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Wellington runner Daniel Jones added a fifth Kepler Challenge title to his resume on Saturday and New Zealand trail running champion Katie Morgan showed her class by winning the women’s race.
The 32-year-old Jones, who has won both the Auckland and Queenstown marathons over the past month, was a comfortable winner of the men’s race in the 60km Fiordland mountain race, finishing nearly half an hour ahead of Sam McCutcheon with David Haunschmidt third.
South Canterbury-based Englishwoman Morgan, who won the national trail title in Christchurch at the Crater Rim Ultra in October, claimed the women’s title ahead of Sophie Grant. Jones’ partner, Michelle Ashley, was third.
"This race never gets any easier and I think that’s just how it’s supposed to be," Jones said.
"The Kepler Challenge is something special and you know anyone that makes it around that 60km course, or even the Luxmore Grunt, has done a hard day’s work and should be proud of their accomplishment."
Jones was pleased to add another title after a demanding end to his season.
"The game plan was to see how the legs and body felt because I’ve had a pretty big five weeks of racing so I started off pretty hard with Sam McCutcheon and we were neck and neck until the base of the hill.
"I got to the top and he was only a minute off me. It was hard racing, which is how it should be.
"I gradually pulled away but you never know coming back from Iris Burn what the lead is ... and I think that’s what makes this race so special. You just have to empty the tank and make sure that there’s no doubt that you’ve put in your best performance."
Jones now has a chance to equal the record of six wins held by Russell Hurring and Ruby Muir.
Morgan, who came third in the rescheduled 2021 Kepler Challenge in January, was pleased to win the women’s title, breaking the six-hour mark in the process.
"I’m feeling pretty tired but stoked to get first. I got under six hours, which was what I was aiming for so I couldn’t ask for any more," she said.
"It wasn’t as warm as January, which made it a really good day."
Ireland’s Jennifer Elvin won the 27 km Luxmore Grunt women’s race, finishing just under 2 min ahead of Sarah Douglas with Crystal Brindle third.
Elvin is enjoying a three-week holiday around New Zealand which had been planned around competing in Te Anau.
Defending champion Daniel Balchin won the men’s Luxmore Grunt in comfortable fashion, finishing just outside the record he set last year.
By: Staff reporter