Tackling his first 100 Miles CMF runner Hayden overcame some of the toughest Tarawera Ultra Trail conditions
Mar 30, 2026
It’s a month on from completing my first 100 miler and pretty much all the mental pain has disappeared, but the victory and the feeling of accomplishment still feel fresh in my mind.
I remember dropping my 88k drop bag off on Friday afternoon and how heavy the rain was that entire day. I thought maybe if it rains really heavily the day prior to the race, there won’t be much rain left on race day. I was wrong ...
As I went to sleep that evening, I got a government emergency alert due to heavy rainfall. This played on my mind a bit, but I still managed to get to sleep around 9:30 - 10pm.
My alarm was set for 2:30am. I felt quite refreshed, and there was no rain, which was perfect. I had overnight oats with maple syrup and a banana for breakfast. My Salomon vest was already packed from the night before, and I made it to the start line at about 3:45am, where the race organisers gave a speech and there was a haka.
I remember standing on the start line thinking how hectic it was that I was even there. The 2020 version of Hayden, who had just completed a 50k ultramarathon, would never have been able to comprehend the distance I was about to attempt.
The horn went and, per the coach’s orders (and having learned from previous mistakes), I started insanely slow, despite most other runners taking off. The first 10k was super cruisy, and it became daylight around 20k in. I made it to the Buried Village at about 8:45am, slightly ahead of schedule. I had a can of creamed rice and stocked up for the Tarawera Trail.
That section was slow, and I got chatting to an experienced runner who reminded me to take care of my feet - advice that later became very valuable.
It was a cool morning with light drizzle, and I thought, if these conditions stay, it’ll be perfect weather for a miler. Then at about 45k (right before the boat section), it absolutely pissed down. Tracks turned into rivers, my shoes filled with water and felt heavy, and I was soaked through my raincoat, all the way to my underwear. I started worrying about having soaking wet feet for ~30 hours and what that would do to my pace if the weather continued.
My phone got so wet it completely stopped working, and the thought of completing a miler without music entered my mind - which was a bit daunting.
I arrived at the 56k aid station excited to change clothes, refuel, and see my crew. I scanned the crowd… and after about 10 minutes of walking around the entire aid station, I realised they weren’t there. I thought, fuck. I couldn’t even call them because my phone wasn’t working.
Thankfully, a volunteer let me use her phone. I knew one of my crew member’s numbers off by heart, and when I called, they said they were 40 minutes away (they weren’t expecting me that early). My heart sank. Do I carry on in wet gear with no tailwind/fuelling, or wait? If I carried on, I’d have to get to 88k without my planned nutrition and wouldn’t see them again until 118k.
I was already worried about my pace due to the weather, and this made my head spin. I decided to wait, thinking back to that earlier advice - look after your feet.
I was so relieved when the crew arrived. I changed socks, shoes, clothes, grabbed my poles, refuelled, and carried on. But for the next several hours, that situation played on my mind. I swung between “I’m not going to let this ruin my day” and “what if that 40 minute delay is the difference between finishing and a DNF?”
The first real low patch hit around 75k. I was thinking, I have so far to go - I’m not even halfway - maybe 100 milers aren’t for me. My plan was simple: play some music and just focus on getting to the next aid station. Thankfully, my phone had dried out and started working again.
Around 85k, as the sun was setting, the sky turned pitch black. Torrential rain came in again, along with thunder. I knew I was in for a long night.
At the 88k aid station, I was stoked to change clothes again, eat two-minute noodles, and drink 600ml of full sugar Coke (my first caffeine in two weeks - which hit hard). I planned to spend no more than 10 minutes there, but time flew, and 30 minutes later I jogged out in good spirits.
By now it was completely dark. I remember hearing Tarawera Falls absolutely roaring. The Coke carried me for about 2 hours (to ~100k), and then I hit the biggest climb of the race. I listened to The Final Countdown on the way up, which felt appropriate.
Having never gone beyond 100k before, I was entering completely uncharted territory. The 100k–112k section was the hardest part of the race for me. The huge climb, torrential rain, and fighting my circadian rhythm all at once - it was the ultimate trifecta.
My brain was telling me I didn’t need to finish - that it was silly. I had strong thoughts of quitting. I even remember almost hoping I’d piss blood just so I’d have a valid reason to stop… and feeling disappointed when everything looked normal. It’s crazy how your brain behaves under that kind of stress.
I got through it by focusing on just the next 1km and making a deal with myself not to quit until 118k, where my crew and pacer were waiting.
With 5km to go before 118k, I felt a bit better… until I saw the track. It was basically a mudslide, and that section took me 2 hours. All I could think was: if the next section is like this, I might not make the cutoff.
Somewhere in that 5k, I made the call - I am not quitting this race. I started moving with intent through the mud.
I arrived at Okataina (118k) at 4am - 4 hours behind plan. My crew met me with soup, creamed rice, cold cheeseburgers, a change of clothes, shoes, and an energy drink. The aid station felt like a war zone. So many DNFs. People lying on the ground wrapped in foil, waiting to be picked up.
Seeing my crew gave me a massive lift. I left with my pacer and started toward the Okataina trail.
It was still muddy, but not as bad as before. My pacer made a huge difference - just having someone there. Sunrise came around 130k, just before Millar aid station.
I felt extremely dizzy coming in, so I sat down, ate as much as I could, had some tailwind and soft drink - and slowly came back to life. I genuinely thought a DNF might be coming at that point.
After that, I managed to jog the next ~5k and even bumped into my coach, which gave me another big boost. It’s crazy how much energy you get from seeing a familiar face.
Coming into Blue Lake, there were people everywhere - horns, cheering, even road workers getting around it. It was awesome. I refuelled quickly and got moving again, feeling the pressure of the clock.
The Blue Lake to Redwoods section was insanely muddy - completely chewed up by all race distances ahead. We even came across a woman stuck with both ankles submerged in mud, who we helped out.
As we approached the Redwoods, there was a massive crowd cheering. It was the first time I thought: I am actually going to finish this.
The final ~7km was a slog. Lots of injured runners limping along. I just kept counting down the kilometres. The finish line couldn’t come soon enough.
Eventually, I entered the finish chute and crossed the line in 35 hours and 5 minutes. I was absolutely stoked to have made it - even though it was much slower than my expected time.
At the post-race weigh-in, I’d actually gained ~1.5kg, which suggested I’d overhydrated. I was told to increase sodium and reduce water intake for a bit while things balanced out.
I barely slept that night - probably a mix of stress hormones, caffeine, sugar, and just being wired from the whole experience.
I don’t intend to do another 100 miler, but I’m really proud of myself for sticking it out and finishing in those conditions.
Now, about a month later, recovery has been way tougher than a 100k. My feet were insanely swollen (I had to peel my socks off), my HRV tanked, and I could only sleep ~2 hours at a time for the first 8 nights. Getting my first full night’s sleep on night 9 felt like a massive win.
I’m super grateful for my coach and support crew - they made this possible.
1:1 CMF Coached Ultra Runner Hayden
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