1993 That Dam Run
THAT DAM RUN” – 1993
by Don Wallace
For the second year New Zealand played host to the IAU Australasian 100km Championship. Race organiser Scott Leonard has developed an event of international standard. on one of the most scenic 100km courses in the world.
IAU president Malcolm Campbell, who attended the race on December 31. 1993. praised the efforts of the New Zealanders in hosting a world class race. Malcolm Campbell also expressed his enthusiasm for the road race in the Waitaki \%alley as the venue for the IAU World Challenge 100km on December 31, 1999. The
1999 event will be a unique experience as runners will be competing in the final championship race of the century.
The 1993 race attracted 22 competitors from 8 countries. Starting in the cool, overcast conditions at Kurow, at Gam, the course initially ran out and back on a flat _30km section. This was heading east on the northern side of the Waitaki River toward Waimate. The conditioned remained overcast, warming a few degrees, and humid. Sails, very good conditions for a ‘100km race though an early breeze blowing from the east up the valley was to strengthen. proving a hinderance to runners later in the race.
After returning to Kurow at 30kms the runners head up the Waitaki Valley over roiling hills to 55km at Otematata. The course is generally climbing along this section. _Mountains line both sides of the valley with the Waitaki and Avilnore darns creating picturesque lakes. The course is flat for 8kms near Otematata before climbing the steepest. hill to the top of the Benmore Dam wall at 63kms. Here the view is spectacular. With Benmore Dam the largest hydro dam in New Zealand being held back by a 70m high rock and earth darn to the left. To the right a panoramic view way down the Waitaki Valley, across the Avirnore Darn.
The runners descend from the dam returning via the opposite shoreline of Avirnore Dam. After the downhill from the dam the course is fairly flat. It crosses the Avirnore Dam at 87kni to return to Kurow via the main road. This includes some ro{tiug hills but this time it is downhill overall. At 98km it is recommended runners look a bit lively, passing the cemetary. The last couple of kilometres to Kurow are flat.
From the start a pack of four stayed together for the first 15km. This included Russell Hurring (NZ), second in 1992, four time winner of the 67km Kepler Challenge, Damon Rodwell (GBR) and another Kiwi marathoner Murray Cairns. Thomas Rusik, a 45 year old Czech who has competed in thirty-seven 100km races followed. Hans-Werner Janicke, the German 100km coach and his wife Katharina Janicke (who has run 8Iu•s22 this year) were also in the field_ The womens race also included Japan’s Yukiko Mizuno, New Zealand runners Margaret Hazelwood and Winnie Cosgrove.
By 20km, in 1 hr:20:14 Hurring and myself had pulled away from Rodwell and Cairns. I increased the pace very slightly to about 3.52per km which I maintained for the next 30kms By 25k.m Russell Hurring was slowly dropping and I slowly pulled away from him as we climbed over the rolling hills up the Waitaki Valley. I reach 30kms in 3:16:51, with a two minutes lead. I was running very comfortably at 30kms and was only 20 seconds behind my ‘92 pace. Shortly after 60kIn I climb the steepest dill upto the top of the Benmore Dane. I felt stong on the climb however my quads felt sore with the steep downhill off the darn. The darn slowed my pace for the next 10ki7 to 41:07, giving 7Okins in 4:37:36. _My lead on Hurring was over three minutes and I felt confident he would not gain on me, In ‘92 I pushed the pace from 50 to 80klns (1:57 for 30kms). I held a steady 4 min/km pace. to 80km in 5:17:51. Since turning back at Benmore Darin I was running Into a head wind that was strengthening.
At 86km as I ran across the Avirnore Dam wall the wind was blowing across me from behind and really assisting. But that was only for 500 metres until I reached the main highway returning to Kurow and turned directly into the wind. I was slowing in the final 15 kin and the wind dampened my enthusiasm to push harder. 1 knew I had a good lead. The traffic on the road was more hazardous. I resigned to maintaining a slower but steady pace and ran 44:31 over the last l0kms to finish in 6:44:14. I was pleased with niy effort.
During the race Alan Rider did a great job of seconding for me. I had drunk water to 15kms, then about an 8-10% solution of Endura for the remainder of the race. 1 also consumed about 8 or 9 Leppin squeezy’s, 3 in the first half and then more frequently over the final 50km.
Russell Hurring was unable to sustain the early pace we set out at, though still ran well to record his best at 6:59:13. Thomas Rusik was first veteran and third overall in 7:25:30, closesly followed by Stuart McDonald NZ, 7:27:32. Hans-Werner Janicke ran a good 7:47 for fifth, and Dayle Steele ran a pb of 8:02, for sixth. Neville Mercer NZ ( 7:22 in Belgium) retired at 30km due to effects of a recent flu, and Damon Rodwell GBR also retired at the marathon mark. Other male finishers were Murray Cairns NZ, Ian Sussex NZ and Christophe Rochette FRA.
In the womans race Katharina, who had started with a fracture of a small toe retired at 30kin. Japanese runner Yukiko Mizuno had arrived the evening before the race. She had the lead by the Benmore Dam, running on to win in a good time of 8:43:14. She remained a few for a short while after the race before leaving to return to Japan. Margaret Hazelwood NZ also ran a goob pb of 8:50:32 to finish second, with Winnie Cosgrove NZ a third in her first I00krn in 9:38:45. Caroline Andrews NZ, also in her first 100km was the fourth woman and final finisher in the race.
New Zealand won the Trans Tasman teams throphy with Russell Hurring, Stuart MacDonald and Dayle Steele in the mens race and Margaret Hazelwood, Winnie Cosgrove and Caroline Andrew in the womens. Australia did not have a team.
At the finish at Kurow a marque was set up to provide a BBQ and refreshment for runners, helpers, officials and guests. Two local massuers also did a very thourough job to relieve tender muscles.
A dinner and presentation was later held at the Brydone Hotel, in Oarnaru which was providing accommodation for the runners and officals. For the second year large Maori wooden carvings were presented to the individual winners, and carved wooden treasure bowls to the winning team. A small amount of prize money was also presented, and the first New Zealand male Russell Hurring and female Margaret Hazelwood were giving air tickets from Air NZ to attend the 1994 IAU World Challenge 100km in Japan. Major sponsor Lynx donated several pairs of shoes and other goods were also distributed as ramdom draws.
Scott Leonard with the assistance of Dick and Ruth Tout, David Rush and the local athletic club, and the Kurow and Oamaru communities did a great job of staging “That Darn Run” in 1993. After two years I believe “That Dam Run” is certainly here to stay and will become an important event on the international calerider. The race is an ideal opportunity. for Kiwis and Aussies to run a 100km road race, though the organisers need to make better arrangements to attract more Aussies to attend. I beleive we will we see fast times recorded by many runners on this course. Who knows maybe that elusive Australasian 100km road record.
Tags: New Zealand, Ultralegends
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Tags: New Zealand, Ultralegends
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