'Not So' Hidden Trails Kawerau

I was feeling really on a roll and although disappointed with the course at Opotiki, I had been happy with the time.

I had been told that the 'Hidden Trails' Half Marathon in Kawerau was a mix of roads and trails and really, it was more of a mix of roads and parks. Still it was a lot better than the roller coaster footpath that was Opotiki.

As is my norm, I got to Kawerau nice and early and secured a nice park right next to the starting area... at my age it's not too good to leave a long trip to the car after the race.

After helping the St John's man set up his pergola, I registered and wandered around a bit before settling in the car to 'prep' myself. Shortly after I saw Ian Hansen, fresh from his run in Opotiki.

He was rather more surprised to see me as I had only entered a few days before and kept it quiet. After watching the walkers head off (right), I waited patiently for the usual and standard race briefing, before we were off.

It was a good sized field with some of the usual faces... I have noticed that the events such as these that are run by clubs get great support from the running clubs from other towns. Many of the top runners seem to steer clear of the 'commercial' events and just run a mix of club events. This probably saves them a fair bit of cash... but they miss some great races that the 'race-junkies' like me get to experience.

Anyway, back to the race, on the road for the first 750 metres up a steady incline, then off the road and on to some trail... "wow" I thought, this is going to be great... a nice piece of trail, climbing for nearly a kilometre to the top of a hill overlooking the start and much of Kawerau. Hidden Trails indeed, if this was what we were in for it was going to be a good run.... unfortunately this was the most fun part of the whole run for me... well almost!
 
Another 900 metres down the hill again brought us back to the road and a run along the street for just over a kilometre then on to a side trail off the road that lead to a trail more familiar. I ran the last 25km of the Tarawera Ultra in 2011 with my mate John Bell as his 'buddy runner' and we joined on to the river trail that in TUM leads to Firmin Park and the finish. 

We however cruised straight past the Park and followed the river trail for just over 3km until it hit Tamarangi Drive - the main road you use coming into Kawerau from either end. This 3km should have been fun and a lot of the road runners in the race said afterwards that they really enjoyed it... but compared to 'real trails', it was a tad boring... but my pace was ok, just on or under 5 minute km's, which for me is pretty good.

A kilometre along the road and into a nice, but very short bit of trail, then over the road and into the residential streets in a reverse of part of the old Kawerau Half Marathon course. That took us into the park used in the old Half as well and we then looped through, using park walkways for a couple of km's and into the second lap of the same course... only not quite... the best bit of the first lap... the hill, was mysteriously cut out of the second lap. While strictly speaking these were 'trails', it really did feel like park running (right), which is very different.

About 3km from the finish, Ian Hansen steamed up to me looking very fresh... confirming my thoughts that he could become a very quick half runner. This was only his second half and he was cruising. I let him speed up my pace for a while but in time he left me, eventually finishing a minute or so ahead.

I battled, as I have been recently, picking off a few runners over the last couple of km's and was both happy and surprised when crossing the line to look and see that I had beaten my half marathon PB by a minute and a half... I guess there is some advantage to running pretty flat Half's after all!




After the race, a bite to eat, free entry to the Hot Pools if you want to use them (I didn't this time) and then down to the Cossie Club for prizegiving and my mandatory no spot prize.




All in all a well run event, the club did a great job. Times were up quickly on the website and they had several of their own photographers on the course who did a much better job than many of the 'professional' companies at other events... to the point where for the first time in a long time I actually bought some prints.


If you want a fast time... enter this event, if you want a trail run... don't!

Opotiki Half Marathon

So 2 weeks after 3D I was in the car early and off for the drive from Rotorua to Opotiki for the first ever Opotiki Half Marathon and 10km Dunes Dash!

Another fantastic day, crisp around the edges, but beautiful running weather.

The Race started from Memorial Park in Opotiki and after a lap of the park we headed over the fantastic new Pakowhai ki Otutaopuku Bridge.... and what a fantastic new creation it is.

Then it's on to the Motu Trail for just over 9km of winding and undulating running to the turnaround... and then back again.


