Bush run to show off Rotorua

26th February 2010

You'd think it would be a hard sell convincing runners to travel halfway around the world to run 60, 80 or 100km on bush tracks and forestry roads.

However, according to Tarawera Ultramarathon Race director Paul Charteris, it hasn't been hard at all.

"Of the 110 athletes already registered for the March 20 event, about 30 are travelling from overseas," he said of the Rotorua to Kawerau off-road trek.

"The majority are from across the Tasman but there's also a few hardy souls from USA, Canada, UK and Hong Kong."

Charteris, who grew up in the Bay of Plenty but has spent years racing in ultra-distance trail runs in the United States and Mexico, said the growth of these events worldwide had been meteoric.

"Trail ultra runs are low-key good-humoured sort of events," he said. "There's more of a sense of adventure than hardcore competition."

Making the event an adventure was hugely important for the athletes, Charteris said. The Tarawera Ultramarathon, which starts at the Rotorua Redwoods and finishes in Kawerau, features a mix of Department of Conservation tracks and forestry roads as it passes over hills, around lakes and along the Tarawera River.

Charteris said the event was a great chance to show off the district.

"I hope I am doing my bit for Rotorua tourism. It gave me a huge sense of pride last year when many of the athletes commented they did not know how spectacular the Rotorua lakes are.

"They had associated the area with the better-known thermal areas but had little idea of our forests, lakes and rivers."

The RotoruaNZ.com and Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust-sponsored event is in its second year. * The event website is at www.taraweraultra.co.nz.