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'Like nothing I have ever seen' - Scotty Stevenson takes on 85km Old Ghost Ultra marathon

February 24, 2020

Hundreds descended on Buller back country for one of NZ's most unique events.

The fiendish and the frenzied gathered for one of the country's most unique running events in Westport over the weekend.

The Old Ghost Ultra marathon is billed as not for the fainthearted, as 1 NEWS Sport's Scotty Stevenson found out when he entered it.

It's just after 5am on a drizzly Saturday in Seddonville, in the heart of Buller back country.

Spirits are high. Well, as high as they can be staring down an 85-kilometre run along the Old Ghost Road.

"It would be hard to say if I've done anything more stupid in my life but you only live once, don't you? I love you kids," Stevenson said.

Now in its fifth year, the Old Ghost Ultra has grown from an original field of just 36 to a capacity turn out of 300, with many more left on the wait list.

Race director Phil Rossiter is one of the founding fathers of the trail, its conception and construction a modern tale of perspicacity and dedication

“An old map of an old gold route up here turned up in the right hands of someone who had enough vision to start scratching around,” Rossiter told 1 NEWS.

“So yeah 13 years ago now and over the next decade that just unfolded and we have the old ghost road and we have the Old Ghost Ultra.”

This is a true backcountry run, from Seddonville to Lyell, two old mining locales long passed into legend.

In darkness, the trail hugs the Mokihinui River before the first of just four aid stations at 17 kilometres. The next is another 25km in, down the boneyard, past Lake Grim, and into Stern Valley.

Climbing is quite the feature of the Old Ghost with 2,700 metres of ascent. Getting to the top of Skyline Ridge and to Ghost Lake a significant milestone.

By the time Stevenson got there, West Coaster Ruth Croft had already finished the entire course, making history as the first woman to take the overall title outright. Her time, 7 hours 31 minutes.

It's almost five more hours before Stevenson reached the finish, relieved and tearful, but feeling privileged to have experienced the sheer beauty of the Old Ghost Road.

“That track is a gift. Unbelievable. I hope everyone comes and does this race or at least walks that track. It is like nothing I have ever seen before,” Stevenson said.

The oldest competitor was 69-year-old Auckland man Ronald Chen, who took just over 16 hours to finish.

Entries for the 2021 Old Ghost Ultra open on June 1 this year.

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