Innehållsförteckning för Winter 2020 från Trail Run

I don’t want to beat a man while he’s down; ultramarathon man Dean Karnazes did have a stomach bug. But, at last year’s Blackall 100, #ibeatdankarnazes. Yes, poor Dean was a sorry sight when I shredded past him checked if he was OK on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk. But not even gastro issues could stop him from finishing or appreciating the stunning scenery of Blackall 100: slick, subtropical rainforest, waterfalls, swathes of ultra-green ferns, streams and pristine trails. Blackall 100 is the jewel of Run Queensland’s trail-running calendar. Now in its seventh year, the event has gone from humble beginnings in 2014 to attracting hundreds of contenders while still maintaining a friendly, welcoming atmosphere that embraces the area’s rich Indigenous heritage. The weekend kicks off on Friday evening…

They say variety is the spice of life. In that case, the WUU2K (pronounced “Woo-Too-Kay”, AKA the Wellington Urban Ultra 2K) is about as spicy as it gets! This challenging course sends runners through a mixed bag of terrain: single track, mountain bike trails, rocky roads, and Hills with a capital H! In its fifth year, the WUU2K has a reputation as a tough mid-winter course. The event runs through the scenic hills surrounding New Zealand’s capital. And, in case you were wondering, the “2k” stands for the elevation over the 43km race (it’s closer to 3km for the 62km ultra, which is a UTMB-qualifying race). With about 600 runners expected to take part in 2021 (this year’s event, which had been scheduled for 18 July, has been cancelled due…

1. How did your group begin? Brad Coleman decided the short shorts on a Friday at lunchtime with friends was a great way to kick the weekend off, so started a regular call out to those who were keen. 2. Where does your group run mostly? Usually from the Wellington Waterfront, up and around the Mount Victoria trails for 45 minutes. 3. What is your favourite local trail and why? Any of the Mount Victoria trails. They’re wide, easily accessible and offer a variety of technicality. 4. What local event does your group rally around? Anything that Wellington has to offer. 5. What single piece of advice would you guys give a newbie joining your group? If your shorts aren’t rolling with a 2.5cm inseam, it’s time to break out…

“I LOVE A SUNBURNT COUNTRY / A LAND OF SWEEPING PLAINS / OF RAGGED MOUNTAIN RANGES / OF DROUGHTS AND FLOODING RAINS.” In her poem, My Country, Dorothea Mackellar could almost have described the Outback home of Sarah Foster (minus the ragged mountain ranges). Heat, drought, floods, isolation – Sarah contends with all these things and more. Because not only is Sarah a young gun on the Australian trail and ultra-running scene, she’s also a cattle station manager in the middle of nowhere. Most of us need to drive to the trails or resign ourselves to another day of pounding the pavement for our training runs. Not Sarah. She opens her door and is greeted by one million acres of training ground. That’s right – one million acres! Sarah, 32,…

Experience the picturesque New England High Country of NSW – while smashing those quads! – at the Duval Dam Buster. Held just outside Armidale, Australia’s highest city, the Duval Dam Buster starts at 1,080m above sea level, sending runners in the 15km and 30km events on a steady climb to about 1,400m in the first 6km. There are four distances to choose from – 30km, 15km, 8km and 3km (open to children and adults) – all starting from the beautiful Dumaresq Dam. 15km and 30km runners enjoy a mix of fire trails and single tracks, with a loop at the top of Mt Duval before bombing back down. The 30km course completes the 15km route twice. Mt Duval is one of the largest peaks in the area. Located on the…

“EVERY BIG WILDERNESS ADVENTURE CHANGES YOU.” As far as opening statements for a running film go, ultrarunner – and now filmmaker – Lincoln Quilliam’s contains multitudes. Those six simple words, spoken at the start of his short film, Mountain Immersion, go to the heart of many a trail runner’s why. Challenge. Pushing the limits. Experiencing the extremes of nature. These are things trail runners do all the time. So much so, that sometimes we can lose sight of why we choose to challenge ourselves. Jam-packed race calendars (when COVID-19 doesn’t ruin our plans) and the fear of missing out can make us forget what the challenge of trail and ultrarunning boils down to: change. Growth. How often do we stop to ask ourselves how our running – and, importantly, where…

