6km Run/Walk

If your off-road running adventures have just begun or you’re looking for a great morning out with the family, this is the event for you. The course is designed to be achievable yet still challenging and includes a taste of each aspect of the West Coast’s stunning beauty.

Starting at the event base you will head out the gravel drive way you arrived on, cut behind Bethells reserve and carpark, before popping out on the world class Bethells Beach. From here you will enter the Te Henga Track for a short out and back section to give you a taste of its magic.

Once down from the Te Henga walkway, cross the Foot Bridge and head beneath (that’s right – beneath) the bridge you drove across when you came into Bethells. You’ll proceed along the path as if you were heading to Lake Wainamu but take a right onto the truly epic Bethells sand dunes before a short ‘home straight’ to the event base nestled under the Pine Forest to finish.

13km Run/Walk

Starting on private land at Bethells (next to the Bethells Beach reserve) you will first do a 2.5km loop through some awesome pine forest – this will get the legs and lungs well warmed up. You’ll then loop back past base for some motivation before the climb up to “Razorback Ridge” via 4 wheel drive track.

At the top of the ridge you’ll reach aid station one. Turn left from here and proceed in the direction of the sea with fast flowing ridge line running and stunning 360 degree views. You then turn towards the north and start your decent through stunning native bush lined tracks. From here, you will have another solid grunt back up to the ridge line while being rewarded with your second aid station and some more quality views.

You will start your last big descend down the 4 wheel drive track you came up. The track will fork and you will continue down an awesome fast, sand-based decent which snakes its way around to then run parallel with the sand dunes and to the event base to finish.

21.1km Run/Walk – Proposed Course

For those of you that might have done the Half Marathon here before we have a 100% new course for you this year!

You’ll start your last big descent down the 4 wheel drive track you came up. The track will fork, and you will continue down an awesome fast, sand based decent which snakes its way around to, then run parallel with the sand dunes.

At the bottom, you will then be directed right and begin making your way across what can only be described as a truly amazing inland sand dune for the next km or two. Once you arrive at Lake Wainamu you will complete a loop of the lake in an anticlockwise direction. This track is trail running at its best, fast and flowing with great views of the lake, waterfall and sand-dunes while being under the cover of cooling shade native bush. Your final few kms will be memorable as you fly down the Waiti Steam and across the epic sand dune once more to finish!

42.2km Marathon Course – Proposed Course

Not for the faint hearted – this is quite possibly NZ’s toughest off-road marathon.

For those of you that have done the Marathon here before, we have changed the order around a bit and added some new stuff we think you will like!

Starting at the event base you will head out the gravel drive way you arrived on, cut behind Bethells reserve and carpark, before popping out on the world class Bethels Beach. From here you will enter the Te Henga Track and head northward for 10km of truly stunning open single-track running! Traversing along the cliffs you will be rewarded for all your hard work with ever changing views out to sea. Your final 1km involves a healthy number of stairs before you pop out at you first aid station on Constable Road.

After some very welcome hydration (it can get remarkably hot on the Te Henga trail) you are back on the Te Henga Track heading south now, with new views to be had in the opposite direction. This track is one that is well worth doing a second time!

Once you are off Te Henga track for the second time, you are basically half way done. Cross the Foot Bridge and head beneath (that’s right – beneath) the bridge you drove across when you came into Bethells. You will proceed up the river for a short bit, and along the path as if you were heading to Lake Wainamu, but take a right onto the truly epic Bethels sand dunes. You’ll reach aid station number two on the other side and continue through event base for a bit of a boost before you start the biggest climb of the day.

Heading up through epic pine trees to “Razorback Ridge” via 4 wheel drive track. At the top of the ridge you’ll reach aid station three. Turn left from here and proceed in the direction of the sea with fast flowing ridge line running and stunning 360 degree views. You then turn towards the north and start your decent through stunning native bush lined tracks. From here, you will have another solid grunt back up to the ridge line while being rewarded with your fourth aid station and some more quality views.

This track is trail running at its best, fast and flowing with great views of the lake, waterfall and sand-dunes while being under the cover of cooling shade native bush. Your final few kms will be memorable as you fly down the Waiti Steam and across the sand dune one last time!

Speight’s West Coaster review

Speight’s West Coaster

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