The Runner's Trip: Run Long, Travel Far, Discover More
trail running and travel blog by Sarah Lavender Smith
Two days before the race, I felt heavy-legged and thought, “I am not ready for this terrain.” But the dense, fecund forest of crown ferns and towering beech trees, which are garnished with clumpy moss, tangled vines, Frisbee-sized mushrooms and dripping moisture, enchanted me.
Maybe you, too, dream of a running- and adventure-oriented trip to New Zealand in 2011 or ’12. When I hear Americans talk about New Zealand, they tend to focus on the South Island, so I decided to spotlight a fabulous Kiwi destination and event on the North Island instead: Rotorua and the Tarawera Ultramarathon.