The WUU2K – Wellington Urban Ultra
The Wuu2K scares me. There, I said it. I ran it in 2019. I didn’t represent myself well that day. Bloaty from the gun and started cramping from 30 km. It’s always a good mental battle when you get hamstring cramps just under halfway into a race.
Ever since that day, I have written off running it again. Rather than getting fired up for revenge, I’ve pushed it aside.
”Why would I want to pay to run on trails I can run on any other day I want?”
That’s what I say when someone asks if I’m running it this year. I’ve got unfinished business at the Wuu2K – it won’t be this year, but at least I’ve got around to admitting it.
Anyway, you’re not here to read about my issues.
The Wuu2K is the creation of the evil genius Gareth Thomas. To distract him from the stress of working 80-hour weeks at Weta Digital, Gareth dreamt up a way to inflict the most pain on naive trail runners.
In 2016 his vision came to life with the inaugural event, which had 42 km(2K) and 63km(3K).
The event went relatively well, bar the runners who missed a major turn-off and ended up in Te Aro and catching a Taxi to the finish. I also thought about “missing a turn” and going down to Garage Project.
Each year Gareth has continued to expand the event; a 21KM race, team relays, and a club relay championship have been added. The Aid stations grow with crazier themes and dress-ups each year.
It’s now drawing runners from all around the country. As a Wellington region-based runner, it is easy to take our trails for granted in Wellington.
All you need to do is spend a long weekend in Auckland looking for some trails to run to realise that we live in an urban trail-running utopia.
Courses
Let’s take a look at the courses on offer.
21KM 📏 | 812M ⛰️
Course Records:
🏃Casey Thorby(2022) – 1:52:14
🏃♀️Michelle Law(2022) – 2:19:44
Redrocks carpark to Tawatawa
The kid’s run starts at Red Rocks car park and heads down the coast to make sure everyone gets sand in their shoes right at the start.
After 5K or so, head inland. Get your feet wet crossing the creek to ensure the sand turns into concrete before climbing up onto the top of the ridgeline.
Drag your way up the ridge line until you hit Spooky Gully, which spits you onto the tip track. Take a right down the tip track and beat your quads into oblivion, heading down the road and onto Tawatawa reserve.
Tawatawa Reserve to Mt. Victoria
The climb out of the reserve will seem irrationally hard at this stage but don’t worry. It will soon be put into context by the stupidly steep Mt.Albert. The only thing more agonizing than its name is the gradient, have your salt pills on standby.
From here, you will join the easy, breezy urban trails that head towards the finish up Mt.Vic – Every step here will feel like 3. You will question why there is a velodrome in one of the most expensive parts of Wellington and curse Gareth, the race director, on average 6.7 times as you head up the final trails towards the finish at the summit.
Tawatawa Reserve to Mt. Victoria
The climb out of the reserve will seem irrationally hard at this stage but don’t worry. It will soon be put into context by the stupidly steep Mt.Albert. The only thing more agonizing than its name is the gradient, have your salt pills on standby.
From here, you will join the easy, breezy urban trails that head towards the finish up Mt.Vic – Every step here will feel like 3. You will question why there is a velodrome in one of the most expensive parts of Wellington and curse Gareth, the race director, on average 6.7 times as you head up the final trails towards the finish at the summit.
43KM 📏 | 2K⛰️
Course Records
🏃♀️Dani Nicolson(2018) – 4:13:26
🏃Sam Hansby(2022) – 3:38:53
62KM📏 | ⛰️ 2.2K (Apparently – feels closer to 3K)
Course Records
🏃Sam McCutcheon(2022) – 5:11:59
🏃♀️Mel Brandon(2022) – 6:31:37
START TO MAKARA ROAD
The Wuu2k starts in swanky Khandallah. I’m surprised the residents that surround Khandallah Park haven’t got it shut down. Every year hoards of runners pile out of cars triple parked over their driveways; no doubt multiple alpha males also get rid of some “nervous energy” on their front lawns.
