Rakiura Challenge 2024

Our second year at Rakiura Challenge and lessons were learnt in 2023. In anything less than perfect conditions, the 20min plane ride is far more of a tolerable journey across the Strait than sitting through 60 minutes of vomit inducing swell on a boat. And coming from someone that dislikes flying, and dislikes tiny planes even more… that’s saying something.

Like last year we booked an Air BnB with friends and travelled together across on the Thursday. That gave the running housemates time for a shake out jog and a chance for all of us to explore the beaches ahead of the race. Also like last year, I planned on running an ‘unofficial’ Rakiura Challenge on the Friday, a day earlier than the main event. A recce for the crew if you will. Nath (12) put his hand up to join me this year.

Grateful for our early travel plans – there were some horror stories and poorly looking passengers disembarking from the Friday boats. The plane no better on this occasion, with the later afternoon and evening flights cancelled completely. It would end up that 27 competitors would miss the race start, their replacement flight on Saturday morning making it across Foveaux, but heartbreakingly having to turn back as low cloud made landing on the island impossible.

FRIDAY, 4th October

We could see the start line from our BnB this year, so Lee Nath and I set off from the house. Lee would only join us to the start of trail at… wait for it… Lee Bay; thus keeping his shoes dry and his legs fresh for the following day. I wore a larger vest to carry my big DSL, but with the weather looking pretty grim, Lee made the suggestion I unload it for him to carry home. It was the right call. This year’s Rakiura loop would be much slower and more about keeping Nath’s spirits high in the cold, wet, and utterly miserable conditions.

I like to think the track is not as swampy and soupy the day before 250 runners fly through and churn it up. Last year we got through pretty clean and wondered what all the fuss was about, but this weekend, there was no avoiding it! And there was no being “less muddy”. Section after section of shin deep mud lay before us. At first we tried to avoid it, skirting around the edge of the trail, but as the rain (so much rain) set it, it just slowed us down even further. So up the guts we went. Lots of slipping, skidding and yelping. Still, we remained on our feet, we ran, we hiked, and eventually ticked off the 32km course crossing what would be the race day finish line.

Then it was straight back to the house for a hot shower to shed the mud from… everywhere!

The crew had checked in and picked up their merch from race rego early, so once we Nath and I were clean and had replenished some calories, we piled into the van and headed back to the Community Centre for what is probably my favourite part of this (or anything other) race – the Runners Dinner.

250 competitors plus volunteers, friends and family. On a small island this almost doubles the residency, and catering for this influx would be almost impossible if left to the small number of existing eateries. And so all runners and guests assemble in the hall, tables and chairs laid out in banquet fashion, catered for by the SIT students flown in from Invercargill, a large scale group dinner is served! Fridays feast; pasta, bolognese, roast vegetables, salads and more. Theres a rolling tide of waves and hugs, catching glimpses of familiar faces across the hall, and excited rendezvous with friends from all over New Zealand. Although this year, 24 are missing… among them our friend Tash. The elevated wind has prevented the last two planes from landing. Their passengers sent home for the night, and the rest of us prepped for a later than usual start, a generous and incredible compromise from the race officials giving these hopeful competitors every chance of getting to the island and lining up on for their planned race start.

SATURDAY, 5th October

Despite the short distance, I drive the crew down to the start. Its cold and they can layer up and then treat the car like a giant suitcase, dumping off what the don’t need until the end.

Unfortunately the race won’t be at capacity. We had heard an aircraft flying earlier and were certain the competitors who hadn’t been able to get here last night had arrived; but whispers suggest that they circled the island and due to the low cloud, were unable to land. So after that short joyride, they’d had to retreat back to Invercargill. Heartbreaking.

Lee, Sagar and Kris collected their bibs and we linked up with Amanda and David just before the start. With everyone (well, everyone on the island) checked in, the race was set to start pretty close to it’s scheduled time. Let’s go!

You can tell those Fiordland lads – Sagar and Ritchie leaving their sleeves at home!

I almost missed the runners start. And left the race HQ dirtier than I’d gotten the day before! After taking a few photos of the everyone gathered under the start banner, I turned my back and hooned up Lee Road, camera in hand. I planned to snap a few more pics of the runners spread out and flying past – without the obstruction of spectators and phones/cameras stretched out across the track.

It was only a couple of hundred meters, around a sharp corner, and on a well groomed gravel road. While my efforts ended up not being in vein, there was a cost. A spectator hollered out at me as I sprinted past. A brief look over my shoulder was my undoing. Marginally off course, one foot too close to the edge, and the long grass disguising a deep ditch, down I went. Instincts thankfully preserved my camera from water or damage, but that was all. I was now eye level with the road and the starters gun echoed from around the bend. Out of sheer desperation, with bruised ego, and in the most ungraceful one-handed way possible, I managed to haul myself out of the ditch and prop my wet muddy self roadside just as the runners came into sight. A few photos taken, 60 seconds of cheering, searching for familiar faces in the blur, and it was over. Now I had to trudge home for a second shower, my second pair of shoes now as wet as the first.

Fast friends. Hearing the MC give updates as to David Haunschmidt’s whereabouts near the finish, everyone including me, was trying to do the math. He’d be achingly close to the course record… In the end he just missed out. His 2:34:09 only two minutes off last years winner Matthew Arnold’s 2:32:03.

Sagar Khemani had an epic run too, collecting a course PB and coming home in 2nd place with 2:53:03. Look at those legs. Pretty sure everyone bought most of the track back to town with them.
All smiles though! Congratulations.

A massive congrats to my Lee. 6th in the ‘older’ fellas cat. and 21st overall. 3:30:07 not quite as fast as last year, but he reckons it was way more fun in all that mud!

Loved how all the local kids gathered at the finish line, getting the runners to autograph cups and whatever else they could get pen to stick to. Two teams of local school kids also entered the Schools Challenge and ran amazingly well. The local businesses and residents were incredible too, as were all of the volunteers who kept the vibes high throughout the day, bringing joy and colour even when the skies were grey. Seriously, you need to experience this event for yourself to see how the island community just supports and gets behind this race.

Massive thanks to Morgan and the Rakiura Challenge team. As soon as the dates for their 2025 event were announced at the Saturday evening dinner and prizegiving, our phones are out and we locked in accomodation for next race weekend. Looks like we’ll be back for a third year in a row to dip our feet in the mud, collect another mug, and enjoy the outstanding hospitality of Rakiura / Stewart Island!

We finish our ‘holiday’ by checking out of the BnB and dropping our bags at the local depot so we can enjoy a few short walks and be tourists before our 5pm flight. Coffee at the Snuggery, exploring the DOC Visitor Centre and local Art Gallery, lunch at the Kai Kart, then we test those legs with the steep climb from town up to Observation Rock and across to the Fuchsia and Raroa Walks. An epic weekend away with an awesome crew – thanks to our housemates Sagar and Kris. A most excellent time.