Tarawera Ultra 102km
A 20-Week Program for Women
A structured 20-week training program built to prepare you for the Tarawera Ultra 102km point-to-point journey through the Bay of Plenty. Develop the endurance, technical durability, and pacing control to navigate native bush, geothermal landscapes, and humid summer trails from Kawerau back to Rotorua.
A point-to-point journey beneath five lakes
The Tarawera Ultra by UTMB is a 102km point-to-point through the Bay of Plenty, running from Kawerau to Rotorua. The course passes beneath five lakes and Tarawera maunga, weaving through native bush, redwood forest, and the geothermal landscapes that make this one of the most distinctive ultras on the global calendar. Terrain is predominantly runnable forest singletrack, punctuated by muddy and rooty sections that demand technical footwork and steady attention across the day.
How the 102km unfolds
Forest opening and pacing discipline
The first stretch climbs gently into native bush with rolling singletrack and the first sustained climbs of the day. The trail feels runnable and the temptation is to push. The early hours are about settling into long-haul rhythm, locking in fuelling, and saving the legs for the back half.
Heat, humidity, and middle-race resilience
The middle stretch crosses the famous Tarawera lakes country with steam rising from geothermal terrain. February humidity peaks here, and core temperature management becomes a primary skill. Smart pacing, electrolyte discipline, and aid station composure determine whether you arrive at the back half intact.
Technical terrain under deep fatigue
As the day stretches into evening and possibly into night, the trails grow rootier and muddier. Footing becomes a cognitive load, descents punish the quads, and the redwood forest hides distance well. This is where trail-specific strength work and night-running practice translate into staying upright and moving forward.
Holding form to the lakefront
The closing stretch brings runners back into Rotorua with the lakefront in sight. Cumulative fatigue is total. Form, fuelling, and the mental frameworks rehearsed in training carry the last hours, and the finish line at the Government Gardens delivers one of the most rewarded arrivals in the sport.
Six pillars built for a 100km in humid trail
Aerobic durability
Long runs, sustained easy efforts, and back to back weekends that build the engine for 14 to 30 hours on trail.
Technical footwork
Drills, trail repeats, and proprioception sessions to move efficiently on muddy, rooty, and slippery singletrack under fatigue.
Trail-specific strength
Single leg stability, ankle resilience, glute activation, and eccentric quad control for descending on tired legs.
Fuelling across 14 to 30 hours
Gut training, carb practice, electrolyte strategy, and aid station rehearsal so race day nutrition is automatic.
Heat and humidity
February in Rotorua sits around 18 to 24C with 70 to 80% humidity. Sessions build heat tolerance, hydration habit, and pacing in warm air.
Night-trail composure
Most finishers run into the dark. We rehearse night running, head torch use, and the mental frameworks for moving alone in forest after dusk.
Before You Begin
A 102km point-to-point with humid conditions, technical trail, and the likelihood of running into the night is a serious commitment. The 20-week build assumes a strong existing endurance base and the lifestyle space to absorb a high training load.
- Running 50 to 60 km per week across 4 to 5 sessions before week one
- Recent finish of a marathon or 50km event within the past 18 months
- Willingness to commit to 8 to 15 hours of training per week through the build, including back to back long days
- Access to trails with rolling terrain, technical descents, and humid summer training where possible
- Experience or appetite to develop self sufficiency for night running, mandatory gear, and remote sections
- Medical clearance if returning from injury, illness, or extended time off training
- Support of household and work life for the demands of an ultra build
Everything you need, in one place
Training program
- 20-week structured plan with weekly run, strength, and recovery sessions
- Tarawera 102km specific course preparation and pacing strategy
- Integrated strength program built for trail running demands
- Fuelling, hydration, heat management, and night-running guidance
Coaching and community
- Access to the Her Trails community of women training together
- Coach-led education on female physiology and ultra preparation
- Practical resources covering recovery, nutrition, and mindset
- A program designed by women, for women, that respects more than fitness alone
Become a Her Trails member
For $220 per quarter, the Her Trails membership unlocks all of our event programs, strength libraries, education modules, and the broader community alongside this Tarawera 102km build. If you plan to keep racing through the year, this is the all-in path.