Once the gun goes off, there is a mad sprint for 50M before everything comes to an anti-climatic walk. A sh💩tload of steps over not very far takes you to Mt. Kaukau. If you’re lucky, there will be low visibility, so you won’t be able to see how f🤬🤬king far you’ve got to run today.
Once you hit the top (10 minutes if your Killian, 20 minutes if your Jillian), you run down the infamous Wellington Skyline Track, a net downhill undulating type track that takes you down to almost as swanky Karori.
Enjoy this. It’s some of the easiest running of the day. Somewhere between the two K’s, you’ll get a sunrise, save yourself 10 seconds, and keep your headlamp on your head all day.
MAKARA ROAD TO MAKARA CAR PARK
At the end of the Skyline track, you’ll hit the first aid station. If you’re walking at this point, thinking, “f🤬🤬k what have I signed up for” it’s time to snap out of it – try running into the aid station at full speed, hi-fiving everyone, pour water all over your head, and let out a blood-curdling scream as you exit.
Sprint across the road; you’re now at Makara MTB park, your first task? Head up, Makara Peak. Don’t worry. It’s not really a peak. It’s more of a knob with a 4wd track up it.
Once you’ve conquered the knob, you can channel your inner mountain biker and race down some tracks. You’ve got to make some turns, so keep an eye out for markers; they’re labeled well, but it can be easy to miss a turn when you’re having this much fun.
Eventually, you’ll end up at the bottom aid station in the car park. Make sure you look extra pro by demanding some ice sponges. Now it’s time to jump on the Salvation Trail and power over Wrights Hill to the Wind Turbine.
WIND TURBINE TO RED ROCKS CARPARK
Once you hit the wind turbine, you’ll be roughly halfway. Unfortunately, it’s a decent hike to any pubs from here, so you might as well keep going. From here, you’ll follow some sweet mountain bike trails called car parts & barking emu. Don’t mind the names. The emus are rather friendly.
If, for some reason, you signed up for the 43km, you’ll turn off down the tip track. This will give you plenty of opportunity to think about what a poor decision you’ve made missing out on the sweet climb up the tip track that the 62km runners will get.
For the true diehards, follow Red Rocks trail down to the South Coast. When you get to the switchbacks, point straight down the hill and hope for the best if you want to make a few minutes up.
If you survive this radical maneuver, you’ll be on the beach checking out the surf. Make sure you turn left for glory and head down the coast, avoiding all seals in the process. This part is always sh💩t. You might as well run it “fast” and get it over and done with.
RED ROCKS CARPARK TO MT. VIC
Now it’s time to run up the ironically named Happy Valley to the base of the Tip Track. To maximize your Tip Track experience, this is a good place to rip your shirt off and start shouting, “You don’t know me, son.”
Once you’ve gone up and down the tip track, it’s time to contemplate whether or not you actually like running at another aid station, Tawatawa Reserve. (43K runners went straight down the tip track and directly to the Tawatawa aid station.)
Head on up over the hill. This climb feels way harder than it really should. You’ll come down onto Berhanpore golf course. Make sure you drop to the deck if anyone shouts, Four! (also a good trick if you want to pass someone). Onto Mt Albert for a short sharp steep climb before hitting the Southern Walkway trails.
You’re almost home now. Luckily, the last few K are dead flat and absolutely whizz by. The last few K are annoyingly undulating and just keep going on forever. There is one final push up the last climb to the summit of Mt. Vic- now summon the strength for a sprint finish.
Now you can enjoy the post-ultra buzz and head down to Waitoa Brewery, just a few minutes away and pretend you’ll never run an Ultra again.
*These descriptions may be slightly jaded by my experience of the race 🙈 – for more accurate factual info, check out the official site here.
Gareth Thomas – The Rave Director
Gareth was generous enough to take time out of his schedule to ask some of my annoying questions.
What is your favourite trail on the course?
Every part of the WUU course is my fave, to be honest, this is why I laid it all out in the first place – because I loved every part of it!
I do love the Tawatawa to Mt Vic section a lot, though, mainly because when I did live in Wellington, this was my most run-on section of the WUU course due to it being close to where I lived. I love the way it weaves around the hills, finishing off with the winding trails as you head up Mt Vic to the finish line.
