Drink and Food Stations:
Drink and Food Stations will be located throughout the run:
These will be located at:
- Port Levy 17km
- Pigeon Bay 31km
- Pigeon Bay 48km
- Port Levy 61km
- Port Levy Spur Car Park 70km
- Gebbies Pass 86km
- Kennedy’s Bush entrance 96km
- Finish Halswell Quarry 101km
We recommend that you have your own electrolyte drinks and water with you.
We will have at the stations, water, R-Line Electrolyte drinks, bananas, coke, lollies and chips. You will be able to refill your carriers with these fluids. We are not providing plastic cups at aid stations, as we can’t have any plastic cups being taken on to the course. We recommend you have a silicon cup which can be purchased from CJM’S Events and numerous retailers throughout New Zealand.
Cut off Times:
These cut off times will be adhered too.
Finish cut offs:
101km 19 hours – Average 11.3 minutes per kilometre
53km 16 hours – Average 18.1 minutes per kilometre
15km 13 hours 30 minutes - Plenty of time
With the 4055 vertical meters this allows time for competitors to meet the cut off times
101km Cut off times:
Duvauchelles - 12 Noon - 40km (Summit/Pigeon Bay Roads Intersection)
Pigeon Bay – 2:00pm - 48km
Port Levy Spur - 6:00pm - 70km
Gebbies Pass - 9:30pm - 86km
Halswell Quarry - Midnight
Support Runners:
Support runners will be allowed on the trail from Port Levy Spur to the Finish. This gives runners the opportunity to have a support runner over Mt Herbert. If you are having a support runner, they need to enter online by Sunday 31st December 2025 and a separate number will be provided for them. If we are not notified of the Support Runner, they will not be able to support you. The Support Runner will get two slap bands with their race number also.
Age Restrictions:
All competitors in the 101km and the 53km events are to be 18 years of age or older on race day.
All competitors in the 15km event must be 16 years or older.
Bag Drop:
Bag Drops will be at the Registration the day before the event by 3:00pm. These can then be sorted and taken to Aid Stations, if you require these specifically for you.
The Drop Bags MUST be sealed and clearly marked with:
Name
Event
Race Number
Location of Bag to be taken too
E,g: Joe Bloggs, 100km, Number 100, Location Pigeon Bay
The locations of Bag Drops are as Follows:
Pigeon Bay - 31km
Pigeon Bay - 48km
Port Levy Spur - 70km
Gebbies Pass - 86km
The Pigeon Bay location is the same place, please only use one bag for this.
Support teams will be allowed to be at Aid Stations to support competitors and feed them.
If you are dropping off a bag, please make sure this is sealed and nothing is loose and will fall out, as we don’t want anything falling out as we will have a large number of these at Aid Stations.
No paper or plastic bags can be used for bag drops.
If you are putting frozen items in your back drop, please make sure that this is sealed and will not thaw out and leak. "Other competitors don't necessarily want to taste your coconut milk etc."
Please note that No Bag drops can be guaranteed to be at feed stations, if asked to be dropped the morning of the event.
Bus to the Start:
If you require a bus to the start, you can purchase this for $40.00
Buses will run from:
- Christchurch to Little River, the 101km start leaving at 3:15am
- Christchurch to Pigeon Bay, the 53km start leaving at 5:30am
- Halswell Quarry to Gebbies Pass, the 15km start leaving at 9:45am - from Halswell Quarry main entrance Kennedys Bush Road
The timetable for the bus departure will be finalised the week before the Ultra.
There will be departure from Central City and Halswell Quarry for the 101km and 53km, while the 15km will depart only from Halswell Quarry.
We recommend that competitors use the bus from Christchurch, especially for the 53km and 101km starts as there is limited parking at the starts. Spectators will not be able to travel on the road between Port Levy Spur and Pigeon Bay via the same route as the runners, therefore not able to see the runners between these locations. Access to Pigeon Bay and Port Levy Saddle car park will be via Little River.
