Coach Holly's First DNF - Tarawera 100 Miles 2026 Race Recap

Wow, what a ride!

I thought I better try and put it into words because 1) I want to be able to remember the experience and 2) sometimes writing it down can help you process what happened. Even though it wasn’t the outcome I wanted, I learnt so much from this experience. How important the prep is leading up to an event, the mental game and building resilience. 

Going into Tarawera 2026, I wasn’t actually planning on entering. I was quite happy just running, and to be honest I don’t really know what made me enter in the end! I think it was when Holly, my pacer and I were talking and discussing how fun it would be for her to pace me. I got a bit caught up in the FOMO and just entered. 

I had a pretty good training block and loved going on some really cool run adventures. That is always my favourite part, not so much the race itself but the cool adventures you get to go on leading into the event. I knew I had the fitness to complete the race - but 100 milers are not about fitness alone. 

The weekend before the race, we went to Australia for a cousin's 40th. It was a super fun weekend, but it also came with late nights and the travel there and back meant we lost sleep. I went into the race week pretty tired and feeling a bit flat. 

Then on the Thursday afternoon beforehand our little dog Monty died. He was only 11 years old and we weren’t sure how or why it happened. It was a bit of a shock and we were all pretty devastated. 

I felt terrible about leaving the kids with my Mum for Tarawera weekend as we had already left them with family the weekend before when we went to Australia. This was weighing on my mind going into the race. But my awesome friend Erin Wheeler came and picked me up on Friday (I was in tears when she came and grabbed me) and she helped me get into a better frame of mind. We headed up to Rotorua and everything was starting to feel ok. 

We all know the weather situation, but honestly I wasn’t too worried about that. As the race started I felt ok and I got into a groove. The humidity was intense, the sweat was dripping but I found some cool people to talk to and I was pretty ok until the Tarawera trail started around the 30 something km mark. 

That’s when I just got this real low like I've never really had before. I’ve been pretty tired and had some lows in races before, but this was different. I started thinking about the kids, how I was away from them for the second weekend in a row and their family pet had just died. I felt so stink and I just couldn’t find my ‘why’. Why was I out here trudging along in the wet, when I could be hanging out with them? I pushed on through until 55km at Rerewhakaitu, where Steve, my husband and my friends Ewen and Holly were waiting. I was in a pretty low place, but they convinced me to keep going. I had a celsius energy drink to pick me up and Steve reminded me that I love this, and that I will feel better. I really wanted to pull out there, but I kept going. 

Steve was right, I did start to feel better and actually started to enjoy myself from 55km onwards. I got to the Outlet and felt pretty good except for sore feet so I changed my shoes and kept going. 

It all went downhill before Okataina. When we got to that horrible muddy climb leading in there, all those negative thoughts came back. This was something I have never really had to deal with. I am usually super positive and it was not a nice place to be. That downhill stretch took FOREVER (as it did for everyone) and I lost my motivation so quickly. I am also pretty uncoordinated so I fell hard quite a few times. My back was pretty sore and to be honest I just wanted to go home. 

When I got to Okataina I had the loveliest people around me. Steve bought me cheeseburgers (what a legend!) Ewen helped wrap my blistered sore feet, Holly helped pack my bag, Kirilly made me noodles and Chris gave me a big hug. I tried to smile and get in a better head space here, and it worked. I left Okataina much happier than half an hour earlier. 

The section from Okataina to Millar was soul destroying! Holly was absolutely amazing, but I really struggled. I fell over so many times and just couldn’t get into any sort of flow. It was so slow going. Poor Holly kept trying to cheer me up, but I think she knew I just wasn’t fully in it like I usually am.

We got to Millar and I remember feeling like a zombie. My body felt ok, but I was just a bit deflated. I had something to eat and sat down for a bit and then we were off. I actually liked the section after Millar Road as there was some actual running! My headspace turned around for a bit but then we got to the small technical trail section before Blue Lake and it was just  like a muddy slip and slide. I was done. A wave of fatigue hit me and I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I sat down on a tree and was asleep in about 10 seconds, I think I was snoring! All the overthinking, the mud and the falls had just absolutely taken it out of me. No amount of caffeine was keeping me awake.

After a 5 minute nap we were off again, but it was so slow. There was more running going into the back of Blue Lake, but then as soon as we hit the trails it was just a muddy slippery mess again and I was struggling to stay upright. I was sooo tired again and I had to have another little nap. My feet had been really hurting, and it got pretty unbearable through Blue Lake. Every step was hurting and I had to slow right down to a hobble. That’s when I knew. I sat down on a tree and said to Holly ‘I just don’t want anyone to pressure me to keep going once I hit Blue Lake. I’m done, and I'm ok with it. I’ve pushed so hard for so long, but I'm done now’. She didn’t argue. She knew too. 

I felt so happy to see Steve and Ewen at Blue Lake. They helped me get into a seat and I just closed my eyes. I needed sleep so bad. I can usually stay awake through the night no problem, but this fatigue was hardout! We chatted and they could see by the state of me that I wasn’t going back into that mudslide which was Blue Lake to Redwoods. It didn’t mean enough to me. We tapped out and Steve piggy backed me back to the car. That is my favourite photo ever of Steve and I. We look so happy, and I think I was. I was actually really proud of myself at that moment for pushing for so long when I knew from so early on I wasn’t really in it. 

So what did I learn? 

1. You need a really strong why. I had one last year and I kept referring back to it. I wanted it so bad, and that got me to the finish line. 

2. You need to be really excited about those long events, instead of just doing it because you feel like you should. I didn’t have that same passion and drive this year compared to last year. 

3. A positive mindset is essential. I did a lot of mindset work leading into the 100 miler last year. This included daily meditation and mantras. It really helps and it works! This year I didn’t put in the time into that mental prep, and I could feel the difference. Our brain is a muscle and we need to put the time into wiring it for positivity and resilience. 

Things that went well 

1. My nutrition went well mostly. I got some nausea but no real spews until way later in the race. Last year I was spewing from 20-30kms so that’s a win! 

2. I developed more resilience and went really deep into the pain cave. This will benefit me in other races. 

3. I didn’t pull out until I really had nothing left. I’m proud of myself for that. 

4. I had the absolute best crew and I am so so thankful for them. They really helped get me out of some dark moments. 

5. Even though the race didn’t go to plan I'm glad I had the experience. It taught me heaps about myself and my resilience, and also what I really need to make a race successful. I’m already googling 100 milers for the middle of the year so I can happily say it didn’t put me off! I am excited to give it another crack in 6 months or so and put all my learnings to work. 

What other sport can you do where you can push your limits that hard? These adventures teach you so much, and Tarawera 2026 is definitely an unforgettable experience. Also, I HATE MUD!!!!!! 

Coach Holly 

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