Lucy Clark Just Ran The Length of NZ In 66 Days

17/01/2020Tim Ashelford

SHARED 6 TIMES

17/01/2020Tim Ashelford

SHARED 6 TIMES

Remember Lucy Clark? She was running the length of New Zealand and she finished yesterday after 66 days, becoming the fastest woman to ever run the 3000km Te Araroa trail.

After running the equivalent elevation of Mt Everest nine times and running more than a marathon every day for the last two months (except on Christmas of course) Lucy Clark ran to the headland at Bluff yesterday to cement the fastest known female time for the Te Araroa trail.

Read the pre-trip interview: Lucy Clark Is Running The Length Of New Zealand

Messaging us from her bed (which she’s in no way obligated to get out of today) Lucy gave a quick snapshot of the mission:

Favourite Section

The Tararua Ranges with Tommy was really memorable for good and bad reasons. Bad because we took a wrong turn on the first day and ended up hiking up through the muddy forest in the dark and arriving at the hut after 11:30pm! Good because we got some of the best views the next day hiking over the ridge to Mt Crawford.

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Hardest Section

The Mararoa River Track which wasn’t actually a track. I basically trudged my way through grass as high as my shoulders, walked through swampy and boggy areas that came up to my knees, and bush bashed my way through gorse (a big massive prickly bush). Oh, and it was raining too.

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Shoes Used

I had nine pairs with me and have thrown out five of them

Fave Trail Food

Clif bars, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, crisps. My fave post-run food was a bowl of rice bubbles with cream.

Injuries

My body held up incredibly well, which I credit to getting 9+ hrs of sleep most nights plus eating lots of food. My only niggles were my right foot (plants fascia) getting sore in the final couple of weeks and my lip getting so wind and sunburnt that it’s blistered up. Ouch!

Support

The support I’ve received throughout the trip has been amazing. From people joining me on the trail to the messages of encouragement – they really kept me going. Plus I’ve had the most amazing support crew – my husband has been BRILLIANT in looking after me and we had lots of other friends join at different times to help out. I really couldn’t have done it without them.