By Julie Walls
Focus Media
The Fiordland Athletics Club will have four people attending the 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Canfranc, Spain in late September.
48 year old veteran runner, Dwight Grieve will represent New Zealand in the 45km short Trail (3650mvertical gain) while the 30 year old Sagar Khemani with international experience will once again represent India in the 14km Mountain Run.
19 year old Lucas Huia will represent New Zealand in the Junior Team competing in the Mountain Classic under 20 race, 8km Trail (with 397 metres of elevation gain).
Their coach, Te Anau Shaun Cantwell will be again be the New Zealand Team Manager.
There are 35 in the team with 2 manager/coaches. Shaun’s main focus is the male competitors (half the team). Shaun has been manager for many New Zealand teams over the years.
Shaun and his wife Jude will leave for Spain on Saturday 6 September. While Dwight, Sagar and Lucas will leave at least a week in advance needed to adjust to the conditions on 15 September. Racing will starts 25 September, then there is one event each day.
There are 5 events in total – Uphill Mountain, Short Trail, Long Trail, Mountain Classic and Mountain Classic under 20. Details here - https://canfrancpirineos2025wmtrc.com/
Dwight was a social runner who wanted to be competitive with mid-success until he started with his coach Shaun about 12 years ago. Many National age group titles to go with 4 podiums at Senior level, 2 in Trail, one in Mountain running and one in New Zealand 24 hour championships.
Current age group champ at Uphill mountain champs, 3rd in age group at NZ Cross Country Champs, 2nd in age group at NZ Road champs, Southland masters titles in road 5km and 10km in cross country. 3rd time selected for New Zealand senior team, racing in the Short Trail race.
Grieve said: “I dedicated 2 years to getting selected and prepared for this single event, Sagar did the same, While Lucas worked out how good he was at Mountain running when he beat both Sagar and myself to Luxmore Hut during last years’ Kepler Challenge Luxmore Grunt Mountain Run (27km). He then put plans in place to target New Zealand Uphill championships to qualify.
All three in a single focus of about 20 weeks of training to build up for Worlds, all using same basic plan with adjustments from about 6 weeks out for the different events. Dwight has been doing this longer and doing a longer distance event so trained more KM’s per week – around 110 to 120km a week, plus exercise sessions 5 times a week, cycling twice a week. Sagar still over the 100km a week, while Lucas just under 100km a week. LOTS of hills are included in training”.
“My new position with Fish and Game has been perfect for training, able to work my days so they complement each other, good management and flexibility means sometimes my work is training.,
Completing angling compliance work in the middle of no-where by running the rivers, also means I cover a pile of KM’s of river looking for anglers,” he said.
Sagar was also a social runner until about 3 1/2 years ago and started training with coach Shaun and Dwight. Sagar improved markedly as he followed the programme and is now starting to really see the benefits. He won Southland Senior Road Running title this year as well as participating in many events including winning a trail race back in India. He qualified for the Indian team for the second time. Sagar now lives in Dunedin due to work opportunities.
He is still part of the Fiordland Athletes Club as he wanted to repay the support the Te Anau community has shown him.
Lucas found he had talent while at James Hargest in Invercargill. He started training before moving to University in Dunedin. Lucas changed over to being coached by Shaun in 2024 and moved back to
Te Anau to work. He was originally raised in Manapouri. Lucas is registered to a Dunedin Club and has won many Otago under 20 titles. He recently was placed second the New Zealand Uphill running championships to qualify for Spain.
Grieve admitted he was ready to retire 2 years ago.
“It was after Sagar finished his race in Austria we both sat in a sunny park near the finish and had a beer together. Sagar was still developing his ability and convinced me to hang in there and help him as well as to keep improving myself. I am so glad he did and I am as motivated as ever and still hitting PB’s. I am most likely going to keep going after this, but maybe target age group World championships and act my age”.
“My wife Lee, is accompanying me to Spain, Lee goes to 99% of my races and especially as I do longer races she is an important part of my prep and race day team – helping with equipment and aid stations etc. Plus she has made many sacrifices so I can train and she deserves to share in the race excitement”.
“It is very exciting to still be able to compete at a senior level at 48 years old, and very special to be sharing it with my training buddies and coach, as well as Lee. The races are very tough, as they should be being the World Championships. My race has the same climb and descent as the height 3724metres as Mount Cook. It is very special to have the honour to put on the black singlet and the Silver Fern.
"The support of everyone has been humbling with the running community as well as Southland and especially the Fiordland people backing us and giving so much support,. I know personally I am conscious of this when the going gets tough and I am hurting and I think of all those who helped me get there and tell myself to harden the up and go harder……………
"You only get to wear the Silver Fern so many times, so you leave everything out on the course and run yourself into the ground”, Grieve said
We may get to hear the popular official Fiordland Moose call in Spain as Dwight finishes at the finish line FIOOOOORDLAND!!!