I have to say, with all honesty, that this race was very disappointing. Not my performance, but the run itself. I guess I have been spoiled with amazing trail runs all over the upper North Island and when I read Trail Half Marathon I have expectations.


Unfortunately, while the Opotiki Half was very well organized and well supported by the locals... the Motu Trail section that we used is truly a cycleway rather than a trail. Solidly constructed trails that are more like footpaths than single trail. Moderately hard of the body, but boring as heck on the mind.

One small bit of respite came about 6km in where we dodged off trail, down to the beach for about 500m, a tractor ride over the stream and then up the soft sand and back to the trail. This was repeated on the way back... except the tractor was busy, so I got wet feet.


At the turnaround for the 10km I was already wishing I had entered that instead. But, not being able to think of a good excuse, I carried on.

I had a great tussle with one of the leading lady runners over the last 9km. She passed me and started to pull away. However at about 6km out she had a nature stop allowing the old buggar past. 5km is my normal kick point... so when she caught me up at about 5.5km to go I figured that she had probably used a bit of extra energy catching up... so I quietly put the foot down.


In the end I beat her by about 40 sec and this extra push allowed me to record my best 'trail only' half marathon time of 1:47:31... so even in a less than perfect race there was something to celebrate.


The other slightly disappointing thing at the end was coming over the bridge on the way back in, it would have been nice to come off the bridge and down the ramp to the finish. However after crossing the bridge we were required to run the large lap around the perimeter of memorial Park before crossing the line.

Another interesting point was, that this was the first ever race I have had where my Garmin read the exact distance as I crossed the line... as there was never any tree coverage, the GPS had perfect line of sight and came in right on 21.1km!


I did however become "World Famous in Opotki", making the front page of the paper! 


I guess you can't love every race and any days running is a good one... but this is one for the filing cabinet! 

W2K Trail & Headland Loop - Kinloch Taupo

In 2009 when I was starting to push up the number of off-road runs I did, I headed down to Kinloch, just out of Taupo to try a new Trail Half Marathon in it's inaugural run.

It was held on what was, at that time, a new section of trail from in Kinloch Village out to the headland of the Bay and around a Headland Loop and back into town, then a bit of town running to the Domain for a finish.

While I haven't competed in the race since then - they added a quarter marathon for the last 2 years and are adding a marathon this year - I have however run the trail or parts of it, several times in the intervening years. This though is the first time I have run it since starting this blog and it is such a cool trail that it was worth an entry here.

If you are doing the trail in the weekend it pays to park as requested in Kinloch Domain or by the Lake edge. There is signage from there to the start of the trail proper. I tend to run during the week and during work hours, so I park in the beautifully named street 'Boojum Dell' which is where the trail starts.

It is a steady climb through well formed trail for just under 5km. There are plenty of windy and tight corners to keep you interested and views everywhere. At just under 4.5km you will reach the intersection of the W2K Trail and the Headland Trail. Here you have a choice, left or right. If you want a shorter run you can go right, run about another 1km to the Lookout and then head back.

I was doing the whole circuit and headed left, as this was the was they ran the race. After the intersection there is a flat, slightly climbing stretch that finishes with the intersection to Whakaipo Bay (skip that and go right) and the wonderful DOC Loo (just take your own dunny paper) and then onto the first real downhill... make the most of it, it will only last about 1 km and then you are climbing again... steadily for just under 3km.... at the bottom of the downhill is a nice open area with great views of Whakaipo Bay.

Across the top of the Headland is wonderful trail running, ups and downs, corners, heavy bush and groves of saplings and of course hints at the views to come. At the tip of the Headland you will get to the Lookout... wonderful views over Taupo, a great place to pause the Garmin, have a bite to eat, a drink and contemplate the beauty of this fabulous place we live.

From there it is a steady downhill - with a few uphill bumps to keep you honest - back to the intersection we mentioned earlier and then retrace your steps back to you car.

This was a cruisy Thursday run that came in just under 18km and took me just over 2 hours. In the weekend you are likely to see a few more MTB's, but it is a share with care trail and so it is not a problem. I have run it about 5 times during weekdays and only ever seen 2 MTB's and they were together.

