The iconic Motatapu Off-Road Sporting Event held annually in March attracts more than 4000 participants. 

Starting near Glendhu Bay, Lake Wanaka the race snakes its way through 42km of stunning high country terrain traversing Motatapu, Soho and Glencoe Stations. Candidates have a choice of four different events to choose from: Ultra Run, Mountain Bike, Off-Road Marathon and Miners Trail.

Te Anau resident Gary Kirkman has competed in all bar one of the Motatapu Off-Road Marathons since the event’s inception in 2005, and is planning on racing again this year for the 17th edition. 

Advertisement

Advertise on the Southland App

A seasoned runner, Mr Kirkman is no stranger to adventure races. He has completed three Coast-to-Coast events in 1985, 1990 and 1994, winning a bronze medal in the veteran team section with his team mate Francis Sullivan and finishing in 12th place overall in the 1994 event. He also competed in eight Kepler Challenge mountain races (1993, 1996, 1998, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017).

Asked at what age he started running, he responded tongue-in-cheek “Just after I was born”.

According to his wife, Gail “Gary has always been a fast runner – at age 50 he could go under 60 seconds for the 400m and under 2.20 for the 800m”.   

Now aged 69, Mr Kirkman has no intention to quit running and is not slowing down either. On the contrary, his results in the Motatapu Marathon have been improving consistently over the last few years. He was able to shave almost an hour off his running time, getting down from 5hr 12min in 2015 to 4hr 19min in 2020.

Gary Kirkman wearing a silver medal for his second place in Male 60+ category at the Motatapu Off-Road Marathon 2020. PHOTO: Gail Kirkman 

He came second in the over 60s category last year in the Motatapu Marathon which is 42.5km of off-road running. In fact his whole family raced last year, including his children Zoe and Daniel, daughter-in-law Amber, and wife Gail, an accomplished runner herself, who represented New Zealand in three World Masters Athletic Championships.

Originally from Timaru, Gary went to the Timaru Boys’ High, a school with high running standards, with Jack Lovelock (1936 Olympic gold medallist in the mile) and Richard (Dick) Taylor (1974 Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the 10,000m) among its past students. 

The Kirkmans moved to Te Anau in 1995. 

“We feel very fortunate to live in Fiordland where we can train on the bush tracks, and we are both motivated to keep going as long as we can,” Mrs Kirkman said.

His fitness routine includes early morning runs three times a week, healthy food and regular bike rides. As part of the training for the Motatapu race, which will be held on 6 March this year, he has enlisted for the Shotover Moonlight Half-Marathon on 20 February and for the Walter Peak 10km run on the 27 February. 

The Motatapu course takes participants over 43km of stunning high country terrain. PHOTO: Motatapu

A member of the local Harriers Club, Mr Kirkman says that for him “running is not just addictive, it’s wonderfully addictive”.

Tenacity is not just evident in his running. At the end of this month, Mr Kirkman will retire from his position as a sale representative and nutrient specialist with Ballance Agri-nutrients. He is one of the company's longest-serving employees, having joined the company (or more accurately, it's precursor) in 1986. Around 25 of those 35 years have been servicing the wider Te Anau area.

Mr Kirkman says retirement will enable him more time to pursue his passion for fly fishing, and even more running.