Double Rainbow Trail Run 2014 Results

The Double Rainbow Run is a trail run either 46, 24 or 17km based around Rainbow Mountain, 25 minutes south of Rotorua.

Jean, Sandra and I ran the 17km track on a cool yet beautiful winter’s morning.What the run website glossed over was the 3.5km cross country run before the forest track and mountain trails began.  Until this race I had been a runner with clean shoes, and had only run on roads, footpaths and boardwalks. So the swampy paddocks, the very rural smelling cow race (which was as slippery as it was smelly), and the slushy cow effluent in the under-pass were something of an adventure.Once across the farmland the course hugged the base of the mountain before heading into native bush. The course was flat until the 8km mark, then climbed 320m to the peak of the mountain (740m above sea level) at the 10.5km mark. We were greeted at the summit by stunning 360^o views of the surrounding lakes, peaks and farmland. The promised “aid station” was more like a kid’s birthday party feast  – make-your-own-sandwiches, premade sandwiches for those in a hurry, fruit, lollies, chips and pretzels.After a quick handful of lollies, photos and txt to the family, it was time for the fun part of the day – the run down the mountain, then across the rural section of the course, re-caking the back of my legs with more cow sh*t, around the side of Lake Okaro, to finish.
We were greeted at the finish line with an ale, BBQ and pumpkin soup.  There was a very generous offering of spot prizes. Kovo Kowalewski finished in 4hrs 49 taking just over an hour off the ladies course record.Thanks to the Hawks for my name being drawn for a free entry. Off now to clean my shoes…