Waiuku's Carl Read is cheered home by the crowd as he wins the Rotorua Running Festival 50km Ultramarathon. Photo / Stephen Parker
Waiuku's Carl Read is cheered home by the crowd as he wins the Rotorua Running Festival 50km Ultramarathon. Photo / Stephen Parker
The annual Rotorua Half Marathon has expanded to become the Rotorua Running Festival, incorporating a 50km Ultramarathon through scenic trails and around the stunning Blue and Green lakes. Sports reporter David Beck spoke to the winner.
Waiuku's Carl Read is a self-proclaimed "sucker for punishment".
"I hurt today but forsome reason I enjoy it, hence why I'm covered in tattoos, I don't mind a bit of pain."
That willingness to go deep into the pain cave and get comfortable being uncomfortable paid off todaywhen he won the inaugural Rotorua Running Festival 50km Ultramarathon.
He finished the race in 3h 30m 46s, ahead of Wellington's Matthew Moloney (3h 44m 36s) and Ohaupo's Anthony Hancy (3h 54m 16s). The fastest woman was Rotorua's Sue Crowley in 4h 17m 6s.
Read even overcame taking a wrong turn and having to back track.
"There was three of us for about 2km and when we went under the bridge I actually went straight ahead, I wasn't thinking, and they all said 'hey, you're going the wrong way'. Once I caught back up to them I basically ran 47km by myself.
Waiuku's Carl Read is cheered home by the crowd as he wins the Rotorua Running Festival 50km Ultramarathon. Photo / Stephen Parker
"It would've been good to have some company but I don't mind it, I do a lot of training by myself. When you're out on a Saturday or Sunday running four or five hours nobody really wants to come along. I was more than happy to be out on my own and pushing as hard as I could."
Read is riding a wave of success at present having also won the 100km Taupō Ultramarathon last month.
"It's good to know all the training is paying off, I'm really happy with it. I come from a professional Ironman background, I've done that all over the world, and I've only just in the last couple of years got into ultraman triathlons, which three days of triathlon.
"That includes an 84km run so I know what to do but it's a lot different when you haven't done a swim and bike first. I enjoy it, running around here through all the forest trails was just awesome, the course and the scenery were awesome."
Runners take off at the start of the Rotorua Running Festival Half Marathon. Photo / Stephen Parker
The next big goal for Read is to run the Tarawera Ultramarathon 100 Mile race next year.
"This is only a little warm up compared to that. I'll have a nice easy week next week and recover then I'll just keep building over summer and make sure I stay injury free."
Meanwhile, Albany's Fabian Downs won the Half Marathon in 1h 15m 17s and Rotorua's Michael Voss won the 10km in 31m 48s.
Rotorua Running Festival Results
50km Ultramarathon: Men: 1st Carl Read (Waiuku) 3h 30m 46s, 2nd Matthew Moloney (Wellington) 3h 44m 36s, 3rd Anthony Hancy (Ohaupo) 3h 54m 16s. Women: 1st Sue Crowley (Rotorua) 4h 17m 6s, 2nd Anita Chan (Palmerston North) 4h 51m 39s, 3rd Lesley Turner Hall (Grafton) 4h 54m 41s.
