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Daniel Jones, a renowned ultrarunner from New Zealand, is gearing up for the prestigious Kepler Challenge mountain race this Saturday, where he stands a chance to match the current men’s record of six title wins. This record is jointly held by Russell Hurring, who achieved his wins from 1990 to 1995, and Ruby Muir, a dominant force with six wins including four consecutive victories from 2012 to 2015.
Jones’s return to Te Anau marks the culmination of a remarkable year. In 2023, he made impressive debuts at two major international trail running events: he secured fifth place at the Western States 160km endurance run in California and finished 12th at the Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc in France, a race known as the most competitive ultra trail marathon globally.
After these significant races, Jones, 33, chose to skip the Auckland marathon to focus on the Queenstown marathon and the 60km Kepler Challenge. His approach has been careful, aiming to regain fitness gradually. His third victory at the Queenstown marathon in November was a testament to his effective training regime, yet Jones remains cautiously optimistic about his performance in Te Anau.
Jones has been enhancing his hill-running skills under the guidance of Robbie Britton, a British coach based in Italy. He hopes this training will pay off in the Kepler Challenge, particularly in the Luxmore and across the tops sections of the race. However, he is not solely focused on breaking Martin Dent’s decade-old record of 4hr 33min, set in 2013. For Jones, the Kepler is more about enjoying the race experience in Te Anau.
The event promises to be competitive with participants like Daniel Balchin and David Haunschmidt. Jones, while uncertain about his fitness level due to his modified racing program this year, is looking forward to the challenge.
Nancy Jiang, a consistent top-three finisher in recent Kepler Challenges, is also returning this year and is among the favorites to win. As the race draws near, both seasoned and aspiring ultrarunners are set to witness an exciting contest in Te Anau.