On The Up: Northland runner Helen Waterworth to compete in 24-hour world champs

Northlander Helen Waterworth has been selected for the New Zealand team to compete in the 24-Hour Track World Championships in France.

Six months is all it took for Northlander Helen Waterworth to go from dipping her toe into the sport of 24-hour track running to representing New Zealand on the world stage.

The Whangārei resident is now fully immersed in training for the IAU 24-Hour Track World Championships in Albi, France after being selected into the 15-strong New Zealand team.

The event features a 1500m loop course with a mix of bitumen and track surface.

The race starts at 10am on October 18 and finishes 24 hours later.

“I was convinced to try track in February by another athlete,” she said.

“In Auckland there was the national championships, and I entered to see how far I could run within the 24-hour period.

“That race I came second overall and first female clocking enough kilometres to get me into the New Zealand team.”

That was in May, when Waterworth completed 515 laps for a total of 206km in 24 hours.

The 38-year-old is used to long-distance running, having been involved in mountain and endurance running, including ultra-marathons, for about 13 years.

“Backyard events” – where runners do 6.7km trail laps every hour, on the hour until there is one person left standing – are her favourite.

Waterworth has done 11 of them, including the Riverhead Backyard ReLaps Ultra in Auckland in 2021, 2022, and 2024.

But it was the Clint Eastwood BackYard Ultra in Brisbane in 2024 where she performed her personal best, running about 234km in 32 hours.

Waterworth, a former firefighter, has also completed the Godzone adventure race, a multi-day race where teams of four trek, mountain bike, kayak and pack-raft through New Zealand’s rugged wilderness.

Helen Waterworth is training hard for the 24-Hour Track World Championships in October.

Running around a track for 24 hours sounded “interesting”, she said.

“Mentally it’s okay, most of the stuff I do is 30 hours or days on end.

“You just science it; I figure out how much food I need every half hour or how many carbohydrates I need or when I need to change my socks.

“I miss mountains and trail running but I want to try and get the New Zealand female record, so I’ll be chasing that for sure.

“I’ll go over and give it my best.”

Waterworth also runs His and Hers Endurance Event Kitz, which provides kit hire and set-up services at endurance running events, with her partner Chris Newsome.

The couple recently hosted the inaugural Northland 100 Ultra in Glenbervie forest and the Kings Backyard Ultra at Barge Showgrounds.

Waterworth is running 80 to 100km a week to prepare for the world champs.

She is the only Northlander on the New Zealand team, which is made up of seven men and eight women.

Athletics NZ spokesman John Bowden wished the athletes the best “as they prepare for the pinnacle of global 24-hour racing”.

“This team represents the best of our ultra-running community, dedicated, resilient, and experienced.

“We are excited to see what they can achieve on the world stage in Albi.”

The trip is self-funded, so Waterworth is raising money through Givealittle and has raised nearly $4000.

Visit givealittle.co.nz/cause/road-to-france to donate.

Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with finance, roading, and social issues.