28 replies to this topic

[Greg_Waite]

The Aussie Assault 2007 was obviously a huge success for competitors and followers, seeing more of a great race like Western States - so I wondered if there'd be interest in a similar group raid on one of the classic NZ races. For reference, I've provided a list the best below with short description of what makes it unique (*=classics) and will update annually (last update 11/10/2010):

Croesus Crossing (Paparoas) 26km - 22 Jan 2011 - http://www.nelsoneve...susCrossing.htm

Tussock Traverse (Tongariro) 27km - 30 Jan 2010 - http://www.totalspor...verse/index.php
Smaller local run but unique location in central North Island volcanic national park

Holdsworth Jumbo 24/12km - 29 Jan 201a - http://techs.net.nz/...sport/mountain/
Shorter version of Tararua Crossing, nice intro to NZ with lichen covered, wind-stunted forest, mud and lots of roots

*Heaphy Five-0 - 5 Feb 2011 - http://www.heaphyfive-0.co.nz/

Kauri Run (Coromandel) 32/13km - 5 Feb 2011 - http://www.arcevents...urirun/content/
Supports Coromandel Peninsula’s special environment by planting a kauri tree along the trail of the Kauri Run each year for every participant who takes part

Trailfest Stillwater Oxfam 100km - 6/7 Feb 2010
http://www.totalspor...lFEST/index.php

Wanaka Skyline Challenge 27km - Sat 13 Feb 2010 - http://www.highlande...hallenge-wanaka
Mountain run with views of Wanaka  

Waikato Killer 27/12/7km - 13 Feb 2011 - http://www.thekiller.../killerhome.htm

*Avalanche Peak Challenge is Back!! (Arthurs Pass) 26km - 19 Feb 2011 -  http://www.avalanchepeak.co.nz
Classic alpine experience on 26k of New Zealand’s famous Southern Alps

North Shore Coastal Challenge - Sat 27 Feb 2010 - http://www.totalspor...astal/index.php
Genuinely unique tour of Auckland's coastline via rocks, beaches and river crossings

Kaweka Challenge (Hawkes Bay) 41km - 27-28 Feb 2010 - two day overnighterhttp://www.kawekachallenge.org.nz/

*Taraua Mountain Race 35km - 12 March 2011 - http://www.tararua-race.org.nz
Billed as "the hardest mountain run in New Zealand" - mud, tree roots and a "dress circle" of rugged peaks

Motatapu 49km - 12 Mar 2011 - http://www.iconicadv...co.nz/Motatapu/
Relative newcomer, near Lake Wanaka, for teams of two, MTB or run

Tarawera Ultramarathon/relay 100/85/60km - 19 Mar 2011 - http://www.taraweraultra.co.nz/

Mt Lyford Challenge 20km - Sun 21 Mar 2010 - http://www.paardekoo....aspx?page=1311
North Canterbury mountain run  

Dual 21/42km - 26 Mar 2011 - http://www.thedual.co.nz/
Bike or run Auckland's offshore islands, Motutapu and Rangitoto

Oxfam Trailwalker 100 (Taupo) - 9 Apr 2011- http://www.oxfam.org...am_trailwalker/

*St James Ultra Marathon 66km - 28 Mar 2009 - http://www.tenevents.co.nz/
Sadyly no longer offered, but listed because I live in hope... classic route on the St James walkway in the Lewis Pass region through native forest, sub alpine, alpine sections

Alpine Lodge Loop the Lake 25km - 16 Apr 2011 - http://www.nelsoneve...LooptheLake.htm

Cape Brett Challenge 37km - 17 April 2010 - http://www.capebrettchallenge.co.nz
Coastal north Island beauty but tougher than it looks, check out those finish times

*Routeburn 38km - 30 Apr 2011 - http://www.goodtimesevents.net
One of the best, a classic New Zealand trail - entries open Jan 31 2011

Captain Cook's Landing 25km - 16 Jul 2011 - http://www.nelsoneve...ooksLanding.htm
Run & Walk on the Queen Charlotte Track, Nelson

