Mt wakefield- Lee ascended the summit from right to left, returning the same way

This week I thought I’d take advantage of what looks to be the end of the undeviating sunshine and have a stab at running Mt Wakefield (2,058m). I walked up the mountain last year so I was sufficiently aware of the terrain and that in sections it would not be feasible to run as such. I have been feeling like training has been a little stale of late though and thought it would be a solid challenge. The idea was kind of a spare of the moment thing. Id already run up Mt Sebastapol and Mueller hut in previous days, so I was conscious that my legs would doubtless be heavy. I was also somewhat unsure how long it would take as I was doing it after work. It concerned me that potentially I could be coming down in the dark. Regardless. I let one of the girls on reception know what I was doing and then raced home to strap my ankles, get changed and throw my bag together.

From the start, the track rises steeply from the Tasman bridge up through dense vegetation. It requires a whole load of levering up on bush roots and branches. If you come out of it without blood seeping out of numerous scratches to your legs then you probably haven’t gone through it hard enough! Straight away I started to feel the onset of lower back pain, the same issue that caused me to pull out of Avalanche Peak very early on. However, this time it wasn’t as excruciating and unquestionably more manageable.

Once out of the bush line the gradient eased and I was able to open out my stride. I was also welcomed by staggering views once up on the ridge. The Hooker Valley side of the ridge is dominated by the perpetual avalanching on Mt Sefton. Looking down the Tasman Valley I could see the huge icebergs that have just recently calved off the terminal face of the Tasman Glacier into the lake. Apparently its the most ice there has been in the Tasman Lake since the Christchurch earthquake so well worth a look. There’s a certain point on the ridge where it develops into a lot of technical scrambling. Rather than carrying on, I decided to drop down from the ridge on the Tasman side and work my way along the scree/vegetation. A quick skip through a boulder field and an arduous ascent of a scree slope got me up to the saddle.

From the saddle I managed to locate a nice bit of deep scree that I could fly down into the basin before a final ascent to the summit. At this point I stopped to pick out a route to the summit as it was far from apparent. As I started the ascent I found my way onto a pitch of snow which made far faster progress than the loose rock. However, after a couple of minutes my bare hands were f*****g freezing and I couldn’t tolerate the snow any longer. Back onto the rock, I was scrambling up gullies trying not to think about the consequences of a fall. It wasn’t really dangerous as such, just the speed I was trying to do it at was making it so. As I reached the top of the gully I was relieved to see it level off and the summit in close proximity. As I reached the summit, I had an overwhelming relief that I’d taped my ankles as it truly was ankle breaking territory. From the summit, you get a first proper view of the towering Aoraki Mount Cook. As if I don’t see it enough!! 1 hr 42mins to get to the top, well satisfied.

The route back I took was exactly the same. Quite a lot of the descent is on the video attached so I won’t bore you with a description. Was very pleased to get back down in a 2hrs 35 mins total considering Alpine Guides advise to allow 10-13 hrs.

The GODZone adventure race was recently in Mount Cook and the first leg was over the Annette plateau to Mueller Hut and then all the way around to the Tasman car park. So I think my next project will be see if I can get close to the winning teams time….bearing in mind they still had 4.5 days of non-stop racing to do!!!

Glenn racing to 2nd at Rifugio Scarpa, Frassene, Agordino, ITALY, Pre WMRC.
photo credit: Aron Lazzaro

