Rotorua, New Zealand · Trail
Official site ↗Tarawera Ultra-Trail
New Zealand's biggest trail running weekend: a 102 km Western States Golden Ticket race and a 163 km miler through the lakes and geothermal country around Rotorua each February.
Distances
Tarawera Miler
- Distance
- 163 km (101 mi)
- Vert gain
- 3,800 m (12,500 ft)
WSER 2028 qualifier
T102
- Distance
- 102 km (63 mi)
- Vert gain
- 2,300 m (7,500 ft)
WSER 2028 qualifier
| Distance | Vert gain | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 163 km (101 mi) | 3,800 m (12,500 ft) | WSER 2028 qualifier |
| 102 km (63 mi) | 2,300 m (7,500 ft) | WSER 2028 qualifier |
About
The Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB runs through the forests, lakes, and geothermal country around Rotorua on New Zealand's North Island each February, anchoring the Southern Hemisphere summer of trail racing. The T102 (102 km from Kawerau) is a Western States Golden Ticket race, with automatic Western States entries for the top two men and women, and the Tarawera Miler (163 km, starting from the Te Puia geothermal valley at 4:00 AM) is the country's marquee 100-miler.
The event is part of the UTMB World Series: finishers earn Running Stones for the UTMB World Series Finals lottery, and a 52 km, 23 km, and 14 km fill out the weekend, together drawing several thousand runners.
Course
Point-to-point courses through native forest and geothermal terrain around Rotorua: the Miler covers 163 km with about 3,800 meters of gain from a 4:00 AM start at Te Puia, and the T102 covers 102 km with about 2,300 meters of gain from Kawerau. The climbing is modest by mountain-race standards, which makes both races fast.
How to register
Registration opens through UTMB; the T102 is a Golden Ticket race, with the top two men and women earning automatic Western States entry and roll-down to fifth.