Kepler Challenge course changed due to weather

Thursday, 5 December 2019

Wild weather in Fiordland has forced Kepler Challenge organisers to change the course for Saturday's endurance running event.

For just the third time in its 32-year history, the race has been changed because of the weather.

No time to admire the view as Errol Bebbington and Chris Helliwell are dwarfed by the landscape during the 2018 Kepler Challenge.

Race chairperson Steve Norris said the annual event seldom succumbed to Fiordland's wild weather but the safety of runners and volunteers had to be put first.

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The challenge is a 60km circuit around Jackson Peaks along the Kepler Track within the Fiordland National Park.

The modified course would now run from the start line control gates near where the Waiau River meets Lake Te Anau, climbing Mt Luxmore up to Luxmore Hut, before runners turn back around to the control gates, carrying on out to Moturau Hut before returning to the control gates.

The exposed section between Luxmore Hut and Hanging Valley shelter was too dangerous with winds, rain and snow forecast, Norris said.

The modified course will now be 59kms.

'It is not a decision that has been made lightly,' Norris said.

'But it's just been s..t weather for the past 10 days.'

The race committee was looking to provide a safe and enjoyable event despite the current challenging weather conditions in Fiordland, he said.

The 27km Luxmore Grunt runs concurrently to the challenge, but at this stage that course remains unaffected.

However, that will be subject to a review dependant on weather conditions on race day.

The exact course to be run for the challenge was still dependant on access to Luxmore Hut and further information will be given at a safety briefing today.

There are weather warnings throughout the South Island with the MetService forecasting heavy rain in Fiordland on Friday and the weekend.

As much as 180mm is expected with peak intensities of 10 to 15mm per hour at times.

The service is also forecasting a high chance of a thunderstorm for the region, with gusts up to 110kmh.

Rain has poured down over the lower south as of late.

As of Thursday evening, the upper Waiau River at Queens reach, south of Te Anau was 1.8m above normal levels.

Further south, the same river at Sunnyside was 3.5m above normal levels and rising at 30mm per hours.