We often visualise the perfect training camp. Being based in some small town, in a foreign country, at altitude and surrounded by mountains. Recently this became reality when I stayed and trained with New Zealand mountain running legend Jonathan Wyatt (Jono) in Italy for four weeks. Jono and his Italian wife Antonella live in a small valley town called Ziano di Fiemme at around 1000m altitude in the stunning Dolomite area of North Italy. During 4 weeks of training I barely did any on-road running. Either side of the valley the mountains reach up to 2500m and are easily accessible by trails and mountain pass roads. On one side of the valley are terraces of gravel forestry roads that are connected by short steep technical trails. The other side of the valley is steeper and has narrow technical trails. Despite being a competitive runner for several decades, Jono still has a strong training ethic. A typical day would comprise at least 2-3 hours of training (running, cycling, or cross training). Most of our training runs contained a climb and decent of about 500m. That’s not a huge elevation gain, but you do notice it when you start at 1000m. On occasions you would be running along a gentle gravel road then Jono would yell “left turn here” and you would start a steep uphill climb. You would be sure to pace yourself as you didn’t know how long the climb would go for. It could range from several minutes to around 30 minutes. One run in particular was 2hrs long and we climbed from 950m up to 2250m (I was forewarned of this climb) and then traversed a ridge line above 2000m to finish at Passo Pampeago (2100m). Cycling fans may recognise this pass from a stage of this year’s Giro Italia. It was probably the most scenic run I have ever done. Details of this run can be seen here http://www.movescount.com/moves/move7287770

Cooling off in a fountain in Ziano di Fiemme (Photo by Barry Ellis)

Post run recovery in Italy is great. Scattered around most Italian mountain towns are water fountains. These comprise a continuously running tap of fresh drinkable water and a large bath. Theyare traditionally used for washing, but are good place to stretch and cool off the legs much to the surprise of the locals. There is also a plentiful supply of fresh bread and pasta to restore energy levels. The purpose of my recent trip was to compete in the World Mountain Running Championshipsin Ponte di Legno as part of the New Zealand team, with Jono as the team manager. The men’s course was 14.2km long and climbed 1150m finishing at Passo Tonale at 1800m. The course wasn’t a traditional uphill course with lots of flat running and steep uphills punctuated by steep downhill sections. After suffering from a stomach bug earlier in the week, my energy levels were low for the race and I suffered finishing 84th out of about 140 starters. A great performance came from the other NZ runner in the field Dougan Butler who finished a creditable 59th. The last race I did was the Drei Zennin in Sesto near the Italian-Austrian border. My stomach bug had disappeared by this race and I was near 100%. The race was 17.5km long and climbed 1350m finishing at around 2500m. What makes this run unique is the first 8-9km only climbs 200m, then there was the main climb of 1000m over 6km before a short downhill to the

Nearing the top of Passo Pampeago with Jono (Photo by Barry Ellis)

finish. The Drei Zennin has a rich history of NZ representation with previous winners being Anna Frost and Jono, both who competed in 2012. The race attracted 1000 athletes and I finished 9th. I was in 7th but took a fall with 500m to go and got passed by 2 people. Jono finished a close second to the top Italian runner and Anna won her age group. Not long after the Drei Zennin I returned to New Zealand, no longer scared of tackling huge mountain climbs.Next up for Glenn is the “National Trail Running Championships”, which are run as part of the Xterra Waihi event on the 13th October- no doubt Glenn will not look twice at the “hills” on the Waihi course after his time in Italy. Keep on eye on BCR early next week for our Xterra Waihi preview to see who Glenn will be lining up against in the 19km NZ trail Champs.

What is New Zealand’s Top TRAIL Town? Hmm, could there be a bigger can of worms?

“The bread and butter run”- a quick and easy, no brainer option for scoring some nice off road/single track close to home. Ideally with little to no drive time.
“Fortune favours the brave”- long , endurance, adventure run – whatever you call it- this is the training run than gets you excited- the most work, with the biggest reward. Steep, long climbs, big loops, and high peaks, all with top notch NZ scenery are the highlights here.
“The biggest show in town”- the main attraction event wise- when people think of a race in your home town/area this is what they think of.
“Après Trail”- whether it be a good coffee, local micro brew, or the best thick shake in town- where is the best post run hang out. Most likely goes hand in hand with the “Fortune favours the brave” run or the “The biggest show in town” race. Quality pizza and/or burgers are a bonus.

