My Tarawera 2025 Race Plan - Available Now
As always, shout out to my support crew and all the support that got me through this day!!
TUM102 – 7:17:42
Aid Stations
8 Aid Stations (3 crewed, 5 uncrewed)
Forecast: TBD but looking good
Race Day Plan
Morning Routine
Wake Up: 4:20 AM (Reality - was awake/restless from 2am)
Breakfast:
2 slices of toast with butter and honey or jam
Coffee
Sip on PF&H carb/electrolyte drink(500ml) until 40 mins before start
Race Kit: Adidas TERREX race kit wearing Agravic Speed Ultras and Suunto Race watch, lube up including a little bit on toes, and tape nipples.
Note: No mandatory gear if making certain cut-offs - Same rules for everybodyNutrition: Precision Fuel and Hydration
Drive to Start:
Depart from Whakatane (parents' house) at 5:55 AM
Travel time: 30 minutes
Arrive at start: 6:25 AM
Warm-up: Easy 10-minute jog plus a couple of strides
Pre-Race Nutrition: 1 gel (10–15 minutes before start)
Race Start: 7:00 AM
Nutrition Strategy
Goal: At least 90g of carbs per hour with 500ml PF & H drink
Sodium intake: 650 mg per L
Race Plan & Aid Station Breakdown
Start to Fenton Mill (Drop Bag) (~3 hours)
First Leg: Start → Titoki (50 mins)
1 handheld (30g Precision) - tick
150g flow gel (in belt) - tick
1x 30g gel - tick
1x 30g caffeinated gel - tick
2x empty flasks with powder - tick
Total Carb: 300g
Titoki (Uncrewed Aid Station) → Outlet (1 hour)
Fill one flask (empty that contains powder) with water (see pic from Ryan Thrower below - approaching aid station with Precision flask with Carb/electrolyte powder ready)
Outlet → Fenton Mill (1 hour 10 mins)
Fill one flask (empty that contains powder) with water
Fenton Mill (Drop Bag) → Okataina (75 mins)
Drop Bag Supplies:
1x handheld with carb/electrolyte - tick
Small flask of carb/electrolyte (650ml total) - tick
1x 90g pouch - tick
2 electrolyte capsules - tick
Total Carb: 135g
Rotoiti → Okataina (25 mins)
Fill up handheld with water if needed - didn’t need
Okataina (Crewed Aid Station) → Tikitapu (2 hours 20 mins)
Supplies:
1x handheld with carb/electrolyte - tick
1x flask (place in belt) - tick
150g of flow gel - tick
1 x caffeinated gel - tick
2 electrolyte capsules - tick
Total Carb: 240g
Millar Rd: Fill handheld with water - tick
Tikitapu (Crewed Aid Station) → Redwoods (50 mins)
Supplies:
I had a couple sips of coke at aid station
2 handhelds or 1 (30g) depending on heat - ended up with two handhelds but drunk about 750ml
2 gels (60g) - I ate 1 caffeine gel
Total Carb: 90g - consumed 45g + 30g = 75g
Keeping cool with ice water and replacing nutrition - thanks Ryan Thrower for the pic)
Redwoods (Crewed Aid Station) → Finish (30 mins)
Supplies:
1 handheld - 400ml consumed
1 gel - tick
Total Carb: 60g - consumed 50g
Estimated total Carb Intake: 825g - Actually consumed 815g
Estimated Race Time: ~7 hours 55 minutes
Estimated Intake Carbohydrate Per Hour: ~105g per hour
Actual Race Time: 7 hours 17 mins 42 seconds
Actual Intake Carbohydrate Per Hour: 112g/hr
Actual sodium per hour: 743mg/hr
Fluid: 703ml/hr
Relative Sodium Concentration: 1057mg/L
This exceeds the goal of at least 90g of carbs per hour, ensuring sustained energy levels throughout the race.
Support Crew Notes
Crew Members: Neil, Jo, Jase, Michelle
Drop DJ at start line – No rush
Travel to Rotoiti Rugby Club to collect shuttle to Okataina Aid Station
Okataina Aid Station:
Offer ice bandana
Swap out empty nutrition for fresh nutrition
Drive to Tikitapu Aid Station:
Again, offer ice bandana (especially if it's hot)
Offer flask of flat/flattish Coke (air sucked out) or redbull option while DJ runs up
Swap out used nutrition for fresh nutrition
Redwoods Aid Station:
If possible, have someone stationed ahead of time in case of delays
Spare food options: 1x flask with Coke (air removed) or redbull option
Final Notes:
This plan is designed to optimize fueling, hydration, and race-day efficiency, ensuring a smooth experience leading up to the finish line. Shoutout to my amazing support crew and adidas TERREX team for making it all possible!
Thanks for sharing this. I was so happy to stumble on this post. My longest runs tend to be marathons but I'm fascinated by fueling strategies. I have SO much to learn.
I love this, how do you build your plan? I created a tool that you might like for this, timeontrails.com