quarters of the way up the climb you get to the bluffs, if you don’t understand what that means, you’ll find out. Not long after that you break out of the bush, it flattens off and there is a quick sprint to Luxmore Hut 2km away. IT WILL BE COLD.
Eat/Drink at the Bluffs if you’ve forgotten to already. Do the same at Luxmore Hut.
If it feels comfortable and easy, stick with that.

Above Luxmore Hut

Luxmore Hut – Forest Burn Shelter ~6km

A trick for novices is they think they’ve got the climbing done. There is another 400m+ to climb followed by a descent to Forest Burn. You almost certainly need to have put on your Jacket or Long Sleeve top Hat and gloves. If you haven’t, I think you’re stupid and you’re burning needless energy trying to keep warm and probably forgetting to take in fluids and food as well. In my time I have seen snow and temps of minus 5 through to Gale Force head winds. The warmest as probably been 10 degrees. I think I have run the alpine section only once without a long top on. WALK UPHILL
If it feels comfortable and easy, stick with that.

Forest Burn – Hanging Valley ~4km
More climbing and descending, very short section. A key point is to make sure you refuel well at Hanging Valley as the downhill puts less stress on your gut and allows it to digest food well in preparation for the 2^nd half.
If it feels comfortable and easy, stick with that.

Hanging Valley – Iris Burn Hut (24) ~6km
A friend once walked this in reverse and counted 87 corners/switch backs. So on the descent you have to slow down, brake and accelerate about 87 times. That can be very taxing on the quads and could be costly if you’re not prepared for it. Be as efficient as you possibly can.
Refuel as much as you dare, jog to the base of the short climb, walk to help relax and digest your fuel.
If it feels comfortable and easy, stick with that, because you’re running out of time for feeling comfortable.

Iris Burn (24) – Rocky Point (75) ~9km
From the top of the terminal moraine it’s now downhill all the way to Rocky Point on some excellent very fast trails. If you’ve been looking at your surroundings you will have noticed little pink triangles starting at the Bush Line above Iris Burn. They are numbered and sequentially increasing, they are placed almost exactly 200m apart. Iris Burn Hut is #24. Use them to judge when to have some food and drink or just to help pass the time between checkpoints.
If it feels comfortable and easy, stick with that, because you’re pacing it right. Those who are hurting have already got it wrong.

Rocky Point (75) – Moturau Hut (113) ~9km
Some short rises, mostly flat, now it hurts and you’ll be wishing you knew where Moturau was. This is traditionally the section where multiple winner and perennial placer and all round good guy Martin Lukes would start to think about working hard and trying to win. It is no different for the rest of the field. You need to work out how to get past Rocky Point and preferably Moturau before it gets ugly and uncomfortable. Hence – If it feels comfortable and easy, stick with that. The hating yourself, promising never to do this again thoughts and feelings will come all by themselves. In the first 40+ kilometres you don’t need to encourage them by pushing too hard. After freezing over the tops, it might now be 25 degrees for some people.

Moturau (113) to Rainbow Reach (144) ~6km
Undulating and fast. If you’ve been running “comfortable and easy” you will now start passing a lot of people. Feel good about yourself, suck energy from them, your plan is better than theirs, do whatever it takes to stop that happening to you. Karma is a bitch though and some of them will come right and kick your arse when you go through a bad patch. Be cunning, stash a bottle of flat coke behind a tree near Rainbow Reach the day before. If you are struggling, set goals, run 2 walk 1 of the pink trap markers. Or just simply walk 1km and refuel. If it is your gut upsetting you it is most likely stressed, so slow down and let it relax.

Rainbow Reach – 5km Water Stop ~5km
Sorry, no more pink triangles facing you, they are all numbered going the other way. So count minutes. It will/should take slightly less time to get to the 5km station than it did to get from Moturau to Rainbow Reach.

5km – 2km ~3km (I’m good at maths)
With luck adrenaline will start to kick in, the hurting will dissipate and you will start to love yourself again.

2km – Finish ~2km (I really am good at Maths)
Run and run hard, you can smash a lot of people who are barely moving. You will feel good about that, even if you are 364^th at the time. Hopefully your legs and feet are now numb and you won’t feel the damage you are doing to yourself.

Finish
Hugs for the family, have a little cry (I HAVE), don’t do anything stupid like say you’ll never do it again as you will renege on that before Wednesday.

Gear and Practicalities
Use the gear that you think you will get the best value for money from. If this is a one off, beg steal and borrow the best and lightest you can get.

