One Month To Go Until Motatapu – Who Will Be On The Start Line?

Queenstown, New Zealand (31 January 2025) – Tomorrow, Saturday 1 February, marks one month to go until the Motatapu off-road events get underway in Queenstown and Wānaka. Started in 2005, the event has since gained iconic status in New Zealand and is known as the bucket-list off-road event. Motatapu attracts a unique mix of elite athletes, weekend warriors, first-time competitors and junior runners eager to join the fun and take on a challenge in one of the country’s most scenic locations. We take a look at who will be on the start line this year and what motivates them to sign up.

Rab 52km Ultra Run

This year’s start list boasts a number of elite athletes, but not necessarily in the disciplines you’d expect. An Olympic and Commonwealth Games medallist in track cycling, Eddie Dawkins has recently taken up running ultra marathons. Dawkins is signed up for the toughest challenge at Motatapu – the 52km Ultra Run – which involves 3000m of climbing as competitors traverse the stunning ridges and valleys of the Harris Mountain Range between Wānaka and Arrowtown. After spending years staring down at a thin black line on a racetrack, Dawkins says he’s at least looking forward to the views at Motatapu.

Pro-mountain bike race Katy Winton, who has represented the UK and Scotland on the world circuit of Enduro, may have been a shoo-in for the Motatapu Mountain Bike event but instead is also changing things up and taking on the Ultra Run.

Second-place finisher in the women’s 2024 Ultra, Hannah Wall, is back for a rematch and no doubt keen to see if she can bring her previous run time of 08:09:18 any closer to mountain running legend Ruth Croft’s course record of 6:38:04.

Majell Backhausen, who won the 2017 Ultra in an impressive time of 06:27:07, has also thrown his hat back in the ring and will be chasing down Weston Hill’s record-setting time of 06:04:05 from 2023.

Competitors in the Ultra Run have been warned not to be alarmed should they notice a policeman chasing them around the course. Chris Gardner is raising money for the Canterbury Cancer Society by running the 52km distance in his police vest. It’s not often that ultra runners opt to take on an extra 5kg of weight and endure a hot and uncomfortable piece of kit but Chris has special sign off from the race organisers and as a former member of the military has the experience to take on the challenge.

Mondraker 47km Mountain Bike

Kim Hurst will be one to watch in the women’s mountain bike field. This is Hurst’s first shot at the 47km course through the Motatapu Valley but with multiple wins at iconic New Zealand events such as Karapoti Classic and the Whaka 100 to her name, not to mention several national and world championship titles, she’s sure to make light work of the course. Kate Fluker set the women’s course record of 2:08:31 more than a decade ago (2014) so it’s about time someone gave it a nudge.

Third place finisher in last year’s 47km Motatapu Mountain Bike event, 15-year-old Levi Gear is on a mission to shave an extra 10 minutes off his time and beat Anton Cooper’s 2010 result of 1:58:28. First, he’ll need to get past former Junior and U23 National MTB Champion Cameron Jones who is also taking on Motatapu for the first time this year.

While the front of the field attempts to keep pace with the elite riders, for most Motatapu competitors it’s more about a fun family challenge, keeping up with the kids, or just not knowing when to stop.

Wanaka’s Power family (by name and we’d also say by nature) including dad Aaron, mum Angela and daughter Nicole will be riding in the mountain bike event and seeing who can come closest to son James’ winning time and daughter Hannah’s fourth place in the 19-29-year-old categories in 2024. There’s nothing like a good dose of sibling rivalry to get the wheels spinning.

Allpress Espresso Marathon

Invercargill local John Fry has competed in every Motatapu Marathon since the event started in 2005 with various family members joining in over the years. When his daughter Ella “just casually decided to run the marathon” with him in 2023, she ended up winning the open women’s category, literally following in the footsteps of her mum, Leanne Durry who claimed the inaugural title in 2005.

While Ella Fry isn’t entered for the 2025 event, all eyes will be on another Ella who was a standout performer in the 2024 marathon and has signalled she’ll be back at Motatapu this year. Queenslander Ella McCartney blitzed the women’s field, winning by more than 40 minutes and could have nudged onto the men’s podium if she’d been just one minute faster. Given that she said she’d only started at 80% of her normal pace we’re seriously excited to see what she can bring to this year’s run.

2024 men’s Marathon winner, Ben Gatting, is also back for this year's Motatapu and taking a unique approach to his training. In the lead-up to Motatapu Ben is completing New Zealand's 11 Great Walks in 11 days to raise money for the KiwiHarvest charity.

UDC Finance Miners Trail Run

A 15km race might sound like an easier option than an ultra run or a full marathon but with over 800m of climbing to be done, easy doesn’t really come into the Motatapu Miner’s Trail Run. This event also doubles as an official UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc) Index Race used to assess the performance level of trail runners wanting to enter the world’s toughest mountain ultramarathon held every year through France, Italy and Switzerland.

Queenstown local Sarah Douglas will be one to watch at this year’s Motatapu. Routeburn Classic champion and the first person to win it three times, Douglas is also the women’s course record holder on the Motatapu Miner’s Trail.

While competition will be fierce for those at the front of the field, for others the motivation for entering has a more ‘friendly’ field. At least, that’s how Queenstown local Katharine Franey described it on her registration form. It’s about being “part of a friendly office competition” said Franey who is the Business Manager at Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopter.

But she then goes on to add, “Two of our directors, Luke McEwan and Luke West enter the race every year. Our Base Office Manager Lucy Izon and I just happened to join in on a conversation about the race. I mentioned that I hadn't entered a race in years. Lucy never has. We both started egging each other on, at which point we realised we were already getting quite competitive - next minute, we both entered. Ever since that date, we have been training separately. We haven't yet decided how we are going to tackle the race - in full competition mode racing against each other for the duration or running together until the end, for a sprint finish. Either way, neither of us can afford to lose!”

We’re definitely keen to hear how that unfolds.

Meanwhile Auckland Consulting Engineers Crang Civil is sending a team of 13 to Motatapu with six entered for the Miner’s Trail, two in the marathon and five in the mountain bike. They first heard about Motatapu after some colleagues moved to Queenstown and persuaded a few of their workmates to compete in 2019.

“We've been trying to all go down to Queenstown again,” explains Minette Swanepoel, “but Covid caused us to cancel our plans. Luckily, we were able to get together for an event this year again.”

Jennian Homes Queenstown, sponsors of the Motatapu Junior Trail Run, have also rallied the troops with seven staff signed up for the Miner’s Trail albeit with a couple of “my boss is making me!” comments on the registration forms.

Once you’ve experienced Motatapu it does seem hard to tear yourself away. This year’s start list also includes former race director Danielle Sherman who is doing the Mountain Bike because she’s keen to see if she can “hack it as a competitor!” While Bonnie Pryde, daughter of Tom Pryde who co-founded the event, will be back for her second Motatapu Marathon.

Motatapu Race Director and event owner Gemma Peskett – who was involved when the event began two decades ago – says she’s pleased with how entries have been tracking for this year’s event. Around 2500 participants are expected to be on the start line on 1 March.

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