Huntly 10km report by Arron McKoy

I entered a couple of days beforehand with the brilliant strategy of “just run it at tempo pace.”

My last clear memory before race morning was from early Saturday night at a “networking event.” Next thing I knew, I was standing on the start line with a queasy stomach, petrol fumes in my nostrils, and vague flashbacks of singing Coldplay and Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi.

The race started inside a speedway, which really sets the tone for a healthy endurance event. Eau de two-stroke fuel and burnt tyres filled the air. In hindsight, I probably should’ve eaten more than a banana beforehand – a gel wouldn’t have gone amiss.

And we were off… Within a few metres, the front runners had broken away from the field… and, as it turned out, at the 1km mark they also departed from the actual course. Don’t worry – one made it back.

The course started on road before heading onto a lovely farm track. There was a hill too. Technically several hills. I immediately regretted wearing road shoes, though I did successfully avoid standing in any animal poo, which honestly felt like one of the day’s bigger victories.

We then wound through a genuinely pretty forest trail. Under different circumstances I’d have appreciated it more, but it’s hard to enjoy nature when your stomach is recreating the opening scene from Twister.

The feature of the course though was a brutal descent into what I’m assuming was a quarry — right down to almost touching the water — before turning around and hauling yourself back up a steep hill. I’ve genuinely never had a race route like that before. Equal parts scenic and deeply offensive.

For the final few kilometres we merged with the half marathon runners, and our very own Tas reappeared after his earlier detour to finish 3rd. A strong comeback from a man who briefly attempted an ultramarathon.

Then came the finish. Or what we thought was the finish. The last kilometre wound through the speedway carpark and opened into what looked like a beautiful flat run home… only for the course to suddenly drop us down and back up one final sneaky little hill before the last 200 metres. Outstanding levels of betrayal.

Positives:

• Banana: surprisingly effective race fuel
• Didn’t spew
• Ran reasonably ok-ish
• Didn’t stand in poo

Negatives:

• Prior “networking” not ideal race prep
• Road shoes definitely not the go

Overall, the course was actually fantastic. The runner, however, was less convincing.