MTB: Marathon effort all round

LEGEND: The remarkable Brian Smith contesting his third Tarawera Ultra. PHOTO/DANIEL SAUER BRIANSMITH

Events take time. Time to organise, time to run and when it's all over on the day, the work continues for a lot of the team.

Ten years of involvement with events has taught me not to expect to get to any of the parties. An event finishes, but the media side rolls on.

Getting media releases and photos out as quickly and efficiently as possible is an immediate priority. Same with updating websites and social media.

Last Saturday, on the Vibram Tarawera Ultramarathon, was a very long day, even with a course shortened by the arrival of Cyclone Lusi. The potential storm haunted the event as soon as it reared its head on the forecast the weekend before.

Weeks of fine dry weather meant the race had faced a possible course change, with the fire risk very high in the Tarawera Forest.

Rain would have helped. The remnants of a tropical cyclone? Well, not quite so much.

After a beautiful week, a successful fun run in the forest and an emotional official welcome at Te Puia under blue skies, it was hard to believe the weather was going to turn sour.

It was a tough call for the management team who made the decision - after a lot of consultation last week - to shorten the course. This was late on Friday evening and it is a tribute to all the operational team, lead by Tim Day, that they scrambled to make it happen. Instead of 100km from Rotorua to Kawerau, the race would be 69km to the Blue Lake and Okareka, then out to Okataina and back to Okareka.

For the big media team in the event, it meant rearrangement of schedules and strategies. But everyone was ready to go.

It was balmy and still at race start at 6.30am, under the giant Redwoods off Long Mile Rd. There were a few drops of rain, but no hint of what was to come mid-morning. I was at the finish line at Lake Okareka when the winds got up and the rain came in.

The decision to modify the course was the right one.

The smiles never stopped, though - from Colorado's Sage Canaday, who won the men's race for a second year in a row, to women's champion Jo Johansen, from the Kapiti Coast, who trumped a top international field, right through to the tailenders.

I'm new to the ultra endurance running scene, but the relaxed attitude and friendliness of all the athletes was obvious all week.

It would have been great to join them for the prize giving at the Holiday Inn on Sunday.

However, I spent most of the day uploading video to TV One and TV3 sport and sorting a couple of fast turnaround magazine articles.

All good, that's the job.

The media team really covered themselves in glory, travelling fast to keep ahead of the action, while trying to keep expensive electronic equipment dry and functioning. The photos and video are all outstanding.

While it was a busy week, there are always rewards.

I got to meet a legend - 81-year-old Huntly farmer Brian Smith who was at his third Tarawera Ultra.

I hope we are all running (or riding) when we are Brian's age.