Outer Edge Magazine

Lake to Lighthouse – sounds fairly benign, doesn’t it? But plonk a dirty, big 46km mountain run smack-bang in the middle of a two-day multisport race, and even champions can be brought to their knees. STORY: Emma Francis.

Jarad Kohlar, prior to the race

“Please don’t leave me.”

  It’s not every day that Jarad Kohlar, Australian Multisport Champion, begs a plodding novice to slow down on a trail run. I should know; as his partner and very-occasional training companion, I’m more used to seeing his jaunty figure slowly fade to a speck on the horizon as I huff and puff to keep within a coo-eee. The man is a mountain goat on speed.

  But on this warm and sticky afternoon high above the cobalt expanse of Lake Waikaremoana, in Te Urewera National Park on New Zealand’s North Island, Kohlar has met his Waterloo. Cramping through the legs, barely able to keep down fluids, and reduced to a shuffle that would make Cliff Young turn in his grave, the wheels are falling off his usually well-oiled machine. And while I can’t help but feel slightly chuffed that I’ve managed to catch him, the dutiful girlfriend in me is beginning to fret for his wellbeing. Of course I won’t leave him.

  Not that I’ve been setting any land speed records; with a spinning head and heart rate through the roof, I feel like I’m on the verge of a cardiovascular meltdown. As Kohlar so eloquently puts it, as we contemplate yet another near-vertical scramble over beech and podocarp roots, “This run is bullshit.” Breathtakingly beautiful, but bullshit.

STRETCHING 46KM FROM HOPURUAHINE TO ONEPOT via way of Panekire Bluff – at its cruel crescendo, ascending some 600 metres in ### kilometres – “this run” makes up the third and fourth gut-busting legs of the Genesis Energy Lake to Lighthouse Challenge, an epic two-day multisport race touted as one of New Zealand’s most gruelling. Comprising 184km of mountain biking, road cycling, kayaking and trail running, it’s the kind of physical challenge that leaves wannabe amateurs like myself marvelling at the limits of human endurance.

  Which is probably why it takes a couple of professionals to conquer it. The husband-and-wife duo of Richard and Elina Ussher, from Nelson on New Zealand’s South Island, have stamped their name on the race, having taken out the male and female open solo categories respectively in both years it has run. And on the eve of the third Lake to Lighthouse, everyone agrees it’s the Usshers’ race to lose. Although, this year there’s a new kid in town; Kohlar, the only Aussie in the field, is determined to apply a little trans-Tasman pressure.

  “It will be nice to have someone breathing down my neck and creating a challenge,” a relaxed Richard tells me as he prepares hydration packs and does a final check over his mountain bike ahead of the first day’s racing. “Last year, there wasn’t a very strong field and, barring catastrophe, I was unlikely to lose. But with Jarad here, I know I have to really race and stay motivated. Plus there are some really competitive Kiwi boys I have to watch, like Trevor Voyce and George Christison.”

  With good looks to match their enviable VO2 maxes, the Usshers are household names in the world of multisport and adventure racing, and here, in the blink-and-you-miss-it town of Tuai, where the race begins, they are received like celebrities. As the marquees go up and the athletes roll in, the local kids can be heard excitedly whispering about a dude called ‘Ussher’ coming to the hood, and they’re not talking about the black-American R&B star.

  Indeed, the warmth and hospitality of the local community is one of the reasons globe-trotting athletes like the Usshers continue to cart their boats and bikes along winding dirt roads for miles on end to make the start line. (Because getting to this race is an adventure in itself, especially if you’re a couple of Aussies with a hire car and a dodgy GPS.)

  “It always takes something pretty special to bring you back to a race a third time, and for the Lake to Lighthouse, that something special is all the little bros from around here,” says Richard. “It’s fantastic that all the people involved are having a positive affect on them. It’s giving them the idea that, if they put their minds to something, they can achieve anything, and that’s really positive for all the community.”

  With over 200 volunteers rolling up their sleeves for everything from marshalling, to catering, to organising cultural entertainment and displays, it’s evident the Lake to Lighthouse has significance far beyond sweaty brows, cramping calves, and gnarly gravel descents – it’s a much-needed shot in the arm for an often maligned community. Negative press about gang violence has dogged the region in recent times, and the event is seen as a crucial opportunity to highlight what it does well.

