RUNNING

Competitors blown away by Run Larapinta Stage Race

By Rapid Ascent

The 70 plus competitors in the inaugural Run Larapinta Stage Race in Alice Springs were blown away by the terrain, the scenery and the camaraderie of this incredible new event.

Runners came from right across Australia as well as New Zealand and the UK to experience the 4-day, 4-stage trail running race in Central Australia, from 27 to 30 August 2015.

There were two distance options at the event: The Malbunka long course race with stages of 20-45km each day, and The Namatjira short course race with stages of 10-30km each day.

Each stage started and finished at different locations to showcase the many aspects of Alice Springs and the ancient West MacDonnell Ranges.
This is how it all unfolded.


Credit: Rapid Ascent

Chifley Alice Springs Resort Stage 1
The twilight setting for the Chifley Alice Springs Resort Stage 1 gave runners a nice introduction to the event with the course based on the rolling trails around the historic Old Telegraph Station. As the sun set over Alice Springs they ran into the desert darkness under a universe of stars.

“The Stage 1 trails were like outback velvet; beautiful and soft. Apart from the scenery, the sunset and the mountain ranges there was lots of flowy single track, it was perfect trail running,” said Shona Stephenson.


Paul Munro. Credit: Rapid Ascent

Paul Munro and Shona Stephenson won the 22km Malbunka long course. The 12km Namatjira short course was won by two local Alice Springs mountain runners Brad White and Emma Kraft.

“It’s a beautiful course and it was lovely to be out there with the sun setting. It’s great to have so many runners in Alice Springs and to see such participation in this event, it’s a good concept and it can only get bigger and better,” said Brad White.

Lasseters Stage 2
It was tough going during the Lasseters Stage 2 with the terrain and surface of the Larapinta Trail proving difficult for many competitors. The scenery was stunning with runners passing a couple of picturesque water holes and small gorges and running along a high section on the West MacDonnell Ranges ridgeline.

The finish line was deep within the incredible red-walled Standley Chasm and all competitors seemed to agree it was the perfect way to finish this epic stage.

First over the line in the 39km Malbunka long course was Paul Munro with Shona Stephenson first female.

In the 18.5km Namatjira short course, which started at the immense Old Hamilton Downs Homestead and Youth Camp (much to the delight of the current school kids in camp), Laurent Rossignol was first male and Janine Pearson first female.

“The second stage was my favourite, although the terrain was the toughest with so many rocky sections,” said Mal Condon from North Fremantle, WA.

Central Comms Stage 3
The Central Comms Stage 3 of the Run Larapinta Stage Race was amazing and clearly one of the favourite stages for runners. The trails were perfect, the weather was hot and the scenery was spectacular. It was a stunning day on the Red Centre trails.

The 30km Malbunka long course started at the ancient Ochre Pits - used by Aboriginals for rock paintings and body art - and finished in the astounding Ormiston Gorge. Paul Munro and Shona Stephenson continued to dominate, finishing first male and female again.

“I loved the terrain on Stage 3 with the big open valleys and a little touch of gorges but the course wasn’t too steep. It’s a fantastic way to see Australia,” said Joe Fagan from New Zealand.


Monica Hose. Credit: Rapid Ascent

The 22km Namatjira short course started at Glen Helen Homestead and took runners on a loop of the Ormiston Pound and past the Ormiston Gorge water hole. Frenchman Laurent Rossignol was first over the line and Monica Hose was first female.

“Stage 3 was my favourite. You could get a bit of rhythm with a good amount of undulating trails and it was different terrain and scenery to the other stages,” said George Bauer, the youngest competitor at 23 years of age.

Icebug Stage 4
It was the perfect finish to an incredible 4 days of running through outback Australia, with the finish line of the final Icebug Stage 4 on the banks of the Finke River at Glen Helen.

All runners started in the picturesque Redbank Gorge. The Malbunka long course runners 45km journey took them to the summit of Mt Sonder and back before hitting some nice, flat(ish), rolling trails to the finish at Glen Helen Resort.

Paul Munro and Shona Stephenson were again victorious in the long course, despite some tough competition from local single-stage runners.

The Namitjira short course runners bypassed the base of Mt Sonder to enjoy a nice rolling 30km run to the finish line. Marty Nicholas found his form to take the stage win and again, Monica Hose proved too strong in the women’s field.

“It was tremendous. It was my first ever trail run and I had a great time. The stage format shouldn’t be underestimated. The camaraderie it breeds and the fun factor was a real attraction,” said Marty Nicholas from Sydney.

“The scenery and the course were superb. Stage 2 was brutal but it was an iconic stage. It was really special,” he said.

