Started from Memorial Arch, Lake Wakatipu, Wed 21 December 2022 at 5:26am. Finished at Memorial Arch, Fri 23 December 2022 at 1:31am.
I started with an unsupported plan, but at Mt St Just Turk I decided going through the night for the first time was enough of a challenge and I drank water from the Turk's water tank, so mine is a self supported run. I carried all my food and gear.
I had been into and through the Harris Mountains a few times before so the physical terrain was familiar, but going without sleep was a big unknown. Day 1 was calm and sunny with great views as I threaded my way past Mt Hyde, over Siberia and slithered down the tussock to Polnoon Turk. I was almost at Treble Cone skifield when the sun set and night 1 began.
Maybe it was the unknown element keeping me awake (or the cows on the skifield road, or the rabbit shooters near the highway, or the super aggressive weasel intent on stealing my food, or the Tailwind...) but somehow I seemed to stay awake without any issues and touched Lake Wanaka at Glendhu Bay boat ramp. As I crashed through the bracken and treefall on the way to Fern Burn hut, the sun came up after what seemed like a short night and I knew I was heading in the direction of home.
Day 2 was a bit of a mental challenge with high water in the Arrow River. I had done the river bash here before and knew it to be the quickest route, but this time after a thunderstorm on Roses Saddle, with the river running thigh deep and discoloured, it already had that feeling of a wrong decision as I went into the water. Quarter of an hour was enough to see it was only going to get worse, so I made the call to climb back up to the high water track, knowing it was going to be a time wasting grovel and feeling pretty gutted. Thoughts of bailing out at Arrowtown began to occur but I figured no matter how long it took, I would still have the achievement of having run through the night for the first time so I should keep going. At Macetown I managed to get across the river safely, then continued down on the high water track before following the road out to Arrowtown and the final stint up Bush Creek, across the water race and down the road back into Queenstown. Seeing Adam and James waiting at the lakefront was awesome and such a great conclusion to the route. Now I just need to go back and do it in low water...
A huge thanks to James Harcombe for the moral support and Adam Keen for the training that made it possible for an ordinary runner like myself to complete the route.
I am 100% sure there are some way more impressive FKTs coming on this very soon. Looking forward to giving back the fantastic moral support I enjoyed! This is an amazing route - I hope I get to be part of the welcome party for the next finishers at Memorial Arch :)