Race Report: Tarawera Ultra Trail by Clifford Jones

March 27, 2024

tarawera ultra trail by utmb - 17 february 2024 - rotorua, new zealand

contributed by clifford jones, aura member (palm cove, far north queensland)

My name is Clifford Jones, a 57 year old runner, living in beautiful Palm Cove in FNQ. I’ve been running since 2018 and have taken on ever bigger challenges. Prior to this event, my longest run was 80km at Noosa in 2022. I attempted the Surf Coast Century in September 2023 but that was my biggest DNF. I have come to identify as a trail runner and whilst I am ride and am learning to swim (70.3 anyone?), trails is where my heart is at.

Mid last year, the coaching squad I train with settled on a destination race. This was to be the Tarawera Ultra Trail by UTMB, the 102km distance. This was intended to be my second 100km race, but Surf Coast went all shades of wrong, so after contemplating dropping down a distance, I worked with a sports doctor to understand what went wrong earlier and ended up discovering a few other issues at the same time (the story of my life last year. Hint: don’t get old and if you do, avoid doctors and opticians. They find all sorts of stuff wrong).

Training

I train with Josh Duff at Smurf Endurance Sports and we settled on a plan to make Tarawera a success.

First issue was nutrition. I have a problem with liquid nutrition and I believe that was a part of the Surf Coast problem. So we settled on plain water and a mix of NaaK wafers, bars and whatever was at the aid stations. Lots of training with these gae me confidence this could be the answer. In training, I knew I needed to do long back to backs and become happy with running fatigued. My best races have always been off of the back of this type of training.

Training was going well, nutrition seemed sorted and then a FNQ heatwave hit. This came in the middle of a push block and on a squad run, I become desolate and quite upset at how things were going. I was running with a quick group and was unable to maintain their pace. I am accustomed to being a slower runner, but I was last, by a long way. If I’d had toys, they’d have been out of the pram well and truly. Just as I was about to breakdown, Josh came down the trail and we had a chat. It was the sort of discussion you need once in a while. There was nothing revelatory and no lightbulb moment, but he did say, ‘just dig it out, like the last 10km of an ultra’. So I did, I changed my mindset and approach. I took that with me for the rest of the training block. Alone, bored, doing the session, but just pretending it was the last bit, the final push.

One last long run (6hrs up and down Black Mountain Road…) and I was extremely ready. Going into taper, I actually felt the best I’d ever felt. It sounds like a cliche, but almost like a coiled spring ready to go!

The Big Day

The event week was amazing. Rotorua is located in a geo thermal area, with sulphur filling the air. The scenery is beautiful and the people more so. We attended the Race Directors BBQ and had a walk around a wildlife area, following the next morning with a welcome from the local indigenous people. The atmosphere was electric (if not a bit thick with sulphur!).

Race morning came and the 102 (now 104km) runners assembled at the meeting point. We were brought forward to have the tranditional welcome before the horn sounded to release us. 600 people running around a geothermal hotspot, through clouds of steam, in the early morning light. I challenge anyone to conjure up a more dramatic start to an epic running adventure.

The race had started, I felt good and I was controlling myself and my pace. First aid station was dispatched, some water, eat some of my food. The second station was the first time the queue for the loo was less than for the water. Due to 50km runners (1600 of them) and 100 runners sharing some parts of the course and due to the different start times, it meant that Lake Rotokakahi become congested, made more complex by a loop (that some runners missed due to the congestion). It is what it is, but 15mins spent waiting for water was a longer break than many expected.

Loop done and 29km completed, off to Millar 1. This was my favourite aid station. We’d all revisit it as it was on the way back from Okataina, but suffice to say the chill mood in the late evening was replaced by some full EDM at 1am!

Millar to Okataina was a vicious climb, followed by a loop. It was here that my plans started to go awry.

The Challenges

I had a mini vomit on one of the ascents. Just liquid and it was quick and a relief. I was still drinking but as we climbed, I noticed a twinge getting more pronounced in my right knee. Getting to the next aid station (57km) I took my time, strategised, had a long rest and worked on a plan. For the next while I was going to use cheap energy, coke, oranges, melons, sugar coated lollies. The knee was starting to really play up and was painful, but I found a stick to use as a crutch (mental as much as anything) and then walked/hiked back to Millar. Some more cheap energy, but now 80km down, there was no way I wasn’t finishing.