Shoes
Wear the shoes that are comfortable on YOUR feet not someone else’s. An athlete sponsored by a particular brand is in no position to recommend a particular shoe. At best they should give advice on the tread/sole and what they might use in certain conditions. You’re an idiot if you take their advice and don’t try on something similar from another brand. Go to the Shoe Clinic or Frontrunner and talk to the owner, run on the treadmill, talk to them about your experience and what sort of running you like to do and the type of shoes you think you’d like. I have run the Kepler in big bulky trail shoes and road racing flats. If it’s wet I’ll run with more grip, if it’s dry, then the lightest shoe I can get away with.

Packs
Wear something that allows access to Food without having to take it off. My preference is a pack with bottle holders in the front. You need to be able to compress the pack so that things don’t bounce around. I don’t like bladders as you can’t tell how much you’ve had to drink and a 2L bladder is just bloody heavy, especially if you refill it at Iris Burn.

Food
For me it’s a combination of Bananas and Jelly beans from the aid station topped up with a small supply of gels, mini-moros and jelly snakes. For an 8 hour runner, the longest gap between aid stations is 75 minutes. That is the climb to Luxmore and the 1^st two sections after Iris Burn. Adjust accordingly. I take a cup of both Water and Leppin at EVERY aid station and walk out drinking them. This means not having to carry more than one bottle with 500ml for the entire day.

GPS – leave it at home, it’s wrong. 20 Measurements with various devices last year had a range from 56 to 63km. The only thing it will tell you is the time. The course has been officially wheeled at 61.3km, that’s wrong too.

Ipod – leave that at home too. Enjoy your surroundings and talk to your new friends. They are going to help you finish.

Chafing
3B or Vaseline, there are others but 3B is my go to for 24 hour races. Vaseline is good if the chafe has already started. Use liberally before the start and get it right into those places that you don’t want to mention. WASH YOUR HANDS. Boys – the race can get exciting so tape your nipples. Lycra – learn to love it. Unless you are very experienced, if it rains and your shorts get wet, they will lose all their softness. The stitching in the seams swells with water and rubs hell out of your inner-thighs. Vaseline will not fix that problem. For ball chafing, use a sanitary pad. No I am not kidding; I’ve done it several times. If you run far enough, you learn to leave your ego behind and do whatever it takes to keep going (editors note- we don’t advise leading out your “lube” of choice).

My Gear
Shoes – Salmon Sense
Pack – Ultimate Direction SJ Ultra
Jacket – Montane Lite-Speed (discontinued- Minimus Smock is replacement)
Pants – Montbell Peak Shell (discontinued- BCR recommends the Montane Minimus Pants)
Thermals – Standard Polypro (rolled and taped up)

Grants 2 cents on gear- what ever you are carrying- the lightest or heaviest gear around, it is important to pack it smartly. There is a gear check at the Luxmore Hut, where you have to show all your compulsory gear. Two things you don’t want to do- completely unpack your bag, or hand your bag over for the volunteers to go through. Both of these will result in you having to re-pack your bag and this takes time. I pack my bag by stuffing each item in the pack so there is a pant leg, or arm of the thermal hanging out. Then I rubber band the pant legs, or top’s arms together. This way all I need to show is a small bundle (naming each of the items)- this way you get through the Luxmore check point in 30sec- not 3mins! If you want to see this pre Kepler, come along to the BCR/Ultimate Direction Pre Kepler group run at the Control Gates, 5pm on Thursday December 5th before the Kepler.

FINAL PREPARATION, STAYING POSITIVE- Well worth a read is this story we published last year, written by 6x Kepler winner Russell Hurring.

HISTORY OF THE EVENT

Of tough men, long skirts and bronze shoes

The Kepler Challenge has been a fixture on the New Zealand racing calendar for 25 years. The inaugural race (planned to be a one-off) was organised to honour a Fiordland outdoor legend.

In 1988, the Te Anau community was looking for a way to commemorate the centenary of the re-discovery of Milford Track by Quintin McKinnon (re-discovery as it is thought that a similar route had previously been used by Maori to gather greenstone from Milford Sound). At a public meeting it was decided that funds be raised and a statue be erected to honour Quintin McKinnon.

McKinnon’s discovery made it possible for people to walk relatively easily and safely through the lofty Fiordland mountains to Milford Sound via the famous Milford Track, later proclaimed to be the “finest walk in the world”. Only a few years after his discovery, McKinnon started guiding people on the Milford Track. A surprising number of men and women completed this trip in those pre-Gore-Tex times of ties, hats and long skirts. Access to Milford by road only became possible in 1953 when the Homer Tunnel was completed.

