Great Naseby Water Race 2024

An event that has quickly become a permanent fixture in our running calendar, we fronted up to the 2024 Great Naseby Water Race, for a third year straight. It feels now like coming home.

Our own format hasn’t changed in three visits. I’m yet to toe a start line. Lee enters and runs, usually the ‘short’ 50km distance. And I support… if taking 400+ photos counts as support?

A 10 kilometre figure-8 course through the forest, Race HQ situated right on the junction. Every 5km runners pass through, able to check in with their crew… or the pile of stuff they’ve left stacked against a vehicle, a folding chair, or for those going long (100km, a Miler, or the 200 Mile!), in their well set up gazebo. For an even such as this, you can absolutely do it self supported.

FRIDAY, 30th August

We arrive on Friday again for Lee to register and collect his bib. Runners have been staggered in their starts since Wednesday; and everyone must complete their distance by Saturday evening, or have themselves added to the already growing DNF tally. I leave Lee and the kids at HQ and head to ‘my spot’ on the top track. I’m only there for an hour, maybe a little more. Lee and Nathan do a track recce and come past smiling. I took 230 photos. And dread having to cull and select highlights for this post. I will try and keep it short… but keep your expectations low.

SATURDAY, 31st August

Other brisk start to the day. 2000ft above sea level, Naseby is the highest town in New Zealand, and understandably cold. Nestled in the gully, Race HQ is further disadvantaged – deprived of sun until mid morning, only then do things start to thaw out.

We catch up with RD Jill Wolff, in her 2nd (or 3rd) year since taking the reins from Jamie Sinclair. She seems to remember every competitor who comes through here, adding to the charm of this event and feeling of ‘coming home’.

The 50km distance Lee has entered, together with the 60k Teams event, get underway at 9am. Once they start, all seven races have began and there is a full gamut of colour coded bibs out there lapping the course. I spend most of my Saturday in ‘pit lane’ where I can balance my crew and parental duties and still take photos in the gaps between Lee’s laps.

Nath joins him on a couple of loops, including the 45-50k segment, taking Dad across to his finish line. It’s difficult here, unless you are crew or have been following diligently, to know who is on which lap, and sometimes it isn’t until they stop at the flags you realise a runner is indeed finished. I used to think it was a little underplayed and unceremonious, but I don’t know… now I’d argue there is more emotion and heart for the individual in a Naseby finish than any other I’ve experienced. Come and be the judge.

Lee completes in 5:02:18 and as 8th male in the 50km. He’s not at his best, but happy to have finished and added a little more distance to his Naseby tally. Excellent as always catching up with Jamie (aka Trail Dad) who was still chipping away at his 80km when we had to leave (last photo).

Congrats everyone. We can’t wait to be back in 2025. Hoping I too can finally get a start!