Welsh Ultrarunner Claims $1,000 Victory in Unique Race Challenge

Welsh ultrarunner Hywel Dinnick secured a remarkable victory and a prize of $1,000 during a unique race event held in Queenstown. Dinnick triumphed over local competitor Josh King in the men’s final, which featured a series of elimination head-to-head races. The 35-year-old athlete, who has resided in Queenstown for approximately 12 years, humorously remarked, “I think I’ll never make that hourly rate again; I think I’ll retire from here on in.”

Dinnick’s impressive track record includes two victories in the 32km Routeburn Classic. In December 2019, he completed the Kepler, Milford, and Routeburn tracks within 24 hours to celebrate his 30th birthday. Reflecting on the recent competition, he noted that the challenge of sprinting just 30 seconds up and down was quite different from his usual ultrarunning experiences. “I was expecting some young whippersnapper in their 20s to take it out,” he added, acknowledging the novelty of the format.

Despite having never trained specifically for this type of event, Dinnick attributed his success to a strategy focused on “just taking it easy” and emphasising coordination and flow rather than outright speed.

In the women’s category, Jagger set a record time of 31.03 seconds during her semi-final. She expressed her surprise at the event, stating, “I’ve never done any event like that before.” In a personal challenge for her 30th birthday, she had previously climbed 30,000 stairs on a gym stair machine. After recovering from a foot injury earlier in the year, Jagger had been following a prescribed return-to-run programme, remarking, “but this wasn’t on the programme.” When asked about her performance, she suggested that her competitiveness played a significant role, saying, “I think maybe a little bit of competitiveness just shone through.”

Winners of the mixed team event included local firefighters Aoife Sheehan, Lee Winter, and Aaron Murphy, who competed under the name ‘Third Wheel’ with a winning time of 1:36.95 seconds. They also received a prize of $1,000. The event also benefitted local charities, with St John and the neurodiversity charity Pivotal Point set to receive several thousand dollars from the proceeds.

Local athletics coach Neville Britton praised the race, which was conceived by Philip ‘Scoop’ Chandler of Mountain Scene. “It has really good, broad appeal,” he stated, highlighting how the event combines running with skills such as eye-foot coordination. He explained that the concept of “fast neuromuscular activation” could be beneficial for athletes in various sports, including football and hockey. Britton noted that the event’s design likely prevented serious injuries, stating, “I think it avoided some broken ankles—while there were a few that landed on their butt cheeks, they were able to pop back up again.”

In summary, this innovative race in Queenstown showcased not only the athletic prowess of participants but also the community spirit behind the event, making it a unique addition to the region’s sporting calendar.