*Abel Tasman Coastal Classic km - 17 Sep 2010 - http://www.nelsoneve...stalClassic.htm
Beautiful beaches and coastal trails, easier running than most, cruise back by boat for the return trip

Great Barrier Island 38km - Sat 9 Oct 2010 - http://www.thebarrie...wharf2wharf.htm

Dun Run (Nelson) 25km - 16 Oct 2010 - http://www.nelsoneve...o.nz/DunRun.htm

Crater Rim (Christchurch) 30/20km - 17 Oct 2010 - hthttp://www.porthills.org.nz/craterrim.html

West Coaster (Auckland) 10-42km - 6 Nov 2010 - http://www.totalspor...dwest/index.php

Tois Challenge (Whakatane) 24km - 14 Nov 2010 - http://www.sportsgro...mp;PageID=38594

Molesworth Run 84km - 20 Nov 2010 - http://www.harriers....esworth_run.htm

Flagpole Run Up 19km - 21 Nov 2010 - http://www.avalanche...asp?PageID=7107

Catch me if you can (Methven) 24k - 27 Nov 2010 - http://www.ashburton...e...&Itemid=226

*Kepler Challenge/Luxmore Grunt 60/27km - 4 Dec 2010 - http://www.keplerchallenge.co.nz/
The 20th running of this classic event; entries open Saturday 28th July at 6.30am NZ time & go in minutes

*The Goat (Whakapapa-Turoa) 21km - 4 Dec 2010 - http://www.thegoat.co.nz/
Run on (occasionally active) volcanoes, what more could you want?

Kahurangi Mountain Classic 30km - 13 Dec 2008 (last run) - http://www.nelsontri...rangi_Endurance
Little known but beautiful New Zealand National Park, great route plus warmer Nelson climate

To check latest new races in NZ...
Offroad: http://www.coolrunni...ROAD,ALL,DA.htm
Mountain races: http://www.coolrunni...RACE,ALL,DA.htm
Ultra: http://www.coolrunni...ANCE,ALL,DA.htm

Edited by Greg_Waite, 27 June 2011 - 08:04 AM.

[Fats]

It's a good plan. I'm hoping to do the Kepler again this year, but the Cape Brett Challenge & Routeburn both sound very appealing.

If you're planning to get a big group going then I'd suggest choosing an event that isn't too hard to enter (i.e. probably not the Kepler - unfortunately).

[undercover brother]

thats fantastic greg.
i will try and enter kepler again this year too.
its just such a great run.
prewannabe did molesworth a couple of years back.
have any other CRs done the others?
any suggestions?
agree that routeburn sounds like a cracker.

[Horrie]

Greg,

If you could tee up about 20-25 entries into Kepler like the WS100 does. You would have an Aussie Assault in a flash.

[Jogger]

Greg - there has been some thought about the Kokoda track race in PNG in Aug 2008 - 96km. am in an internet cafe so can't be bothered to dig out the URL. I reckon that would be kick ass. Course record is like 17hrs, time allowed is approx 30hrs. 2P first started the discussions (most of which have been offline).

It would be cool to have an Aussie Assault Trip each year (or "most years").

[Amjan]

I'm also planning to enter Kepler again. The other races sound great, but Cape Brett and Routeburn fit in around Six Foot best.

[fat bloke]

greg that sounds like a great idea

i agree with the other fats , that the high profile races like kepler would make it harder to get the numbers in ,but that said the boys did well with ws.

NZ would be a lot easier on the pocket as well.

so all i would have to do is start running again ehh.

i would probably prefer a longer distance over some of the shorter ones,or are there many races with a shorter option as well.

keep us informed

cheers

fats

[Vurt]

expressing interest.

As previously stated i would love to have a crack at Routeburn but i would do any of the other races if there was a group of CRs entering.

[Greg_Waite]

I contacted the Kepler organisers to see if anything had changed in response to the numbers unable to get through to the site last year, but no joy. If you're targeting the Kepler you need to be organised at eg a work computer with good bandwidth and on kiwi time for the opening.  

