Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB
Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB – T102
Firmin Field, Kawerau
Race guide
Updated 19 July 2026
The Tarawera Ultra-Trail T102 is the 102 km distance of the by UTMB event set in New Zealand's Rotorua lakes district. Starting from Firmin Field in Kawerau at just 41 m, the course covers 102 km with 2208 m of climbing and a modest high point of 730 m. That climb-to-distance ratio marks it out as a runnable forest-and-lakes ultra rather than a steep mountain race. This is a course to be run rather than hiked. With gentle terrain and a string of aid stations threading between the Rotorua lakes, the T102 rewards runners who can hold an efficient, sustainable pace over long, undulating stretches. It is a genuine hundred-kilometre test of consistency and endurance more than of vertical, and it carries by UTMB qualifying status.
The course: lakes, forest and long runnable trail
From the start at 41 m the route eases upward through Titoki (13.7 km, 106 m) before beginning its gradual climb into the lakes country at Outlet (27.6 km, 314 m) and Otamuri (41.8 km, 402 m). The high ground of the day sits around the middle of the race: Rotoiti at 52.4 km reaches 560 m, and the course's 730 m high point falls in this central section before the trail settles back toward the Redwoods and the finish. With only 2208 m of climb spread over 102 km, there are no sustained mountain ascents here. Instead the profile rolls between lakeside and forest checkpoints, passing Okataina (57.6 km, 420 m), Millar (72.7 km, 477 m) and the iconic Tikitapu, or Blue Lake (84.8 km, 433 m), before dropping through Redwoods (94.7 km, 316 m) to the finish at 285 m. The terrain favours smooth, continuous running, so the discipline is managing effort across many small undulations rather than surviving big climbs.
Where the race tightens: the decisive middle section
Because the climbing is modest, the T102 is won and lost on rhythm and on the middle third. The gradual rise from Titoki (106 m) up to Rotoiti (52.4 km, 560 m) is where the day's altitude is quietly gained, and it comes right as the accumulated distance starts to bite. The high point around 730 m in this central stretch is the closest the course comes to a defining climb, and holding form through it without overreaching sets up the back half. The second half from Okataina (57.6 km) onward is where fatigue, not gradient, decides finishers. The long leg to Millar (72.7 km) and on to Blue Lake (84.8 km) is prime territory for pace to slip, and the drop through Redwoods (94.7 km) to the finish is runnable enough that runners who have paced sensibly can make up real time. Anyone who blows the first half on the flat, fast opening kilometres pays for it here.
Pacing and fuelling to the cut-offs
The cut-off structure gives room to a steady runner but punishes an over-cautious start. Key gates come at Outlet (27.6 km, closing Saturday 15:30) and then at the crewable checkpoints of Okataina (57.6 km), Blue Lake (84.8 km, Sunday 08:15) and Redwoods (94.7 km, Sunday 11:10), with the finish closing Sunday 13:20. The Okataina, Blue Lake and Redwoods stops are crew points, so build your resupply and pacing plan around them. Aid spacing is comfortable but includes some longer runnable carries, most notably the roughly 15 km stretch from Okataina (57.6 km) to Millar (72.7 km) and the leg from Millar to Blue Lake. On a fast, low-vertical course like this, the fuelling trap is under-eating because you feel good early and running strong; keep a consistent hourly intake so the back half holds together. Use the crew points to refresh nutrition and, given the low elevations, to manage heat and hydration rather than cold.
Conditions to expect
The T102 runs at low elevation, from 41 m at the start to a 730 m high point, through New Zealand forest and lakeside trail. That means the main environmental variables are ground conditions and temperature rather than altitude. Forest and lakes terrain can hold moisture, so expect the possibility of soft or damp trail underfoot alongside the smooth, fast running the course is known for. Because the race unfolds over a long single push into the night and toward Sunday afternoon cut-offs, plan for a full temperature cycle: potentially warm, exposed running by day around the lakes and cooler conditions overnight in the forest. A dependable headlamp is essential for the overnight kilometres between Okataina and Blue Lake. Overall this is a runner's ultra where smart pacing, steady fuelling and light, efficient footwork matter far more than climbing kit.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 41 m · —
13.7 km · 106 m · —
27.6 km · 314 m · Sat 15:30
41.8 km · 402 m · —
52.4 km · 560 m · —
57.6 km · 420 m · Sat 00:20
72.7 km · 477 m · —
84.8 km · 433 m · Sun 08:15
94.7 km · 316 m · Sun 11:10
102 km · 285 m · Sun 13:20
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