Taupō Ultramarathon 24km - We did it!
Kelly’s experience
My goal was simple: to beat my time from last year. I started out too fast, caught up in the wave of people, and lost track of my pace.
Thankfully, I realised this around the 2km mark and slowed down a bit. I was following someone, but by 8km, I realised I couldn’t keep up and decided to just run my own race.
I felt pretty good until I hit 11km. Running downhill, I overextended and pulled my hip flexor—not ideal when you can’t properly lift your left leg. But that wasn’t going to stop me. If I couldn’t lift my leg, I thought I could rely on the push-off momentum from my foot. It worked… sort of, but it hurt like heck.
The hardest part was the last 500m, where all I wanted to do was walk. My legs felt like they had concrete bricks tied to them. But with the crowd there, cheering me on, it became a mental battle, and there was no way I was going to walk!
Would you believe it? I finished with exactly the same time as last year—down to the minute. While I wanted to beat it, I’m really happy with that.
Let’s do it again! 🙌
Rachel’s experience
The weather was absolutely stunning—clear blue skies, a crisp breeze, and the perfect spring warmth to lift everyone’s spirits. The atmosphere was just as uplifting. As we 24km runners lined up at the start, we cheered on the longer-distance runners as they came through. It was like cheering on friends and family—there’s something so special about the running community that makes you feel connected, even if you’ve never met before.
The course, though, was anything but easy. With over 700 metres of elevation gain, it was a serious challenge. Having only completed one proper training run leading up to the event (a 4km flat terrain jog), I knew I was underprepared. My initial plan was to walk most of it, but the excitement of race day got the best of me. I ended up running much more than I had anticipated, caught up in the energy of the event.
One of the things that stood out to me was the incredible camaraderie among the runners on the course. Even as faster runners came up behind me, they were always polite, calling out a friendly “on your right” to let me know they were passing, giving me the cue to move to the left. It was such a considerate gesture and added to the sense of support that seemed to ripple through the entire event. No egos, just everyone out there pushing themselves and encouraging one another.
Halfway through, I had a bit of a mishap. My foot caught one of the many tree roots scattered across the trail, and down I went, face-first in front of a few other runners. I felt pretty embarrassed, but I shouldn’t have been. Everyone was so lovely, pausing to check if I was okay before continuing on their way. It was a heartwarming moment that reminded me how much the trail running community cares about each other’s well-being.
As I neared the finish line, a family was cheering for every single runner by name (thanks to our bibs!). Hearing them call my name gave me the extra push I needed to keep going. Then, one of the highlights of my day—my son ran the last couple of hundred meters with me, right before I crossed the finish line. It was such a special moment, and after everything, crossing that line was a mixture of utter relief, a touch of pride, and sheer joy knowing I could finally enjoy a cold beer!
Kelly had arrived at the finish line well ahead of me and was hanging out with our fabulous support crew, having already wolfed down the sausages, soup, and refreshments that were available for the finishers.
The positive vibes continued in the finish area, where every runner was celebrated as they came through, some with tired bodies but all with a sense of accomplishment. It was tough, no doubt about it, but the energy of the event and the support of fellow runners made it all worth it.
Now, the question is, what’s next? 😉