Well worth the 15 minute drive from Taupo for a very pleasant run!

3D Rotorua Trail Half Marathon.... a bit late!

Yes, I have been slack... time to catch up on oh so many runs...

My last post was the Big O... 19km of fun at Okataina and that was supposed to be the last run for a few weeks before a trip to the Hawkes Bay... my things can change quickly.

Feeling good after the Big O, I decided on Friday to run a race that weekend... the decision then was whether to come out of 'road retirement' and run the Tauranga Half or run the local 3D Trail Half in the Redwoods... the latter was more expensive, but closer and - being trail - won the day.

After some pretty average weather, the day dawned fine and cold (pretty normal for this winter). A good crowd was gathered in the Redwoods and the half and quarter marathons both ran the same loop... obviously twice around for us.

Being trails I know really well, I knew how difficult the run would be and started out at a good steady pace from the start right next to the big 'sail' in the Redwoods by the Information Centre.

After a little 'canter' through the bottom trail we hit the uphill that Tarawera Ultra runners will know so well from the start of their race... a nice climb to get you warm. But where the TUM runners are mostly happy to walk it, looking to the latter parts of the race... in a half we have to run... and a slog it is! Instead of taking the last section up on to Tokorangi Pa Road, the race veers left to continue on what is known as the Green Trail and head back down into the Redwoods.

I was going ok here, just cruising. Once into the Redwoods again we hung a left and followed the main trail for a wee bit before heading into some lovely single trail that led to a nice uphill trail I like to call Back Trail... this trail does go all the way up to Tokorangi Pa Road and is a fantastic run. Lots of winding bits and switchbacks.

Up onto Tokorangi Pa Rd and we turned left to continue up, at the next intersection where the Black Trail and the TUM trail head left, we went to the 'right of the 2 lefthand trails' and on up Tokorangi Pa Road. 3 steady, but runnable climbs later and we were at the top of T Pa Rd and the downhill begins.... firstly down the main Black Trail, then veering off where TUM does to a rapid bit of downhill, just the right angle to really let the brakes off and 'flow' down the hill.

At the bottom of that bit, a slight climb and over to the new Tanks to Town trail, a small climb on that, then down and down and down again, to be spat out by Tarawera Rd.

Elina Usher, winner of the Female Multisport race

Onto the trail that runs semi-parallel to Tarawera Rd, a very familiar run for me, then just when I least expected it, we took a left onto a small, not much used trail I had never run. A couple of hundred metres and it intersected with another more familiar run and on down to the bottom trail.

Up the long grassy strip between the trees and back into the forest for a few zig-zags before suddenly we were at the Start/Finish... then we ran it again.

1:03 for the first lap, 1:04 for the second... very happy with that and 3rd in age group.

Overall I enjoyed this much more than I expected. With over 800m of vertical climbing I expected to find this really hard, but the weight I have lost has made it a little easier to cope with the climbing... more weight to lose though.

This would be a great race to run in 5's as was bourne out when Keith Crook and I ran one circuit a few weeks after, the surface is largely soft and pleasant running and this is a race I would highly recommend.

Prizegiving was that night with an absolute truckload of prize draws... of which I won nothing (surprise surprise) and a great crowd. Mark Watson was the presenter and some great guests like Robin Judkins.

Make some time next year to head to the 3D... I only ran the trail run, but there were kayak races, mtb races, multi-sport events... stuff for the kids... a complete package!

Well done guys on a first class day! 

The Big O 2012...or should that be The Big Lollipop!

I have run in and enjoyed immensely the Big O - well the little O in my case. I ran it in 2009 and finshed 2nd in my age group out of 9 runners and 37th overall out of 127.

In 2010 I improved my time from 2:15 to 2:06... but still finished 2nd in class - out of 4 this time. I finished 5th that year... although only out of 63 finishers. I think the event clashed as entries were way down.

I was upset to miss 2011 as I was entered in the full winter Xterra Series in Auckland and didn't want to miss any.... so I was quick to get my entry in for this year to see where I had come in my running speed and fitness.

