Some races are a winner by location alone, I’m in no doubt that the Shotover Moonlight Mountain Marathon is one of these races! Set on the picturesque and rugged Ben Lomond High Country Station it’s hard not to be! The full marathon and 30km courses start deep in Shotover country while the shorter races start and finish at Moke Lake.
Each race has a different route but they all share a similar theme….hilly, rugged and beautiful. The routes take competitors over high ridge lines, along sheep tracks and gold mining water races. Merino sheep and their musterer’s are the typical clientele of this area so runners need to be feeling competent on narrow tracks and steep terrain.
I’ve been lucky enough to have visited this area a few times and even dabbled in a spot of track building and course marking over New Years. On a course marking recon I got a taste for the full marathon course, taking in the Twin Spurs & Death Ridge sections. The endless views of rolling valleys helps to quieten the screaming calf’s after a tough climb to the tops. The full marathon is still on the to do list for sure but this year the half marathon was the race of choice for me!
After a very wet morning the skies were starting to clear and standing on the start line I was pleased to see a touch of blue sky peak through the clouds. We warmed up on a 4WD track and quickly turned onto some recently restored water race which meandered along the hill side for a couple of km. Following a fast descent and a couple of river crossings it was time for the first big climb of the day. ‘Running’ slower than walking pace I finally crested the top, downed some fluid from the aid station and enjoyed some tight and stony single track before tackling the second climb. Before long the walking pace won and I submitted to hiking to the top, grateful it was mostly downhill or flat from here!
The final stretch was interesting but tough….the multiple river crossings were refreshing but I struggled to find a rhythm and was happy to be ticking the last few kilometres off before the finish! At this stage a number of races were joining the same route and it was fun to see competitors from the 42km and 30km races as everyone made their way to the finish line together.
Soon over the line, it was time to sink the specially crafted race brew, aptly named ‘energetic ewe’ and jump into Moke Lake for a cool down before cheering on the hardy souls who completed the full marathon.
A new race completed is always a fun experience and one day I’ll have to return to tick off the marathon distance!
My top gear picks for this race include;
- Torpedo7 Scrambler sock – the calf seams stopped any river grit sneaking inside
- Adidas Kanadia Trail shoes – provided great stability and good traction on a varied course
- Gu Gels – a couple of these kept the energy tank fuelled up nicely
See You Out There next time!
Fi – Torpedo7 Athlete
Instagram: fi_dowling
Photo credit: Majell Backhausen / Dom Channon