McKinnon’s venture was the beginning of the tourism activity in this area, today worth millions of dollars, and as somebody’s put it; “until the rediscovery of McKinnon Pass, Te Anau slumbered on the edge of the unknown…” McKinnon himself unfortunately went missing, presumably drowned, on Lake Te Anau in 1892.

Amongst many other fundraising events the (then) Fiordland Athletic Club decided to organise a race on Milford Track, which proved too much of a logistics nightmare. Instead they turned their attention to the Kepler Track, which was being built to relieve the pressure on the two Great Walks in the area; the Milford and the Routeburn Track. The Kepler Challenge name was chosen to express the fact that this was to be a race/challenge for all, not just the professionals and semi-professionals.

The race was run on 17 December 1988 with 149 runners competing. By then the Kepler Track was completed apart from 3km above the Luxmore Hut, which meant part of the course was run through virgin tussock. It was meant to be a one-off fundraiser but the response to it was such that the committee decided to continue to hold it and it has been run every year since then – it is now firmly established as the premier mountain running event in New Zealand. A shorter, gut-busting “sister” race was established later: the Luxmore Grunt is a 27km run up to Luxmore Hut and down again.

The first male and female runner to reach the Luxmore hut, earn a special prize, the title of the “King and Queen of the Mountain”. The veteran runners say that in the men’s field the King of the Mountain never goes on to win the Kepler Challenge…

The race trophy, a bronze running shoe, is a cast of the type of shoe used by Russell Prince, the winner of the first race.

In previous years the field, 450 in the Kepler Challenge, 200 in the Luxmore Grunt, has filled within a week of the entries opening in mid-winter. In 2006 the registrations went online for the first time and now the field fills in just minutes, demonstrating the popularity of the Kepler Challenge in New Zealand and abroad. The first race was also a successful fundraiser and today visitors are greeted by a lakefront statue of Quintin McKinnon, gazing upon his beloved Lake Te Anau. Following in this vein, several people who complete the Challenge in recent years have done so as a means to fundraise for worthy causes.

Phil on his way to running the CR of 4hr37

Current Race Records

Kepler Challenge (60km)
4:37:41 – Phil Costley (2005)
5:23:34 – Zelah Morrall (2003)

Luxmore Grunt (27km)
1:52:30 Phil Costley (2008)
2:04:18 – Shireen Crumpton (1998)

RACE COURSE INFO

Kepler Challenge

This event has been held annually since 1988, and as in previous years the route follows the 60km Kepler Track, one of the Great Walks in FiordlandNational Park. The ASICS Kepler Challenge is the premier mountain run in New Zealand.

An easy 6km warm-up along the lake shore from the Control Gates on Lake Te Anau is followed by a steady 8.2km climb through native beech forest to the bushline and on to Luxmore Hut at 1085m. From the hut the course undulates across the tussock tops, ascending to 1400m and offering spectacular views of the South fiord of the lake and the Fiordland mountains. This is followed by a knee crunching descent to Iris Burn Hut via a series of steps and steep track sections, and then a journey down the IrisBurnValley to Moturau Hut on LakeManapouri. From there it is a 6km run to the last checkpoint at Rainbow Reach, and then the home straight undulates gently along the WaiauRiver from Rainbow Reach back to the Control Gates.

Luxmore Grunt

The Luxmore Grunt; the 27km sister race follows the first section of the Kepler Challenge from the Control Gates to Luxmore Hut and returns down the same route. The field for this event has been increased to 200 runners, in an attempt to cater for the growing popularity of this race.

For more information about the track profile and map please refer to our website: http://www.keplerchallenge.co.nz

Names to watch this year:

Marty and Vajin Armstrong smashing it to the Luxmore Hut in 2011- Marty won “king of the mountain” with Vajin going on to take the over all win

2013 ASICS KEPLER CHALLENGE

Vajin Armstrong – winner of the Kepler Challenge for the last three years. Best time 4:55. Estimated time this year 4:49

Tony Fattorini – selected to represent Australia at the world mountain running champs in Poland Sept 2013, 3x 3^rd place getter in the Kepler Challenge – withdrawn

Martin Lukes – was second two years in a row and third last year. He wants to go faster this year. This will be Martin’s 12^th Challenge.

Grant Guise – 5^th in 2011 in the Kepler Challenge, 1^st in 2013 in the Canadian Death race.

Brendan Davies – current Australian ultra-runner of the year. -withdrawn

Christiaan Greyling – South Africa, represented South Africa in the 2013 World Ultra Trail Champs in Wales.

Rowan Walker – winner of 2013 Canberra marathon and winner of 2012 Auckland marathon.

