Gapes had realised when she was younger that she had a “natural talent” for running and wanted to make the most of it.
“My parents encouraged me and my three brothers to be active and competitive.”
Gapes said she would throw herself into any challenge alongside them.
“My older brothers were already competing at nationals when I was still too young to race, and the itch to line up myself was incredibly strong.”
Gapes joined Lake City Athletics Club at 12 years old and said growing up in Rotorua shaped her as a runner.
“Its trails and challenging terrain built my strength and love for the outdoors.”
She said the close-knit running community always supported and encouraged her, crediting her hometown coach, Jason Cameron.
“He always believed I had a future in the sport, and he was great at reining me in when I wanted to push too much too soon.
“It made running feel like something more than just myself.”
As a student athlete, Hannah (pictured centre #108) will complete a Business Management and Marketing degree next year.
She dominated the NZ secondary schools cross country and track scene with multiple national wins in 2021, which elevated her interest in exploring US universities.
Gapes said she spent a year researching colleges that would be the best fit.
She considered several factors before committing to NC State and described the culture there as “second to none”.
Gapes moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, at age 18 to pursue track and field.
“I knew I would be more than well looked after with the state-of-art facilities.”
Gapes has gained a significant number of accolades since starting at NC State in 2022.
She was a three-time All-American and two-time All Atlantic Coast Conference Academic with strong performances in Cross Country and Indoor Track.
“It’s really hard to sit back in this sport and recognise achievements because everything moves so fast and there’s always the next race or the next goal to chase.”
Gapes is now ranked New Zealand’s all-time ninth-fastest woman over 3000m, with her best time of 8:48.
She will race three more times – in Wisconsin, Kentucky and Virginia – this year in the lead-up to the US National Cross Country Championships in Missouri.
“I don’t often stop and think about it, but talking with people outside the sport gives me perspective and makes me appreciate how far I’ve come.”
Gapes will race three more times this year, in Wisconsin, Kentucky and Virginia, in the lead-up to the US National Cross Country champs in Missouri.
She returned to New Zealand in August and competed in the New Zealand Cross Country Championships.
Gapes won the 10km senior women’s race by two minutes and gained entry into the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, in January 2026.
Hannah’s mother, Nicola Gapes, said her daughter was a “very determined” young woman.
“We have seen her grow and mature into a lovely young person and seen how she has overcome challenges when they come her way.”
She said Hannah had gone to the US to do the best she could.
“She’s used her time at NC State to really develop as an athlete and make the most of every opportunity that comes her way.”
Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.