The Tarawera Ultra-Trail NZ. Photo / Harry Talbot
Hometown athletes Caitlin Fielder and Michael Voss were among Bay of Plenty competitors who shone in their events at the Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB at the weekend.
Fielder placed second in the T102 while Voss was third in the T50.
New Zealand duo Ruth Croft and Daniel Jones claimed their third Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB 102km (T102) titles, setting new course best times on their way to victory.
Croft completed the course in 8:24:34, more than 30 minutes faster than the previous best time set by Camille Heron (USA) in 2017 and more than 45 minutes faster than her time from last year.
“It’s just awesome, to race at home is really special, and it’s the community here and the people. For the first 20k I was just catching up with Kiwis and you don’t get to do that in Europe, so it was really cool,” Croft said.
The West Coast runner was pushed hard all day by fellow Kiwi and Rotorua local Fielder, racing her debut T102. Fielder eventually finished second in 8:30:45. Beth McKenzie (USA), last year’s runner-up, rounded out the women’s podium in 8:46:09.
“I knew Beth would go out quick, because that’s what she did last year,” Croft said.
“I actually felt pretty awful for the first 40K just on the forestry roads, then once I started getting into some single track, it felt a lot better. But obviously I had Caitlin Fielder right behind me so there was not much room to breathe, and I was just lucky to pull away at Blue Lake [penultimate aid station].
“It’s so cool to see her [Fielder] get second and also a Golden Ticket for Western States.”
Daniel Jones’ victory earned the Whakatāne-raised runner his third successive T102 title. His time of 7:17:42 was just under six minutes faster than the previous course best time set by Jim Walmsley (USA) in 2017.
“I’m ecstatic. I knew I was in good shape, so I just wanted to see what kind of form I was actually in. We went from the gun, and we had some good competition out there, I was pushed pretty hard for about 30 or 40 kilometres. I kept on pushing right on the edge and I was just holding it together,” Jones said.
The Kiwi was more than 30 minutes clear of second place finisher Hiroki Kai from Japan, with Adrian Macdonald (USA), last year’s TMiler champion, in third.
As is tradition for T102 and TMiler champions at Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB, Jones and Croft were received at the finish line by a haka and to the cheers of the hundreds of spectators who lined the chute to cheer their local heroes home.
“Every year that haka at the start line and finish line is incredible,” Jones said.
Jones will now turn his attention to the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run in California, in June.
Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB is a qualifying race for the 2026 UTMB World Series Finals, taking place in Chamonix, France, with the top three female and male finishers in the T102 securing direct entry into the CCC (100km) race at UTMB Mont-Blanc.
This year, the T102 race also returned as a HOKA Golden Ticket qualifier for the 2025 Western States, with the top two female and male finishers earning automatic entry.
The HOKA Golden Tickets at Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB were accepted by Hiroki Kai (JPN), Adrian Macdonald (USA), Caitlin Fielder (NZL), and Helen Mino Faukner (USA).
Rotorua’s Michael Voss pushed him hard but Hayden Hawks (USA) lived up to his top billing in the T50 to secure his first title at Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB on Saturday.
“I’m feeling pretty good. A bit beat, I mean, it was tough out there,” Hawks said.
“It was super-fast, I like to relate it to a 10K runner dropping down to run an 800-metre race, that’s how it felt out there.”
Voss rounded out the podium in 3:23:13.
In the women’s T50 race, South Africa’s Bianca Tarboton put together a dominant performance to take the title. Tarboton completed the race in 3:45:55, more than 25 minutes ahead of Madison Reynolds (AUS) in second. Kiwi Julia Grant rounded out the women’s podium in 4:13:24.
“I’m feeling good, it feels like a blur still. I’m still soaking it in, but I’m really happy. It was a really good race, and I enjoyed it a lot,” Tarboton said.
Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB is a qualifying race for the 2025 UTMB World Series Finals at UTMB Mont-Blanc, with the top three male and female elites in the Tarawera 50km having secured direct entry into the OCC (50km) race next year.
In the 21km, the women’s race was won by Mount Maunganui runner Jessie Speedy in 1:35:21. Fellow Kiwi Phillipa Williams finished second, nearly three minutes further back, with Switzerland’s Shelly Schenk rounding out the podium in 1:40:15.
