Or TUM as it’s known.

Twas a big day in Rotorua yesterday.

We commenced the day with an early drop off of Alexei to the bus.

The shuttle from Village Green to the start line commenced loading at 6.50am to 7.20am. We were there in good time.

With good luck wishes we waved him off and headed back to the hotel.

The intention was to spend the day showing Alexei’s wife Alyona, the sights of Rotorua.

First stop Whakarewarewa – The Living Maori Village.

‘Whakarewarewa is the legacy and home of the Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao people, who have been sharing their unique way of life with visitors from all around the world for over two hundred years’.

Whakarewarewa Valley is an active geothermal area with hot pools, boiling mud and geysers. 

We were lucky enough to see the geysers ‘go off’, (Te Tohu – Prince of Wales Feathers, and Te Whutu), a Marae (Tupuna Whare – the ancestoral Māori meeting house), the Catholic Church of Immaculate Conception built in 1904, Green Lake AND be treated to a cultural performance by the local Iwi.

Just to top it off MoD looked up and saw this……

All in all the whole experience was pretty spectacular.

After all that touring and feeling a bit hungry, we headed into the city centre.

They have quite a cool street called Eat Street, which is exactly as described, all the eateries seem to be placed there.

Once we had our fill, yep we found Kumura chips Doug and Annabel, it was time to go across to Village Green and await our friend Meg who was due to finish her 50km.

Which she did, in very good time, with a big smile on her face and the declaration that she ‘loved every minute’. Apparently this is not the last time she will do it. Apparently there is some consideration for next year and the 103km. 

Hmmmmmm

I had to sit down for a while just thinking about it all.

So we did, for 2-3 hours whilst we waited for Alexei to finish his first 50km. They started from different places so their timing was different. Clearly. 

We may have not been prepared as we should have been for the sun.

Which came out intermittently. Consequently MoD may have gotten a little sunburnt. Something neither of us have been guilty of for some years. I may have a line across my forehead where my sunscreen may have missed.

Oh well….won’t happen again.

Of course Alexei also came in smiling….

Not far in front of his new bestie, an Australian named Campbell. They ran together.

They sat for a few minutes, had a few eats and then headed out for the next 53km.

By this time it was 5pm.

We headed back to Eat Street to meet Meg for dinner.

After all we hadn’t eaten for at least four hours and it was quite exhausting watching, clapping and cheering all those runners coming in.

My rough estimate from the different events was about 3800 runners having entered the TUM.

That’s a lot of cheering and clapping.

Exhausting and appetite motivating.

Post dinner we headed to meet Alexei and his new BF at the 62km checkpoint to hand them their walking poles and a few salt tablets. We then went off to our respective hotels for a little sleep before Alexei’s (estimated) finish time.

At 2am we arose, got the car unlocked from the hotel garage (the guy thought we were a little cuckoo) picked up Alyona on the way, and went to wait at Village Green.

Twas a little quieter at that time of the morning although those who were there fiercely cheered on every 100km and 100mile runner who came through.

As we should. 

Totally incredible feat. 

Whatever you did as part of TUM is amazing as far as we are concerned. 

Around 3.30am MoD decided he would walk out a ways to meet and run back in with Alexei. Which he did. MoD has since claimed he probably should get a t-shirt, given he ran the TUM. Not sure about that. Alexei, definitely.

Legendary Stuff Alexei 🌟

You are a true superstar 🌟

And that, my friends was our day in Rotorua.

Tomorrow we head to the Polynesian Spa before flying back to Chch.

Cyclone Gabrielle permitting.