NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Tarawera Ultra-Trail apologises after water issues at Rotorua running event

Kelly Makiha
By Kelly Makiha
Multimedia Journalist·Rotorua Daily Post·
20 Feb, 2024 04:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Why Grant Robertson’s departure didn’t come as a surprise, how much private schools are now charging and the world's tallest man and shortest woman reunite after six years in the latest NZ Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald

Organisers of the Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB have apologised to competitors after complaints some aid stations either ran out of water or had long queues on the “hot summer’s day”.

The running event – with distances ranging from 21km to 160km – copped criticism on social media.

But competitors and supporters spoken to by the Rotorua Daily Post said they hoped the feedback would be taken on board and the issue did not mar an otherwise amazing weekend in Rotorua.

Event organisers said a full debrief would be held and measures put in place to ensure issues did not happen again.

Runners in the long-distance event complained of issues accessing water at aid stations. Photo / 123rf
Runners in the long-distance event complained of issues accessing water at aid stations. Photo / 123rf
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The two-day event started on Saturday and attracted more than 4500 starters and thousands more supporters. Athletes run either 21km, 50km, 102km or the 100-miler (160km) around Rotorua’s lakes, waterfalls and Whakarewarewa Forest.

Auckland runner Jody Boshoff posted on Sunday that she struggled to get water and was later told water had run out. She said she heard a runner pulled out as there was not any water towards the end of the race.

Her post generated more than 200 comments, with some sharing her disappointment and others complimenting the event for doing its best.

An Auckland competitor commented: ‘‘You have several thousand runners out there on a hot summer’s day, it is pretty obvious that they are all going to need water.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“Yet when I got to the first Green Lake aid station there was only one water dispenser. I queued up for it [because] I know how badly it’ll affect me if I get dehydrated ... ”

She believed one water dispenser was not good enough for several hundred runners needing water.

“And now I’ve heard that water had run out completely by the time other runners came thru [sic].”

The competitor, who spoke with the Rotorua Daily Post on the condition she was not named, said despite the issues she loved the event.

In her opinion: “It’s just such a shame [the event] didn’t supply enough water this time.”

Whangārei supporter Denise Limby told the Rotorua Daily Post she had done two 50km Tarawera ultra races before but an injury meant she attended this year to support a friend by running the last 7km of her 17-hour run with her. She said her friend commented it was hard to access water and some aid stations had run out and that people appeared “upset and unhappy”.

“That really impacts the middle and back of the fields. If you were self-sufficient you are fine but if you’re relying on an aid station after hours of running then that’s difficult,” Limby said.

Denise Limby loves coming to Rotorua for the Tarawera Ultra-Trail. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Denise Limby loves coming to Rotorua for the Tarawera Ultra-Trail. Photo / Kelly Makiha

She said many runners liked to travel as light as possible but she suggested the event could stipulate all competitors should at least carry 1L of water.

She said the event was iconic and runners and supporters always raved about Rotorua.

“I tell everyone every chance I get … You can never run out of adventures in Rotorua. I’ve had a blast.””

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The event, on social media, thanked people for their feedback.

“We recognise the problems raised and are well aware of some of the issues runners encountered.”

The comment said the event understood runners’ days “were impacted by this.

“We’ll be doing a full debrief and review to avoid situations like this in the future.”

It said the crew wanted to put on the best possible event and thanked the “amazing” and passionate volunteers who did their best to service all runners and keep them moving.

Approached for comment by the Rotorua Daily Post, an event spokesperson acknowledged in a statement some runners had issues accessing water.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Some athletes in the Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB complained that they struggled to get water during the race. Photo / Ben Fraser
Some athletes in the Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB complained that they struggled to get water during the race. Photo / Ben Fraser

“The team would like to apologise to those who were affected while taking part.

“Organisers are beginning the debrief from the event, which given the size and scale takes some time. At this stage, we are still gathering information, including a full understanding of activities at aid stations, with a full review to follow.”

The spokesperson said they were aware that for a time there was an issue with the water flow at an aid station, which led to longer-than-expected lines of runners and flow-on effects to other aid stations.

“Once that issue was rectified water flow returned to normal however, we know that this unfortunately had an impact on the day for some of our runners.”

The spokesperson said the team did not record reasons for competitors not finishing “except in the instances of a serious medical issue”.

The Rotorua Daily Post also asked if water ran out.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.



Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Business

Report: Auckland's car reliance, low housing density lagging peers

New Zealand
|Updated

Man in hospital, caravans destroyed in reported tornado in Northland

New Zealand

Forestry leader says Tasman hit by growing trees – not slash


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Report: Auckland's car reliance, low housing density lagging peers
Business

Report: Auckland's car reliance, low housing density lagging peers

Auckland relies heavily on cars due to limited transport options.

14 Jul 11:12 PM
Man in hospital, caravans destroyed in reported tornado in Northland
New Zealand
|Updated

Man in hospital, caravans destroyed in reported tornado in Northland

14 Jul 10:41 PM
Forestry leader says Tasman hit by growing trees – not slash
New Zealand

Forestry leader says Tasman hit by growing trees – not slash

14 Jul 10:35 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP