Fell running in New Zealand

[Amex]

this is correct but there are a few trails to be run, depends where you are going in NZ Lemming

Run the Tongariro Alpine Crossing

Great day out

or on to the coromandel peninsula and up to Table Mountain

we found it is geared for walking (tramping) more than running

[jodg]

Gentlemen ! Sorry for the 'radio silence' !

Lemming - where abouts are you going to be in NZ ?

There is no central place that lists all the races in NZ. Best thing is to check online based on where you're going to be and when.

Chris Hope does a good job with his running calendar & newsletter and Pinchy posted the link earlier - http://www.runningcalendar.co.nz/

Perhaps the most famous moutain / fell race here is the Kepler Challenge (Te Anau, S Island) in December : http://www.keplerchallenge.co.nz/index.htm

Also there's "The Goat" - http://www.thegoat.co.nz/ - but that's full for December 2011 I see.

And a 30k trail race in Queenstown in January - http://www.activeqt.co.nz/events/sky-run-sky-ride/

SouthernSoftie's right - there is no open access here. Land is either private or claimed by the Maori and people are touchy about land ownership. In some places the Dept of Conservation have parks, forests etc with managed trails that you can go on. Plus in the national parks there are trails a plenty and above 1000m I think there are NO restrictions on access so you can 'go direct'.

I've discovered that if you're near a 'big' place (Auckland / Wellington / Christchurch) then you're well served with races, running series etc. However I'm a good 3+ hrs north of Auckland and it's lean pickings race-wise here !

If you need anything else then get in touch and I'll see if I can advise.

[IainR]

From chats with Jan on this very subject, I think the problem is no open access like there is over here, so you can't go off into th'ills on a whim. Hence you're limited to organised races which are few and far between due to permissions required, which might explain the cost as per Pinchy's comment.

Sounds like if you're not there at the time of a race, you've dipped. But I await Jan 'The Man' himself to confirm/contradict...

The general mountain running is fantastic, hut to hutting, tough trails, long climbs. What there isn't is many races.

[jodg]

Aye, Iain's right. In the mountains you can go pretty much anywhere.

You might find this new e-zine interesting. It's about NZ & OZ trail running :

http://trailrunnermag.wordpress.com/zine/

[TheLemming]

Thanks everyone and especially Jodg as I should be around for the Queenstown race.

Sorry for not including an itinery but I only have a very rough schedule at the moment and I'm flexible if it lets me get in a good race. I'm arriving in the NI on the 5th of December and leaving Christchurch on the 10th of Jan. I'll be touring both north and south islands.

[jodg]

Thanks everyone and especially Jodg as I should be around for the Queenstown race.

Sorry for not including an itinery but I only have a very rough schedule at the moment and I'm flexible if it lets me get in a good race. I'm arriving in the NI on the 5th of December and leaving Christchurch on the 10th of Jan. I'll be touring both north and south islands.

No probs, Lemming - wish I could be in Queenstown too !

Well, if by any chance you're travelling north of Auckland then drop me a line.

Otherwise hope you have a great trip and equally great race ! I've done a bit of running in the hills behind Q'town (where the gondola is) and found myself running the wrong way up a MTB downhill trail. Those guys were so cool - they didn't rant or anything, just swerved to avoid me and wished me well !

[Pinchy]

Where are you based jodg?

[jodg]

Where are you based jodg?

I'm in Kerikeri, Bay of Islands area. It's about 3 1/2 hrs north of Auckland. Nice place - very different to living on top of a windy hill on the edge of the Peak District !

[Tussockface]

I'm in Kerikeri, Bay of Islands area. It's about 3 1/2 hrs north of Auckland. Nice place - very different to living on top of a windy hill on the edge of the Peak District !

My sister lives up in Northland too, at Kohukohu - Kerikeri represents 'Bright Lights, Big City'!!

[jodg]

My sister lives up in Northland too, at Kohukohu - Kerikeri represents 'Bright Lights, Big City'!!

Crikey ! Been over to that part of the Hokianga. Don't think things have changed much there since 1952 ....