The Kepler Challenge 2008

5th time round. Damn it felt good! 60km, I never knew I could do it once let alone 5 times. Now I want the 10 year medal...

The thing I always take away from Kepler is the Te Anau people- their spirit and the sheer will and guts of all the other competitors. Martin Lukes after 4 second places now has won the thing twice in a row. Costley got the record for the Grunt to go with his Kepler record.

But what really sticks in the head is the stories, the lady with cancer who gave her medal away to a committee member who was just starting her own cancer battle. The couple on their honeymoon, fortunately they finished together. Not sure about the rest of their 'holiday' though! The identical twins who finished together. The identical twins who finished an hour apart! The thousands of $$$ raised for the Te Anau community. The hospitality of Pete and Jane et al. The stories at the Moose that night. The Town of Silly Walks (aka The Kepler Shuffle). And on it goes- you have to see it to believe it!


Glenn nailed the crap out of me, but so he should have, with what he is training for in the Himalaya's soon! Hats off to Madman Marvin though, he took over an hour off his time from last year romping round in about 8 and a half hours. A Magnificent effort, I had him in my sights 2 hours along but ate his dust the rest of the day.


I was delighted to finish in 9hrs 17 mins- within around half an hour of last years time, and I certainly felt in better shape on the finish line, which was surprising given how the training went this year compared to last. Augurs well for sub 8hrs 30 in 2009!

No boring blurb this year, just a few pretty pics. Being the 5th time round I decided it was time I took a camera and got some nice pics to share, so here they are!

Hats off to Glenn for a fantastic run, and well done on getting the trophy that I'm going to win back in the next year or so... ;-)

Mulling around on the start line at 6am with 400 other mad men and women

One of these men purchased approximately half of Gore and two thirds of Mataura the previous day. Care to guess who?

View back to the start from Luxmore Hut, 2 hours in

The Kepler Challenge is truly the best organised event in NZ, because its all done by the community, for the community. They really look after us on this race!

Janes Office, the Murchison Mountains, and South Fiord below

The Kepler is a wonderful track. I'm pretty sure you could bike it....

There was just a wee dusting of snow the night before. Enough to make for cool crisp running and spectacular views

Starting the long knee crunching descent into the Iris Burn. Eighty odd switchbacks on a solid 30-45 minute downhill grind. Nearly Half way at the bottom...gulp!

Everytime you hit the wall on this race (a regular feeling) you just need to look around to be re-energised.. This is the stunningly beautiful Iris Burn.

...And the best lake in NZ, Lake Manapouri

Yes....its a mirror on the sign! But such a welcome sign :)

....And that makes five successful Kepler's for Razor

Bye Bye to the Razor - Marvin Trophy...FOR NOW!!!!!

Kepler The Fifth Training

Well, we are into it. Its getting hard. Only 60 sleeps to go....

But Madman Marvin and I had a fantastic run up in Auckland on Sunday, which was basically a reprise of a gallop I did last year for Routeburn training. Except with wind, mist, seals, millions of washed up jellyfish, and a dead pilot whale baby. Bit sad...

Nice place for some exercise though and its stunning to have such a place so close to a big city.

Oi, Mr Marvin...

Did they spell your name wrong, is this your attempt to get ahead of me on the Kepler this year?

Click to see Stuff.co.nz article here...

Kepler Challenge Report

Well the training had gone well, in fact it was perfect. Race day arrived and it was a stunning day, hardly a cloud around but the usual cold crisp start you get at 4am in Te Anau- and straight into carb loading for the 6am start. In fact Glenn and I got so ensconced in stuffing our faces we nearly missed the bus to the start line...typical boys, always thinking of their stomachs

Anyway, never fear it was off to the Control Gates at the lakeside for us and 400 other lunatics for the 6am start. Ran into Janine at the start, and Richards bro Graham- although in the murk had trouble with recognition! And off we went, the first 6.8km round the lake flew by in just half an hour, before heading into the slog up the hill. Once I worked out the controls on Lisa's flash harry MP3 player I was off like a rocket, I have to say events like this are so much better with music- I'll revisit this.

I reached Luxmore Hut after 1hr45mins, a personal best. It was cold up there but was feeling good. Stunning views as the sun came up, very very cool I don't think there is anywhere prettier in NZ than Fiordland- my ashes are going there one day- but not for a long time I hope.

After the tops section reached Iris Burn Hut- and the half way point after 4 hours, coming down the last of the zig zags with "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" in the earflaps- it seemed ironically appropriate and soon morphed into "beat it" as the17km drag race section down the Iris Burn got going. As always it was half way down here when the wall gets hit, and Lake Manapouri is a very very relieving sight at the 6 hour mark.

The last 17km for there back to the finish was a real grind this year due to the tendons on the front of my ankles swelling up. And it was hot, man it was hot- but the dude in full Army fatigues still got round, and only half an hour slower. I tip my hat to that man, apparently he had to apply to Wellington to get permission to race in the gear. As if a 60km mountain run isn't hard enough!

So I crossed the finish line after 8hrs and 42mins and beat my best time by 4 mins. Glenn turned up 45 mins later looking spritely and fresh, an inspirational effort for a bloke who practically had two broken legs for the most of November!

The Kepler continues to be the biggest challenge I've encountered, and the most rewarding finish line. Problem is now I've done 4 I have to go back again for the 5 year medal...dammit. Oh well, a few Xmas spirits will dull the pain and charge the motivation again I'm sure.

Huuuuuuge thanks to Lisa for being essential support crew for me and Glenn, and for putting up with our "Ministry of Stupid Walks" routine around Te Anau the next day

Kepler article on TV3

For those of you who missed it, TV 3 had some great coverage of the Kepler this year.

You can watch it here.

I'll have my write up here soon...had a great time, hurt like hell afterwards, but got my best time so all was worthwhile!

Kepler Update

Well, 13 sleeps to go and its getting into crunch time. Training has been a bit interrupted this week with a massively crazy week, and on top of all that theres a wee niggle in the calf muscle now which has necessitated a layoff over the weekend. Not so happy :(

However, overall I'm looking forward to the event this time and expecte a decent crack at beating 8 hours. I've managed to shave 14 mins of my best half marathon time, win the workplace 4 week pedometer challenge, nail a 30km race in the Port Hills in really ugly conditions, and last weekend did 30km on the Routeburn and didn't keel over at Chris and Stacey's wedding afterwards. So all is good really!

One more week of hard out training now, then tail off into the carb loading and the long drive down.

And then we all get to enjoy the Xmas party season- hard earned!

Ramping up the Training

Well the Kepler is looming, just over two months to go. Made a spur of the moment decision late last week to enter the Sri Chinmoy Half Marathon around Hagley Park to see where things are at after some good baselining since Raro.

I'm still in shock...1 hour 41 mins, about 14 mins quicker that my previous best half marathon! Things are looking good. Perfect conditions for a run really, cloudy cool and refreshing.

Going Forth on the Kepler

Yep, I'm at it again. I've been accepted into the 2007 Kepler Challenge on December the 1st.

Once is an accident, twice is stupidity...now its number four. I'll be happy with 8 hours this year, but better ramp up the training!