Much to my surprise, there is a local 60km ultra marathon, and the course that it follows runs less than two blocks away from my front door. This is kind of embarrassing, as I have frequently complained that one of the problems with ultras is the shortage of local events!
The event was in its fourth year, although I understand that the shorter distance events (marathon, half marathon, and 10km) have been running for a few years more than that.
The course, with markers each km (click to enlarge)
The course starts at Cross Creek, near Featherston. The first section follows the Rimutaka Railway Incline all the way to the Kaitoke entrance, climbing at a gentle rate and taking runners through a series of old railway tunnels. From there the course takes in Tunnel Gulley, going past the start of Tane’s Track and through another tunnel towards Maymorn.
Section three introduces runners to the Hutt River Trail, which they follow from Harcourt Park in Upper Hutt all the way to Petone. Like the rest of the course, this section is mostly on gravel roads, with the occasional section of single track and only a small amount of sealed roads.
Elevation - gentle climb at the start, all downhill after that
I thoroughly enjoyed this race, and not just because it was my first win on the ultra circuit. It had a good sized field (25 in the ultra, many more in the shorter events), and was well supported all along the course. I’ll definitely be back in 2012 to have another crack, and hopefully get my time down from this year’s 5:19.
The trophy - no idea who the guy in the background is!