This week Kristian Day lays claim to Napier. Young gun KDay has only been running around 3 years and busted onto the NZ ultra scene at the 2011 Tarawera 100km with a sub 10hr finish.

I can only base my opinion on what I know, so obviously I have to say Napier, or the greater Hawkes Bay in general.

The bread and butter run for me ever since I started trail running (3 years ago) has been the Mighty Eskdale Mountain Bike park. I used to make the 20 minute drive every day in order to get in 16-25km of sweet buttery single track in a setting that left me completely alone. I’ve since moved to Eskdale and can get the same run from my front door step. The park has over 100km of single track all up and it’s quite easy (with local knowledge) to run a 30-35km loop without touching the same section of track twice.

One can also head into the trails that surround Te mata peak, which is closer to Hastings or Havelock North. This also offers some sweet running and substantial vertical if you’re willing to zig zag around a bit.

Kristain in the Kawekas. Photo- DdM

The long endurance runs that get me most excited are definitely the runs that can be had in the Kawekas. My standard route is around 45km with over 3000 vertical meters of gain. This is probably one of the easier options and one can make loops of up to 100km in distance with over 10,000m of vertical gain if you’re that way inclined.
The Kawekas are around 50 minutes drive from Napier and roughly the same from Hastings.

“The biggest show in town” - Hopefully this will soon be the Kaweka Mountain Marathon!-42km and 3600m of vertical on a course that pays homage to the deceased Kaweka Challenge. Of course the Hawkes Bay also has it’s fair share of trail races Including the HB trail run series, the triple peaks (47km) and the Cape Kidnappers challenge. There are also a myriad of shorter 10km distance trail races scattered throughout the year.

“Après Trail”- Take your pick! The Hawkes Bay is well known for it’s wine and fancy dining so it’s really up to the individual as to where they want to grab a feed or a drop.  The GinTrap in Ahuriri by the dock is best place to grab a brew! – sweet food aswell.

What do you think? We would love to hear about your trail/mountain running experiences in Napier.

Think your home stomping grounds better what Napier has to offer? And want to share? Get in touch  at run@backcountryrunner.co.nz and let us know. 

Andrew Shelly on the start line of Molesworth 10 years ago

The tagline of my previous post noted that participation in trail- and ultra-running in New Zealand is soaring. More trail- and ultra-runners means more trail and ultra events, more specialist gear, more cool people to meet before during and after events, more “buzz”. That can only be a good thing, right?

To use a great kiwi-ism: yeah, nah, maybe.

Part of the human condition is that we have a need for acceptance. Most people will achieve this by conforming to the behaviours and expectations of a wider group of people. But that means we are being accepted for behaving like someone else. A smaller group of people find that this rubs them the wrong way and want to be accepted for who they are. Those people might even specifically seek to be different so that they can stand apart from the group. Their need for acceptance might not be any less, but when they are accepted they know that they are accepted quirks and all.

Earlier this year Grant Guise introduced a post on Ski Mountaineering on his Ski Runner blog with the quote:
“You guys are so underground, you’re what bouldering wishes it was.”

So-called “underground” events or sports have a certain cachet or cool factor that often appeals to those outside the sport. Whether it be ski-mountaineering, bouldering, base jumping, these are cool sports that many admire but few ever do. For some reason there seems to be a natural barrier to these sports that keeps them as the preserve of the truly dedicated or quirky. The people who participate in these sports do so as part of a lifestyle.

When I first started running ultramarathons 10 years ago fields could number anywhere from 4 to 10 people. As the race unfolded it was usually just you and your support crew out on the road (sealed or gravel) for hours on end. My blog post for my very first ultra notes:
As is usual for ultra-distance races, there was only a small group of us running this event. There were seven solo runners and two two-person teams. With such a small gathering, we all introduced ourselves at the start of the race briefing.

My next ultra, the Molesworth Run a few months later, had four starters. And the Marlborough 50 the next year was similarly small. This was out there, well beyond the edge of normality. This was a lifestyle.

