Johansen first female across finish
A Kapiti trail runner describes last weekend’s Tararua Mountain Race as the hardest of her career, overcoming treacherous conditions to be the first woman home.
Jo Johansen finished 15th overall in six hours, 41 minutes and 43 seconds in Saturday’s race, running through driving rain and winds of more than 100kmh in places.
The Raumati South-based runner said conditions made the course ‘‘brutal’’, especially the slippery ridges with limited visibility.
She estimated she had completed about 50 races since she started competitive trail running in 2013, and this was the most challenging.
‘‘It was a track that was a flowing river basically. I’ve never seen anything like it.
‘‘It was pretty crazy. They [ridges] were covered in tussock and I didn’t know where my feet were going.
‘‘I knew it was going to be raining, but I didn’t realise it was going to rain the whole way. It seemed to increase the whole way along.’’
However, she prospered in the treacherous conditions, and said her training regime served her well through the 35.4km race, which contained 2.25km of climbing.
‘‘I always train in bad conditions ... if you stop you’re going to end up in trouble, so you just need to get through it.’’
The course spanned from Kaitoke, in Upper Hutt, to Otaki Forks, taking in the popular southern crossing tramping route.
The first leg, 16.43km of dense forest up to Alpha Hut, was the highlight of the race, Johansen said.
‘‘The first half I hadn’t t really seen. I really enjoyed it.’’
Johansen was glad that at least the wind was not southerly, making the temperature quite mild.
The course was more difficult than running in the 2014 Tarawera Ultramarathon, a race she won that was shortened due to Cyclone Lusi, she said.
Race director Cat McBean said conditions were still and drizzly at both ends of the race, but windy at the top.
She said it would have been the wettest edition of the race she’d experienced in her six years as director, but was unsure if it was the windiest.
Daniel Clendon won the race in 4hr 58min 21secs.