Auckland Trail Tawharanui 2025 (aka XTerra)

 

Auckland Trail Tawharanui 2025 (aka XTerra)

18 May 2025

20.05km, 700m, 1:524:54

https://www.strava.com/activities/14513111201/overview
https://my.raceresult.com/336842/results

Race Day

I picked up Juliette, Michal and Nev, leaving Greenlane at 7:00am, which was about right given the 1.5 hour trip. The day was overcast but warm and we'd had dry weather for 4 days so the trails were dry and (theoretically) fast.

Race

We started quick, as normal! Juliette had upgraded from the Long to the SuperLong, and zoomed off ahead. She later told us that she had gone way too fast for the first 5km, but then so did we all!

The first kilometer is flat and then onto the first of many hills. Michal was initially up ahead but then Nev and I overtook him at about the 2km mark and Nev slipped ahead of us two.

I was feeling good and running freely. I knew that my pace and effort and heart rate were not sustainable for 20km, but I decided to just keep pushing and enjoy the sensation of zooming along the trails :)

By about the 6km mark, I settled back into a more sensible (ie slower) pace and I could occasionally see Michal 100m behind me and Nev 100m ahead.

I had a gel at 35 minutes and another at 70 minutes, along with 3 cups of water at aid stations. 

The trails were mostly gravel tracks with interludes of grassy slopes, but nothing slippery or too bumpy underfoot. I wore my Tecton X shoes, which were ideal.

At about the 14km mark, we descended onto the soft sandy beach section for about 1.5km (which felt much longer!). Michal motored past me here and I was content to let him go since I was feeling pretty slow and ploddy.

After we exited the beach, there was a mean hill up the (electric) fenceline, and I was no longer running all the hills, so it was a relief to walk on the steep bits (along with all my peers).

After this, we descended close (again) to the event base and you think you might be nearly done... but I knew that we had another big (70m) hill and 2km to go, so I was mentally prepared. (unlike some others lol).

Coming down the last fast descent towards the event base, with 1km to go, I caught up again to Michal, who then promptly sped up and gapped me by 50+ meters. In the end, Michal actually managed to overtake Nev literally right on the line for 1st in 50+. A staggering stealth move from behind. Nev never saw it coming :) 

Check out that grin!

Both Nev and Michal were credited the exact same finishing time.!

I was 20 seconds back, which I was actually very happy with!

Juliette was 3rd overall woman, which was brilliant for her first race in years 😀

Sophia Petrus was 2nd in the 13..18 women, but so young!! Daniel and Maria also did great in the under 13s!

Post Race

I had some small trouble breathing immediately after the fast finish, but once I recovered from that, I felt pretty good and no real ill effects or nausea afterwards except for tired body and achy hammy/hips etc. Some quad DOMs the next day.

I was very happy with my run - quite a bit slower than last year, but it felt good to (mostly) keep up with Nev and Michal and finish pretty strongly. Great to chat to Juliette and also Mike H and Ed.

Great fun 😀