On Course Info

The aid stations at Tarawera Ultra-Trail are a feast - but make sure you know what will be available so you can practice fueling on the same things you'll be consuming on race day. Aid Stations are generously stocked with:

Lollies
Potato chips
Sandwiches (jam, honey, chocolate spread)
Fruit (bananas, oranges, watermelon)
Ice
Water
Nääk nutrition (electrolyte, bars, waffles)
Soft drinks (cola, ginger beer, mountain dew)
Pure gels (pineapple and cola + caffeine)

Please note, some of the items listed above may not be available at all aid stations.

We are a cup-less event. In an effort to cut down on waste, we will have no drinking cups at aid stations. You will need to carry a cup or hydration pack with you. Limited stock of hydration packs will be available for sale at the event merchandise, but we encourage you to purchase one in advance and use it in your training.

TMiler, T102, T50 & T21

A drop bag service is available which allows you to have your own personal supplies (gels, food, change of socks, shoes, shorts, lubricant etc) available at certain aid stations.

At Athlete Check-in you will be supplied drop bag labels. Attach the corresponding bag label to your bag/s (see the specific Race page for locations where drop bags are available) and drop your bag/s at the designated area at Athlete Check-in before 8pm on Friday. Your start line drop bag is dropped on race day at the start line info tent.

Please note:

Drop bags must not contain any glass
All liquids must be in secure containers
We cannot move bags between aid stations for you, i.e you must provide a bag for each location where you wish to have personal supplies
Bags must be soft and of reasonable size. Please don’t pack the kitchen sink!
If you have a drop bag at an Aid Station, you will be asked to move it from the ‘unused pile’ to the ‘used pile’ even if you did not use your drop bag. This allows us to transport your drop bag/s quickly back to the finish line and will help allow the drop bag tent to remain orderly for the benefit of athletes yet to arrive

You will receive one ‘Authority to Collect’ card at Athlete Check-in. This entitles your support crew to collect your drop bag/s from the finish line on your behalf. No one other than you (with your race bib as identification) or supporters with an ‘Authority to Collect’ card will be able to collect drop bag/s.

Please try not to use the drop bag service for any Aid Stations where your support crew will be attending.

SUPPORT CREW

Your support crew can be a big part of your day at Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB, and they're more than welcome to help get you through your Tarawera journey. Support crews can see you and assist you at specific aid stations, but may not assist you outside of these points. Assistance can include moral and verbal support, physical support, food and nutrition, hydration, and gear and equipment changes.

You should work with your support crew to formulate a detailed plan for them to assist you at various points on course. This includes estimating when you expect to arrive at supported aid stations, what support you might want at each, when they will need to meet you there and how they will get there.

Please see our Spectator page for supported aid station locations to help with your planning.

Support crews, please note:

Support Crews can only assist their runners at the aid stations indicated with spectator access. This includes 200m either side of the aid station on course. Outside of these areas support crews cannot provide material support (physical, nutritional, gear or otherwise) to runners on course.
Please be courteous to other runners and support crews at aid stations.
If you intend to meet your support crew at an aid station, do not use the drop bag service for this aid station.
Support crews have just as long a day as the runner. Take the time and care to look after yourselves - plenty of food and water, dress for the conditions, and take the time to rest (sleep/naps encouraged) when you can between meeting points.
Many roads that access aid stations are rural and narrow, windy roads. Please take care driving on these, particularly with increased traffic during the event.
The actions of the support crew are the responsibility of the runner. Any rules breached by crew will result in penalties or disqualification for the runner.

PACER RULES

There are strict rules regarding pacing:

Pacers MUST register themselves online as they will be required to sign a waiver.
All Pacers must wear a compulsory race bib number. Pacer(s) must attend Athlete Check-in to collect their bib.
The minimum age for Pacers is 18 years old.
Pacer numbers will be red and match the number of your athlete. This is so we know you are part of the event.
Pacers must carry their own set of mandatory clothing and equipment items to match that required by the TMiler athletes.
Pacers cannot meet their athlete before or after the designated start locations or at intermediate points. Doing so results in disqualification.
Competitors can use two Pacers – but only one at a time (they must change over at an Aid Station).
If you plan to make an exchange, you must hand over your pacer number to the next pacer.
Pacers are responsible for their own transport (though may wish to book the Okataina spectator bus - see here for details).
There are no Pacers for T21, T50 or T102 runners.
Pacers may not carry extra water, food or equipment for runners.
With the exception of an emergency or medical situation, Pacers cannot provide any material or physical assistance to their athletes.

SPECTATORS

The T21 does not allow full service support crewing, meaning you cannot provide material assistance to your runner. The only support you can provide them is moral, so make sure you've got your signs, cowbells and cheering voices ready!

A great tool is the Spectators page - packed full of useful information for your spectators.

To keep the event manageable as well as fair and safe for all athletes, and to make sure spectators do not get lost, there is some information that spectators need to know.

Spectators may not provide any material or physical assistance to T21 runners. Moral support only allowed.

Spectators cannot run alongside their runners at any point on the course outside of the aid stations (except from Redwoods aid station to the finish line - see the Spectators page for details).