Tarawera Ultra Race Report

Jane Manthorpe has provided another insight into one of her ‘A Races’ over the past few months – this time, the Tarawera 100km Ultra.  Jane completed this Ultra just three weeks before embarking on the Oxfam 100km event.  The final report from Jane which will be posted over the next few days, is from the Speights West Coaster Adventure run, which is being held again in November.

Feel free to send through any reports of events you’ve participated or  raced in, big or small – it’s a good reference for others contemplating their next goal.

Being my first 100km, I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew I was going to enjoy it (smile).

The Tarawera Ultra marathon is in the Bay of Plenty, and starts at The Redwoods forest in Rotorua and skirts around lakes Tikitapu (Blue Lake), Okareka, Okataina and Tarawera before following the Tarawera River all the way to the finish in Kawerau.   The terrain is native bush, open farmland and exotic forestry with views of lakes, volcanoes and waterfalls.

My training consisted of a plan based on Kepler training, which I did in the build up for the ultra, ie marathon training, but incorporating much longer weekend runs and loads of seriously hard back to back runs most weekends.  I logged up around 70-80km every weekend in long runs together with two mid-week runs in the 10-15km region.  In the last six weeks, I did some speed work as I tapered.

I knew as I got to the start line that I was prepared and was not nervous, but happy to be there.

It was still dark as we started the race – 7.00am and a lovely morning, full of bird song as we ran into The Redwoods.  The first 19km was really fun.  It started with a decent uphill and for some reason I did not feel it - I was in such a buzz to get started that the hill did not affect me, which was all good.

It then continues to climb in a series of rollers before plunging down very sharply - great fun running. 

You then run through dense native bush, on well-formed walking tracks which was where you just get lost in the beauty of it all and where I lost all other runners, so to speak, as enjoying this so much lead me off track and into the bush!  Hearing voices, I found the track again in no time and back to the enjoyment of being in the race in my running zone again.

The aid stations were just terrific and supplied my favourite food – bananas – so I was well catered for.

I was at the 25km mark now, feeling skippy, and was passing quite a few runners, thoroughly enjoying the run.   The run at this stage was a series of long gentle ups followed by shorter downs, but on very uneven ground (roots and rocks – my favorite), so it was a test of fitness, but I had fun and got a great pace going here.  My legs were holding up good and felt really strong. Then it’s a really fun downhill to the aid station at the 36km mark.  I grabbed some food (bananas and a mouthful of Chi seed) and off again.

After this, the race got tougher as the terrain turned into a very technical ride, just my cup of tea though as I just love jumping and skimming over rocks, tree roots, ploughing through some sand, avoiding mountain bikers coming the other way (the paramedic crew!) and other obstacles such as few fallen runners, hee hee!

Forty nine kilometres gone and I am feeling great, with the worst part of the course done and dusted, so I was told at the next aid station.  Feeling proud, I bounced on and the route just got amazing.

This part of route was just beautiful.  We passed the Tarawera Falls just to the right of the narrow track.  The water was crystal clear, the falls were in full flow, the roar of the waterfall was amazing, and the beauty of the surrounding native bush just eye catching.  I had to stop in my tracks to take it all in. Basically you have the river alongside, plus the lovely waterfall cascades all the way.  With a huge smile of my face I bounced on and thought this is why I do these ultras - to run in places you wouldn’t normally venture into.

When I approached the 70km aid station, there were a few tired runners scattered around deciding whether to do the 100km or 83km. This was where the road splits into two and I had to make a decision – 100km one way, or 83km…

I had no problem - 100km for me alright! The aid station crew asked me if I was going to do the 100km, then rang through to the finishing line to say I was.  Apparently I was the last 100km runner to go through this check point.

So alone on quiet roads and it was now getting dark.  Being the first time running alone in the dark, I was excited!  This is where it’s a mind game and being prepared, I knew I was strong at this point.

I ran alone for at least three hours.  That’s when the wildlife starts to come out to play and it was lovely starry night.  The road was tree-lined the entire way and you could see through the tops of the trees to the stars.  With a clear night, your shadow starts to pass you and you think you can hear and see shapes in the woods around you.  I saw a few owls, possums, and the cutest hedgehogs. You basically followed glow lights the whole way that marked the route, and the light of your head torch. 

A few big rolling climbs but this was not affecting me at all and as I reached the last check point at 90km, I still had a lot of fuel in the tank.

At the 90km aid station , wine was flowing and I was offered some by the somewhat slurry, happy aid station people, but alas turned it down at this stage of the race – I’d wait for the beer at the end!

Here the aid stationers grabbed the phone again to contact the finish line. I was told I would have to pull out - it would be too dangerous to go on alone for the next 10km as the track was in dense bush with a big drop to the water on the right… Uh! No way, I was carrying on!  Just 10km to go and I’d be finishing.

Luckily another runner called Jeff turned up, huffing and puffing and so glad to see human life.  A big, tall American, he definitely could talk you off your rocker.  We were allowed to go on together with a mountain biker for support with full beam headlights… great fun. 

I was puzzled that I had not seen Jeff along the route before, still we were glad to meet and really enjoyed the last 10km at a reasonably fast pace.  Jeff had done some major USA ultra runs and soon I had ear ache as he got me totally immersed in full gossip about ultra running in the USA.  We picked up the pace considerably, flying into the finishing chute like we had been doing a 10km race! 

We were met with big cheers and thrown a beer or two.  I was greeted by the lovely people I was renting with; the whole family had camped out all night waiting for me to arrive and they flung their arms around me as though I was their daughter.  So nice that it had me in tears.

A brilliant run and a great triumph for me – completing my first 100km!  And another to come in three weeks – can’t wait!

Just had to finish with this quote by an ultra runner as it is brilliant, and sums up ultra running

I wasn’t a truly genuine trail ultra runner until March 7, 1992 at the Wild Oak 50 near Harrisonburg, Virginia. It was a rainy day and simultaneously, while I was piddling on the run, chewing on an energy bar and washing it down with Mountain Dew, my nose was dripping and I farted. That was the ultimate defining moment in my trail running career, if not my entire life.”

- Bob Boeder