Late last week, I made my annual pilgrimage to Westport to take part in the Old Ghost Ultra running event. It’s been running for nearly a decade now, and anyone who has ever participated will tell you it’s something special. As part of my tradition, I always stop by the Jack Lovelock memorial just before Reefton. For those unfamiliar, Lovelock was an Olympic gold medalist and world record holder in the 1500-metre event nearly a century ago. He was born in Crushington, a long-abandoned gold mining town, and to honor him, a small memorial stands by the highway closest to where his birthplace once was. Each year, I leave a pair of running shoes there – a small tribute to a man whose legacy in sport still resonates.
And that word, legacy, stayed with me as I drove home from the race, sore but content. It made me think about how something as simple as a grassroots initiative, like the Old Ghost Ultra, can spark lasting change within a community.
The Old Ghost Road itself is a story of persistence. Originally a proposed gold miner’s route, it was never completely built and over a century after it was conceived of, it was built under the steel-willed determination of a small group of individuals led by Phil Rossiter. Today it is a premier multi-day hiking and mountain biking trail. But beyond the track’s existence, something remarkable started happening. It began to shift the identity of the region.
Westport, like many small towns, has faced its share of economic challenges. Once a thriving hub of mining and industry, it has seen a population decline and a struggle to define its future. But when the trail was completed in 2016 and the Old Ghost Ultra was introduced, it slowly became more than just an event for hardcore endurance athletes. It became a symbol of what community effort could create.
At first, the race mostly attracted outsiders, elite trail runners and endurance enthusiasts travelling from around New Zealand and beyond. Local engagement was minimal. A handful of volunteers helped with logistics, but the event didn’t feel (at least to an outsider like myself) like a part of the town’s identity. That started to change when grassroots efforts took hold. Schools, community groups, and individuals who never considered themselves runners began getting involved, not just in cheering on the sidelines, but in actively taking part.
One of the most remarkable shifts has been among school-aged kids. I remember last year seeing an entire cadre of pre-teen coasters under the direction of Phil’s irrepressible daughter, Lily, actively involved at the event.
Suddenly, people who had never considered themselves athletes were hitting the trails. They weren’t necessarily running the full 85 kilometres, but they were out there, learning about endurance, setting goals, and experiencing the natural beauty of their own backyard in a way that many hadn’t before.
Beyond just the kids, more and more everyday locals started taking part. Some began with short sections of the track, running or walking parts of it just to be involved. Others signed up to volunteer or support aid stations. Some Westport families who had no prior connection to endurance sports found themselves cheering for neighbours and even signing up themselves.
One of the biggest barriers to events like the Old Ghost Ultra is the perception that they are only for elite athletes. When people hear “85 kilometers through the wilderness,” they assume it’s out of reach. But grassroots efforts challenge that thinking. They show that participation doesn’t have to mean racing at the front of the pack. It can mean running just a few kilometers, volunteering, or simply supporting the event.
The power of grassroots movements lies in their ability to break down these barriers. They make participation feel accessible, and they create a sense of ownership over the event within the community. And when that happens, the event stops being just an annual race and starts becoming a local tradition.
The impact of this shift is more than just physical fitness. It fosters pride and engagement in a town that has faced economic hardships. It encourages tourism, bringing in visitors who might not otherwise come to Westport. It strengthens community ties, families train together, kids encourage their parents to take part, and local businesses feel the benefits of increased foot traffic.
Perhaps most importantly, it leaves a lasting impression on younger generations. The kids who lace up their shoes today might be the ones leading future grassroots initiatives in Westport. They might be the next generation of race directors, volunteers, or even athletes taking on global challenges, much like Jack Lovelock did nearly a century ago.
As I reflect on my annual trip to the Old Ghost Ultra, I see that it’s no longer just a race for outsiders. It has become a symbol of what a community can achieve when it embraces something new. The trail itself was built through grassroots determination, and now the event is growing in the same way, through everyday people stepping up, getting involved, and reshaping what their town stands for.
Jack Lovelock’s legacy as a world-class athlete is preserved in a simple roadside memorial, but legacies don’t always need grand gestures to endure. Sometimes, they live on in the quiet determination of schoolkids running their first trail, in a local who never thought they could take on an ultra-marathon but signs up anyway, or in a community that finds new purpose in an unexpected place.
Grassroots initiatives, whether they’re about running, conservation, or rebuilding a town’s identity, have the power to create lasting change. The Old Ghost Ultra started as a race, but in Westport, it’s becoming something more, a movement, a tradition, and a reminder that change always starts with a few determined and visionary people willing to take the first step. Those who built the track and organise the race should be justifiably proud of the legacy they’ve created.
