Southern Lakes Ultra

Event Overview

Course & Terrain

Point-to-point mountain and trail stages through New Zealand's Southern Lakes region, with one rest day during the event week.

Key course features to know before comparing this race:

• Start on the shore of the Southern Lakes and finish in Queenstown on Lake Wakatipu
• Ski fields, waterfalls, canyons and old gold-mining towns of Central Otago
• Two remote backcountry mountain stages on Department of Conservation tracks
• A long stage of about 80 km that keeps much of the field out overnight

Formed tracks and public trails throughout: hard-packed trail, mountain-bike tracks, gravel 4WD roads, tussock and narrow Department of Conservation singletrack. Climbs are long, often three hours or more up and the same down, and two stages cross remote backcountry. Some trails are overgrown or hard to see, slips and washouts happen, and some sections run through dense bush. Earlier editions included multiple river crossings over about 15 km, usually below knee height and slow-flowing, so feet stay wet. The course is marked at key turns rather than continuously, and runners follow a mandatory printed course manual with stage maps, elevation profiles and checkpoint-to-checkpoint notes, plus GPX files. Trail shoes are compulsory and poles are strongly recommended for the mountain stages. On the long stage most of the field runs into the dark, and the slowest third is expected to be out all night.

Organizer guidance: February is high summer, with dry heat that can top 30°C (86°F), sun strong enough to burn in under 30 minutes, and daylight until after 9 PM. Snow can still fall in February on the high ground the course crosses, and occasionally down to town level, bringing sub-zero temperatures, wind chill, sleet and ice, which is why the sleeping bag must be rated to 0°C (32°F). Heavy rain is the other risk: in 2023 overnight rain raised the Arrow River at Macetown and set off a multi-agency rescue. The organizer can add a fleece top to the mandatory kit for cold forecasts, and can reroute, shorten or cancel stages for safety without refunds.

Entry & Logistics

Why This Race Matters

Queenstown event organizer Kerryn Bell, a three-time finisher of Alps 2 Ocean, New Zealand’s first seven-day stage race, launched the Southern Lakes Ultra after that event ended in 2020, building a course around what its runners had asked for: more mountains and less runnable ground. Covid pushed the debut from 2021 to February 2022, when 65 athletes covered 264 km in six stages. The organizer lists every edition from 2022 to 2026 as sold out, the 2026 race five months early, so 2027 will be the sixth edition. In 2023, heavy rain swelled the Arrow River at Macetown and eight people were flown to hospital with mild hypothermia, a rescue that made national news. Bell wants a field small enough that everyone is known by name.

Preparing for a Race Like Southern Lakes Ultra

The stage race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:

• Stage race packing list: Mandatory kit, daily carry, camp bags, food and foot care.
• Walking strategy for ultramarathons: When and how to walk by terrain, effort and cutoffs.
• Hydration and sodium for ultramarathons: Fluid, sodium, thirst, sweat rate and hyponatremia risk.
• Blister prevention: Socks, taping, lubrication, shoe fit and hot spots.

Best Fit

• Stage-race first-timers who can already run 50 km comfortably and want a small, sociable field
• Runners who prefer long mountain climbs and backcountry trail to fast, runnable terrain
• Runners who want the choice between carrying everything (Unsupported) or having crew move a camp bag (Supported)

Planning Notes

• Study the mandatory gear list early and rehearse carrying the exact pack weight you expect to use on race day.
• Train for terrain-specific fatigue. Technical trails and mountain courses demand downhill durability, hiking efficiency, and reliable night lighting.
• The directory does not mark this as having simpler logistics. Confirm qualification, terrain, support, registration, medical, and withdrawal requirements before planning around it.
• Rain can turn river crossings dangerous: in 2023, ten personal locator beacons were set off at Macetown and seven runners and an official were flown out with mild hypothermia
• Climbs and descents of three hours or more on narrow, overgrown or washed-out trail, some of it at night
• Only one unfinished stage is allowed; a second ends your race, and on the remote stages there is no ride to the stage finish
• Dry heat above 30°C with fast sunburn, yet snow and sub-zero nights are possible in February

Event FAQs

Related Preparation

• Browse the multiday stage-race calendar
• Open the Stage Race format guide
• Compare all race formats
• Use the timed-race pace calculator
• Plan checkpoint arrivals and cutoff buffers
• Estimate race calories and plan fueling
• Build a crew and drop-bag plan
• Build a race-specific gear checklist