100km Team

The 100km teams event is designed for people who want to do the full Monty with a group of mates.

The First leg (32km) will suit the endurance king or queen who is also happy to rise early and run with a headlight for a bit. It takes in the incredibly stunning Waihaha and Waihora trails, followed by some farmland to the change over station at the end of Hingarae Road at the woolshed.

The Second leg (18km) will suit the school cross country champ who eats farmland, 4WD, forestry, and roads for breakfast. This leg takes your runner across some raw remote farmland before spitting them out onto a forestry track, followed by a gravel and tarsealed road section to stretch the legs. This will take them into the changeover point at the airstrip on Whangamata Road.

The Third leg (26km) will suit the trail loving cruiser. It starts with a smooth flowing trail with lots of downhill into Kawakawa Bay, this is followed by a small climb and then a leisurely meander on the K2K trail into the Kinloch, a cool section on the Whangamata Stream Trail before hitting the Domain and the change over station.

The Fourth leg (24km) is clearly for the hill loving glory seeker to bring it home. If the rest of you are slow, this person might also run in the dark. This leg takes in the stunning W2K Trail including the remote headland loop, finishing in Whakaipo Bay.

Start Time

5.30am at Waihaha carpark on Western Bays Road, State Highway 32

Race Briefing

The race briefing for the 70km, and 100km events (including relay teams) is compulsory. Please make sure you attend. At the briefing we will go over all the logistics of the event as well as cover the all important health, safety and medical aspects of the event.
Please see times and locations here.

Teams Transport

Teams have two transport options:

1. The first runner gets the bus from either the Taupo isite (3.20am) or Whakaipo Bay finish line (4.00am) to the start line (see Transport) while everyone else sleeps in and then you meet the first runner at the first aid station or the end of the first leg.

2. All team members travel to the start in a car and then traverse around the course for the day.

All team changeovers are:

• Accessible by car

• Located at aid stations

• At the cut-offs (which are the same as the solo event)

Driving Instructions from Taupō to the Changeover Stations

Relay changeover point 1, end of Hingarae Road
Head out of Taupo to the Thermal Explorer Highway go across the control gate bridge and head up the hill for 1km. Turn left into Poihipi Road, travel along Poihipi Road for approx 27.1km then turn left into Marotiri Road travel along Marotiri Road for approx 5km. Turn left into SH32 travel approx 19km along SH32 until you reach the Hingarae Road, travel along Hingarae road for 5.3km. Turn left into the farm and follow signs to parking.

Relay changeover point 2
From Relay changeover point 1, head out of Hingarae Road to SH32 turn right onto SH32 drive along SH32 for 10.2km, then turn right into Whangamata Road, travel along Whangamata Road for 10.2kms until you see race signs for the 50km start. Please take care on Whangamata road as there will be runners and traffic and this is a narrow winding road.

Relay changeover point 3
Turn right out of the driveway into Whangamata Road. Drive 9.8km before turning right into Kinloch road (follow signs to Kinloch) after 2.1km turn right to stay on Kinloch Road, turn left into the Domain carpark

(These are suggestions only, please consult a map for specific directions.)

Compulsory Gear

Please see Health & Safety page.

Aid Stations

The Aid Stations are stocked with lollies, gingernuts, chips, pretzels, sandwiches (peanut butter or vegemite) bananas and oranges, water, R-Line electrolyte drink and coke. Fluid will be available in jugs and water containers to enable competitors to fill up drink bottles or bladders. Aid stations are clearly marked on the course maps (distances approx).

Sandwiches & Oranges will not be available at the final two aid stations (headland).

In an effort to reduce our footprint, we ask that you please bring either a reusable cup, drink bottle or hydration bladder as there will be no disposable cups.

Lights

All 100km runners will need to have a light for the final 24km leg from Kinloch to Whakaipo Bay if they enter that trail after 2:00pm. So either have lights on you, or put your light in your last drop bag for pick up at Kinloch.

Cut off Times

This is the time you must LEAVE the aid station – not arrive. Please ensure you are aware of the cut-off times - these will be strictly enforced for your safety.

• 10.45am: Hingarae Road end (68km remaining)

• 1.45pm: At the airstrip on Whangamata Road (50km remaining)

• 6.30pm: Kinloch Domain (24km remaining)

• 7.45pm: Beginning of Headland loop (18km remaining) - Any participant arriving after this time will be required to take the short cut to the finish in Whakaipo Bay and will not receive a finishers medal or an official result.

• 12.00am : Finish Line Cut Off/Closed - Any participant arriving after this time will be considered a DNF and will not receive a finishers medal or an official result.

  We have introduced an official finish line cut-off of midnight, for the first time this year. The intermediate cut-off’s have always been based around trying to get everyone home by this time, but this change is to provide more certainty and safety to our event systems, by ensuring everyone is finished by midnight.

  If this is your first time doing an Ultra or you are unsure if you can make the midnight cut-off, we recommend you try a lesser distance this year, see how it goes and came back next year and have another crack at the longer event

Required Pace In Each Section To Meet Cut Offs

• Start to Hingarae Road - 10min/km

• Hingarae Road to Airstrip - 10.2min/km

• Airstrip to Kinloch Domain - 10.6min/km

• Kinloch Domain to Beginning of Headland loop - 12.5min/km

• Beginning of Headland loop to Finish Line - 14.2min/km

Dropbags

Dropbag services are not available for relay teams

Spectators

Spectators can see their runners/walkers at the Waihaha Road end, Hingarae Road end, Whangamata road (airstrip), Kinloch (see map) Those active spectators who want to cheer on their runners near the finish should meet them at the style at the end of the gravel road at the end of Whakaipo Bay and run along the road to the finish with them.

100km Statistics*

• Elevation gain 1853m

• Single trail 80%

• Offroad 10%

• Road 10%

  *Elevations sourced from Garmin and Strava. The final event maps, distances and elevations are subject to changes as we finalise the course details and logistics.

• %'s are approximate

• Single trail = bliss!

• Offroad = 4WD trails or farm

• Road = gravel or sealed road