Sweden’s Jonas Buud (pre-race and post-race interviews) and New Zealand’s Fiona Hayvice (post-race interview) executed victorious races in warm but, at times, heavy rain at the 2016 Tarawera Ultramarathon.
In addition to this article, you can find our a collection of our pre-race interviews and previews on our 2016 Tarawera live coverage page.
As usual, we’ll be updating this article with additional results as well as links to race-related articles, photo galleries, and race reports. Check back.
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2016 Tarawera Ultramarathon Men’s Race
From the get go, it was Jonas Buud and David Byrne together off the front of the men’s pack, setting the pace and a gap from the rest of the field. The pair hung together, trading positions and working the course through about two thirds of the race when Jonas became the solo leader, ever building his lead on David and the rest of the field from there. At Titoki at about 72 kilometers, his lead was already in excess of eight minutes, and it only grew from there to more than 22 at the finish. Jonas looked masterful in his treatment of the terrain, distance, and competition today. He’s truly proving himself among the top runners in the world at ultra distances on all kinds of terrain.
Jonas Buud on his way to winning the 2016 Tarawera Ultramarathon. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Aussie speedster David Byrne (post-race interview) has been on our radar since early 2015 when he went top five among a competitive field at the MSIG Sai Kung 28k Skyrunning race in Hong Kong. Besides there, he’d faced off in shorter trail ultras with some of stoutest competition from the land down under. David is a former short-distance runner, with some speedy track PRs including 3:41 for the 1,500 meters. He’s turning that ridiculous leg speed into a successful foray with ultrarunning. Today was his longest ultra yet–by a full 40k!–and this is what he did. What we have to say about that: look out world, he’s just getting started.
David Byrne looks relieved to finish second. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Well, well, well, if it isn’t Ryan Sandes (pre-race interview), and he’s back. After a tough late 2014 and most of 2015, it seems Ryan has returned to the pointy end of the field. In our pre-race interview with him, he said he thinks that he overdid it with his running in early 2014, and it took this length of time to fully recover. Today he looked nimble and smooth, like so many times we’ve seem him in the past, earning his podium place.
Ryan Sandes was strong and steady all day. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Vajin Armstong ran in fourth for much of the race, but its final quarter he was tailed by Yoshikazu Hara for a long while before Hara-san finally pulled away on the flat, speedy terrain late in the race. Armstrong would hang on for his sixth-straight top-five finish.
Mr. Consistent, Vajin Armstrong, was first Kiwi across the line in fifth. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
2016 Tarawera Ultramarathon Men’s Results
- Jonas Buud (Asics) — 8:00:53 (pre-race and post-race interviews)
- David Byrne — 8:22:39 (post-race interview)
- Ryan Sandes (Salomon) — 8:30:40 (pre-race interview)
- Yoshikazu Hara — 8:40:17
- Vajin Armstrong — 8:46:12
- Jason Schlarb (Altra) — 9:16:48 (pre-race interview)
- Michael Wardian (Hoka One One) — 9:27:23
- Craig Torr — 9:33:23
- Rudi Smith — 9:33:53
- Cyril Cointre (WAA) — 9:39:38
2016 Tarawera Ultramarathon Women’s Race
New Zealand’s Ruby Muir was the heavy women’s favorite ahead of the race, and she led pretty much from ‘go’ until she could run no more, a few kilometers before the 80k aid station. She’s had quadriceps issues for a while now, so we had expected that, if Ruby would need to drop from the race, it would be her leg that did her in. Instead, it was her stomach that failed. When she dropped, she told us she’d been fighting her stomach for the last 40k.
Ruby Muir leading at Blue Lake early on. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Countrymate Fiona Hayvice, who jumped onto our radar by taking fourth here last year, was today’s lady in wait, rolling through aid stations a bit back from Ruby, not necessarily in contact, but not too far back. She looked peppy and engaged whenever we saw her. Once she took over leadership of the race with 20k to go, it was high sailing for her.
Fiona Hayvice running in second early in the race. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
It was really an Australasia women’s race all along, wasn’t it? Melissa Robertson, of Australia, was the second woman today. We learned of her when she ran to a strong fourth place at last year’s The North Face 100k – Australia (now renamed the Ultra-Trail Australia)
Melissa Robertson taking second. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Fiona Eagles was third woman.
Fiona Eagles after taking third at the 2016 Tarawera Ultramarathon. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
2016 Tarawera Ultramarathon Women’s Results
- Fiona Hayvice — 10:34:26 (post-race interview)
- Melissa Robertson — 10:56:20
- Fiona Eagles — 11:24:57
- Katrin Gottschalk — 11:46:55
- Courtney Pratt — 12:17:55
- Lucile Resplandy — 12:20:48
- Erin Vaughan — 12:23:41
- Dianne Bulled — 12:29:18
- Joanna Kruk — 12:30:10
- Katrin Webb — 12:32:25
2016 Tarawera Ultramarathon Articles, Race Reports, and More
Articles and Photo Galleries
Coming soon.
Reports
- Ford Smith, 12 place overall [Broken link removed.]
Thank You
Thank you to Jim Robinson for his assistance in reporting Tarawera live! We’re so grateful.
