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Running the Motatapu
Sun editor participates in gruelling adventure race on Shania Twain's land in New Zealand

By GARY POIGNANT, Edmonton Sun

Shania Twain is famous for her country music. But the Canadian singing superstar is also a fan of some really big country Down Under.

Twain owns 24,731 hectares of spectacular terrain on New Zealand’s south island where the Motatapu off-road marathon is held every March.

So, when my wife, Linda, and I arrived in nearby Queenstown to prepare for the race, we discovered that despite being the only Canucks competing among 850 participants, we were actually running on land owned by a Canadian. Twain and her now-estranged husband Mutt Lange acquired the huge parcel south of Lake Wanaka for $21.4 million in 2004. Part of her lease agreement requires that she open the Motatapu track once a year for a marathon and a mountain bike race. Twain reportedly has a house somewhere on the land and has been spotted in the shops of the nearby town of Wanaka.

It’s not clear if Twain is into adventure running, but she doesn’t have any promotional affiliation with Motatapu. In fact, all references from Iconic Adventures, the marathon organizers, only refer to Twain as ‘the owner.’

But they don’t need Twain to sell this run. The marathon, now in its sixth year, was filled to capacity along with all 2,400 cycling spots.

Like most events in the extreme sport hotbed of New Zealand, these races are routine for Kiwis, but a huge deal for a couple of newbie Canucks. The online warnings from Iconic point out the potential dangers of the track and mention that a cyclist died on the Motatapu trail a couple of years ago when he lost control and went off a 100-metre cliff. Another pre-race advisory states: “If you are expecting a sign at a pothole, a marshal at every water crossing, or tape on every descent, we suggest you may feel more comfortable entering a city event.”

In addition, like most off-road marathons, the weather can change quickly, so every competitor had to carry winter running clothing, a first aid kit and survival blanket. Two other strong advisories — competitors would be disqualified if the proper gear was not carried for the entire race and nothing was to be left behind.

At least we did not have to worry about predators. New Zealand — unlike North America — is free of all wild animals that can maim or kill you.

Although I have completed 20 road marathons and Linda has finished four, we knew this 42.2-km race would be a much bigger challenge.

We decided it would be much more enjoyable to run Motatapu together and at a pace we could enjoy. We were going to bring the camera along, act like tourists and treat this like a real adventure.

We were bused to the run at Motatapu Station where we were greeted by perfect conditions: 8 C with no wind.

As the race began, the surrounding terrain was breathtaking. Like us, competitors were snapping photos. People quite often would stop and briefly trade cameras to capture the special moment.

After a climb of about 600m, the course reached an altitude of 875m with about 12 km to go. At this point, the wind suddenly picked up, and quit as soon as it started.

The final 8 km was a twisting, steep downhill. Cyclists, who began their race two hours after the runners, were going past the runners on the right-hand side of the three-metre wide track. With a cliff on the left side and the drop-off on the right, it was the most unsettling part of the run. I couldn’t help but notice the cross left in memory of the fallen cyclist.

The course finally levelled out and the last few miles were — simply put — very refreshing — river crossing after river crossing.

The water was even up to a metre deep. By the time Linda and I reached the finish line in 5 hours and 39 minutes, we had soaked our runners at least 53 times.

As we enjoyed our post-run refreshments, my wife and I ended up chatting for several minutes with an American woman who finished just ahead of us.

We thought nothing much of the exchange until about an hour later when the same woman was on stage presenting prizes to the top female finishers.

This unassuming lady was Kathrine Switzer, now 63. She is considered a legend in women’s marathon circles for her efforts at the Boston Marathon in 1967 when it was a men’s only event. An organizer tried to stop K.V. Switzer four miles into the run, but her then-boyfriend knocked him down and cleared a path for Kathrine, who finished the race, but more importantly paved the way for women to eventually compete in marathons worldwide within five years.

The Motatapu was the first marathon Switzer completed in 34 years.

gary.poignant@sunmedia.ca

http://www.edmontonsun.com/sports/othersports/2010/03/31/13430226.html