33rd Anniversary Event
2 Peaks. 3 Races. Choose your direction.
Saturday 30th January 2027
Jumbo→Holdsworth. Holdsworth→Jumbo. Hooper Loop.
2027 Jumbo-Holdsworth Entry → ScrollThese Trails Have History
Since 1995 runners have been taking on the classic Jumbo–Holdsworth circuit in the Tararua Forest Park: a rugged, unrelenting loop that climbs out of the bush onto the exposed tops of the Tararua range. It is grassroots New Zealand mountain running at its best: steep graded tracks, wind-swept ridgelines, some of the best views in the lower North Island and a friendly finish line atmosphere with a quality lunch to end it all.
The main race is 24km with 1500m of climbing, crossing between Jumbo (1405m) and Mt Holdsworth Trig (1470m). The best part is, you choose the direction. Run Jumbo→Holdsworth, the 2027 podium direction, for a fast flat start into a very steep, technical climb, or Holdsworth→Jumbo for a graded climb, a technical descent and a fast river-flat finish. New to the mountains? The 12km Hooper Loop keeps mostly to the bush with one solid climb in the middle.
Do you have what it takes to finish across the tops?
WARNING: The 24km Jumbo-Holdsworth should NOT be your first mountain race.
This is a mountain environment and the weather on the tops can change fast. The main course climbs steeply above the bushline onto exposed ridges and has strict cut-offs at the huts. Expect it to take about as long as you would take to run a marathon — yes, it's that hard. Mandatory gear is checked at registration, no exceptions. If you're unsure about making the cut-offs, enter the Hooper Loop.