'The Goat' conquers Waitomo adventurers

The Waitomo Trail 33km champion Sjors Corpaal (nicknamed 'The Goat'). Photo / Photos4sale

The first ever major event hosted at the karst studded landscape of Waitomo produced a thrilling spectacle as Galatea runner battled his way through cramp to take the inaugural Waitomo Trail 33km crown on Saturday.

Sjors Corporaal , 38, powered through the challenging course, spurred on by thousands of spectators, in an impressive 3h 24m 56s - almost 4 minutes ahead of Tauranga man Chris Morrissey, who finished with a time of 3h 28m 29s.

Corporaal, nicknamed 'The Goat,' due to his shaggy beard, was wary of his competitors throughout the tough course and found it a very difficult run, which included navigating through caves, native bush, canyons and the 50m Marakopa Tunnel.

"At times it was a bit tough - I had to keep my wits about me and be conscious of how far behind me the other guys were," the seasoned trail runner said.

"However there was just an endless amount of amazing features - the highlight for me was definitely running through Marakopa Tunnel with my headlamp on, and crawling through holes just big enough for my own body."

The women's race was dominated by Aucklanders as Emma McCosh finished in a time of 3h 55m 54s, more than 10 minutes ahead of rivals Sandrine Dourain (2nd) and Debbie Chambers (3rd) who finished with times of 4h 12m 20s and 4h 20m 39s respectively.

The weekend event also hosted 22km, 11km, and 6km races and it was a real family affair for the Corporaals' as 15-year-old son, Kaya, who attends Western Heights High School, took part in the half distance race, finishing in sixth place.

"It was a special day for the family.

"Both me and my young fella love running and the different distance options suited us really well. This event is pretty unique in that there really is something for the whole family," said Corporaal.

The 22km distance was won by Ed Whiting, of New Plymouth, in a clinical time of 1h 40m 44s as he finished nearly 8 minutes ahead of second-placed Whakatane runner Sam Clarke, who completed the course in 1h 48m 39s.

"I really had no idea what to expect of the course - it was pretty up there in terms of technicality but it was a good mix of bush and farmland which I loved," said Whiting

Race Results:

Waitomo Trail Run Super-long 33km results:

Men: 1st: Sjors Corporaal (Galatea) 03h 24m 56s 2nd: Chris Morrissey (Tauranga) 03h 28m 29s 3rd: Martin Kern 03h 29m 30s

Women: 1st: Emma McCosh (Auckland) 03h55m54s 2nd: Sandrine Douarin (Auckland) 04h12m20s 3rd: Debbie Chambers (Auckland) 04h20m39s

22km results:

Men: 1st: Ed Whiting (New Plymouth) 1h40m44s 2nd: Sam Clarke (Whakatane) 1h48m39s 3rd: Evan Lobb (Tongaporutu) 02h05m55s

Women: 1st Maureen Stachowicz 2h19m42s 2nd: Andrea Peat (Wellington) 02h22m45s 3rd: Joanna Chalmers 02h24m20s

11km results:

Men: 1st: James McTavish (Tauranga) 1h02m06s 2nd: Kerry Rawlinson (New Plymouth) 1h07m40s 3rd: Robert Macann (Rotorua) 1h08m14s

Women: 1st: Kathryn Fitzgibbon (Hamilton) 01h08m18s 2nd: Michelle Radley (Tauranga) 1h15m52s 3rd:Tracey Bowers (Rotorua) 1h17m12s

6km results:

Men: 1st: Harrison Whiting (New Plymouth) 00h23m12s 2nd: Paul Carpenter (Rotorua) 00h27m35s 3rd: Kobe Stranks (Rotorua) 00h28m29s

Women: 1st: Nicole Kowalewski (Stratford) 00h29m45s 2nd: Belle Woods (Hamilton) 00h29m58s 3rd: Debbie Spice (Hamilton) 00h30m08s