We stood on the grass in the dark and the rain—strangers, preparing for battle. Some against each other, most against the mountain.

I’ve been here before.

Last time we stood on him.

This time, we stood below him.

First challenge: rise up to meet him.

Kia ora, Te Maunga Ruapehu.

A couple of stray tears slipped down my face. Not nerves. Not fear. Just the weight of the journey it took to get here… and the quiet understanding of the brutality to come.

The Course

The new 100km course breaks down (on paper, at least…) into five sections:

Section 1 – Ohakune Up

14km | ~600m vert

Straight up the road. Simple. Relentless.

I probably went out a touch hot—but with tight cut-offs looming, there wasn’t much room for a casual warm-up. I hit the first aid station about 10 minutes quicker than in training, which felt like a small but meaningful win.

The amazing volunteers turned me around quickly, and I was back into it.

Section 2 – The Missing Link

23km | ~1300m vert

This is where things start to get interesting.

Bush trails, rocky valleys, and an endless, undulating moonscape of gravel and sand leading to Tukino. As we emerged from the bush, the sun came up—directly in our eyes—turning navigation through the rock fields and snow poles into a bit of a guessing game. We drifted off course more than once.

Then came the first wobble.

Both Achilles started chirping. ITB flared. Downhills hurt. Doubt crept in.

But I’ve been here before.

A few honest chats with my physio echoed in my head: “It’ll hurt, but you’re not breaking anything.”

So… half a cup of concrete and harden up.

Quick stop at Rangipo Hut—good to see Chris Bycroft briefly—then into Tukino right on schedule.

Crewed by my amazing wife and the legend Jason Cameron. Waverley had my drop bag dialled, quick turnaround, refuel, reload… go again.

Section 3 – The Tussock Traverse

23km | ~650m vert

Starts with a sharp downhill into the valley, then settles into runnable (read: ultra shuffle) terrain.

I found a rhythm here—nothing pretty, but consistent.

Craig and Nick came through, and I learned Waverley had been out there doing what Waverley does best—sorting people out with spare Tailwind and Panadol like some kind of ultra-running medic angel.

Just past Taranaki Falls, Waverley met me and ran me into the Chateau aid station. Another slick transition with Wave and Sarah—coke, nutrition, reset.

Then it was time.

Section 4 – The Goat

24km | 1400m+ vert

This is where the race earns its reputation.

Craig and Nick caught me early, and we stuck together for most of this section—which, honestly, made a huge difference.

The Goat is savage in daylight.

At night, with 70km in the legs? It’s something else entirely.

Mud chutes. River crossings. Steep rock. And then… the waterfall.

A hands-and-feet scramble up the side of a cascading waterfall. Slippery, exposed, relentless. Type 2 fun at its finest.

Much harder than the original course. Not even close.

At the top, I paused briefly—alone for a moment—to send a video to a friend. That spot held meaning for them. Not my story to tell, but carrying that with me all day helped get me there.

Craig and Nick waited just ahead (legends), and as we pushed on toward the road, we heard it—

Two feral voices echoing through the darkness.

Wave and Sarah.

Exactly what you need at that point in a race.

Section 5 – Downhill of Death

15km | ~800m descent

(Shoutout to whoever named that Strava segment—nailed it.)

You’d think after all that mountain work, a downhill road run would be a victory lap.

You’d be wrong.

Absolutely smashed legs. Every step a negotiation.

We leapfrogged a bit, then decided to bring it home together.

The Finish

Just over 100km.

~4200m of climbing.

24 hours, 58 minutes.

Two minutes faster than predicted. I’ll take that every day.

Crossing that finish line—with Craig and Nick—was something special.

Final Thoughts

The hardest 100km in the country?

I reckon it’s right up there.

To put it into perspective: conditions were about as good as you could hope for—and even then, there was close to a 20% DNF rate.

This course doesn’t care who you are.

It doesn’t negotiate.

But if you’re willing to lean into the suffering…

it’ll give you something back…… sore feet, sore legs, sore back….. and awsome memories and a sense of real achievment