Trail-, ultra-, and mountain-running also have a cool factor. There is the gear that you really should have: no more polyester beanie from Farmers’, you need a genuine buff. And what aspiring runner hasn’t watched the exploits of Kilian Jornet as he tackles his latest mountain project? Unlike ski-mountaineering, bouldering, or base jumping, we can do something about that! New events are appearing at a phenomenal rate, and fields and filling up and selling out.

Ultramarathon and trail running is emerging from the world of being a niche sport to one that is substantially more mainstream. There are books and movies, and motivational clips on youtube and vimeo, circulated widely on facebook. And as that mainstreaming occurs, a change in culture also occurs.

A recent blog lamented that change in culture as ultramarathons become more popular and commercialised in the United States:
The low-key laid-backedness and camaraderie that defined ultras is being replaced by flashiness and a focus on cutthroat competitiveness.

And from AJ’s Taproom on iRunFar.com:
along with the exponential growth of our sport has come a challenge to our values. New, larger events are putting a strain on the wild places in which we run. Relationships have become strained as money, sponsorships, and marketing allure have created wedges in the sport that previously did not exist. And, increasing levels of competition, expanded exposure, and increased media coverage have made race rules more stringent and the challenges to our freedom more acute.

Events change from being pitched at the “lifestyler” to being pitched at the “eventer”. And what is an eventer? Someone who is looking for the full “event” experience: online entry, the flash registration with expo, the timing chips, flash finish gantries, maybe helicopters in the air, perhaps a resort town, an associated breakfast and dinner. And most essential of all, the dedicated high quality website.

So how about it, is Gin Wigmore right? If “everybody’s doing it” does “the sport” change so much that the very things that made it attractive disappear and it’s no longer what it once was?

Maybe.

There’s still some great events out there that haven’t changed a huge amount in the last 10 years, are not commercialised, and have relatively small fields. To find them, go back to chart 1 in my previous post, and take a look at the lower-priced events. There’s some real gems in there. There’s a few that I’d specifically like to mention: the Tararua Mountain Race, which was around long before mountain and trail running was cool and is run on awesome technical mountain trails; the Great Naseby Water Race, which has only been around a few years, but epitomises the laid-back camaraderie of trail ultras; and the Molesworth Run, which has been around forever and provides a genuine point-to-point ultramarathon experience on high country roads. Rumour has it that the Molesworth Run was where the Back Country Runner’s Grant Guise first discovered that he’s not too shabby at running ultras.

But should I be telling you about these events, or will doing so potentially risk inundating them with eventers? I think the nature of the beast is such that eventers will typically flock to those events marketed as the full event package, and the lower key events will continue to exist for lifestylers.

What do you think?

Andrew Shelly has been running (and) walking for about 11 years. I was first attracted to running by the rugged Tararua Mountain Race (TMR). As part of my build up for that I started running road marathons and shorter trail races, then after the TMR moved into ultramarathons and rogaines. Andrew’s current tally is 30 ultra-marathon finishes (after Great Naseby Water Race on Saturday), approx. 30 rogaines (from 2 hours up to 12 hours), 25 marathons (mostly road), and countless shorter races including 5km, 10km, ~8km cross country, half marathons, etc. You can find Andrew at andrewwalking.blogspot.co.nz – If the blog title/url confuses you it’s because Andrew both runs and walks events of all distances, and hold the NZ walk records for 50 miles, 12 hours, and 100km.

Dollars per Km

Then we start to move in to the realm where race entry fees are becoming “significant”. I am always astounded when people are prepared to pay $30 for a 10km race, I simply cannot justify that. I have also never yet been able to justify to myself the price of the Auckland Marathon, and yet I have previously entered the Avalanche Peak Challenge and would happily do so again if it were closer to home. Both are in the same position on the chart (Avalanche Peak is very slightly more expensive on a $/km basis).