What is your least favourite trail on the course?
I would say the road sections, especially heading up Happy Valley road for the 62k runners, but it’s not a ‘trail’ so to speak. I suppose maybe heading down the 4WD track – Snake Charmer at Makara MB park, and maybe that little section of trail before you hit Wrights Hill lookout (mainly because we’ve had issues marking this in the past. Just gotta remember 2nd right….not the 1st right)
Tell us about your favourite moment/memory from directing the Wuu2k over the years.
Oh man this is a hard question to answer. There have been plenty of favourite moments over the years. I’ll list a few for you though:
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Year 01 – Walking into a PACKED Tuatara Brewery after completing the first-ever WUU in 2016. It was just a highly emotional time for me to see how happy everyone was. A very proud moment for me, and one I will never forget
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Having the Nepalese Athletics team over. This group were awesome. I just remember them all bartering with me over race merch. Classic. They’re keen to get back over and complete the event (most missed their cut-offs so want to come back to conquer it!)
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Rhys (H&S) came late to our in-person briefing (may have been the year his first child was born a day before, so we let him off), and Brent hurriedly handing him a WUU T to put on before coming on stage. It was a Women’s Small size, but he did his briefing with it on (at least I’m pretty sure he did!)
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This one is for many people out there who have been a part of the WUU. One of my favourite parts each year is seeing you achieve your goals. Honestly! I am the one who manages all of the comms between the WUU and runners, so have been ‘with’ people through many things like Deaths in the family, Illnesses, Suicides, Assaults, Injuries and everything else. I’ve read and listened and see these people come along and push through some extremely challenging parts of their lives to come and run the WUU. Running IS active meditation, and it does help us all overcome some intense moments in our lives. I have huge respect for these folk who go through a massive challenge to take on another massive challenge! Having the WUU there for people who may be struggling is highly memorable year after year.
What has the biggest “oh shit” moment been directing the race?
Probably 2021, and dealing with the weather bomb. There were many ‘oh shit’ moments that weekend. Not just ‘oh shits’ either. There was a plethora of colourful language going on all over the course.What is your 1# tip for having a good race at Wuu2k? (outside of make sure you train appropriately)
Know your body. Understanding your limits is always good but this is sometimes hard to gauge when running a race. I’ve run many Ultra-distance events myself, but this was also after hours of training/running, and getting to know my body as a runner. I’ve always had a fairly average race pace that I’m comfortable with for longer-distance runs. I think finding this comfortable pace is an important tip for runners who may be newer to the sport. Find your happy pace, and finish with a smile on your face.
What sets the Wuu2k apart from other races you’ve experienced?
It’s an Ultra IN the Capital City and you can get a free shuttle to the pub afterwards.
Your Number 1# for having a fun day?
Just set your happy pace, enjoy the company and conversations along the way, and cross the finish line!
What is the biggest mistake you see at the wuu2k frequently?
Mostly people turning up without items of compulsory gear. Even with it all listed on the website, in briefing notes, on a video I made (which is on the website), with pictures on the website, some people still turn up every year missing something or having something not quite up to scratch. 1 single bandaid is NOT a First Aid kit.
Anything else you would like to say to the NZ trail running community?
Just get out and support your local events. I’ve not been to a major event since Shotover in 2020 really as I’ve had my personal health shite going on, but I’ll do my best to get back. Hopefully 2024 for me as there are events I want to do, and get back to. One of my favourite weekend events was running the A100 years back, and I’d still love to get back for this mad weekend.
Get out as much as you can. Try new trails. Oh, and enter the WAI2K – Saturday, November 25th.
There you have it- Wellingtons Urban Ultra. Entries are still open if you’ve developed a severe case of FOMO. Register here.
Check out who you’ll be fighting over watermelon with at the aid stations here
If you’re banged up and can’t run, events can always do with more volunteers.
Get in touch with the team here if you want to get involved.
If you enjoyed this article, or want to share some of your experience of the Wuu2k, drop a comment below or email [email protected]