The Larapinta Trail is considered one of the best hiking trails in the world. But how did I stumble across it? In classic Jacqui fashion, I Googled “best trail Australia”, “best hiking Australia” and “trail running Australia”, and every time, the Larapinta Trail came up as #1. To be honest, I totally underestimated this hike. I thought to myself, “No worries, I run 250km ultramarathons quite frequently. An 8–10-day hike will be fine!” How wrong I was… it was tough! The terrain included many steep hills, ridgelines, creek beds and, wow, the midday heat… OUCH! Oh, and don’t forget carrying a 20kg–25kg pack, which felt like the equivalent of a baby elephant clamping onto me for dear life (not that I have ever had this happen). Aside from the challenges,…

Building on the success of the highly popular Torrent, the Torrent 2 adds several functional and cosmetic improvements without messing with the original “single track allrounder” recipe. That bit hasn’t changed; the Torrent 2 is still a great performer on just about anything off the bitumen, combining the best of other Hoka One One trail models into a lightweight, low-stack (at least, for Hoka), low-drop, responsive hybrid that is perfect for short to moderate-length runs and fast-paced racing. Both the Torrent and Torrent 2 are built on Hoka’s PROFLY™ dual-density midsole, combining softer foam in the heel for increased cushioning with a firmer ride up front for direct toe-off and responsiveness. In practise, this offers a far less marshmallowy ride than the Speedgoat or Challengers, and makes the Torrent 2…

Six stages, 300km and some of the most stunning landscapes in New Zealand, the Southern Lakes Ultra is set to be the adventure of a lifetime. Entries for the inaugural event opened at the end of March and flew in thick and fast – especially from those grieving the loss of the multi-stage Alps 2 Ocean Ultra, which wrapped up this year. Held over seven days (with one rest day included), the event begins at the crystal-clear waters of Southern Lakes. Runners traverse ridgelines, valleys, ski fields and gold mining towns, trot alongside rivers and lakes, and pass through majestic forests and canyons to the glorious finish line on the shores of Lake Wakatipu in downtown Queenstown. Runners have the option of doing the event supported (you carry your daily…

Touted as the toughest, most challenging and most spectacular mountain trail-running event in Australia, the Alpine Challenge is not for the faint hearted. However, this year, it’s allowing runners new to the trails to dip their toes in gradually with the introduction of 10km, 16km and 25km short-course distances. A new marathon course also replaces previous years’ 36km option, with individual, team and relay challenge options across all distances. Located in Alpine National Park, in the Central Highlands and Alpine regions of Victoria, the king distance of the Alpine Challenge is the 100-mile course. It sends runners up six major climbs with a quad-busting 7,600m of ascent and descent, including Mt Feathertop, Mt Hotham, Mt McKay, Spion Kopje, Mt Nelse and Victoria’s highest mountain, Mt Bogong. If that’s not hardcore…

Three thousand and six kilometres of New Zealand’s Te Araroa (TA) trail was ahead of me as I took the first steps from Cape Reinga, the north-western-most tip of the Aupouri Peninsula, at the northern end of the North Island. The objective was simple: to cover the entire trail in the fastest time I was able, and to raise money for Wellington City Mission. What would play out as I made my way south was anyone’s guess. All I knew was that it would be an epic adventure. As a brief overview, TA is predominantly made up of Department of Conservation (DOC) tracks, roads (from neglected four-wheel-drive tracks to state highways), farmland, back country stations and beaches. All formally linked together in 2011, they weave a pathway from one tip…

The Salomon Sense Ride 3 is everything you could ask for in a running shoe and is perfect for men and women. This shoe performs wonderfully on a variety of runs and, I have to say, looks good doing it. Between its nearly monochromatic design and true-to-size fit, it is no wonder this shoe is a favourite amongst new and experienced runners. The Sense Ride 3 was designed with trail runners in mind, and it shows in every aspect of its design and usability. The simple bottom line is that this shoe is a no brainer when looking for the perfect trail-running shoe. When it comes to trail running, the traction a shoe offers is a top priority for me. Salomon had this in mind when they designed the tread…