  “That’s something you’ll see over the weekend – just how hospitable the local Maori communities are,” says race organiser, Chris Joblin. “They really enjoy having the people come and experience this unique part of New Zealand and are justifiably proud of it.”

Not sure you’re supposed to go in for a kiss Jarad…

  Despite numbers being down on previous years, Joblin is hopeful the race won’t suffer the same fate as a number of other once-popular kiwi races, such as the Southern Traverse, which had to be canned in 2010 due to lack of interest.

  “The course is very much designed for teams, and while entries are down a bit this year – which we can only put down to the economy – we’re up in two person teams,” he says. “The biggest deterrent for solo competitors is the two back-to-back run legs on day one. Forty-six kilometres is a long way, but that particular 46km is just relentless. What we’ve found is that a lot of people who came last year as individuals can still remember the pain six months later – so this time around they’ve entered as a two person team.”

  Indeed, it’s the epic five-hour-plus run that will make or break any competitor’s race, be they flying solo, or sharing the load. While the paddle and bike legs are tough in their own right, they are mere sideshows to the main act. Taking in the entire length of the Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk, which is usually trekked over three to four days, the run is split into two legs – a lazy 26km of undulating track to start with, followed by a lung-busting climb up and along Panekire bluff, and a rutty, cartilage-crunching descent to T4 and the final mountain bike leg. It’s not an extremely technical run, but the interminable up and down will have you on your knees – literally.

  “It’s not like a marathon plus five kilometres – it’s a marathon plus three hours,” says Richard Ussher. “If you go nuts on the first half, you get spanked on the second half.”

  Which is exactly what Jarad Kohlar is discovering firsthand, as he hobbles to the final transition, an equally shattered girlfriend by his side. Fortunately the final mountain bike leg is an easy six-kilometre roll downhill, so if he can manage to swing his tortured legs over the saddle and hang on tight, he’ll make it through the day. But his race is over – not only is he a solid two hours behind the leading duo of Richard Ussher and Trevor Voyce, but he’s also been “chicked” twice, by leading women Elina Ussher and fellow New Zealander, Louise Mark. Tomorrow will merely be about going through the motions to save face – the anticipated trans-Tasman clash has not eventuated.

  “I got to the three-hour mark on the run and that was basically the end of my day,” a despondent Jarad tells media back at race HQ. “It’s probably one of the toughest runs I’ve had to do, and one you have to give a lot of respect to. With your training, obviously doing a 90-minute run as your longest training run isn’t enough. You need to be running three to five hours – in my case, probably seven.”

  As for Richard and Elina Ussher, they both head into day two with comfortable leads, having blitzed their own records from the previous year. Knowledge of the course and impeccable pacing has held them in good stead. And it’s a lead they’ll go on to maintain – and extend – all through the second day, as the field rides, paddles and runs its way from Tuai down to the coastal town of Wairoa, home of the eponymous lighthouse.

  Not that day two is without its dramas. Second-placed female, Louise Mark, succumbs to a nasty mechanical on the 43km road ride, destroying her tyre and putting her well out of reach of Elina Ussher, while on the same leg, eventual fifth placegetter, Karl Moore, is forced to tackle the sharp ascent in his toughest gear, thanks to a snapped cable. Watching the accomplished cyclist zig-zag his way up the 10 per cent gradient makes onlookers wince.

  But as the lighthouse comes into view, it’s all about the Usshers. As Richard crosses the line in a record 12 hours and 42 minutes, the local youth greet him with a rousing haka. Just over 90 mintues later, Elina crosses the line – her usually impeccable long, blonde ponytail is a little skew-whiff, but she’s still able to flash her adoring fans a winning smile. And there’s plenty to smile about – she and Richard are now $10,000 richer.

  After the race, I confess to Elina how awestruck I am by her superior athletic ability, and how utterly defeated I felt when she bounded past me on the Panekire climb, despite my considerable head start, and the fact I was only doing the latter 20km of the run.

  “People always ask me, ‘How do you do it?’, but they forget that this is how Richard and I make our living,” she says. “Training is our nine-to-five job and there is a lot of pressure to win, because if we don’t win, we don’t make money.”