And after that, it seems that entry fees know no bounds. $4/km, $5/km, $6/km… really? I must admit to have entered a $5/km race once upon a time, but there were “other factors” involved in that decision.
Comparing Between Races
The first and most basic assumption in the above chart is that $/km is a good basis for comparison between races of different lengths. From the point of view of the consumer, this is probably a reasonable first approximation for different distances at the same event: when moving from a half marathon to a marathon on the road the number of drink stations doubles; and all else equal the number of marshals will double. [But note that there is more to the story of cost structure and entry fees than this, but that is part of the 5th post.]
However, to be fair, $/km is not necessarily a good basis for comparing between events. When we move from road to trails it may be that $/hour is a better basis for comparison. If the difficulty level of a course means that participants are on the course for twice as long, then marshals and safety personnel are also on the course for twice as long. For some events (such as the Tararua Mountain Race and Kepler Challenge), marshals may even have to pack in the day before. Comparing events on a $/hour basis would also allow timed events such as rogaines and the 24 hour track race to be included on the chart, but for most events participants take a range of times and hence the calculated $/hour would also cover a range.
The example of my decision of Auckland Marathon v Avalanche Peak Challenge demonstrates how we individually have “other criteria” by which we judge events. For me it was something along the lines of city crowds on the road vs a select group of mountain athletes in an awesome scenic setting.
Actual Prices
Having looked at a comparison of race entry fees on a basis that might or might not be valid, how about the actual entry prices?
Marathons, DOC Fees, and Traffic Management
The two charts below show race entry prices for offroad marathons and road marathons, respectively. The prices for offroad marathons are clearly higher than the prices for road marathons, with only the Auckland Marathon exceeding $100 for road events, but a price in excess of $100 being the norm for off-road events.
The key question this raises for me is whether the difference is primarily due to DOC fees. If we assume a price difference of $50/entry and 100 entrants, the total difference in entry fees is $5,000. A “non-notified concession” has an application fee of $1,330+GST=$1,529.50. This can then be spread over the three years that the concession is granted ($509.83/year), to which the annual concession fee must also be added. Annual concession fees may include an annual management fee ($500 last time I heard – a couple of years ago), and a per-head fee of $10 + GST for a whole-day activity. So for our hypothetical race with 100 entrants that is an annual cost of $2,009.83 or just over $20 per entrant. What about the cost of the audited safety plan? That should be much the same between the two types of races, but the per-head cost will be less if the road event attracts more entrants.
Road events, and some trail events, also have the cost of traffic management plans. The plans themselves are relatively cheap, but the on-the-day implementation is not. Race organisers are looking at several thousand dollars for someone to tick that every cone and sign is placed exactly where the plan says they will be placed, and that they stay there until the last runner is through the relevant section. And it’s not just anyone who can do this: a special qualification is required for this type of box ticking. A special qualification just to tick boxes restricts competition the provision of box-ticking services, so the price of said box ticking inevitably goes up. And there may also be the cost of hiring all the road cones and signage. So traffic management is a very real and potentially significant cost. A trail race with no traffic management requirements has a safety plan, but does not need to pay for someone to monitor the plan for the entire duration of the race. Does this mean that trail races should be cheaper?

Ultramarathons
The chart below shows race entry prices for ultramarathons of 50 miles or more, grouped as 50 mile events, 100km events, and 100 mile events. For these distances there are clearly two categories of races: those with entry fees less than $100 and those with entry fees in excess of $300. There is a price gap of over $200 per entrant with absolutely no events in the middle ground! I could try and explain the difference by number of entrants, but I can’t: The Molesworth Run has always had few entrants (although it is held in conjunction with a relay) and a low price; Northburn also has few entrants (it’s a wee bit hard) but has a high price; the Tarawera Ultramarathon is host to the most popular 100km in the country and also has a high price. Race facilities might go some way to explaining the difference: Molesworth is a no frills event, Naseby and the Ultra Trio provide aid stations (but limited to two and one, respectively), Northburn has an event marquee with facilities (and lunch at prizegiving) and a finisher’s belt buckle, Tarawera has well catered buffet-style aid stations strategically located along the course, icebreaker race shirts and a finisher’s medal.

