Grave Runners Journey to TSP with Samantha Cantle

For the first time, Grave Runners — a community-driven run crew — will represent New Zealand at The Speed Project. This unsanctioned ultra-relay, often lauded for its underground and unpredictable nature, covers roughly 550km from Santa Monica Pier to the Las Vegas Welcome Sign. Teams must map their own routes — traversing extreme terrains like Death Valley — while living out of an RV or support vehicles, which for Grave Runners includes an RV for much-needed rest and a Jeep to shuttle runners between exchanges. With no spectators, no official rules, and little more than a whispered start date near the end of March, TSP demands a level of endurance, adaptability, and creative problem-solving that perfectly aligns with Grave Runners’ can-do philosophy.

It's a monumental step for this Kiwi crew, whose grassroots date back to 2020 with the simple aim of getting the ‘dirtbags’ off the couch. They’ve since evolved into a force defined by grit and community spirit, now ready to tackle one of the toughest events on the global running calendar. Leading the charge is an internationally scattered team: Annabelle Raimes, Connor Adams, Nick Phipps, Samantha Cantle, Josh Harre, and Lorna Denholm, backed by a powerhouse support crew: Ursula Griffen, Billy Sheldon, Georgia Fazekas, and Coffee Supreme AU Marketing Manager, Ashleigh Pearce. The crew will also be accompanied by NZ-based creative and photographer, Kayle Lawson.

We're proud to support Grave Runners on this incredible journey, helping to keep them fueled every step of the way. With their extensive experience — from marathons and trail runs to community events — the crew is well-equipped for the challenges ahead. We caught up with Samantha Cantle, one of the Auckland-based crew leads, to discuss her preparation for the gruelling TSP and what it means to be part of this welcoming crew.

Q. Hey Sam, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? What do you get up to when you’re not out running?
A: Howdy hi; sure can. At the moment it feels like all I do is run (hello training season), but when I’m not I still like to keep very active; yoga & pilates, beach swims, the odd weekend hiking — all made better when doing it with friends, of course. Other than that I’m a wee bit of a workaholic, I run a dance school which keeps me on my toes (quite literally).

Q: How did you first start running with Grave Runners, and how long have you been part of the crew?
A: I first got involved with Grave Runners mid-2022 through a collab event-series, with a different fitness group I was working for at the time, and I’ve been running with them ever since. The series was called “community service” which was about creating a community of people training for the Auckland Marathon to involve more than just running (think mindfulness, connection, like-minded people), and from then on I knew I’d found the kind of people I wanted to run with.

Q: The Speed Project is known for being an intense race — can you share what kind of training routine you’ve been following to prepare for it?
A: Yeah, this training round has certainly been different from previous, to prepare for that looming intensity. A solid chunk of it has been trying to hit a high weekly mileage, but the weirdest part has been this focus on “training tired”. Because we’re running multiple times over 2-3 days, we need our bodies to be used to running on fatigued legs and tired minds, so I’ve been trying to incorporate that (safely!) into my training routine.

Q: On those tougher training days, what keeps you motivated to push through?
A: The fear of the race ahead! We’ve heard from people who have run TSP before that it's one of the hardest things they’ve ever done, so I definitely don’t want to find myself under-trained or under-prepared.

But equally, the support of our team doing TSP — we’ve regularly been checking in with each other via group chat or team calls, and the true excitement of the crew keeps me trucking along on those tough training days.

Q: What are you most excited about—and maybe a little nervous — when it comes to tackling TSP?
A: Mainly, I’m most pumped for that first meeting with the whole team in LA. We’re currently scattered across a few different countries, so TSP bringing us together is so exciting. In terms of during the race, I’m equally excited & nervous for the legs across Death Valley; such a unique experience, but also so unknown!

Q: What’s in your mug these days? Is there a special brew fueling your runs?
A: I have a Moccamaster at home, so I’m a lover of all Coffee Supreme’s single origins. I loved the Holiday Blend over summer, but now that’s wrapped, my current go-to is the Ethiopia Guji for my post-run fix.

Q: What’s one of your most memorable moments with Grave Runners so far?
A: A couple of years back we did this bootleg event, “Pharlap”. It was organised a day or two before; a simple long run out and back along Tamaki Drive, to connect those of us in our long run training. It was just one of those pure and simple for-the-love-of-it runs, and with a beer at Swashies afterwards, it was a pretty great day.

Q: What does it feel like to represent New Zealand on a global stage in such an iconic race?
A: I’m not sure I’ve fully grasped the whole “representing NZ” thing just yet; in my mind, it’s still this cool thing I am doing with my friends. But yeah, the fact that we are the first NZ dedicated team to run TSP is kind of wild. I think primarily, the privilege in having the opportunity to do such a prestigious event is not lost on me; it truly feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Q: Finally, once TSP is over, what’s the first thing you plan to do — celebrate, catch up on sleep, or dive straight into another run? Rumour has it there’s a pool party in Vegas?
A: Haha, that pool party sounds like a pretty great way to end a hectic run, on next to no sleep, can’t wait! But from Vegas, a couple of the girls and I are then jumping straight in another RV to do a wee roadie — hiking and running in a few national parks around California and Nevada. Really making the most of the training!

Grave Runners meet every second Wednesday at 6PM at Silo Park for a 6km ‘talking pace’ run. Keep up to date with them here.

Photography by Kayle Lawson.