The Taniwha 2025 - more than just another marathon!

The 13th edition of The Taniwha Mountain Bike & Trail Run/Walk saw not only its first Autumn start, but also a whole herd of first timers hoofing the line on a very crisp, misty and picture-perfect Waikato morning. My fellow Raglan running buddy, Glenn was back after only 6 months for his second marathon, and I was one of the many having my first crack at this deceptively uphill (she’s all upstream) trail marathon from Waipapa Dam to Lake Whakamaru.

I’d run all the sections of the Waikato River Trail during the year when I ran a marathon a week in 2017, 52 Marathons in my 52nd year on the planet (but that’s another story), and The Taniwha is along the section in which I ran my 1st Marathon, and started my 51st, that year, so holds many great memories.

Training began when Glenn told me he had to go back and have another go. The Taniwha 2024, his first ever Marathon at the ripe old age of 62, had been a battle from the start line. After finishing in just over 6 hours, he returned home to test positive to COVID
which explained his struggle to breathe, an aching body, and total exhaustion after a very solid build up. Since February, Glenn and I had been teaming up for weekend runs where we slowly built the kilometres, along with a little speed (relative that is, for 2 old boys). It would be my first official marathon since 2017 as I had since focussed on a bunch of personal missions and a handful of ultras, a backyard (Riverhead) and even a stage race (Aorangi Undulator). Two weeks before our big day, we managed a sub 2 hour half, my first in 8 years, and Glenn’s first ever; like I say speed is relative.

I need to say at this point, nearing the big six-zero, I was feeling the fittest and fastest I had in a very long time. I was ready to take on the mighty Waikato serpent and in the process help Glenn reach his goals, a sub5 hour - and beat his brother. Yes, Glenn’s younger brother Deano, 1 year his junior would also be running. And Deano is a beast! Built more like a prop than a trail runner, he likes to run, and run far. While older brother Glenn ran his first marathon at 62, years earlier, young Deano lied about his age at
registration to go on and complete his first, the Rotorua Marathon, at age 15.

One week out, sensibly tapering, I headed out the front door for a very easy 7km on a local trail. Grand thoughts of a speedy race started to flood my brain as the first kilometre flashed by and then ‘ping’! My regular slightly tight hammy, that always warms up and eases out after a km said ‘enough’ and brought me to a complete stop. A stretch, a walk, a test jog, and then the only option, a phone call for my main support crew member, Lorraine, to come and do the 2nd pickup ever in my running career. Weirdest thing was that 3 years ago was the first, 2 weeks post the WUU2k, with a meniscus tear about 5 metres from this same spot where I experenced my new hamstring ‘tweak’. Game over? A few days rest and a physio visit to find out no tear, plenty of strength, but tight and swollen, and I was good to go. Well, maybe not ‘good’, but good enough.

Saturday morning was mooloo magic at its best with a chilli 3 degrees, a mystical mist, and the hydro dams all reflecting prefect images of their native bush and pine forest borders. The two marathon starts were such a contrast as nearly 200 Mountain Bikes burst off first, barrelling down the road trying to get ahead of the pack before entering the single track, such awesome mayhem. Next, 115 runners wandered down the road a few hundred metres do an undrawn line on the road where the starter said his ‘3,2,1’ and hooted the horn at which point my guess is 100 of the 115 slowly kicked into 1st gear and started a slow warm up jog down the road. A very cruisy start!

I loved how relaxed this whole event was! Yes, every entrant had their own race to run or ride, but the only pressure I noticed was what we each placed on ourselves. A tough race for sure, but also somehow a culture has been built where we were all on an
adventure along the mighty Waikato river together.

I got to meet Glenn’s brother, Deano, at the start line. He informed me he’d just be taking it easy as he was training for Hadrian’s Wall in the UK in June, and would be running another marathon distance tomorrow for back-to-back training. This bode well for Glenn who was keen to get a win over his ever-competitive sibling. As the three of us started together it wasn’t long until young Deano dropped off as we left the road and began the trail. 5 kilometres in, my hamstring fully locked up as it had done the week before, and sent a shooting pain up the back of my leg. But this was race day, and I was not ready to call for backup, and regardless, whether run or walk, I had to either go back 5km to the start or carry on 7km to the first aid station to exit the forest. So run on I did, in pain, but hey as they say “it’s only pain”. I’d’ been here before with other screaming body parts, but not for a long time, and never this early in a race - and in only a marathon at that.