 

The shorter ultramarathons (<70km) show a lot more diversity in entry prices. For someone who is really just interested in running and not so much in all the extra fluff, the Marton-Wanganui ultramarathon provides excellent value at just $15. I should know, 2012 will be the 10th time I have completed the event. At the other end of the entry fee scale, the Tarawera 60km and the Kepler Challenge provide an “event”, Tarawera perhaps even more so than Kepler.

However, a quality race can be delivered at low cost. The Great Naseby Water Race is a superb event held on a 10km figure-8 loop. Trails suitable for road runners in a picturesque setting. An aid station with basic supplies (and music) half way around the loop, and a fully stocked aid station at the start/finish. Lots of spot prizes, and a great friendly atmosphere. All for an extremely reasonable price. This year there were event t-shirts – a choice of three, with some cool designs in there. Runners were free to purchase any or all t-shirt designs if they value they would personally get from the shirt exceeded the price.

Shorter Trail Races
The chart below shows the entry fees for the short (less than marathon distance) trail races surveyed. I’ve got nothing particular to add to what I’ve already said, so I’ll let the chart do the talking.

Concluding Comments
So… at the end of all of that, what? There are a lot of events out there, some cheap, some really expensive, and lots in between. There’s different ways of measuring value, and the package for any given race includes different things. I haven’t shown the data here, but some of the most expensive events are hugely popular. The organisers of those events are clearly doing something right and delivering a product that a significant number of runners value. But I personally struggle with the size of some of the entry fees. Slick video clips, quality websites, all the hype of the big event… but it is the experience on the trail that means most to me. Hopefully the charts have thrown up some events that readers weren’t aware of.
The first post of this series attracted just one comment: “There is a simple solution- don’t run in events and pay nothing”. That’s true, but as the saying goes, you have to be in it to win it. Call me a right-wing neoconservative, but it just doesn’t sit well with me that to be “in it” requires a certain level of financial means. In the popular events it’s no longer enough to have the talent to turn up and race, you also need the money to enter the race, get to the resort town where it is held, and pay for accommodation in said town. Heaven forbid that trail running events become like getting to the top of Mt Everest: anyone can do it, so long as they have a big enough chequebook. Are we losing something, with back country trail events turning into slick commercial enterprises with hoards of runners turning the trails and environment on the day into something that is quite different to the treasured trail experience? This segways nicely into the next post in the series… “Everybody’s doing it, so why the hell should I?”.

Our other 2 pre WMRC interviews have been with Dougan Butler and Helen Rountree. NZRUN.com WMRC info page  (start list, live stream, course photos links). Previous BCR WMRC intro post. Athletics NZ story on Sally Gibbs shared by SportzHub.

Glenn racing to 2nd at Rifugio Scarpa, Frassene, Agordino, ITALY.
photo credit: Aron Lazzaro