That aside, everyone knows the Kepler is a classic, but I'd like to think about some of the others too, and also what sort of a package we could think of with doing nearby trails in the week before for those who want to. I will talk to a few NZ mates and do another post when I've got what look like the top options.

And if you just happen to be holidaying over there, you can see there's plenty choose from throughout the year.

[SpartaJen]

This thread has certainly caught my eye !  

Thanks for all the links Greg. Kepler is certainly on my list of things to do one day though I won't be ready for it this year. I'll miss Six Foot next year so I might just have to find myself a goal race from this list...

[Greg_Waite]

Its tough to choose from so many good options, but if I had to pick too other than Kepler for a group raid, it'd be:

1. Routeburn 38km - 12 May 2008 - http://www.goodtimesevents.net - One of the classic New Zealand trails, + a week before hand doing some fast light tramping (kiwi for bushwalking) around Lakes Wanaka (alpine glaciers) & Te Anau (Kepler terrain)

2a. The Goat (Whakapapa-Turoa) 21km - 2 Dec 2007 - http://www.thegoat.co.nz/tongariro/
Run on (occasionally active) volcanoes, what more could you want?
+ after, walk/run the Tongariro-Whakapapa trail (Tongariro is the most active volcano) + a week later...
2b. Kahurangi Mountain Classic 30km - 8 Dec 2007 - http://www.nelsontri...i/kahurangi.htm
Little known but beautiful New Zealand National Park, great route plus the warmer Nelson climate might suit ozzies.
Will contact the organisers to see I can firm up the dates for these in 2008, they're both relatively new.

Edited by Greg_Waite, 06 July 2007 - 07:42 AM.

[superflake]

I might try and have a sneak peak of the Arthurs Pass one when I'm over in NZ in September.
Went through last year in the car and train and it was close to snowing both times.

[dave1678]

I walked the Kepler when I was over there a couple of years back. Seems to build in popularity year by year. I would love to do this race if a group entry can be arranged.
I also walked Avalanche Peak (Arthurs Pass) which was great but there's very little accomodation in the area. The course is also almost half road with significant downhills I believe. Very tough trail too.
If you're thinking this short I ran the Wild Turkey off-road half marathon in the Witakkeri mountains near Auckland which was fun. Course record is around 1.45 and there's a 300 runner limit. This will probably fill but in weeks not minutes. Late Jan.
Routebourne sounds good I have driven through the area. At 38K I think this could appeal to everyone.

[dave1678]

I would favour establishing local trail runs instead or as well. Australia is languishing behind NZ, US and even Korea in this department.

[Rock Doctor]

I always wanted to do Avalanche Peak when I lived in Christchurch but never quite made it there. The last time that I was there Avalanche Creek was frozen solid. You need to be prepared for any conditions.

I will probably be heading over for my first attampt at the Christchurch marathon in June next year having done the half 3 times

[Greg_Waite]

This recommendation from my friend Stuart who's done years of NZ alpine tramping and ultra running:

"The Routeburn is as good as it gets. A run with everything in not too long a distance. Rain
forest, mountain tarns, mountain peaks and passes, stupendous views if the weather is clear.
Thoroughly recommended.

As for The Goat, I don't know the actual course but years ago I ran from Turoa skifield
car park, via Tongariro Chateau, Ngarahoe-Tongariro Saddle, the Green & Blue Lakes out
to Ketetahi Springs and that one is also a cracker, although quite long. Probably double the
hours of the Routeburn."

So I think that's good enough for me; I'll be there 12 May 2008, and will plan to do some of the most scenic trails in the area before or after; if anyone wants to join in you're most welcome. Will post more details here in late February.

Its high time I saw snow, glaciers and icy-blue mountain streams up close again.

Edited by Greg_Waite, 27 July 2007 - 07:29 AM.

[tank girl]

I have to look at those links (tomorrow). I'm thinking there could be some nice warmup training for WS '08.  (Oh, and when I said tomorrow, I then went and clicked the links...)

