CurraNZ athlete takes on 8 races in 8 weeks in European Ultra campaign

CurraNZ ambassador David Haunschmidt (pictured, above left) is a well-known ultramarathoner in New Zealand, with many titles and records to his name.

After tasting success in a brief 2023 European summer racing stint, this year he returned for two months of top-level racing, taking in eight races including the mighty UTMB World Series Final event in Chamonix, late August.

David, now back in New Zealand, reflects, "I spent a lot of time on amazing trails with great company - it's been a fantastic experience. The culture of running and adventure in the mountains is incredibly strong in Europe.

"Fields are very deep and the competition is fierce. There are so many huge events there, many of which often span several days with a festival vibe, TV coverage and livestreams, huge sponsorship, amazing meals and massages included. It’s definitely a fun place to be a trail-runner.

"I set myself a very tough schedule, which would definitely test my recovery.

"I decided to attack some of the biggest events between 35km-58km, in Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland.

"The balance of holiday time vs having enough training and rest before each race was a challenge at times.

"It was absolutely fantastic to have CurraNZ in my corner to help with recovery and allow me to be fresh for each start line.

"These NZ blackcurrrant super-supplements have been researched for recovery, muscle soreness, performance, fat adaptation and reducing GI distress in the heat. They were absolutely perfect for my trip.

"In the months leading up I had prepared for this kind of schedule in my training.

"But I was also bouncing back from a broken foot, which added to the challenge.

"I train in a fatigued state as a norm, and often use races for training, in preparation for my A and B goals.

"My final tester was racing Ultra-Trail Australia 50km in May, walking around Sydney for two days, working two shifts, then racing Bay of Islands 50km the following weekend. This gave me the confidence to know that I can push the limits of recovery-time and still perform reasonably well.

"My recovery felt good each week, especially as I was getting more sleep than I do at home when working on a shift roster. A regular sleep routine is definitely the number 1 tool for recovery and performance.

"However, It is very easy to delay the recovery by too much sightseeing and exploring on holiday. I was clocking up about 20,000 steps walking around the likes of Nice, Lyon, and Interlaken before or after races, which is in not something I would recommend for peak performance.

"But, as it is rare to get such a long stretch of holiday time in such amazing locations, I had to make the most of it, even if it did subtract from my races a bit.

David podiumed four times, winning the Swiss Alps 100, and placing second in both the Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail and Trail d’étoiles and third at Matterhorn Ultraks.

He says, Placing on the podium at these huge competitive races was an awesome feeling, despite not being 100%.

"Winning the Swiss Alps 50k was an incredible moment and one of my favourite areas and events ever.

"Not everything went to plan though. I unfortunately picked up a viral illness before the UTMB finals at OCC. I think spending time in hot pools and public saunas at the start of that week was probably the culprit. This is always a possibility, no matter what you do. Again, having the mindset of holiday and exploring definitely helped with this disappointment.

"I still had a brilliant experience in and around UTMB, despite it not being able to have my day. I supported the other Kiwis performing on the big stage, which was a lot of fun. I have nothing but gratitude to be able to travel around the world to run in some stunning locations and have these great experiences.

"I'm back to normal life in New Zealand with some busy shifts at work already.  I have taken away lots of lessons from this trip for future races and travel and am looking forward to the next adventure."

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