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Paparoa Ultra

@paparoaultra

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Saturday, 20th March 2027
A challenging 55km ultra marathon on the pristine Paparoa Track

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𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟕 𝐅𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 continued, and it's time for some wāhine!!!

This week, meet 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐌𝐜𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐲

"I'm coming from Maui, Hawaii, for my fourth time in five years. NZ's trails keep pulling me back, and with barely any jet lag, it's an easy place to come race!"

See you in March, Ashley! by @paparoaultra

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11 days ago

Stoked that we have Back Country Cuisine keeping our crew fed on course for the 2027 Paparoa Ultra.

Our marshals have a HUGE mission of getting our aid station supplies into the mountains for you, so these freeze-dried lightweight meals are perfect for the team! by @paparoaultra

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14 days ago

2 updates from us...

Our Kids Run is now officially the Paparoa MILE, with an extended 100m to make a 1.6km race
AND
The Paparoa Mile is officially a fundraising event for our local LandSAR Greymouth, with all race profits being donated to this essential service, as a huge thank you and acknowledgement for what they do.

LandSAR Greymouth will also be out in the field for our 2027 event, giving support for the full 55km Paparoa Ultra

https://www.paparoaultra.com/paparoa-mile by @paparoaultra

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19 days ago

I grew up just down the road from the start line of the @paparoaultra.

It takes in 55km of the Paparoa Track. You go up from Smoke-ho through the beech forest, along the Moonlight tops, then down through the nīkaus into Punakaiki. It’s proper backcountry, with 3 aid stations at the huts.

This is a grassroots, community-run event, and there’s a kids’ run on the day too. Only 200 spots, so if you’ve been waiting for a reason to come and see the Coast, this is a good one.

Saturday 20 March 2027

📸 1 & 2 @andrewfitts taken in Paparoa Track by @paparoaultra

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24 days ago

𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟕 𝐅𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 continued

This week, meet 𝗕𝗲𝗻 𝗞𝗲𝗽𝗲𝘀

Ben is the founder of Cactus Outdoor - one of the sponsors for the Paparoa Ultra through providing essential crew gear, category & spot prizes and the drybags for runners race packs. They also show a huge support for the event by showing up as a group of around 10 ultra runners!

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠?
"I got into running as a thirty-something-year-old wanting to get (and stay!) fit that didn't take me away from home for hours and hours. Doing longer races meant I did get taken away from home a bunch but I'm lucky enough to have done many races with my sons and their partners. While completing the Leadville 100-mile race was certainly a highlight, the Old Ghost Ultra is my happy place. I'm based in North Canterbury - go Mount Grey!"

See you in March team! by @paparoaultra

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25 days ago

𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟕 𝐅𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 continued

This week, meet 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐎𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐚𝐦

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧/𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠?
"A mid-life epiphany struck me 15 years ago. I weighed almost 100kg and was a heavy smoker with a chronic illness and knew something had to change. Cue buying a treadmill and persevering from being barely able to run 400m to running 5k every day in 3 months. After a year, I ran my first half marathon (without ever training on a road), then onto full marathons for a few years.

The 2017 Old Ghost Ultra was my first trail event, I just wanted to see if I could do it. I had all the gear and no idea! I think there were only 4 locals in it that year and I didn't know any of them.

I've completed 8 old ghosts (missed 2025 due to a recurrence of an illness that I'm still only just recovering from), 6 Kepler's and a handful of others including the inaugural Paparoa.

I'm almost 61, so it's getting tougher to stay active. Trail running gives me something to focus on and I'm lucky enough to live in Charleston where the access to great training courses is amazing.

I'm never going to be at the pointy end of the field, so I have to be content with my modest claims to fame:

I've never not finished an event, and I hold the record for the fastest last place finish in the history of the Old Ghost Ultra!

Oh, and if you see blood on the trail: it's probably mine!

I'm intending to add the Paparoa to my annual schedule for as long as I can and look forward to seeing this event grow to equal the Old Ghost as a must do event."

📸On top of Skyline Ridge in Old Ghost Ultra by @paparoaultra

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a month ago

How awesome that we have @craftywekabar on board as a sponsor for our 2027 event!
Packed with protein, fibres, whole grains and using natural sugars, these bars also have 100% composotable, biodegradable and recyclable packaging - something that aligns with our values and goals... and a perfect fit for keeping you fueled mid-race. by @paparoaultra

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a month ago

Welcome to our 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟕 𝐅𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝

Each Wednesday, we're going to introduce you to one of the runners who has committed to taking on the 55km Paparoa Ultra in March 2027.

This week, meet 𝘿𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙙 𝙃𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙢𝙞𝙙𝙩

David is an emergency medicine doctor, runner, triathlete and endurance coach. There's not many trail races in New Zealand where he hasn't been on the podium or set a course record. He claimed 1st place in the inaugural Paparoa Ultra 2026, finishing in 4 hours 31 minutes!
2nd photo is David winning the 50km at the 2023 Tarawera UTMB World Series.

We asked David:

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠?
Originally from a small island in the north of Scotland, I moved to New Zealand in 2016 and started exploring all the DOC walks on my days off as my main way of exploring the country. I soon realised that if I ran the trails rather than walk them, I could fit so much more in! This became a regular way of experiencing new places. I then discovered trail running events which then became a natural fit for me.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂?
I'm always on the lookout for new places to see and challenges to have a go at. Some of my most memorable have been around Aotearoa, but high on the list for spectacular trails has to be Norway, Switzerland, the Italian Dolomites, to name a few. We are definitely lucky to have world-class accessible trails all around NZ. The Paparoa track was a stunning trail last year in the rain & cloud, though hopefully this year we get some more distant views too :)

See you in March, David! by @paparoaultra

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a month ago

Limited to just 200 runners on one spectacular Great Walk.

Here's your chance to run the 55KM Paparoa Track, over the mountains and down to the coast. Finish with a post-race beer, hot food and free live music! How good

88 runners have already committed. We're stoked - entries only opened 5 days ago!

112 spots remain.

Who's joining us? 20th March 2027

www.paparoaultra.com by @paparoaultra

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a month ago

A few moments from this year’s @paparoaultra

Good people, big days out, and plenty of kilometres through some pretty special country.

We’re stoked to be back supporting the Paparoa Ultra again.

20 March 2027! Entries are now open!

So if you’ve been thinking about taking on the Paparoa Track, this might be your sign.

See you out there.

📸 @joefitzgeraldmedia @julesandersonphotography by @paparoaultra

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a month ago

Entries are now live!
Get in now. It’s the only part of this entire race you can do sitting on your couch

Remember enter before midnight tonight to be in to win the scenic helicopter flight for 2 with @coastwidehelicopters

Link to enter is via the website www.paparoaultra.com

📸@joefitzgeraldmedia by @paparoaultra

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2 months ago

This is your reminder to set your alarms for tomorrow, 7:00 PM - when entries go live for Paparoa Ultra #2

www.paparoaultra.com

📸@paparoaguidedwalks by @paparoaultra

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2 months ago