BCR- Congratulations on your selection into the NZ team for the world mountain running champs Glenn. This will not be your first time going to the WMRC, or racing in Europe- what are your past experiences?
Glenn Hughes- my previous seletions in the NZ mountain running team for the world champs have been 1999, 2000, 2001, 2008, and 2009. Although I have only competed in 2000 and 2008 as I got injured the other years and did not compete. My best placing was 12th in the juniors (under 20) when I was 18. In 2008 I was around 70th in the senior mens. So despite having good knowledge of the europe racing circuit, I haven’t been able to do much racing over there.
BCR- most of your competition in Europe will be right in the thick of racing during summer. How have you been preparing and how do you train for 1000+m of climbing (as we have limited options for runable climbs this big)?
GH- Coming out of a NZ winter we are quite disadvantaged to this type of racing compared to the europpeans. You ideally need to do 3-4 build up races which we don’t have in NZ in winter. My training has been limited to the hills around Wellington city that I can reach during work day lunchtimes. The largest is one called Tip Track on Wellington’s south coast that climbs 400m in 3.5km. Generally anything under 19min is a good time up there. You can generally only make sure you are as fit as you can be and trust your abiity to run up hills in the big races.
BCR- Are you heading out early to check out the scene in Europe? Will you be doing any other races while you are over there?
GH- I have headed to europe super early to get in a race before the world champs. It is about 8km long and climbs 600m. I also have a race planned the weekend after called the Drei Zennin that is about 12km long and climbs about 1200m.
BCR- Looking past the WMRC, you turned up at the Routeburn this year and ran a very slick time- are we going to see you on the trails more this summer?

GH- I have enjoyed the trail running races I have done in the past. It is a good opportunity to race a new group of really talented runners. Most of them can be hard to get to from Wellington so I will see what James Coubrough is up to and tag along with him. I really want to run Tois Challenge and Kauri Run. Next up for me is the NZ road relay champs in Nelson in early October then Lake Taupo cycle race in late October.

 All the best to the NZ team this weekend from BCR!

Helen(R), with fellow NZ Mt Running team member Sally Gibbs, relaxing in the Dolomiti mountains

BCR- Helen, congratulations on being selected for the world mountain running champs- how has your build up to the champs been going?
Helen Rountree -Thanks. My build up has been really good. I’ve been having to drive to a lot of destinations for training sessions as hamilton is actually rather flat. Te Aroha was a favorite place to go but they’re doing some mining or some work on it now so we weren’t allowed up the road access to the trig. that was disappointing as it was probably the longest, consistent hill I had to train on that flogged the legs. I don’t really know what to expect so you get that niggling thought in your head about “have you trained enough”,…”how much should I have been doing” but I’ve trained as hard as I’ve been able to around my work.
BCR- Can you give us a little background- how did you get into Mt Runnning and your progression to representing NZ?
HR-I’ve always enjoyed hills and it seemed to be a strength whenever road relays or something with the club involved a hill. Queen of the Mountain race at Mount Maunganui is a favourite race of mine so after that last year Barry Ellis, who was the nz team manager, said to enter nationals with a shot of making the NZ team. The race at Motueka to make the team was extremely brutal. Certainly didn’t enjoy it but that’s the good thing about racing is you always tend to forget how awful you felt and look forward to the next event. hehe.
BCR- Jono Wyatt is the team manager and lives in Italy- have you been in touch at all with Jono about what to expect racing in Italy? Do you know much about the course?
HR-Jono’s been awesome. He’s very thorough and for someone entering the event for the first time it’s comforting to know your manager has been there and done it a million times. we’ve seen race pictures which are now available on the website. It is raced between two villages and looks very scenic and very steep. The footing is variable but includes cobbles and gravel to grass and we race from 1250metres ASL to just under 2000m.
BCR- What are your expectations for the WMRC? Do you have a goal in mind?
HR-I expect it to be incredibly tough. I don’t want it to be as bad as Motueka but I’m not ruling it out. hehe. I have a few personal goals but I’m honestly unsure how I’ll go. Mountain Racing is absolutely huge over in europe and the talent is unreal, so it’s just going to be fun to compete alongside these runners. I’m looking forward to meeting Anna Frost who is in my team and hearing of her exploits everywhere around the circuit. I would expect her to do well so am looking forward to that.

Dougan racing to 3rd at Rifugio Scarpa, Frassene, Agordino, ITALY.
photo credit: Aron Lazzaro

BCR- Dougan you must be pretty excited about the upcoming WMRC after missing out last year with injury

DB-Yeah definitely, it has been a long 12 months to get back to this stage so I’m really looking forward to making my international debut.