This was where the mental part of ultra running becomes critical. I pushed onto Lake Tikitapu, well into the early morning, to be greeted by the most amazing aid station workers. 90km in, I was going to do this. The knee by this stage wasn’t bending and I was in a constant left turn, countered by my body leaning the opposite side. It made for some interesting walking.

Finally, after what seems like an eternity we emerged at Redwood, the last aid station. Another sit down, gathering my thoughts. And off we went, now mainly road, but doing a fast hike around the lake, with security guards and aid workers letting us know that it was only 2km to go! In the early hours of the Sunday morning, we needed to follow a path around a steaming, smelly sulphurous lake, with signs warning you what will happen if you stray. Perhaps not the best time to being such important navigation!

Down The Chute

I had decided that after 50km of very hiking, I was going to run the last 100m into the chute. It was the furthest I’d run, hurt like hell, but it felt so good.

In the end, it was 108.84km and 2661m of elevation gain. It was the single most hardest thing I've ever done. It hurt like hell. My knee is still upset at me. But I can’t wait to do it again, perhaps not next year, but 2026 (and the Miler?).

There is something, a feeling of complete and utter exhaustion that few people get to experience. We ultra runners are fortunate that we can get to sample this feeling.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

AUTRA News Report 19-02-2025

By Kate Dzienis • February 19, 2025

The latest in race results, covering Cradle Mountain Run, City Run, Oscars 100 Hut 2 Hut and Yaberoo Trail Ultra.

