Tarawera Ultra-Trail founder Paul Charteris reflects leading into 15th year of event

Paul Charteris founded what has become New Zealand’s premier trail running event - the Tarawera Ultra-Trail. Photo / Marceau Photography

The Tarawera Ultra-Trail is celebrating its 15th year and has become New Zealand’s premier trail running event and one of the largest ultra-trail races in the world.

The 2024 event will take place from February 17 to 18 and is expected to welcome a record number of starters to the trails of Rotorua, a statement from organisers said today.

Paul Charteris founded the event, known then as the Tarawera Ultramarathon, in 2009 and was formulated during his time spent living in northern California close to the trails that make up the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run course.

While out running he would frequently encounter people of all shapes and sizes on the dirt trails. He was intrigued, and soon began to join these runners during their training sessions, chatting all things trail running.

On his return to New Zealand a few years later, not wanting to go back to his previous line of work while simultaneously realising there were very few trail running events on offer in his home country, Charteris decided to start his own event.

The 2024 Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB returns February 17 to 18 for its 15th year. Photo / Graeme Murray

“The sport had begun taking off in the US but there were only one or two ultras in New Zealand,” Charteris said.

“I grew up in Kawerau and knew a fair bit of area between there and Rotorua, and so I thought that this would be the perfect location for a trail ultramarathon, running from point to point.

“I saw the growth of the sport in the United States and what a great community it was, and I knew that we had some pretty amazing trails and scenery in the Bay of Plenty that would fit the bill.”

Originally an 85km race from Rotorua to Kawerau, the event has developed into a trail running festival with four distances – 21km, 50km, 102km and 100 miles – and catering to trail runners from around the world.

Start of the Tarawera Ultra-Marathon in 2015. Photo / Ben Fraser

“I always envisioned that this would be a world class trail ultramarathon, that it would attract runners from all over the world, and that it would be seen as one of the very top races in the world because of the quality of the trails and the scenery. But also the unique features of the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty area, the Māori culture, and the friendly welcoming volunteers, just the whole vibe that it has here.

“So I kind of had a vision from the start that it would be something special.”

Charteris said there was something about the area.

“Tarawera was the birthplace of tourism in New Zealand, this is where the original visitors from all over the world would come to New Zealand, to the Tarawera area for the Pink and White Terraces. But it’s also got many hundreds of years of history as a birthplace of the Te Arawa people, and for many hundreds of years they’ve been on those trails.

“You go out on those trails around Lake Tarawera and in the Tarawera Forest near Kawerau and those areas, they do feel special.”

‘The Big Friendly’

Course director Tim Day coined the event ‘The Big Friendly’ due to its warm, friendly and laidback atmosphere.

“I hope that when people leave Tarawera they don’t leave with just a medal, or having done a run, I hope they leave with a feeling that they can achieve anything and that somehow their heart grew a bit bigger,” he said.

Also central to the character of the event are Kerry Suter and Ali Pottinger.

From Suter winning the first two editions of this race, to the both of them and their coaching community Squadrun supporting hundreds of runners on their Tarawera journeys, to having called thousands of runners across the finish line, they are the epitome of what it means to be part of the Tarawera whānau.

Paul Charteris, left, and Tim Day. Photo / Ben Fraser

“For 15 years it’s been the battleground, whether it was won or lost, it’s been where memories have been made and so many people have worked for so many years to achieve so much,” Suter said.

“It’s so special for a lot of people, for their running history, for their family that have taken part, just to participate in the event or be associated in some way, and in the 15 years we’ve kept the heart of the event, all the good things that are about it, there’s so much aroha still,” he said.

For its 15th year, the event has rebranded to Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB and launched a refreshed look.