[remttid]

Great list of races you have gathered there Greg.
You wrote in the other thread  "There is a list of the classic trail races, and their websites (surprisingly, there is no one reliable place to find them in NZ).  '
You are dead right there, the NZ race calendar system is a dogs breakfast ! Take it from this Kiwi  

Here is one more to add, The Jumbo / Holdsworth Mountain Race ---
http://autogprs.com/...ntain/index.htm


It’s amazing where they hide them

This is the only mountain race I have done, both the long and short course when they ran them the other way around.
Good tough courses; especially when I was not really prepared for the terrain.

I have been thinking about going off road again soon, so you never know we might meet up.

Cheers,

Colin.

[Greg_Waite]

Thanks to Rob Ware for spotting this NZ site; rather than listing races, it covers a heap of classic routes that could be run self-supported. The author is obviously a seasoned off-roader as he includes sensible advice about checking the weather first. Some of these routes are definitely more suited to runners with extensive bush experience. Anyway, read on and be inspired...

http://www.math.cant...steel/runs.html  

[Greg_Waite]

I've just added the brand new and very tempting Heaphy Five-O event to the list at the start of this forum - Heaphy Track is one of the easier and sunnier tramps/bushwalks in NZ. Will try to update the links and 2008/09 dates this weekend.

[Mounty]

Greg_Waite, on Sep 30 2008, 09:12 AM, said:

I've just added the brand new and very tempting Heaphy Five-O event to the list

Some feedback on the Heaphy run. It was well organised, on a nice track with superb ever-changing scenery. Similar vibe to the event as the Cradle Mountain run here - scenic, self-supported run with a smallish & social field - but the track is less technical underfoot.

Would be a logistically difficult exercise without the shuttles, accomm and bag transfers of the event as to drive from the start of the track to the finish is 500km(!) - albeit a very scenic 500.

Great weekend away.



Richard Mountstephens

Edited by Mounty, 05 December 2008 - 01:48 PM.

[Greg_Waite]

I've updated all the links in the first post, covering the classic NZ trail runs. There are some new events too - can anyone else advise on new events? I'll keep the list up to date whenever I can find time.

[Mister G]

Thanks Greg. Had a look for details of the 2010 St James a few weeks ago without success- so has the race been discontinued?

[FlyingKiwi]

Mister G, on Dec 19 2009, 04:25 PM, said:

Had a look for details of the 2010 St James a few weeks ago without success- so has the race been discontinued?

Gutted, but yes it has been canned. Didn't grow. Heaphy is going to shift time slots as well. Jan/Feb 2011 will be the next version. Mounty should have come back to defend his title. Would have needed his Kayak to do well though, lots of swimming this year. Wish I'd gone back for it.

Matt

[ultrawazza]

Hi Greg,

you missed one that a few of us Brissy "kiwis" are going to this year.

20th March Tarawera Ultramarathon

www.taraweraultra.co.nz

50km, 80km and inagural 100km this year too.. (Only 2nd year race has been run)

Also teams 100km..

Anyone wanting to meet up to train, we are up at Cootha most Sat and Sun mornings early (4 to 430am)

Warren Lane

[Greg_Waite]

Tarawera and a few others just added  

Also, seeing the world-class-unique Avalanche Peak race is back in business for 2010, here are a few pics to give you an idea of what to expect; these are taken a little further west from the main range in Arthur's Pass on the way up to Mount Bealey, and two months later in May when the snow can be deep...

 pan2_s.JPG   44.54K   13 downloads
 villagebelow.jpg   22.6K   9 downloads

Edited by Greg_Waite, 20 December 2009 - 04:48 AM.

[Greg_Waite]

New Zealand trails race calendar checked and updated today, some great races on offer. Special mention to the classic Avalanche Peak Challenge for the real mountain runners, and the Routeburn for top-quality kiwi trails but within reach of any fit runner  

[FlyingFossil]

There is strong possibility that the Haywards to Haywards will be back this summer (last run in 2005)
http://www.coolrunni...o.nz/races/h2h/

---Ian---

[FlyingFossil]

A new one for you the Bedrock 50  - 2 April 2011

http://www.bedrock50.110mb.com/