After the first few climbs of the day, I discovered that an aggressive approach to the hills provided some relief and shortening the stride on the downs and the flats, slightly lessened the constant sharp pain. A few kms on as I struggled on behind Glenn, I informed him of my battle and suggested that I push on to the 12km aid station mark and then he should feel free to go ahead. He was looking very strong and running the hills with ease. It was at this point he changed his language from his personal goals of ‘I’
want to beat Deano and ‘I’ want to make it under 5 hours, to “we will get to the next aid station and ‘we’ will then get to the next, and ‘we’ will do this together. What a mate!

Reaching the Maraetai Dam Aid Station was such a relief. Lorraine was there, she’s my greatest support, best crew, and holds the bag filled with magnesium spray, Voltaren cream and Panadol. But please don’t ask her if she runs too, because she doesn’t! I think I was ready to call it a day and wish Glenn well, but Lorraine was ready to massage the pain, look me in the eye and tell me to get going and run this thing. So good!

After exiting the long stretch of wide riverside forestry road, we now entered a narrower and winding bush trail. The longer climbs were done, and an undulating path lay ahead. This was when the short muscular figure of Deano cruised past and a little sibling banter about pace and PBs followed. The bush soon opened up to the gentle roadside downhill into Mangakino and the 20km mark and another aid station. We came to a halt once more for my running repairs, Glenn still unwilling to accept my offer for him to go
on. But for Deano, the guy who is out for a casual training run, was now in definite race mode and ceased the chance to grab a lead on his big bro, and never broke stride as he ran on past, not even pausing to take in the stunning view across Lake Maraetai.

From here on in, the gap to aid stations averaged 6kms, and with it a repeated conversation of “Glenn, thanks for your support, you push on now, I don’t want to hold you up. ” To which Glenn would drop in another ‘we’.

A very cool swing bridge, a narrowing of the river, a deepening of the ravine, and more crystal-clear mirror images of some classic riverside bush were pleasant distractions, as were the brief encouraging conversations with the many 22km walkers we passed. So many out soaking in a truly memorable riverside walk!

Finally, arriving at the Whakamaru Dam, for the first time that day I thought, “I’ve got this”, as I knew I could hobble to the end if I had to. I then urged Glenn to push on ahead if he was to catch Deano, finish in under 5 hours, and tick off his person goals. He still looked so strong, and I knew he could pickup the pace with only 10kms to go. But he simply let his goals go as he told me ‘we’ would finish together what ‘we’ started together.

For the next 2 kms, I took the lead and dug in trying to pick up the pace. And then a switch took place that neither of us saw coming. Glenn, so prepared, and strong, running well within himself, suddenly was empty. Yep, I don’t know how many times I’ve been there on a long run, but for Glenn this was a new experience. Yes, he’d run on empty before, but that was his first and Covid-stricken marathon last year when the whole race was a struggle. But going from all go to slow in just a few short strides shook him. And in that sudden low moment, I switched gears from being the one being nursed along to being coach and motivator. It’s not like my hammy was suddenly all good, anything but, as pain was now being shared by the over-helpful hip and achilles. No, the bigger muscle, the old cranium, kicked into gear and the focus of attention shifted from me to my mate.

The final 8kms was a one-way conversation as I chattered away to both distract, and spurr on my buddy, Glenn, to the new goal of “we will get there”. And get there we did. 5 hours and 12 minutes, and only a few minutes behind Deano the Machine, Glenn and I finished having survived the Taniwha, worked up an appetite (yes, for a well deserved feed, but also for more adventures), and deepened our friendship as we discovered how much we had been able to rely on each other when the going had got
tough. The funny thing was we had arrived at the finish line too late for prize-giving, and then later discovered that Deano and Glenn had made a brotherly sweep of the top two places in the 60-69 year old Legends.

The Taniwha finishes on an Island.  I know it as ‘Tom’s Island’ because my Uncle Tom started a camp on it when I was just a lad. We used to row a boat out to the island for family holidays, but now you can drive your car, or in our case run across the causeway. Waiting for us at the finish line was our crew Lorraine and Andrea, along with a bunch of Waikato Trail Runners including our good running mates Mark and Jo who had completed the half marathon.

Thanks to the Taniwha team. What amazing event you delivered. But please wait until all the winners are home before prize-giving next time, as I have a feeling the brothers will be back!!!