The Kepler Challenge event on Saturday 15 January held special significance for two competitors. 

Competing in the Luxmore Grunt, a shorter version of the race, was Te Anau Police constable Kris Dale.  

On April 9 last year, Dale was rushed to Christchurch Hospital after suffering burns to 18 per cent of his body. 

“I’m just fortunate that my injuries weren’t as severe as they could have been. It could have been a lot worse”

“When you’re recovering you set yourself a goal and I had three; one, to get better, two to get back to work and three to do the Grunt. I’d been meaning to do it and thought it was pretty apt given the year I’d had. I thought there was no better to time to prove I’d recovered”

Dale was met at the finish line by this family and is grateful for the support he received to compete.

Kris Dale on the finish line with his children. Photo: Kepler Challenge

“The support behind the event is pretty amazing, and the support I got from everyone. It was just a great day.”

In another impressive achievement on the day, Te Anau local Bev Thorne celebrated her 30th year competing in the event. She has now completed 29 Kepler Challenges and 1 Luxmore Grunt. 

Thorne says the event, and her skills as a runner, have changed a lot since her first race.

“There wouldn’t have been any more than 150 competing the first year. The track wasn’t even completed at the time. The section across the tops wasn’t finished so it was off track.”

“I had no idea how to run really; I took a morning tea break and about an hour lunch break at Iris Burn. They didn’t used to have cut off times, so things have changed a lot now.” 

She intends to compete in the event again this year, to bring her Kepler Challenge runs to an even 30. She would already have achieved this goal already were it not for a “year off” running the shorter Luxmore Grunt, after having given birth only five weeks before the race. 

Thorne says the atmosphere and scenery of the Kepler Track keep her coming back each year, and that winning has never been the point. She encourages everyone to participate in the event, even if they aren’t a competitive runner. 

“It’s really just something to motivate you through the year. I’ve never been fast, I’m a plodder, but you just keep going and you get there.”

Constable Dale too encourages everyone to push themselves and give the mountain running event a go. 

“I really enjoyed it and will definitely do it again.”

“You see the people that run these events and there’s no excuse not to do it. There’s people that are far older or in worse condition than you and they get it done, so there’s really no reason not to.”