Event offers blood, sweat and tears

Warren Bates.
Warren Bates.
Take almost 300 people using eight disciplines to traverse 410km of wilderness in seven days and you have one of the world’s most technically challenging adventure races in the world.

Tomorrow teams of four will set out on the gruelling multi-disciplined Godzone race, which leaves from Queenstown Bay’s main beach at 7am.

Today the Otago Daily Times can exclusively reveal what lies ahead.

Godzone race director Warren Bates said there was no doubt blood, sweat and tears would be shed over the next week as competitors raced around Queenstown on a course which for the first time includes white-water rafting.

Teams have entered in either the GZ Pure category — in which teams, which must comprise at least one female, are unsupported — or the GZ Pursuit category, which has support crews at transition areas.

The GZ Pure course includes more than 12,000m of ascent, while the slightly shorter GZ Pursuit climbs about 10,000m.

Each team must stay within 100m of each other as they kayak, mountain bike, trek, raft and climb across the "very challenging" course, with a substantial amount of elevation over demanding terrain.

The sixth edition of the race will begin with an 8-12 hour prologue.

Ahead of the competitors lie challenges which include an abseil off the Skippers Canyon Bridge, a trek up Mt Crichton and the thrill of white-water rafting down the Shotover River. The event will test every competitor to the limit. There are cut-off limits on each stage so the onus is on teams to stay on track.

The final stage is a massive kayak leg, almost 50km, from Kingston to the finish line at Frankton Beach on Lake Wakatipu.The fastest teams could be there by Tuesday night, Bates said.

"They have seven days to complete the course with dark zones on some of the water sections that will slow teams down.

"But I expect those racing at the very front should complete [it] in just over 80 hours.

"It’s a remarkable course and a real adventurous journey of epic proportions."

The 2017 event was full within 30 minutes of entries opening and more than 70 teams will represent countries including the United Kingdom and South Africa.

Last year’s winning team, Yealands Family Wines, from Marlborough, led by Dan Moore, is returning and Bates said it would be hard to beat, but top-ranking United States team Adventure Medical Kits, led by Kyle Peters, would undoubtedly give the New Zealanders a run for their money.

"Last year, I think, AMK turned up a little overraced and a tad underprepared.

"It’s always hard coming to an overseas location to race for the first time and they will be better prepared this time around.

"They also know winning in New Zealand is the ultimate achievement in adventure racing and I’m sure they will arrive in Queenstown fully motivated to reach their potential."

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