Motatapu Ultra Runs Today
Two major endurance events are running today in New Zealand: the Motatapu Mondraker 47km Mountain Bike through private high country stations and the Motatapu Ultra Run spanning 52km with 3,000 meters of climbing over four major ascents. Both offer once-a-year access to exclusive terrain across Glendhu, Motatapu, Soho, and Glencoe stations.
The Motatapu event, first held in 2005, has grown from 1,000 competitors in two events to over 4,000 participants across a range of races. It is New Zealand's largest off-road sporting event, taking place annually in the high country between Wānaka and Arrowtown. The name Motatapu is of te reo Māori origin, with "mota" meaning river and "tapu" meaning sacred. The valley served as a vital seasonal route for early Māori for food gathering and transporting pounamu (greenstone). The course itself follows a historic trail used by Māori and later by gold miners in the 1860s. The Ultra Run course is part of the Te Araroa Trail, "The Long Pathway," which stretches from Cape Reinga to Bluff. This challenging 52.5km race involves four major ascents, with the highest point at Jack Halls Saddle reaching 1,270 meters. The race is a designated UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc) Index Race. In addition to the Ultra Run and the 47km mountain bike race, the event includes a 42km Trail Marathon, a 15km Miners Trail, and a 4km Junior Trail Run. There are also options for walkers in the marathon and Miners Trail, as well as an e-bike category for the mountain bike course. A portion of every entry fee is donated to the Queenstown Trails Trust, the event's official charity partner for over a decade. To date, this partnership has raised over $90,000 to help maintain and develop more than 200km of trails in the Wakatipu Basin. The event is now under the local ownership of Queenstown-based event professionals Gemma Peskett and Craig Gallagher, who took over in 2021. Their involvement brought a renewed focus and fresh energy to this iconic New Zealand race.
