Date
Sat, 5 Dec 2026
Start
06:00
Venue
Control Gates, Lake Te Anau, Te Anau
Te Anau, Southland District
Countdown
December
A full lap of the Kepler Track, run since 1988. Sixty kilometres with 2,200 m of climbing is a proper day out, and you get 12 hours to finish it.
Key facts
0112-hour limit, with intermediate cut-offs along the course
02Compulsory gear is required
03Minimum age 18 on race day
Create a free training plan for the FreshChoice Kepler Challenge 60 km
7-day free trial, no card required
The course
The route
Te Anau
Distance60km
Total climb2,200m
StartElevation
0 kmDrag map to rotate53.1 km
Weather
Early-December, Te Anau
13°CTypical high
5°CTypical low
-1°CColdest in 20 years
67%Days with rain
Highs around 13°C and lows around 5°C, but it has dropped to -1°C. Rain on 67% of days. Pack for the cold end, not the average.
NASA POWER data, 2006-2025, the week either side of race day
Results
Course verified. Results not yet available.
Organiser
OrganiserKepler Challenge Mountain Run Trust, through its Organising Committee
Websitekeplerchallenge.co.nz
Instagram@keplerchallengeofficial
Running since1988
Training
Training for the FreshChoice Kepler Challenge 60 km
We don't do generic plans. We combine deep knowledge of this race's demands with your recent training, then build a plan with you that progresses as you do.
Beina integrates directly with your existing tools to understand your current fitness, and synchronise your planned sessions.
Intervals.icuWhat a FreshChoice Kepler Challenge 60 km plan targets
Typical sessions
60 km with 2,200 m of climbing
Time on feet and fatigue resistance
Fuelling and pacing for the whole event
What your weeks look like
Typical sessions
Long runs that build time on your feet
Tempo and threshold sessions to hold race pace
Hill reps and vert to prepare the climbs and descents
Back-to-back weekend runs for fatigue resistance
Not a generic schedule
Typical sessions
Built from your current fitness and the time you actually have
Adapts every week as Beina learns how you respond
Syncs your sessions straight to Garmin and Wahoo
One clear next session, never a wall of spreadsheet
Entries open now
Get your FreshChoice Kepler Challenge 60 km plan.
7-day free trial, no card required.
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