Eliminated Bachelorette Sets Her Heart on New Challenge

ELIMINATED BACHELORETTE SOPHIE RUSSO SETS HER HEART ON NEW CHALLENGE

She might have missed out on winning the Bachelor’s heart, but eliminated Bachelorette, Sophie Russo now has her heart set on New Zealand’s largest trail run on April 29 in Waitomo. Russo will take part in the 22km course of the Waitomo Trail Run, on the eve of her 27th birthday, alongside thousands of other running enthusiasts.

The event, only in its second year, is already the largest of its kind and takes participants through a unique karst-studded landscape featuring caves, native bush, farmland and canyons. The course takes runners across both DOC reserve and private land.

There is no doubt that running is Russo’s first love – she has talked about her passion for running on The Bachelor. Having competed in both the New York Marathon and China’s Great Wall Marathon, the Waitomo Trail Run will serve as part of training preparations for South Africa’s Big 5 Marathon, which she is competing in later in the year.

“Running always puts me in a good mood, I feel great during the run (mostly) and even better afterwards. I don’t take an iPod when I run and I mainly run outdoors with my chocolate lab Gus. I like to use the time to take in the scenery, plan my day and sometimes even just think about the delicious food that I will be rewarding myself with when I’m done”

A Waikato girl herself, Russo is based in Te Pahu, only 40 minutes drive from Waitomo “Living in the Waikato is the best because you can still get a taste of the city while having so many outdoor activities on offer. I’m always hearing about new bush walks to try and love discovering hidden swimming holes. Not having to deal with hours of traffic is awesome and I’m only a short drive from heaps of great fishing spots!"

Birthdays and Waitomo seem to be a theme. The Bachelorette celebrated her birthday a few years ago with an underground Black Water Rafting adventure – popular with visitors to Waitomo.

Russo will take part alongside some of New Zealand’s most experienced trail runners, and international elite with more than 3000 runners expected to participate.

The Waitomo Trail Run will be held on Saturday April 29th in Waitomo with distance options of 33km, 22km, 11km and 6km.

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