Another major multisport event is being added to a crowded Wanaka summer calendar.
The Godzone Adventure Race, which can take some teams of four more than six days to complete, will be held in and around Wanaka from February 27 to March 9 next year.
In a release to the Otago Daily Times yesterday, race director Warren Bates said the event would draw competitors from New Zealand and overseas and Wanaka provided the ''perfect platform'' for the expedition-length race.
''It's a destination that really promotes the outdoor lifestyle, has unbelievably good access to a whole host of adventurous activities and enjoys a thriving sporting community.''
Forty teams are able to compete in the Godzone and entries open on July 1.
The event was held in Kaikoura this year and was won for the third time by the Seagate team of Nathan Fa'avae, Stuart Lynch, Chris Forne and Sophie Hart in a time of 89hr 36min.
The all-Wanaka-based R&R Sport Torpedo 7 team of Richard Anderson, Jo Williams, Bob McLachlan and Simon Bowden was second.
The Godzone event will take place two weeks after the Coast to Coast race from Kumara beach on the West Coast to New Brighton Beach, Christchurch on February 13 and 14, and one week after the Challenge Wanaka triathlon, on February 22.
Earlier this week, organisers of a new two-day teams race called the Red Bull Defiance announced plans to run their event around Wanaka on October 24 and 25.
The Godzone event has the backing of Lake Wanaka Tourism.
General manager James Helmore said he expected local adventure racers would be excited about racing in their own backyard.