Gary Melhuish – 5:25 2012 ASICS Kepler Challenge, set the course record for the 2013 Motatapu Miners race,

Bernard Robinson – 7^th in 2012 Coast to Coast, 2^nd veteran in 2013 Coast to Coast.

Kami Semick – 1^st in the Beijing 100k 2012.

Ruby Muir – won last year in 5:37 after recent knee surgery. She wants to improve on her time this year.

Landie Greyling – South Africa, 9^th woman in the 2013 World Ultra Trail Champs in Wales.

Shireen Crumpton – record holder in the Luxmore Grunt.

Jacqueline Gee – 2012 Luxmore Grunt winner.

Malcolm and Sally Law – of 7 in 7 fame.

LUXMORE GRUNT

Stuart Doyle – 2012 winner. Hoping to match or better his time from last year.- withdrawn

Joel Fletcher – 3^rd 2012 Luxmore Grunt.

Troy McAllister – U19 elite triathlete, 2013 world triathlon champs, 2^nd in the Grunt 2011.

Andy Town – previous winner of the Luxmore Grunt. Set the record in 1994.

Melissa Clarke – 2^nd 2012 Luxmore Grunt. She represented Australia last year in World Mountain Running Champs in Italy last year.

Charity Runners

Each year the Kepler Challenge Organising Committee, offers runners the chance of securing their entry at a cost of $1000 each. Fifteen charity spots are offered and these are keenly snapped up every year. The money goes to a worthy, local Te Anau Basin organisation who have applied to the Committee.

This year the Organising Committee deliberated over many deserving causes, before deciding on the Fiordland Community Swimming Pool. The pool committee will use the funds to help with the cost of upgrading the facilities.

Overseas Runners

The event to be held on 7 December on the world famous Kepler Track in Fiordland National Park, is drawing competitors from around the world.

This year 80 people from overseas have entered the 2013 ASICS Kepler Challenge race, covering 60km over the mountains between Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri, and 13 will compete in the shorter Luxmore Grunt race.

The runners will compete in capacity fields of 450 athletes for the ASICS Kepler Challenge and 200 in the Luxmore Grunt.

These athletes have travelled from all corners of the world: Canada, Chile, England, USA, South Africa, Japan, Netherlands, and of course, our closest neighbours Australia.

Many of our overseas competitors have said in their profiles, that they are looking forward to further challenges in their running. I think they may find that, at the 2013 ASICS Kepler Challenge.

Volunteers

To run this successful event each year, the Kepler Challenge Organising Committee calls on the help of over 200 volunteers. The volunteers help with all aspects of the race by registering runners, checking gear, manning drinks stations, race commentary team, record keeping and setting up and clearing the start finish area; just to name a few.

The locals are enthusiastic about this event and continue to turn out in force every year.

Army

The New Zealand Armed Forces have been a vital part of the organisation of this event for 22 years. They set up and man communications which is essential to the safety of the runners and the efficiency of the event. The army also provide sweepers along the track to make sure no one is left behind. Some soldiers even run the track in full uniform.

What makes people come back, year after year to the ASICS Kepler Challenge?

No matter if you’re a spectator, volunteer, supporter or runner, everyone shares in the amazing feeling of achievement at the finish line.

The Kepler Challenge Organising Committee welcomes you to the 2013 ASICS Kepler Challenge.

Borland Buster’s about to start from the South Arm.

The inaugural THIR Run Camp took place this past weekend, organised by Dwight Grieve and the Fiordland Athletic Club and supported by THIR and Horleys. Below Dwight gives us a run down on what was a memorable weekend in Fiordland.

How to sum up the 2013 Thir sponsored run camp at Borland lodge in Fiordland???? Hmmmmm – “This one time at run camp”…………… I met great people, run an amazing adventure and laughed LOTS!

The camp is all about runners getting together, sharing experiences and knowledge, hearing from expert speakers and running through an amazing part of NZ.

Friday started with people rolling in and a nice gentle group jog through a bush track near the camp as we got acquainted to each other, with people coming from Blenheim at the top of the south island to Wyndham near the bottom signing up for the weekend.

By 7pm the first speaker was ready to go with the “voice” of the Kepler challenge Noel Walker managing to give us some sage advice from his years as firstly a Kepler runner and in his better known role as the un PC race commentator standing at the Kepler finish line each year. Noel has an amazing memory and for every lesson told he has a tale to make you cringe, from the husband who ended up divorced shortly after forgetting to put his running mad wife’s entry into the Kepler race, to the runner who quit the race early only to have his mate drag him out of the motel shower and back to the track to finish it off!!!!!!!!!

