Marathon: NZ ultra athlete conquers toughest race

Endurance athlete Lisa Tamati has knocked off the Death Valley ultra-marathon in the Nevada desert for the second time.

The 40-year-old New Plymouth jeweller crossed the finish line in the gruelling 217km event - considered the world's toughest ultra-marathon - on Thursday night, clocking 37 hours, 14 minutes - one hour 10 minutes faster than a year ago.

Battling extreme heat reaching 57C and smoke from bushfires that closed one leg of the race for several hours, Tamati was eighth woman home, beating her 10th placing last year, the Taranaki Daily News reported.

"This event was one of the toughest races I have ever run. I had to battle through extreme fatigue, hallucinations and temperatures reaching 57 degrees," she said on her website afterwards.

"There were times when I was sleep walking, almost standing directly on a sleeping rattlesnake, vomiting, passing out and collapsing on the road, and just wanting to lay down and die."

Tamati started the race quickly, running 10km/h, however difficulties set in when the energy gels she was taking began to poison her stomach. She repeatedly collapsed and vomited over a 15-hour period.

The severe stomach problems threatened to end her race, but one of her support crew solved the problem by using alkaline water and a mixture of mountain salts.

The race crosses three mountain ranges, going from 85m below sea level at Badwater to 2500m above sea level at the Mt Whitney Portals.

Two New Zealand men have completed the race - Max Telford in 1982 and Kym McConnell four years ago.

Californian Jorge Pacheco was the first runner home in 23hr 20min 16sec, while Jamie Donaldson of Colorado was first woman in 26hr 51min 33sec.

- NZPA

*This article initially incorrectly referred to Max Telford as "the late Max Telford".