Steve Neary

(photo by Shaun Collins)

I was totally gutted then to learn a couple of weeks before the event that the course had undergone an enforced change. A local landowner had dug his toes in and refused access to the farm the race runs through at the Okareka end. Shaun from Lactic Turkey worked his butt off to try to change his mind, but no go.

So the new race map was released... the Big O became a Big X with several out and back components for the 35km runners. The Little O became the Big Lollipop... a loop with a big out and back in the middle.


Out and backs meant runners going both ways on at times very narrow trails - this didn't bring me on at all and I seriosly contemplated pulling out. But my mates Keith Crook and Steve Neary (left) were coming to stay to run the event and it would have been rude not to run as well!

Raceday dawned nice and cool, not the outright freezing we had earlier in the week... just a pleasant 'running cool'.

Chris Morrissey on his way to winning the 35km event

(photo by Shaun Collins)

I caught up with a few faces at the start, Johanna Ottosson, local Osteopath and winner of the Rotorua Marathon in 2011 was there for a rare start on trails. Chris Morrissey was there to blitz the trails again and I caught up with the lovely Lesley Wilson from the Hawkes Bay who was there to start her preparation for next years Tarawera Ultra... pays to start early!

The 35km runners headed off to climb to the trig... trigs tend to be rather high and this one certainly is...  about a 10km out and back, the first runners were going through as we received our race briefing less than an hour later.

We got off with a quick loop of the Education Centre grounds and then onto the course proper. Absolutely stunning trails greeted us. After about 400m we headed onto the Tarawhai Track which looped us around through mainly level and fast flowing trails and emerged about 200m up the side road to the Education Centre. A quick scamper down that road, over Okataina Rd and onto Ngahopua Track which again was great running.

We passed 2 crater lakes Rotongata and Rotoatua, which evidently were formed about 3,500 years ago. I didn't stop to look (the photos I cheated on at a different time).... we had a steady climb through the early part of this trail and consequently a steady downhill on the second part. I ran most of this loop on my own, having lost those behind me on the uphill and those in front at the same time.

After plenty of winding through the bush and a couple of glades we burst out onto Okataina Rd again and over the road to another wide open fast trail... about 500m down this trail we veered left into some more familiar trail to me. This section was part of the Tarawera Ultra and I knew it pretty well having run a few practice runs in the past. I also knew it lead to the big downhill with multiple switchbacks.

I couldn't see anyone in front, but could hear them at this stage and - as I tend to - I flew down the hill making 200-300 metres up on the guys in front to catch and pass a couple of them as we reached Okataina Road for the 3rd time.

(photo by Shaun Collins)

Onto the Eastern Okataina Trail... a piece of trail I have run about 10 times now and love it. Tough little uphills, tight narrow bits, tree roots and rocks all add up to some lovely technical trail... taken to another level by the 2 way traffic. I guess I was lucky that I was having a good run as I only started to hit multiple returning runners in the last 700-800m before the turnaround. Unfortunately in this section my tender archilles gave up on me. I could still run ok, but no 'up on toes' for the uphills that has been gaining me a lot of time.

The only race incident I had was caused by me.. I went to move left to let a fast moving lead runner past, my left hip hit a tree root on the bank and propelled me back right again... bumping into the speeding runner.... I turned to see him frantically trying to keep his balance and speed on the edge of the trail... which fortunately he did.

On the way back the very thing that Shaun had foreseen actually happened... it got quite social... while some runners kept their heads down, didn't give way and ignored any hellos. Most of them moved left to give you room, said hello and even gave encouragement... something I tried to do as much as possible to them as well.

I had an interesting battle with a lovely young lady in pink who bounded by me before the turnaround, I passed her on one of the uphills coming back. She cruised by me on one of the last long downhills on the Eastern O Trail and started to get away from me.

After leaving the E O T we had to head back up the switchback climb. The first year I ran this event I cramped up quite badly climbing this. The second year I didn't, but had to walk the whole way. This year I ran nearly a half of it ... so I must be doing something right.