Bus tickets can be purchased online when entering. The buses are only for the runners as the buses will drop competitors off and leave straight away, the buses aren't for spectators.
Toilet Requirements - Poo Bags:
What you take into the run you must bring back out, this includes fesses, if a toilet on route is not used. There are porta-loos and toilets in locations throughout the run and a map will be provided closer to the event.
If you need to go to the toilet before you reach one of these, you will need a poo bag (best you calculate how often you believe you will need to go during the event and have sufficient bags). We’d hate to see some of our native birds to be choking on some of your finest or any waterways getting polluted.
Thank you for this and we recommend you check out the following link for some great helpful tips https://www.wildwalks.co.nz/Wild-Walks/Walks-FAQ-s/Advice-and-Information/Human-Waste-Disposal.aspx
Spectators:
With the 101km start, spectators will see their runners disappear up Western Valley Road, we request that no spectator cars follow up this road after the runners or attempt to pass them. We request that no spectators travel on the roads the runners are using between Port Levy Saddle Car Park and Pigeon Bay. To view the runners, you can access Pigeon Bay via Little River and going along the Summit Road and Pigeon Bay Road to Pigeon Bay Feed Station.
We do not want vehicles leap frogging along the road with their runners as roads will be open on the day and don’t want excess traffic on these roads.
From Pigeon Bay, spectators won’t be able to travel on the road between Pigeon Bay to Port Levy Spur. Spectators and support people will be able to access Port Levy via Diamond Harbour/Purua Bay. Vehicle won’t be able to go from Port Levy up Western Valley Road to Port Levy Spur. Those spectators and support people can access Port Levy Spur from Little River. "It is recommended to go to the Spur car park as you would not have time to go from Port Levy to the Spur car park before the runners get to this location.
At the top of Gebbies Pass spectators and support people will see their competitors although there is very limited car parking, and we want to limit the amount of traffic on the Summit Road for the safety of the competitors.
At the Finish “Halswell Quarry” spectators will need to utilise the car parking and roadside parking for the event.
Be Prepared:
As an Ultra Marathoner we know you will be prepared for the event. This means you must have trained and be physically fit enough to complete the event within cut off times. If you have had health issues that you think may restrict you from completing the event within the time frames, we request that you seek medical advice prior to the event.
If you have or have had symptoms of Covid-19 we request that you be tested for this prior to taking part and only taking part if you have a negative result for the Virus.
You will be running on Banks Peninsula for 90% of the event and on a peninsula, weather conditions can change very quickly. Plus, at the summit of some of the climbs the prevailing winds can have a much cooler wind chill factor and be strong in these exposed places.
On the Summit of Mt Herbert competitors will be 991m above sea level, there ore we are asking for compulsory gear and depending on the weather forecasts. December/January in New Zealand the weather can be inconsistent and wet and then again it could be very hot. Compulsory gear may be reduced and all competitors will be advised in the days prior to the event. Please prepare to the full compulsory gear requirements.
Compulsory Gear for all 101km and 53km competitors:
- Headlamps
- Long sleeve top wool/polypropylene
- Thermal Hat (Beanie not Buff)
- Thermal gloves
- Waterproof jacket (seam-sealed with hood)
- Survival Blanket
- Reflective gear, for front and back, (For those competitors starting/finishing in the dark, 101km especially) You will get two reflective slap bands in your race pack.
- Whistle
- Mobile Phone – charged in a waterproof container with Race Directors number in the phone 027 2267769
Limited Numbers:
The 2 Ultra Marathons are limited to 350 competitors at any time, this is due to our Department of Conservation (DOC) Concession for the event and we encourage you to get your entries in quickly to avoid disappointment.
The 350 is the total number in the 2 Ultra events, we’re not limiting the numbers in each event, as more may want to do the 101km against the 53km or vice versa.