The 21km men’s race was won by British-born Kiwi Joe Steward in 1:18:47, with Benjamin Otis (USA) second and last year’s winner Michael Sutton (NZL) in third.
Kiwi Sam Harvey became the first New Zealander to win the 100-mile race at Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB since it was first introduced in 2018, while it was third time lucky for Kimino Miyazaki as the Japanese athlete finally claimed the TMiler title on her third attempt.
Harvey broke the tape in a time of 15:16:54, over 15 minutes ahead of Simon Cochrane (NZL), with Hong Kong based Ryan Whelan (GBR) rounding out the podium in 15:56:11.
Harvey held on to win his second UTMB World Series event on the bounce, backing up his victory at Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB less than three months earlier.
“I don’t like to hide. You can feel it when people are hiding out there, they see someone hurting and they sit behind them and go at whatever pace suits them and have a little rest. That’s when I’m like, okay, pass. Push everybody, let’s go, stop hiding. Which hurts me a lot of the time,” Harvey said.
In the women’s TMiler, a consistent and strong day for Kimino Miyazaki meant the Japanese athlete claimed the win in 17:40:37, an hour and 10 minutes clear of the rest of the field. After finishing second in this race in 2023 and posting an unfortunate DNF in last year’s race, this victory felt all the more sweet.
“I’m so happy to win. I want to run UTMB. Last year in this race I didn’t finish, and I was so sad, so I tried changing training from last year to this year, so I had more confidence,” Miyazaki said.
Emma Timmis (NZL) and Sarah Parkins (AUS) finished second and third respectively. Timmis stopped the clock at 18:50:48, with Parkins another 20 minutes behind the Kiwi in 19:11:10.
TMILER RESULTS – WOMEN
Kimino Miyazaki (JPN) – 17:40:37
Emma Timmis (NZL) – 18:50:48
Sarah Parkins (AUS) – 19:11:10
Naomi Brand (ZAF) – 19:36:38
Katie Wright (ZAF) – 19:50:30
TMILER RESULTS – MEN
Sam Harvey (NZL) – 15:16:54
Simon Cochrane (NZL) – 15:33:45
Ryan Whelan (GBR) – 15:56:11
Luca Ahumada-Percoco (ARG) – 16:42:27
Cullen Rhind (NZL) – 16:44:22
T102 RESULTS – WOMEN
Ruth Croft (NZL) – 8:24:34
Caitlin Fielder (NZL) – 8:30:45
Beth McKenzie (USA) – 8:46:09
Helen Mino Faukner (USA) – 9:03:01
Nancy Jiang (NZL) – 9:10:13
T102 RESULTS – MEN
Daniel Jones (NZL) – 7:17:42
Hiroki Kai (JPN) – 7:48:45
Adrian Macdonald (USA) – 7:51:05
Cody Lind (USA) – 7:54:11
Marcel Hoeche (DEU) – 8:02:49
T50 RESULTS – WOMEN
Bianca Tarboton (ZAF) – 3:45:55
Madison Reynolds (AUS) – 4:11:28
Julia Grant (NZL) – 4:13:24
Simone Ackermann (ZAF) – 4:16:12
Amelia Lythe (NZL) – 4:17:40
T50 RESULTS – MEN
Hayden Hawks (USA) – 3:18:46
Robbie Simpson (GBR) – 3:20:01
Michael Voss (NZL) – 3:23:13
Max Yanzick (NZL) – 3:30:56
Daniel Osanz (ESP) – 3:35:17
T21 RESULTS – WOMEN
Jessie Speedy (NZL) – 1:35:21
Phillipa Williams (NZL) – 1:37:54
Shelly Schenk (CHE) – 1:40:15
Ashlee Nelson (USA) – 1:48:04
Anna Williams (NZL) – 1:49:08
T21 RESULTS – MEN
Joe Steward (NZL) – 1:18:47
Benjamin Otis (USA) – 01:19:28
Michael Sutton (NZL) – 1:19:46
Casey Thorby (NZL) – 1:19:52
Mike Robinson (NZL) – 1:25:52
Full results here
His eldest brother said they were struggling to comprehend their sudden loss.