Go West

The traffic lights are gone, summer is here - and one of our best trail running events is just around the corner. So dust off your shoes, get some training in and get ready to hit the Kāpiti Coast before all the world heads our way.

The Waitarere Forest Run, formerly known as Great Forest Events, is Aotearoa New Zealand’s oldest forest running event, having been started some 25 years ago by the Levin Joggers and Walkers Club. It soon rose to iconic status, being the first off road marathon in the country, and was popular with hundreds of Kiwis and visitors alike. The 2020 event was cancelled due to COVID, and it was set for a big comeback in 2021, with 2,000 people signing up.

There really is no othercoastal triathlon like it in thiscountry or indeed the world.

Sadly however, the event had become a victim of its own success. The Joggers and Walkers Club was a volunteer group and while they had been trying to attract new members for several years it had become obvious that the existing committee would be overstretched in handling such huge numbers of entrants. A theft of equipment was the final straw and the organisers were forced to cancel the 2021 run, refund entrants, and disband their committee; the oldest forest run in New Zealand, was, it appeared, history.

Bengy Barsenti, left, out there doing it

Barefoot Sports ran the onlyXTERRA Triathalon on the planetin 2020, sending athletes into theWellington hills while the rest ofthe world pulled down the shutters.

And it almost certainly would have been if not for one man - enter Bengy Barsanti, the creator of Barefoot Sports NZ, which organises running, mountain biking and triathlon events throughout the greater Wellington Region, including a Kāpiti half marathon, trail-running events, the XTERRA Series and the Wellington Triathlon series. Bengy had competed in the Forest Run himself and was so saddened to see it go that he decided to do something about it.

“I’ve spent most of my life working in sport and sport development in the United Kingdom,” Bengy says, “and about five years ago I came back to where I grew up - Kāpiti - and got involved in several events around Wellington. I eventually took over some of those events, at what must have been the worst possible time to start staging things! It’s been pretty tough but we now have about 21 events, including the new exciting Waitarere Forest Run and one of our favourites of the year the XTERRA Wellington Festival, which is a completely unique, off-road triathlon, duathlon and trail running experience held on the Kāpiti Coast in February. There really is no other coastal triathlon like it in this country or indeed the world.

No glitz nor glamour, just honest New Zealand terrain, spectacular views and proper homegrown hospitality!”

Bengy was quick to acknowledge the great work of the committee who had set up the Forest Run and hosted so many events, and was under no delusions that getting it back up and running while the pandemic dragged on would be a challenge. But then Bengy is up for a challenge - Barefoot Sports ran the only XTERRA Triathalon on the planet in 2020, sending athletes into the Wellington hills while the rest of the world pulled down the shutters.

“We made a strategic decision to cancel as few events as possible,” Bengy says, “safety sits at the heart of everything we do and Covid was no different, we had pretty stringent health and safety in place and we limited numbers or spread things out if we had to, but we were really determined to keep things ticking along somehow for the community. It put the pressure on us, but we wanted to do it because so many people rely on events like this for their wellbeing.”

“The original organisers of the Forest Run had done an amazing job, but COVID really impacted them and we’re really excited to be able to step in and bring back this piece of our heritage. The Waitarere Forest is just north of Levin, south of Palmerston North and it is just a beautiful run through a beautiful forest.”

“It feels a little like out of the frying pan and into the fire with the substantial challenges around the event world at the moment.”

“Events are complex beasts, our role is to use events to inspire people and create long lasting memories. It’s those memories that drive us to challenge ourselves in all aspects of our lives. If our participants can do something they never thought they would achieve? Work on Monday is a breeze. Although we have had challenges getting the Forest Run up and running with changing landscapes, housing developments and interesting economic environment, we are committed to creating a national event with a very local heart. In fact we are excited to do so.”

“There are 2km, 5km, 10km and 21km courses, no cut off times, and we want everyone to feel welcomed and to feel relaxed. Events are stressful things and we want entrants to turn up at the start line feeling ready to go, not worrying about all the details. Just get out there and give it heaps!”