On a couple of the longer straight trails above the switchback I could see, about 300m ahead, the 'lady in pink' passing two male runners... I noted that one of them had a lot of grey hair and thought "he's probably a super-vet like me". So I dug deep and started to reel them in. I pass the first just before the left turn to head back to the Education Centre and the second just before the start of the clearing pictured at right. I had a tempo going now and just kept pushing and made the final pass of the lady in pink on this same stretch... turned out they were both Super-Vets and I had improved from 5th to 3rd.

My motivation for the last km was not to let her pass me again... so I gave it everything... I had also hoped to break 2 hours, but alas that wasn't to be.

In the end I finished 3rd in the Super-Vets with 2 hours and 1 minute (out of 18), one place down from my first 2 efforts although there were quite a few extra S-V's this year and I finished 17th out of 158 starters. Probably more importantly it 'felt' like a really good run. I had something left for a final push and nothing left at the line... just how it should be!
The Mens 35km event was mastered by Chris Morrissey and Johanna Ottosson had a comfortable win in the Ladies 35km.

Keith Crook imbibing!

(photo by Shaun Collins)

My mates Steve and Keith both enjoyed the course. Both are returning from injury and after a bit of a break the both struggled to keep their normal pace and conserved their energy for future events.

Great family atmosphere as always at the end of the Big O, barbeque with Jason & Peta cooking sausages. Excellent coffee from the cart and a peanut slab to boot. Prizegiving was fun with each straggler who crossed the line during the ceremony cheered and clapped (and they nearly all won spot prizes - funny that).

So, after I have finished, how do I feel about the course?

I am glad the problem is Shaun's not mine. The new course is fantastic... if Shaun ran an event over that course next year called the Big X.. I would enter in an instant.

Should it replace the old course? No... not in my opinion, the original Big O course is unique (as is the Little O). The deer farm trails are great to run, the bush bash is awesome and the trails from there are great. So I guess for the meantime it will be wait and see... but overall a fantastic day and a great event!

Latham's Hill Track

I frequently travel to and from Whakatane for my business, almost always early morning meetings giving me time on the way home to stop for a run...

I have driven by the sign for Latham's Hill Track many times, thinking "I must check that out"... but never seemed to get around to it. Then I read Andrew Shelley's write-up on it in Andrew's Walking (& Running). Still it has been several months before finally today I made the time to stop and run the trail. 

A big thanks to Andrew's write-up was that I knew that I should park the car at Awakeri Hot Pools and run down the road (about 1.5km) to the entrance. It is easily spotted as it is next to a B&B with two big flags up.

Climb the fence and follow the visible trail across the paddock, through the cattle race an on up the hill. Watch out for those tape gates, they will give you a buzz if you are not careful.

 At first you think "I hope it's not going to be all farmland"... but in no time you are up to the tree line and some excellent single trail.

The beauty of entering the trail from the Whakatane end is that the trail is largely runnable as you climb the hill. The trails are pretty well marked and while there are a few roots to watch out for, you can generally cruise at a reasonable speed - until you run out of steam.

 

As you work your way up, you find yourself cursing that there are no decent views through the trees, you can see that you have climbed quite a way, but the trees keep blocking the good views over the coast.... until you get to the trig! Then it becomes apparent that they have been teasing you! 180 degrees of views (see pic at top of blog, click to enlarge).

Cool, now you are at the trig it must be downhill time... well yes it is - for a little, then back up and a series of humps and hollows as you make your way along the crest. 


Unfortunately a side track off the main trail has been closed, that used to take you down into the valley, over a stream and then back up. I found this out when I bumped into two lovely ladies in their mid-sixties navigating their way down one of the steep descents. 

We had a great chat and they had put me to shame by starting - as I did - at the hot pools, but instead of heading down the road and then up and over, they had gone up and over from the pools, then turned around and retraced the route! Impressive!

My only real disappointment of the trail was that the descent to the end of the trail was at times quite steep, not dangerous steep unless you were reckless, but too steep to run safely... and running downhill is part of why we bust our gut to get to the top.

But after the really steep section the last km is nice cruisy downhill through a meadow, some more bush and eventually coming out beside the carpark at Awakeri Hot Pools where - hopefully - your car awaits you.

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