Extreme runners take Ultramarathon in stride
It was a test of endurance, a gruelling event but hopes are high Taupo’s Ultramarathon will be back again next year to kick more athletes into gear.
The first ever Taupo Ultramarathon took place on October 15 - a physically demanding event that saw entrants make an uninterrupted traverse across the entire Great Lake Trail, including over private land.
Drawing in close to 500 entrants, it has been described as the biggest inaugural ultramarathon in New Zealand, with 10 per cent of entrants coming from overseas.
The idea for the ultramarathon has been on the cards for a little while now with the event organiser, Will Samuel, finally ticking it off.
‘‘It was an idea I had two or three years ago and I’ve been lucky with all the people who made it happen,’’ he said.
‘‘We are hoping it will become an annual event and one that will really grow.’’
Taupo’s Ultramarathon was made up of five different events with four different distances and featured a mix of lake-edge trail and remote farmland from the Waihaha gorge through to beautiful Whakaipo Bay, where all four distances ended.
The four distances were; 100km, 74km, 50km and 24km.The 24km option gave those new to the sport a taste of the ultra experience. There was also a 100km teams event and athletes could either run or walk the Great Lake Trail.
All four distances ended at Whakaipo Bay with the 100km starting at the Western Bay Access Road by the Waihaha River, the 74km’s start point accessible only by boat, the 50km starting at Whangamata Road and the 24km starting at Kinloch.
The times each entrant completed in varied, with the first 100km runner coming in just over two others and the last person coming in just over 18 hours.
Samuel said feedback from the event has been so humbling.
‘‘The trail, views, even the farm land was really cool green, rolling hills and I enjoyed mixing it up over that,’’ 100km runner, Grant Guise, said.
Hamilton’s Cecilia Flori, 100km female winner, said she liked the course and it’s amazing views.
‘‘[I] managed to keep smiling all the way, just loving being able to run and meeting amazing like-minded people.’’