Fitter Radio Triathlon Podcast · Bevan McKinnon

Jeff Morris: Race Director Ultraman

·1 hr 4 min·4 clips

Ultraman is 10K swim, 421K bike, then 84K of running across three days.

1. Fitter Radio Triathlon Podcast focuses on Jeff Morris and the Ultraman Wanaka race coming to New Zealand. 2. Coach Bevan McKinnon and Coach Tim Brazier host the conversation, and Jeff Morris speaks as the Ultraman Australia organizer in Noosa and Harvey Bay 100 race director. 3. The episode asks why Wanaka was chosen for a 2026 Ultraman and what the course will look like for athletes and crews. 4. Morris explains that his triathlon journey started in 2013 with the Rainbow Double in Rainbow Beach. 5. He says the Harvey Bay 100 began in a Rainbow Beach pub in 2011 over beers and that he took over running it around 2017. 6. He describes helping as crew at the first Ultraman Australia in 2015 while training for Ironman Cairns. 7. Morris says he later became custodian race director of Ultraman Australia in 2022 or 2023. 8. He defines Ultraman as a three-day race with a 10K swim, 145K of riding on day one, 276K of riding on day two, and 84K of running on day three. 9. He says each day has a 12-hour cutoff and that anyone over time becomes a participant rather than a finisher. 10. He notes that about 350 people have done Ultraman Australia and that some of them are coming to Wanaka. 11. Morris names Carl Reid, Simon Cochran, and Steve York as key reasons Wanaka became the New Zealand venue. 12. He recalls Simon Cochran going sub-20 at Ultraman Noosa after Richard Thompson threw down that challenge. 13. He tells a Steve York story where a crew member sprinted for a medal after Steve finished late at Noosa Beach. 14. He says another athlete missed a cutoff by 12 hours and four seconds, which reinforced how exact the rules are. 15. Morris describes Wanaka as the best course option after weighing Taupo and other places with local contacts such as Benji from Barefoot. 16. He outlines the Wanaka swim as 2K out and back at the water sports precinct with crew checks every 2K and warm-water support if needed. 17. He maps the bike leg through Cromwell, the Cromwell Gorge, the Crown Range, Haast Pass, and the ride to the neck. 18. He says the run uses trails around Ruby Island, the river path, Glendhu Bay lookout, and a boat-supported section because the roads are too narrow. 19. The tone is conversational, technical, and practical, with hosts interrupting, joking, and pressing for course details and risk-management specifics. 20. People interested in long-course triathlon, race logistics, and Wanaka locals will get the most from it, while listeners wanting a short news update may skip it.

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