Hi Blue Lake 24 Hour Challenge Lovers,

Three weeks until we see you all at Blue Lake where you will be pushing yourselves on various distances around the lake!

We currently have over 700 entries so we are getting close to our cut off. Please ask those doing a lap or more to sign up.

If you get this email but have let me know you are not coming, all good, my IT skills are average at best, and unless you remove yourself from the entry portal yourself you are stuck with our updates.

The event starts at 8am on 26th September and finishes at 9am on 27th September - 24 hours!

The format is easy: pop your name on the right whiteboard when you arrive, do a lap, put a mark next to your name and go again.

If you are not needing to be there for the 8am start (i.e. doing some general laps) it would be great if you could turn up a little later so we don’t get ‘kick off’ congestion on the trail and parking bottlenecks.

Lot's of newbies this year - so thought it would be worth reminding people this is a grassroots event. We have a good time, and run a slick operation (that fact depends on who you ask), but be ready for the fun aspect, the banter and general nonsense. No poles!

Just a few things –

Tent Sites

The tent area will be available from 2pm on the Friday afternoon for set up, absolutely no setting up before then. No vehicles will be able to access this area. Park in the car park and walk your stuff in. Just a reminder that the tent village sites are 3m x 4m and no vehicles to be parked on your tent site. Please remember the ground is hard and rocky, so bring anything you need to hold your tent down if it is windy.

When you turn up to claim your tent site, please locate a team member and they will get you sorted.

All the tent sites are sold out but there are always people that change their mind about coming closer to the event so ask on our facebook page if you are still desperate for a site.

For those staying overnight, I hope you are looking forward to our delightful wakeup music playlist at 6am. It’s previously been Christmas carols, children’s music and Burger King jingles – what is in store for 2026?

Parking

Like last year, the majority of parking on Saturday will be over on the DOC paddock across the road, plan for this if you are using your vehicle as an aid station on the Saturday. I am sure as it quiets down overnight you will be able to move your car to our regular parking spot.

Please do not park down the access road to the Blue Lake boat ramp unless you want to see Sean go full Karen.

H&S

This is a fully self-supported event, right through to bringing your own water etc. No, we don’t have somewhere to charge your cell phone :) Please also pack out your rubbish.

All runners heading out after 6pm have some form of reflective striplight or high vis on the back of their running gear for safety reasons (for the road section) so please make sure you have this sorted. Plus don’t forget your head torch.

No dogs are allowed in the HQ area or tent village. Please leave your furry friends at home.

Children under 14 are required to be with accompanied by an adult.

Food and Beverages

Friday night - The Italians (Woodfired Pizza and Pasta) will be there for your dining needs, they always do an awesome job with their pastas and pizzas on the Friday, so please support them!

Saturday – The Italians, Coastal Chaos, Coffee Cart and an ice cream truck will be there to help get you through the day.

Other than that bring any food that you may need over the event.

Tarawera Miler Qualifier

Ekk. The great people at Tarawera Ultra Trail have given us the go ahead. There are some very specific rules to use Blue Lake as a qualifier. Refer to https://www.bluelake24hr.com/qualifier for more dets.

Thank you

A huge thank you to ZeroTwenty2, Tailwind, Davy Engravers, Burgerfuel and Independent Traffic Control who have donated services or goods this year towards the event and our fundraising efforts.

Thank you to those who have been able to donate a koha for the event. It is these donations and the good will of the community that keep us going year in year out.

If you have any questions, please check the website (https://www.bluelake24hr.com/), or our facebook group.

See you all in September,

Sarah, Kurt, Sean, Ash and the new apprentice Mike.