Noel was followed by Ann Robbie from Sport Southland who was not only camp first aider but had a tough sports quiz lined up for us all with sections including “know your balls!!!!!” this quiz also included highly sort after prizes including Maurice Chevaliers CD “singing a happy song”, a “borrowed” Distinction hotel towel given to a policeman in residence for the weekend and a condom for a person who gave a horrible answer so he might not spread his genes to far. Great fun all around.

Saturday had a nice early start for the Borland Buster 42km runners – OK it was advertised as 46km but just like the Kepler challenge DOC measurements seem to be a bit wayward. Off to Lake Manapouri where Jimmy from Freestone backpackers carried us across the breath taking lake to the start of the run at South Arm, the 2 hour ride included a cuppa and choc bikkie to keep us going as we passed between towering mountains with sheer cliffs that fell hundreds of metres from mountain tops to the lake.

It was just on 10am as us “Busters” got under way after a group pow wow and photo, with much laughter and talk we set sail up the valley back towards the accommodation at Borland. At the same time the Borland “Grunters” also started from the lodge on their way to the saddle 16km away where they would turn around.

The weather started threateningly but as the day progressed it cleared nicely with sunburn being more of an issue than any risk of getting cold. The sandflys also played their part and stayed at home (mainly – it is Fiordland!!!!)

The two runs at the camp are NOT a race, but a run where you get to go as fast as you like or take all day long talking and taking photos. At one end of the field Tanya Dromgool had the foot down and was streaking along the Grebe valley making hills look like mere rises in the road and she managed to hit the lodge in 3:36 hours, a great effort and even though it is not a race hers is the official “time to beat” for next year. Not that far behind was Timaru’s Jayson Spittal coming in as first male.

Croydon and his unique running style

At the other end of the pack it wasn’t dust being left in our wake but laughter and trash talk, I was joined by Jan Taylor, Alex Senior and Croydon Paton as we made a more conservative approach to the day. I love racing but I equally love just running with great people, it was a blast and there are many photos and memories to prove it!!!!!!

The track travels right up the Grebe valley following the river through the ancient rainforest before starting to climb towards the saddle leaving you with views of the massive surrounding snow clad mountains and the amazing clearings and lakes on the valley floor. The track then turns away from the Grebe and takes you towards the saddle passing nearby forest encircled lakes before being confronted by the zig zags to the aid station where lollies, muesli bars and Horley drink and gels awaited.

The saddle leaves you standing in the shadow of nearby Mount Burns and views of the Grebe and Borland valleys. The Grunters have now met up with the Busters and started the long decent back to Borland lodge, the track winds its way downwards passing mountains, side valleys and the massive Manapouri power station power line towers. The towers currently being worked on with workers right on the top looking down at us thinking “are they crazy??????” while we stared back thinking “are they crazy??????”

The lodge arrived just in time as after 7:30 hours the last of us got in as the legs started to get tired, ahhhh a nice hard earned beer and catch up with all the crew

Alex with Upper Valley

After tea we all relaxed and listened to national level coach Shaun Cantwell whose 45 minute speech turned into a riveting 90 minute education for us all, there is so much out there to learn on how to enjoy the sport of running and how to go faster if you wish. Shaun could have keep going all night with the depth of his knowledge barely touched, but we still had the pleasure to listen to Commonwealth silver medallist race walker Tony Sargisson.

Tony flew from Auckland just for the camp and to tell us how he went from club runner to silver medallist, he showed us how to think outside the square and the level of commitment required to reach the top – it was inspiring to listen to Tony and hold his medal itself.

8:30 the next morning we had a nice relaxing bush run to recover from the day before where the banter continued and experiences continued to be shared.

That only left a couple of hours where we all got to see a few photos including my photo collection titled “Dwights an idiot”  – amazing how timing at races can make you look silly. This was followed by a gear session where we all picked the eyes from each others gear and tried it all on to see what worked.

All in all the camp was a success with us all meeting some great keen runners of all ability’s, We enjoyed each others company while at the same time gaining knowledge from experts and each other.

A huge thanks must firstly go to the Fiordland athletic club and friends (that’s you Ann Robbie from Sport Southland) who made it happen and supplied the volunteers that kept us all safe. And of course the sponsors – Thir for making it so the camp was affordable and supplying a range of their great headwear to the campers – there were Thirs everywhere.  Horleys also took part and supplied sports drink and gels to keep us going throughout the day. The Borland lodge adventure and education trust own the lodge and provided a great location while at the same time keeping things affordable.

The last and biggest thanks goes to those who went to the camp – you are all just plan awesome people that make running the sport it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look out next year!!!!!!!

Shop for THIR headwear HERE