James Bland came home in a time of 23 hours, 25 minutes and 37 seconds. Photo / Supplied
A jog around the bridges is enough of a challenge for most people, but Whanganui's James Bland has taken running to another level.
He completed the 100-mile (161km) Western States Endurance Run in California, United States, the oldest trail race of its kind in the world.
Bland travelled to the States by himself and only touched down a few days before last weekend's event.
"It was around 3C in Whanganui when I was training here and it was 36C over there," he said.
"I've done 200km [training] a week and stuff like that, but that's on treadmills, running around the bridges and going up and down Durie Hill.
"It was nothing like this."
His entry to the 369-person race was gained thanks to the event's waiting list system.
If any entrant withdraws for any reason, the spot will be given to the next runner on the wait list.
There were world champions and "greatest of all time" ultramarathon runners in the field, Bland said.
"If you're playing basketball and you had the chance to play against LeBron James, that is what this is.
"I just thought 'screw it', I didn't care what it cost or if people said I was mad."
He hit his first mental barrier only 30km into the run.
Temperatures were the fifth hottest on record since the event began almost 50 years ago.
Entrants must also deal with the 7000 feet (2133.6m) of elevation.
"You're just breathing in hot air, there were mountains, and I was in the middle of a forest on the other side of the planet. I just wanted to go home," Bland said.
"You think about your exes, you think about future partners, work, and why I don't really need to do this.
"It's every thought on the planet in the space of 23 hours."
Bland, one of three New Zealanders in the race, came home in a time of 23 hours, 25 minutes and 37 seconds.
Fellow Kiwi Ruth Croft was the first woman home and 12th fastest overall, in a time of 17:21:30.
The race record is held by American Jim Walmsley, who ran it at 14:09:28 in 2019.
"That means he's sprinting the entire thing," Bland said.
"These guys are just aspirations and goals, and the skill gap is huge."
He tried to mimic how top runners trained.
"I'm heat acclimating by being in the sauna a lot and shutting all my windows and having the AC on max.
"They have been doing it [Western States] for 10 or 15 years and know every part of that course. I'm just like 'I'll run up and down this hill a couple of times, she'll be right mate'."
Bland only took up running three years ago, but the distances steadily crept "up and up".
It began when he worked at Pak'nSave, which sponsors the annual 3 Bridges Marathon in Whanganui.
"They give you free entry to support the cause, and all the 30-odd entrants were just doing the 5km and 10km.
"I just wanted to one-up everyone in the entire store so I signed up for the half."
He was in less pain after Western States than he was after finishing the 3 Bridges.
"I was obliterated for three days. I couldn't walk. I can still hobble around at the moment."
Eventually came the Tarawera 100km ultramarathon in 2020, and Bland followed it up with the 100-mile race at the same event in 2021 after a dare from his then-partner.
"I got ninth place in that [100-mile] and that's when I thought I might be on to something with this."
Bland, 31, said he wasn't sure what the peak age for an endurance runner was.
"Camille Heron is the women's 100-mile record holder and was in this race, and she is 40."
Heron has a place in the Guinness World Records for the fastest marathon in a superhero costume - running 2:48:51 dressed as Spider-Woman.
"I remember running up a hill during a race in Wellington and some old, bald dude jumped out from a bush, said 'sorry boys, nature called', and just sprinted off and left us for dead," Bland said.
"It was New Zealand's 100km champion, who I think was 64 years old."
Bland, who currently works at New World Whanganui, said he would love the opportunity to commit to running fulltime.
"There are bigger and harder races than this [Western States].
"People just put numbers out there, like the Tahoe 200. Someone must have thought 'yep, let's see if we can run 200 miles in 50 hours'.
"That's more than two days."
As for advice to others starting out on their running journey, he said they just had to start at the beginning.
"At the end of the day, effort is effort. I started at 1km, then went to 2km, then 4km," Bland said.
"Don't worry about me and my stupid distances, just do something."