  So did the couple get a moment to pause and enjoy the scenery while they were out there making a quid, or was it all just another day at the office?

  “I’ve recently done a fair bit of road racing, like the Ironman events, but I’ve now made a decision to move away from that because, when you’re racing out in the natural environment, you can draw a lot of inspiration from it,” says Richard. “When I was hurting today, I could look around and think, gees, where else would I rather be right now? It’s a very empowering environment to race in.”

  As for Jarad, who wound up 15th overall after battling through another tough run on the hot final day, he’ll be back next year to redeem his name and prove he’s not just a five-hour phenomenon.

  And me? When the memory of the pain wears off, perhaps in six months’ time, I too may be crazy enough to challenge Panekire to another dual. In the meantime, I better find some hills to climb.

FAST FACTS
The Genesis Energy Lake-to-Lighthouse Challenge kicks off at Lake Waikaremoana, in the Te Urewera National Park, on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island. Competitors traverse approximately 185km of stunning native bush tracks, country roads, farmland and rivers, by foot, mountain bike, road bike and kayak, to finish at the coastal town of Wairoa. The event is open to solo competitors and teams of up to four, with open, age-group and mixed categories. There’s also a Lake to Lighthouse Lite option for those who only want to take on the second day.

Day one starts with a 15km mountain bike on gnarly gravel roads, with a heart-starting 380-metre climb from the gun. The next leg is a scenic 14km kayak along Mokau inlet, followed by an epic 46km trail run along the Waikaremoana Great Walk Track, which is broken into two stages for the benefit of teams. The day then finishes with an easy 6km roll down to race village by mountain bike.

Day two starts with a 23km mountain bike along 4WD tracks, with plenty of up, not to mention some hair-raising down. Next is an awesome 43km road cycle that starts with a bang: a 360-metre climb over 3.5km, which quickly reveals who’s been putting the miles in on the road bike. Then it’s time to get the upper body into gear with a 23km river paddle from Frasertown to Wairoa – the tides favour the head of the field, so it pays to go hard early. Finally, just for that sting in the tail, there’s a 16km trail run along road, farmland and undulating ridge tops, with stunning views of the Mahia Peninsula to keep you motivated. Don’t be mistaken – there’s nothing ‘flat’ about this run, despite what the Kiwis may tell you!

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GETTING THERE
Air New Zealand now operate direct flights between Sydney and Rotorua. Leaving twice weekly, this great service means you can now fly right into one of New Zealand’s adventure hotspots without going via Auckland. With world-class mountain bike trails and tramping opportunities right on the doorstop, and the North Island’s premier snow fields visible from the airport, Rotorua offers as much adventure as you can handle. Year round fares are available from $249 one way at www.airnewzealand.com.au.

THE LAKE WAIKAREMOANA GREAT WALK

For the saner visitor to the climes – the ones who’d prefer to take in the beauty of Lake Waikaremoana over four days, as opposed to five hours – the Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk Track makes for a challenging, yet achievable multiday trek, with numerous huts and campsites dotted along the way.

Following much of the shore of Lake Waikaremoana, the walk traverses a range of terrain with many types of vegetation from the montane beech forest of Panekire Bluff, to dense rainforest. Podocarp mixed broadleaf forest is dominant in many areas, and there are over 650 types of native plant, some rare. Bird life in the area is abundant, and you may even see an elusive kiwi, thanks to a dedicated breeding program by the Department of Conservation and the Lake Waikaremoana Hapu Restoration Trust. Fishing, swimming and boating are just some of the ways you can pass the time when you’re not walking.
You will need to be reasonably fit to complete the walk, with a rutty climb and descent of about 600 metres over the Panekire Ridge. On average, you can expect to walk four to six hours a day.

You must book in advance to stay overnight at a hut or campsite. Bookings can be made at the Aniwaniwa Visitor Centre. Five huts along the track provide bunks, mattresses, a wood-burning stove or gas heater, water (if rainfall is sufficient), cooking benches and toilets. The five designated campsites have cooking shelters, grassed tent sites, water and toilets. However, you will need your own cooking stove.
To find out more, click here.