Nelson Lakes sits towards the top of the South Island in New Zealand and provides a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts; hikers, bikers and of course, trail runners. This serene part of New Zealand hosts glistening waters, alpine landscapes and dense pine forests. Arriving for the first time in this idyllic National Park, the landscape and surroundings reminded me of the European Alps, with an abundance of pine forests, rugged peaks and crystal clear lakes. This Alpine paradise on the South Island is however without mass tourism and development, making it a peaceful paradise to fully immerse yourself in.
Camping at the Department of Conservation site, Kerr Bay in St Arnaud, I set my sights on running the perimeter of Lake Rotoiti. These plans sadly fell through, after a sleepless night as a mouse decided to join me in my van to keep warm from the sub zero temperatures. Determined not to be beaten by the mouse, however, I still laced up my running shoes that day for a shorter out and back 10km run, which is how I discovered the 'Loop the Lake' event organised by 'Nelson Events' which was taking place just the following weekend.
With thanks to the super helpful organisers at Nelson Events and after some last minute drop outs, I was able to squeeze into the event at short notice. Arriving back in this tranquil spot the following weekend, I couldn't have been more excited to lace up my running shoes and conquer the perimeter of this stunningly beautiful lake.
The morning of the race had an exciting buzz about it. Rising bright and early, I could sense the anticipation around the campground where I had stayed the night before, with fellow runners fuelling themselves with porridge and making the final checks to their mandatory kit. Making my way to registration to collect my race number and undertake final preparations for the race, I was struck with how efficient and friendly the organisers were and it was clear they were experts in putting on fun, well organised events for all to enjoy.
As all 400 runners headed to the lakes edge for the start line, the nervous anticipation kicked in. Lucky enough, I was able to spend the first part of the morning with a family of runners whose friendliness took my mind off the feat that lay ahead. Having only run a half marathon distance before and having just recovered from covid a few weeks prior, I knew what lay ahead would be a challenge, but one I was excited and eager to take on.
The race started on a series of small back roads, with some sections of steeper elevation to immediately warm us runners up. I got myself into a steady rhythm, using a few runners around to help pace myself and keep momentum in the early stages of the race. Around 4km in, we passed some marshals who ushered us onto the trail, which is where the real adventure started. This first section of trail was well maintained and easy to set a good pace, helped with the downhill gradient. The tricky section then began with rocks, roots and regular river crossings which became a feature every few kilometers. Intertwined with the sounds of the water lapping the lakes edge and runners pounding the trail was the constant birds song, which helped relax me as early signs of fatigue started to set into my legs.
The first half of the trail was extremely fun, but for me, it also felt technical and challenging. Although you were never far from the lakes edge, every step needed to be carefully placed because of the rugged and untamed terrain. Even early in the race at around 6k, I started to reflect on the mistakes I had already made in this event. I had been shivering at the start line and although I knew I would quickly warm up as soon as I settled into a reasonable pace, I still insisted on wearing my long sleeve running top, which was a school boy error. Then during the race, I spent several kilometers procrastinating taking it off, as my running number was safety pinned onto it. These things sound ridiculous after the event but in the moment and when you're in the zone, you only want to focus on the trail and keeping moving with a reasonable pace.
The first checkpoint was around 8 km into the race and we were all greeted by smiley marshalls and members of Search and Rescue (SAR). Rejoining the trail, the next six or so kilometres continued with narrow technical trail at the waters edge. In between the difficult sections were a few hundred meters of smooth trail, which weaved through the thick bush and were perfect to pick up some speed. The autumn colours were starting to reveal themselves, and the leaves underfoot gave some added cushioning to the dusty trails.
Around 15km into the run, I was nearing the Top of the Lake and the long awaited River Crossing. In previous years when there had been heavy rainfall, the river was very high and potentially dangerous. However, this year there had been very little rainfall in the days leading up to the event, so the river barely came above the middle of our shins. With the sun starting to beat down, the cold water actually provided some light relief and certainly cooled my feet down nicely. I stopped at the top of the Lake to speak to some of the marshals, who kindly reassured me that the next section was less challenging and in my own words 'all downhill from here'.
The next 5km felt forgiving compared to the first half of the race. The terrain levelled slightly and a few spots of rain, actually provided some light relief. My legs felt surprisingly strong, but I could tell cardiovascularly, I was struggling and that the fuel from my breakfast was quickly disintegrating. My water supply was almost out and although I did have plenty of food, this was hard to consume whilst continuing running along these challenging trails.
The final 5km of the race, despite having to push through fatigue, felt easier as this was the section of trail I had run before. To keep things exciting, there were still plenty of undulating parts of the trail and a handful of river crossings, but also a good amount of runnable sections, including the last 1km of the race which was pretty much all downhill. Just before the finish line, I caught up with a fellow runner who had resorted to walking. Having knowledge about this section of trail run earlier in the week, I knew it was totally runnable, so I encouraged him to slowly jog with me to the finish line.
Twisting around the last sections of trail, I could hear the crowds cheering on runners crossing the finish line which only spurred me on to keep my pace. Emerging out of the trees and seeing the beautiful lake clearly once more with the finish line in sight was an incredible way to finish what had been an incredible race. Crossing the finish line, I felt slightly overwhelmed. Completing this race felt like I had fulfilled so many of my goals in one. My first international race. My longest distance to date. My first alpine trail race. All in a serene and insanely beautiful location, in the centre of New Zealand, surrounded by a fantastic trail running community.
My result and time was nothing spectacular. I finished towards the end of the field, with a chip time of around 3h45 and my Garmin watch telling me my moving time was 3h35. All I set out to do was to complete the run, so finishing with a semi respectable time and enjoying the whole run pretty much from start to finish is all I'd hoped for.
I really cannot thank Nelson Events enough for putting on such a spectacular event. Being part of this incredible community, half the world away from home felt incredibly special and will be something which stays with me for a long time to come.
