Into the Ring of Fire
Announcing my attempt at the Ring of Fire 73km solo ultra race around Mt Ruapehu, to raise awareness for cancer research and the GMRI
The Ring of Fire is billed as Aotearoa’s toughest ultra adventure race - a captivating 73km solo circumnavigation of Mount Ruapehu on the Round the Mountain Track.
Why I’ve chosen to run this event
I’ve raced sections of the course around Mt Ruapehu more than 20 times over the past 15 years, but I have never attempted a full circumnavigation.
Last year in hospital, I decided to set myself the goal of running this race, as a fittingly difficult and worthy challenge to raise awareness and funds for the GMRI in 2023.
In particular, I want to raise awareness and funds to support the work of the GMRI’s phase 2 clinical trial for glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. I know several patients with this type of cancer, and the GMRI has been making excellent, rigorous progress innovating a new treatment for it. They now need more funding to expand their clinical trial and reach more people.
I have been preparing through a series of mountain-based adventures since late 2022. I’ve had help in my preparations from a range of specialists: Jo, my Steel cancer rehab physio; Liv, the SLT from my head & neck multidisciplinary team at hospital, some consulting and a training plan from an ultra-running coach, and several of my close friends and family are enlisted to help on the day too.
I plan to run the race on Saturday March 11th 2023, followed by a presentation about my experience, and why I support the GMRI, at a fundraiser evening in late May 2023.
How to support
If you’d like to sponsor or support me, thank you. Here’s a link to my donation page for the event. All donations go directly to the GMRI itself, a non-profit, registered charitable trust.
https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/into-the-ring-of-fire
About the ROF course
Starting and finishing on the lawn outside the historic Chateau Tongariro, the race commences at 4am in the dark, running along on the Silica Rapids Track before branching onto the Whakapapaiti Track adjoining the Round the Mountain Track. The course runs across volcanic boulder-strewn country, glacial fed river and stream crossings, ancient lava flows, and boardwalks in places. Then ascend the magnificent twin cascade waterfalls up to the Ohakune Mountain Road descending to rejoin the Round the Mountain Track on the section dubbed “The Missing Link’.
The course then traverses the southern side of Ruapehu through stunning native beech forest before embarking on epic crossings of the Wahianoa and Whangaehu Valleys before arriving in the Tukino Desert and the Tukino Area. The final section begins through the Waihohonu Track junction near the base of Mount Ngauruhoe before making your way back to the Chateau.
From dark, through light and into the night
Competitors spend between 3 and 6 hours in the dark on this course. The race begins with a 4am start with sunrise not until 7.11am. In the evening (if still on course) runners will have sunset at 7.45pm and a course cut-off of 11.00pm.
All the very best Nick - what a challenge. Hope you get a good day for it. Rowena
All the very best for the run Nick. It looks challenging.