A dunk in the Finke River proved the most popular way to cool down and relax with other competitors after 4 days of running together. 

At the end of the 4-day Run Larapinta Stage Race, it was no surprise that Paul Munro and Shona Stephenson were the outright winners of the Malbunka long course; Paul in 13 hours, 20 minutes and Shona in 16 hours, 41 minutes. Laurent Rossignol and Liza Chin were the overall Namatjira short course winners; Laurent in 6 hours, 11 minutes and Liza in 7 hours and 18 minutes.

Really though, all competitors walked away from the event as winners with immense satisfaction at completing this new, soon-to-be iconic stage race in Central Australia.


Credit: Rapid Ascent

“Thank you for a wonderful 4 days on the Larapinta. George and I have come away from it with a sense of profound satisfaction; at the ability of our bodies to actually run for 4 days, the great camaraderie of the participants and the crew, and the wonderful surroundings of the trail,” said John Bauer from Melbourne.

“It was a real pleasure. The team did an outstanding job creating the new event, coaxing us through it, and above all creating a feeling that mere mortals like George and I felt comfortable and supported,” he said.

Olga, Agni, Donna and Caroline from a group called The Trail Beyond also enjoyed their Run Larapinta experience.

“The event was superbly run; the course was challenging and spectacular; the support and information provided throughout the 4 days was exceptional; and best of all, we had a blast. We would highly recommend this event to everyone - seriously, EVERYONE! There is a short course and a long course, and both will give you an experience of a lifetime. Thank you,” they said on The Trail Beyond Facebook page.

“It was such a beautiful course. I can’t think of a course anywhere in the world so varied, it’s on par with other top courses worldwide,” said internationally renowned trail runner Shona Stephenson.


Brad White. Credit: Rapid Ascent

“I loved it. It was the most awesome experience. I just wanted to make sure I finished every day and the scenery was beautiful. I wasn’t going to wear my event hoodie unless I finished. The support from the other competitors was fantastic and I’ve really loved it,” said Amanda Allan from Victoria.

“It was fantastic. I can’t believe I actually managed to finish it. It was well organised, magnificent trails and I’d recommend it to anyone. It was so much fun,” said Lauri Wild from South Australia.

“Thanks for a great event in Alice. Everything was taken care of so the only thing I had to think about was running which was the easy bit. It was great running out there and everyone was so friendly, it was really enjoyable,” said Paul Munro.

For the full results, further information or to sign up for information on the 2016 edition of the Run Larapinta Stage Race visit www.RunLarapinta.com.au
 
OVERALL WINNERS:
The Malbunka Long Course - Top Males
Paul Munro 13:20:17
Joe Fagan 15:04:13 (NZ)
Peter Hynd 18:53:42
The Malbunka Long Course - Top Females
Shona Stephenson 16:41:15
Fiona Whelan 17:52:34
Mirjam van den Boom 18:18:31 (NZ)
The Namatjira Short Course - Top Males
Laurent Rossignol 09:34:47
Simon Rand 09:52:04
Jamie Mitchell 10:04:55
The Namatjira Short Course - Top Females
Liza Chin 10:47:07
Marelize Kriel 12:05:44
Monica Hose 12:07:38

STAGE WINNERS:
The Malbunka Long Course
Stage 1: 19km around Alice Springs to the Old Telegraph Station
Winners: Paul Munro 01:23:18 and Shona Stephenson 01:42:39
Stage 2: 39km from Simpson’s Gap to Standley Chasm
Winners: Paul Munro 04:31:00 and Shona Stephenson 05:30:45
Stage 3: 29km from Ochre Pits to Ormiston Gorge
Winners: Paul Munro 03:07:50 and Shona Stephenson 03:59:04
Stage 4: 45km from Redbank Gorge to Mt Sonder and Glen Helen
Winners: Paul Munro 04:18:09 and Shona Stephenson 05:28:47
 
The Namatjira Short Course
Stage 1: 11km around Alice Springs to the Old Telegraph Station
Winners: Brad White 00:40:44 and Emma Kraft 00:50:30
Stage 2: 18km from The Old Hamilton Downs Station to Standley Chasm
Winners: Laurent Rossignol 02:50:10 and Janine Pearson 03:32:28
Stage 3: 22km from Glen Helen to Ormiston Gorge via Ormiston Pound
Winners: Laurent Rossignol 02:27:30 and Monica Hose 02:41:08
Stage 4: 30km from Redbank Gorge to and Glen Helen
Winners: Marty Nicholas 03:21:38 and Liza Chin 03:28:28

For full results visit www.RunLarapinta.com.au