Final 2024 Points Competition Results

By Alexis Oosterhoff • January 30, 2025

Results for the 2024 AUTRA Points Competition have been finalised, and are available on our Points Competition page. Full details of the top 10 (as shared on Facebook during January) are detailed below, and results for all participating AUTRA members can be found in the documents at the above link. It was a real battle throughout the year between our top two finishers, Phil Gore & Kevin "BK" Matthews, with both giving it their it their all at events, and through contributions to the community - volunteering at multiple events, and submitting articles to our monthly newsletter, Ultramag. They finished within 2km of total distance for the year (Phil on 1203.087km, and Kevin on 1205.510km), and it was only Phil's final volunteering effort on 6 Inch Trail Marathon in December that gave him the that very narrow victory. As you'd be aware from previous communications, this marks the end of the Points Competition. With trail running (of all distances) now incorporated into AU T RA's constitution, and after careful consideration of the costs of the competition payouts in it's current form, the committee felt it was time for it's retirement. This marks my seventh and final year of delivering the points competition to membership (2018-2024), after taking on the role from Cheryl Symons. It has brought me great joy in doing so, and I feel like I've had an opportunity to get to know so many of our members through seeing their race (and volunteering) performances over the years! I'm continuing in my role as the AUS/NZL statistician for DUV (from whom we shared the data for the points comp), and you can expect to continue to find your ultra-race result on their site. 1st Place - Phil Gore (WA) - 86 points Phil's achievements this year have included a massive 265.653km (and 2nd place) at the IAU 24h Asia & Oceania Championships, wins at the Red Dirt Backyard Ultra (33 laps), the Australian leg of Big Dog's Backyard World Team Championship (96 laps), and the Soochow/Taipei 24h Ultramarathon (270.826km). He also knocked out an easy (!) 72km at the Light Horse Ultra 24h in between supporting his amazing wife Gemma. Those two 24h wins netted Phil new Oceania 24h Open Male records, IAU Level 1 qualifiers, and pushed him to the top of Australia's 24h trophy board (with only the great Yiannis Kouros having run further). Phil topped-up his points by contributing one article to Ultramag, worked as an Event Director at Herdy's Frontyard Ultra, and volunteered at a further five events through the year. He finished on 86 points. 2nd Place - Kevin Matthews (WA) - 84 points Finishing in 2nd place in the AUTRA 2024 Points Competition is WA's Kevin Matthews. He monstered his way through the year with finishes at Australia Day Ultra 100km, Delirious WEST 200mi, 24 laps at Herdy's Frontyard Ultra, 190km at Light Horse Ultra 24h, 23 laps at Birdy's Backyard Ultra, and also completed Feral Pig 100 miler, Sandman 50km and Six Inch 47km. And to top things off, he contributed five articles to Ultramag, and volunteered at five events. BK ran 1205km in Ultramarathon races this year, all of them AUTRA-listed, and surpassed 100 marathon finishes (including 51 Ultramarathons!) Kevin finished the year on 84 points, a massive 34 points ahead of our 3rd place finisher Sue Robertson. 3rd Place - Sue Robertson (WA) - 50 points Finishing in 3rd place in the AUTRA 2024 Points Competition is WA's Sue Robertson. Sue completed the Ultra Series 100 miler trilogy of Delirious WEST, Irrational SOUTH and Unreasonable EAST, and rounded out her year with the Sandman 50km and Six Inch 47km races. She received 30 points from the racing at AUTRA-listed events, and was awarded a further 20 points by volunteering across eight events and contributing two articles to Ultramag, for a total of 50 points for the year. Thank you Sue! 4th Place - Margie Hadley (WA) - 47 points Finishing in 4th place in the AUTRA 2024 Points Competition is WA's Margie Hadley . She was the top-female finisher at both the No Time to Die Frontyard Ultra & Wild Dog Backyard Ultra, 2nd at Birdy's Backyard Ultra, ran 182km at the Australian 24h Track Invitational and placed 3rd at Coast to Kosci. Margie received 47 points in the competition 5th Place - Melissa Robertson (NSW) - 44 points Finishing in 5th place in the AUTRA 2024 Points Competition is NSW's Melissa Robertson. Melissa took out 1st place at Irrational SOUTH 200 miler, 2nd place at Lakes Trail Festival 100km, 1st place at Hume & Hovell 100 miler, 3rd place at Rumble in the Jungle and 6th place at Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko 100 miler! She also volunteered at the GNW 50km event, receiving 44 points in the competition! 6th Place - Aaron Young (WA) - 42 points Finishing in 6th place in the AUTRA 2024 Points Competition is WA's Aaron Young . Aaron finished in 1st place at each of the Ultra Series "Triple Crown" of 200 milers (Delirious WEST, Irrational SOUTH and Unreasonable EAST), 55 laps at Big Dog's Backyard World Team Championship, and rounded his year out with Feral Pig 100 miler. Aaron receives 42 points, just nudging ahead of Maree Connor (who also finished on 42 points) on a count-back 7th Place - Maree Connor (NSW) - 42 points Finishing in 7th place in the AUTRA 2024 Points Competition is NSW's Maree Connor. Maree had an outstanding year, achieving 2nd place with 221km (and an IAU Level 1 qualifier) at the IAU 24th Asian and Oceania Championships, 1st place at the Lakes Trail Festival 100km, 1st place with 67km at the Southern Sydney 6h race, and 1st place with 116km at the Narrabeen Allnighter 12h. Maree also competed at Spartathlon race this year (for which she contributed an article to the September Ultramag on her experience), receiving 42 points in the competition. 8th Place - Darren Linney (SA) - 41 points Finishing in 8th place in the AUTRA 2024 Points Competition is SA's Darren Linney . Darren completed 34 laps at No Time to Die BYU, 199km at the Adelaide 24h race, and 814km at the Australian 6 Day race, for a total of 1241km raced and 41 points . 9th Place - Tristan Cameron (WA) - 40 points Finishing in 9th place in the AUTRA 2024 Points Competition is WA's Tristan Cameron. Tristan completed the Ultra Series Triple Crown of 200 mile races (Delirious WEST, Irrational SOUTH and Unreasonable EAST), along with Feral Pig 100 miler, for a total of 1154km raced and 40 points. 10th Place - Jen Millum (WA) - 39 points Finishing in 10th place in the AUTRA 2024 Points Competition is WA's Jen Millum . Jen finished 1st at all three of the Ultra Series Trilogy of 100 milers (Delirious WEST, Irrational SOUTH and Unreasonable EAST), and was 2nd female with 35 laps at the Wild Dog Backyard Ultra. With a volunteer stint at the Yaberoo Trail Ultra, Jen finished the year with 39 points in the competition. To view the complete list of members who secured points in 2024 click here and then follow through to Points Summary under the 2024 tab. All winners have already been contacted, with cash prizes distributed for 1st - 7th places, and AUTRA Store vouchers sent for 8th, 9th & 10th.