BCR- How has you build up been going? What have you been up to since your 2nd place finish on Mt Campbell?

DB-The build up has been ok, had a couple of set backs but nothing major. Been working on the long climbs we will encounter over there so have been pretty happy with that part of my training. Been trying to get up the mountain as much as I can, but it is a bit difficuilt this time of year with the weather and work. Looking forward to better weather so we can get up there more frequently.

BCR- I read that you had been in touch with Jono, have you been getting a bit of advice leading into the WMRC?

DB-Yes been getting a few tips for one of the greats! He is the team manager over there so it will be great to pick his brain and see why he is so good, and maybe implement a few more of his ideas into my training.

BCR- You recent success has seen you secure some sponsorship with Salomon Running?

DB-Yes early days yet, but I will be running in their shoes at the world champs. They have some great gear and some awesome runners who support it. They are a massive brand in Europe and they are growing here too as trail running starts to take off.

BCR- Will you be spending a bit of extra time in Europe, exploring, racing?

DB-Jono has lined up a pre race about a week before world champs. Unfortunately I won’t be able to spend much more time over there this year as I have to get back to work, but I’m over there for about 2 weeks which I am really looking forward to, will be a great experience.

BCR- You are likely not looking past the WMRC yet, but I have to ask- the Mt Taranaki Ascent record- do you think you will give that another crack after getting so close last time?

DB- most definately, it bugs me everytime I see the mountain! Next time I will do a few practise runs to get my lines right and I should be in better shape so hopefully will get it. Might even have a crack at the decend too depending on how the body is holding up, since it will be an up and down year for the mountain champs.

More info- BCR WMRC intro here and 28th World Mountain Running Championship

Team NZ lead out the Trofeo Rifugio Scarpa in the Dolomiti mountains, Italy

The New Zealand team arrived in Italy after the long travel to prepare for the World Mountain Running Championships to be held in Ponte di Legno on Sunday 2 September.
As part of their preparation all New Zealand based athletes decided to travel early to Europe in order to acclimatize to the altitude and expected conditions.
Sunday 26 August saw 5 team runners compete in the ‘Trofeo Rifugio Scarpa’ held in the heart of the Dolomiti mountains of northern Italy.

The 5.5km and 650m+ uphill mountain race proved to be a good test for the team and they enjoyed some local competition from runners in the Agordo and Belluno area. All started conservatively because of the recent long travel from the New Zealand. The New Zealand Senior Men’s team finished 2nd and 3rd, Glenn Hughes (33:58) narrowly edging out Dougan Butler (34:12) on the final 400m climb by 14s. The race winner was Jonathan Wyatt (33:02).

Junior Men’s runner Ryan Mcalister had a convincing win back in April at the New Zealand Championships that doubled as the World Mountain selection race and has improved on this form by racing to 7th place in amongst the senior runners.

Sally and Helen relaxing post race

Helen Rountree (41:02) and Sally Gibbs (41:13) shared the lead in the early stages of the women’s race and pulled away easily from the competition. Sally crossed the line first 11seconds before Helen while local runner Cinzia Salvi was 5minutes back. This capped off a successful day for the New Zealand team and a good test before the World Championship race in a weeks time.

The local organizing committee for the race invited the entire NZ team and shared some generous local Italian hospitality including giving the team typical local mountain cheese, meats, wine and grappa and many good memories.

The New Zealand mountain running team for the 28th WMRC is

Senior Women – Helen Rountree, Sally Gibbs and Anna Frost

Senior Men – Dougan Butler and Glenn Hughes

Junior Men- Ryan McAlister

Originally James Coubrough and Marjolein Ros were also named in the team. Marjolein will now represent the Netherlands (where she is from originally) due to citizenship issues, while James pulled out due to injury/fitness.

In the next few days we will be posting a few interviews we have with some of the members of the New Zealand team.

Dougan Butler WMCR interview HERE

Thanks to Jonathan Wyatt for photos and race report