Some of New Zealand’s toughest ultra-marathon runners are in for a gruelling three days when they hit the track — any time of the day or night — for the backyard ultra world team championships this weekend.
Each member of the 15-person team — aptly named the Flying Kiwis — will complete a 6.7km lap every hour, competing against 63 other countries around the world, until there is only one person left standing.
Teams compete in their own countries, but all 1000 athletes start at the same time across the world.
New Zealand runners start at 1am on Sunday outside the Otematata Hotel.
They will race two loops: a day loop along the Otematata Wetlands track, and a night loop along the cycle track towards the Benmore Dam, giving runners beautiful scenery to take in as they push their bodies to the limit.
Seasoned Dunedin ultra-marathon runners Glenn Sutton, John Bayne and Chris Taylor are among a strong Otago contingent that also features Shannon Rhodes, of Waikouaiti, and Julia Chamberlain, of Wanaka.
They are joined in the New Zealand team by Sam Harvey, Anthony Kerr-Taylor, Simon McLean, Jeremy Pelvin, Caleb Pearson, Brion Matthews, Glenn Tomlinson, Johan Bergman, Carl Read and Jane McAlpine.
Co-organiser Steve Tripp said there was good depth across the crew with several promising runners in the growing ultra format.
"I’m excited to see how far they can go," Tripp said.
"They probably don’t know their potential yet.
"I think none of us really know our potential until we just push a wee bit harder.
"Everyone’s wanting to try hard and go a bit further."
New Zealand finished 11 of 37 countries in 2022, when Harvey ran the national record of 46 laps (308km) at the time.
They are ranked ninth this year and Tripp tipped the team to punch well above their weight and possibly break national records.
The national record on New Zealand soil is 52 laps.
"I think that will probably be beaten by quite a few people" — and the women’s world record sits at 74 laps, which Chamberlain could challenge.
"We’ve got a couple of very strong women in the team."
Tripp, who was also down to compete until a knee injury ruled him out, said he, and other support staff, would be on site to help the New Zealand athletes, but many also had their own support crews.
"Some of the runners have quite individual needs, so they hold their own support crews that know exactly what they want, and when they need it, and can kick them out the door again every time the whistle goes."
He encouraged anyone passing by to stop and cheer on the team throughout the event.
