Ring of Fire 50km - 2023

The Ruapehu Running Festival is so much fun so we were looking forward to our return to Tongariro National Park and the mountain run. The Festival included both Ring of Fire and Tussock Traverse events in 2023. This was our third year coming to the Tussock Traverse but my first year doing the Ring of Fire. I think Tussock Traverse 21km was actually my first ever trail running event. After that, I was hooked! Our accommodation was out at National Park which was not too far from the starting line at Turoa Ski-field.

Race Day

It was Saturday the 11th of March 2023. We drove to the Turoa Ski Field car park to the 50km start-line. It was pretty nippy waiting in the dark and I got stuck in the toilet line and nearly missed the start gun!

6.15am and we were off! We had been forewarned at the race briefing to look after our quads as the first 4-5km of the race was steep down hill following Ohakune Mountain Road. We then exited off to begin the Round the Mountain Track.

It was still fairly dark at this stage as the trail took us across swing bridges and through native bush. Some boardwalks through tussock where very luxurious but short-lived, as the sun came up and the technical running began.

Ring of Fire (RoF) is known for the long deep valleys and the race certainly did not disappoint. The downhill was super fun and I ended up sliding heaps making my way down into the basin. It was pretty daunting to be at the 20-odd km mark and see that there was a massive valley to get around and out of before the half way point at Tukino.

There were a few moments where I literally slipped on my butt. All I could do was laugh at a few close calls near the edge and continue to perservere. I made my way to the bottom, well knowing there was a technical climb to get up to the Tukino Aid station.

The technical running was rough underfoot and although the elevation was not too bad, the relentless volcanic trail was really energy zapping. The scree was soft and I couldn't help get stones in my shoes, but made sure to take them off and get rid when I needed to.

The vast and baron landscape was unbelievable and I can appreciate it a lot more now that the race is over, rather than when in the present. The boulder fields were spectacular and swing bridges were very high above the river. Crossing the bridges was a heap of fun. Fun aside, the highly mobile volcanic terrain had become to consume me and I couldn't wait to get onto something a bit more runnable.

When I finally made it to the windy Tukino Aid station, I grabbed my drop bag and restocked supplies. It was mandatory to take 3L of water carrying capacity and I had gone through a fair amount with the weather being quite mild. I was really stoked the first half was over and I made a start on the second half which is the Tussock Traverse track.

The Tussock Traverse track was far less technical and more runnable than the first half. Although, by 4 hours in, I was feeling the punishment from those valleys. It heated up too and there was full exposure to the strong sun. It was at that stage in the event where it was very sparse between runners, but I did end up getting into a bit of a running crew with two lads. We had great chats and pushed each other along with encouragement and good banter as you do. The fatigue was definitely setting in as we took turns at stumbling and tripping over ourselves. Once that group had disintegrated, we went our separate ways to continue at our own pace.

I caught up with another runner who was doing a good pace and we chatted for a bit. Mostly we were whining about how much we wanted the race to end as the heat began to make the race more difficult. However, we were stoked when we made it to the waterfalls. I took a few quick snaps and then decided to try and smash the last 3-4km (although it felt fast, looking at my watch later, it wasn't). It was a fun and fast track along the Wairere Stream on the way back to the Chateau. The final section was a great way to finish the race with more gorgeous scenery but this time, in the shade. The slight uphill at the end was a struggle but I recall the amazing feeling when the Chateau appeared so very close. I finally made it to the end with Mt Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom) in the background.

I was very stoked to finish with nothing left in the tank and couldn't wait to see my mum and my partner at the end. The environment at the finish line is always a great buzz at the Ruapehu Running Festival (Tussock Traverse and Ring of Fire) with tunes pumping and the Lakeman mascot floating around.

Although the race was 50km, due to challenging terrain and full exposure to the elements, I found RoF tougher than Taupo 100km Ultra that I had completed 5 or so months prior. I had done a fair bit of hill training but probably not enough of the technical, rocky/ boulder type training that you need good balance and strong ankles for. This would have especially helped me for the first 25km of this race.

A few race stats for those interested. The minimum elevation was 1097m and maximum just over 1600m. According to my watch, the 50km covered about 2000m of cumulative ascent and 2500m of descent. But don't be fooled by the net negative down hill. For me, it was a really tough and gnarly race. I can't wait until the Events team bring back RoF 73km so I can give that a good crack!