High Five-O Challenge
Rangitoto Peak Starts the High Five-O Challenge
High Five-O Blog / 09.02.2015
Mal's first day of his epic challenge started early on February 7th, as he toed the start line of the Tarawera Ultramarathon. There, he wasn't a man on his own, but one of dozens of red High Five-0 shirts dotting the darkness of the Redwoods Forest that morning.
With two minutes before gun time, Mal took a moment to reflect on everything that had passed and everything that was about to happen. Along with the nervous excitement of the challenge he was about to embark on, there was also the immense relief to have reached the finish line of two years of logistics preparation and training for this epic challenge.
Countless hours of list-making, long meetings with sponsors and partners, days upon days of planning, routing, thinking of what needed to be purchased, packed, where to pack it, how many of each, and the batteries and chargers – good grief, let's not forget the batteries and chargers – lists of people to contact, messages that needed replying to, emails that were sitting unread because days only have so many hours and some of them need to be spend out in the mountains... It had all come to this very moment, at the start line of the Tarawera Ultramarathon, surrounded by 1000 of his closest friends.
"Go Mal!" was the message that kept echoing between the dark trees, from the many supporters out there that morning. It was go time.
At 6am, in Rotorua, one foot in front of the other, Mal began the first of 50 consecutive marathons.
Mal ran the first part of a two-person relay (with Richard Lang) at the Tarawera Ultra, with a detour to the top of Rangitoto Peak.
"I'm very happy with how it went. I didn't get tempted to get caught up in the race at all. I was focused on my goal and didn't worry about wearing a number. It was great to spend so much time at aid stations and I felt really good and strong the whole way," he says.
"Reaching the peak was the moment when it really started to become real. Probably because, being part of the race and running on familiar terrain, there was nothing particularly new about it - I'd done it all before. But reaching the peak was a really euphoric moment and made it all feel real."
Mal took his celebratory shot at the trig and cruised down the hill being cheered on by people along the way. Mental Health Foundation representatives were brilliant all day cheering everybody. "Having them at the finish was pretty special," Mal recalls.
Having not had a decent run in over 6 weeks, the first marathon was just the boost of confidence Mal needed. After a nice little dip in the lake, his mind was focused on day 2.
Two years after the big idea, the challenge was finally underway.
Progress in Numbers:
- 39.9kms run
- 1230 metres climbed
- 06:25:48 total time on feet
Mal is attempting the most audacious feat of endurance ever attempted on New Zealand soil - running 50 mountain marathons & climbing 50 peaks in just 50 days!
He and his support runners are aiming to raise at least $400,000 for the Mental Health Foundation NZ.
To follow his epic journey & see more photos visit https://www.facebook.com/high50challenge
To donate online go to Mal's fundraising page http://www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/MalcolmLaw/
Or you can text GOMAL to 2446 to donate $3 to the Mental Health Foundation.
Made possible by the generous support of Partners Life, without whom none of this would be happening.
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