“I honestly think New Zealand has always been on the map. What’s changed is that more athletes now have opportunities to race internationally and show what’s possible coming from here.”
One of those athletes lifting the standard is Caitlin Fielder.
In her first 100km race at Tarawera last year, the Kiwi surprised a lot of people by matching Croft stride for stride through much of the course.
“I expect she’ll be even stronger this time around,” Croft said.
Fielder said she was feeling good ahead of the weekend.
Caitlin Fielder passes the Tarawera Falls on her way to finishing second at last year's T102. Photo / Sportograf
“I had some time off after my last race in October, which I think is necessary for a mental and physical reset.”
Her breakout 100km run in 2025 gave her not just a result, but a belief that she belongs among the best in the world – especially after discovering she could go head‑to‑head with Croft for much of the race.
“I was pretty surprised to find myself racing alongside Ruth for a lot of the race last year, but I also knew I had been doing some good training.
“It’s hard to know exactly where you’re at before any race, so racing with Ruth gave me a lot of confidence that I can do more than I think I can,” she said.
Can anyone close the gap to Daniel Jones?
Jones has won the past three T102 races, finishing between 15-30 minutes ahead of his closest competitor.
“Tarawera is a great season opener for me. We’re pretty lucky to have a summer here in New Zealand, training on mainly dry trails and building fitness for the year ahead,” Jones said.
“It’s always a privilege to test that fitness out at Tarawera, a race I’ve become very proud to be a part.
“I remember way back in the day having trail running discussions with the founder of Tarawera Ultra, Paul Charteris. It’s very cool that his passion has continued and helped form such a special race for this community.”
Daniel Jones secured a T102 threepeat with victory at the 2025 Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB. Photo / Tim Bardsley-Smith
The 2026 field brings a new level of international firepower – led by Sweden’s Petter Engdahl, who will race the T102 for the first time.
The 2022 CCC champion and 2023 OCC fourth‑place finisher is one of Europe’s most dynamic athletes and despite a winter spent training in Norway – with plenty of snow and treadmill sessions – he feels ready.
“Training has been going good, I’ve been trying to prepare as well as possible at home in Norway, running in the snow or on treadmill, but I am in good shape so looking forward to kick of the 2026 season,” Engdahl said.
The top three female and male finishers in the T102 will qualify directly for the CCC race (100km) at the 2027 UTMB World Series Finals in Chamonix, France.
