Ultra Marathon Running World Tour coming to Rotorua
8 September 2013
Rotorua's Tarawera Ultramarathon will be one of the races on an exciting new global tour announced in France this week.
The 2014 Ultra-Trail World Tour will feature eight long distance running races in Africa, America, Asia and Europe, with New Zealand representing Oceania.
The annual Vibram Tarawera Ultramarathon is a challenging 100km off-road run from Rotorua to Kawerau, through the magnificent countryside of the Bay of Plenty.
Tarawera race director, Paul Charteris, said the invitation from Ultra-Trail organisers in Paris for the Tarawera Ultra to be part of the world tour came completely out of the blue.
I was speechless. It's such an honour to be invited to be one of the inaugural
Tour partners. The best trail ultra marathon runners from all over the world will make Rotorua a bucket-list destination.
Mr Charteris said the Ultra-Trail World Tour is all about bringing runners together in the spirit of friendship, adventure and competition. He said it also guarantees exposure to a much greater global audience and the potential benefits to local tourism and economy will be in the millions of dollars.
Other races on the Tour are The Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run (USA), the Marathon des Sables (Morocco), The North Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (France, Italy, Switzerland), The Transgrancanaria (Spain), Lavaredo Ultra-Trail (Italy), Vibram Hong Kong 100 (Hong Kong) and the Ultra-Trail Mont Fuji (Japan).
These are all successful, well-established events with long histories, big race fields and massive media interest. And they aren't just about the racing - they're also about the magnificent landscapes and exotic environments they're run in.
He said being part of the tour will be an opportunity to showcase Rotorua and New Zealand to the world.
The international runners who have raced in the Tarawera Ultra have all loved being here. Our beautiful lakes and the forests, spa and geothermal features and Maori culture are a unique and seductive combination.