Kepler: More than just a mountain race
‘‘It’s just really cool, it’s got this low-key, old school vibe about it, it’s completely unpretentious.’’ Grant Guise
‘It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves’’.
The late, great Sir Ed Hillary wasn’t referring to the Kepler Challenge, but he might as well have been.
Amongst the 450 runners nervously toeing the start line at the Te Anau control gates at 6am today for a 60km adventure over one of this country’s most picturesque walks, there are 450 stories, 450 reasons for being there and 450 different ways of getting to the finish line.
For the zen runners like Vajin Armstrong, a three-time winner of the Kepler Challenge, his race will be all over in under five hours. That’s less time than a slow round of golf.
Others will emerge from the bushline close to 12 hours later – bloodied, bruised and bedraggled having conquered not only the mountain, but themselves. But why?
Grant Guise, formerly of Riverton and as knowledgeable a commentator on New Zealand trail running as anyone, reckons the Kepler Challenge is right up there amongst the best mountain races in this country. It’s hard to argue.
Guise’s first memory of the Kepler Challenge involved plenty of tears – as a youngster he was devastated to be left at home while his parents left to take part in the race.
His mother was running the Kepler and his dad made a late decision to run the 27km Luxmore Grunt rather than be left hanging around at the finish line.
The Kepler was always intended as a one-off event to celebrate the opening of the Kepler track, but three decades later it has developed into arguably the best community-run event in Southland, maybe even New Zealand.
Guise, who is a long-standing Kepler Challenge sponsor, imports and distributes a range of trail running shoes and sponsors several of the leading women taking part this year, has run the Kepler five times himself and is returning this year after a four year absence.
‘‘Trail running has really taken off in the past five or 10 years, certainly in the past five years,’’ he said. ‘‘But back then, there really wasn’t anything like it. It’s stood the test of time.’’
Other races might be bigger or considered more important. Athletics New Zealand this year introduced a New Zealand trail running championship, while the Tarawera Ultra in Rotorua is raced over distances up to 160km. It’s a big deal on the trail running calendar and there’s a certain amount of hype which goes with it.
Guise loves the fact that the Kepler Challenge is different.
Tucked away at the bottom of the country, it’s almost as hard to get into as it is to complete.
With only 450 spots available through its Department of Conservation concession, the Kepler Challenge entry sells out within minutes of opening each July. There’s a sweepstake held each year amongst locals to try and guess how quickly it will fill up, and every year there are complaints about the process. But no one can come up with a better one.
Guise refers to the Kepler as ‘‘authentic’’.
‘‘It’s just really cool, it’s got this lowkey, old school vibe about it, it’s completely unpretentious,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s also the yardstick which trail runners can measure themselves against. Other races have changed courses over the years, but the Kepler has remained the same, barring a couple of years when extreme weather has forced them to do something different. That means you can measure yourself against the likes of the Russell Hurrings and see how you stack up. The Kepler Challenge is the race where you come to prove yourself.’’
And that’s just at the sharp end. For the vast majority of starters, finishing, or finishing within a self-determined time limit, is the goal – whether that be eight hours, 10 hours or 12 hours.
At 60km the Kepler Challenge is a genuine ultra event, but while it’s long, it’s not that long.
The devil lives within the legs and lungs, but dines between the ears of every runner.
After a sedate 5km jog around the lake shore from the Te Anau control gates, the course flexes with an 8.2km climb up to and beyond the Luxmore Hut, rising 1000m in the process. The views as you emerge from the bush and across the ribbon of boardwalk and dunite separating the exposed tussock are spectacular, but burn too hot on the hill and you are setting yourself up for a very long day.
It’s no coincidence that the first runner to the Luxmore Hut has never managed to go on and win the race overall.
‘‘People can take on the hill way too fast and they can also get way too excited going across the tops,’’ Guise said.
‘‘You can also go too fast on the downhill, and then when you get to the Iris Burn you have basically got a 30km grovel left in front of you. You have to be really smart, because this race will expose you so much. From the Iris Burn you are left with this hallway of beech trees which never seems to end.’’
That’s the prospect facing Ashburton volunteer firefighter Sam Cullimore.
Cullimore has run a couple of Kepler Challenge races, but will take the 2018 edition in his rural firefighting gear, including helmet to raise funds for Ronald McDonald House South Island. It’s a cause close to his heart.
‘‘I’ve done the Kepler a couple of times anyway, so I thought I might as well do it as a fundraiser and put some firefighting gear on.’’
Cullimore goes as far as to say it will be a ‘‘tough day’’.
‘‘It’s also quite motivating. You’ve got the gear on, you know why you are there. It works both ways.’’
Professional trail runner Ruth Croft is considered one of the sport’s strongest runners, but hasn’t previously been able to take part in the Kepler due to overseas commitments.
She had been touted as a potential record breaker this year, but has opted to run the Luxmore Grunt after taking three weeks off at the end of her international season.
Having raced all over the world, the Kepler has a special place in New Zealand trail running lore, Croft believes.
‘‘I think it’s the main one, I rate it really highly, to be honest. Tarawera gets all the publicity, but to be honest, for Kiwis, the scenery of the Kepler is just stunning and it’s just a good hit out with the terrain.’’
A Kepler start line is a special experience. The air is heavy with nervous excitement. There’s a pre-dawn stillness just waiting to be broken by the scuff of rubber from 900 running shoes. There’s a sense of community which is palpable. A challenge that is being faced together.
Because at the end of long day, it’s not the challenge which each runner conquers, but themselves.