The Epic traditionally sees riders take on a 125km circumnavigation of Lake Hāwea, navigating private backcountry farmland and river crossings, but inclement weather in the 48 hours leading up to the event led organisers to implement the ‘‘Plan B’’ route, a 107km out and back course along the Dingle Burn side of the lake.
Shaw completed the course in a time of 4hr 2min 27sec, beating Alexandra’s Eddie Adams by more than six minutes.
Speaking after the race, Shaw said, ‘‘overall, it was a really fun day on the bike.
‘‘There were some challenges with the weather but it was a really well put together event and the landscape is amazing, so it was really cool to have permission to go through there for an event like this.’’
The women’s event was won by Rotorua’s Ruby Ryan, who completed the 107km course in 4hr 39min 58sec.
Wānaka locals dominated the 80km ‘‘Classic’’ course, with Max Bagley winning the men’s event in just over three hours and less than one minute ahead of Lukas Shafer and Stephen Woodwark who finished second and third respectively.
Perhaps more importantly, the 17-year old Bagley beat his dad Ben by almost 25 minutes.
The women’s ‘‘Classic’’ was a battle of the Deep South, with Otatara’s Mount Aspiring College alumus Katie Lawrence winning in 3hr 46min 18sec, almost 35 minutes ahead of Hedgehope’s Mo Topham in second place.
The 2026 event marked the event’s comeback, but also the passing of the torch, with Wānaka’s Dougal Allan, a two-time winner of the Coast to Coast multisport event and a member of New Zealand’s victorious America’s Cup team in 2024, taking over as the event’s custodian after founders Danielle and Aaron Nicholson’s decision to step away.
‘‘Danielle and Aaron have built something pretty special over the years.
‘‘It was awesome to have them involved one last time and to honour the legacy they’ve created,’’ Allan said.
While the weather in the buildup to the event prompted a change of course, light winds and blue skies meant that the event was a success on the day.
‘‘To bring the event back after five years off, and see 466 riders on the start line, was incredibly rewarding.
‘‘The Dingle Burn is a special part of the course, and being able to showcase that in these conditions made for a really memorable day.
‘‘This feels like the start of something new, and we’re excited to build on this and continue growing the event while staying true to what makes it special,’’ Allan said.
