This 14th edition of the Shotover Moonlight Mountain Marathon will again be run on Queenstown’s Ben Lomond Station with the longer-distance athletes traversing the high country farm from Skippers Canyon all the way to Moke Lake.
Alongside stunning scenery the course also touches the farm’s heritage, including water races from gold mining days to current mustering routes Queenstown founder William Rees and his shepherds also used.
Early-40s Ben Lomond farmer Hamish Foster, who organises the event, knows the trails well, having mustered with his dad John from a young age.
‘‘How [the event] was conceived and designed was pulling together all these features we really enjoyed, whether it’s a water race or a waterfall or a ridgeline.’’
He estimates 40% of Saturday’s field will be from overseas — 25 nationalities will be represented, though about half those runners will be from Australia.
‘‘It’s pretty amazing for a humble farming family to be putting on an event that attracts an international field.’’
The longer 30km, marathon and 56km ultra-marathon appeal to overseas runners in particular, Foster says — ‘‘they’re travelling a long way, training for many, many months, they want to be out there all day and leave nothing behind’’.
‘‘Last year we had a couple on their honeymoon from North America and they arranged an entire itinerary around the race.’’
Foster suggests the large field of out-of-towners will be a great contributor to Queenstown’s economy as they’ll not only stay several days, but also likely come with two or three supporters.
He says they’re very grateful for race-day support from the likes of Skippers Canyon Jet and The Helicopter Line ferrying competitors to the start-line and other businesses like Outside Sports and Altitude Brewing.
They also have about 80 vollies manning aid stations stationed at 6km intervals.
‘‘When a runner comes into an aid station and they get that encouragement from a volunteer it means a lot.’’
The vollies include family members.
‘‘My dad’s putting out the marshalls from the helicopter.
‘‘My son comes to the start and sets the runners off with me, my sister’s kids man an aid station and my youngest son, his job is to look after his younger cousins.
‘‘It’s a really great family event, we’re extremely proud of it.’’
- Anyone wanting to enter the 10km trail run or half marathon, which both start at Moke Lake, can register on Saturday from 9.30am.
