Gutted his inaugural Arrowtown-based running event, The Wild, has fallen over due to the event company going under, Wānaka running legend Mal Law is trying to salvage something from the wreckage.
Due to run December 10-11, the event had attracted almost 700 runners — all but 10% from out of town — who’d been going to run
gruelling 32km, 80km and 160km races in the rugged backcountry.
Two weeks ago, organiser, Christchurch-based Fusion Events , went into liquidation, owing creditors $400,000-plus.
Law says at least 200 entrants, a good chunk from Australia, are still coming, so he’s putting together about 15 informal, local trail runs they can do over the course of five days.
‘‘Some people are looking forward to it more, ’cos people get very nervous, obviously, about running big distances, particularly in this terrain — they can just kind of relax a bit and not have to worry about race performance.’’
Law, however, is hopeful he can get The Wild off the ground next year.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t think this year’s entrants, being unsecured creditors, will get back their entry fees — ranging up to $899 — ‘‘which is just mindblowingly shit’’.
