Under 23 team show promise in Southern Traverse

The future of multisport and adventure racing in New Zealand has a significant potential following the podium placing by the under 23 team, One2Onemultisport.co.nz, in the Macpac 24 Hours of Southern Traverse on Saturday, finishing runner-up to the experienced and talented two man Aurum Survey Queenstown team.

The 24 Hour race was held in challenging conditions and terrain at the Head of Lake Wakatipu, starting at midnight on Friday night at the Greenstone, with a 14km trek to Lake Rere and Mt Bastard.

Director Geoff Hunt says it was a great first leg. "All the competitors enjoyed the night time run in clear, calm conditions under a full moon. Two teams were out of the bush and on to the 10km paddle from Greenstone to Kinloch by 6.00am."

Following the paddle up the coastline of Lake Wakatipu, in relatively smooth conditions, a 21km mountain bike stage took competitors from Kinloch to Paradise. The next stage, a 9km trek in Paradise Conservation Park alongside the Dart River, proved to be tough going.

"The leaders were slower than I anticipated and they all found this section a major navigational challenge. But they loved the different terrain and it was a place many people hadn't been before."

From this point the course headed back to the Dart River where competitors paddled across to gain access to an 11km trek on Sugarloaf.

"It was incredibly windy by this time but the temperature remained in the 20's, "says Hunt, "so it wasn't unpleasant racing, just a bit tougher coping with the wind."

A final paddle followed the Dart River for 7kms to finish at Paradise with a 2km run to the finish line.

Aurum Survey represented by New Zealand orienteering representative Bruce McLeod and top multisporter Phil Wood, as predicted, took out the open section in 19 hours 42 minutes.

"Their combined orienteering and multisport skills definitely made them the strongest team on paper and they lived up to expectations," says Hunt.

The One2onemultisport.co.nz team of Dougal Allan, Mike Walker, Mattie Graham and Emmah Ussher, who cut their teeth at the Classic Southern Traverse in Hanmer this year, finished second in the open section in 22 hours and 21 secs.

"They were chuffed to finish a Southern Traverse course and with the sort of talent they and the other Under 23 competitors are displaying New Zealand adventure racing is in good hands," says Hunt. " Onezone beat some other very experienced teams and these are the athletes who will carry on the tradition of the sport. At the World Adventure Racing Championships in Brazil in October the New Zealand team Orion Health.com not only won the event but seven out of the top twelve racers competing were Kiwis, numbers which speak for themselves."

Two other teams finished at Chinaman's Bluff after the howling norwest conditions got the better of them and three teams completed a short course.

The eight hour adventure challenge introduced for the first time this year began at the Greenstone with a rough paddle on Lake Wakatipu at 10.00am on Saturday.

"There were a few capsizes but the Wakatipu Coastguard did an excellent job getting everyone back in the race again," says Hunt.

The eight hour race involved paddling, trekking and biking and was won by Mike Kelly from Queenstown in 4hours 09 mins ahead of Aaron Scott of Christchurch in 4 hours 22mins.

 

 

 

For a sample of the pics available
http://www.southerntraverse.com/24/Gallery/gallery.asp

 

For Further Information Geoff Hunt 027 769 1957 or 03 441 8214

 

 

 

 

 

Results
Macpac 24hr southern traverse

1st Open Teams / 2 person
28 Aurum Survey Queenstown 19 hrs 42 mins
Bruce McLeod / Phil Wood

2nd Open Teams / 1st 4 person / 1st Under 23's 22hrs 00mins 21secs
43 One2onemultisport.co.nz
Matty Graham / Dougal Allan / Mike Walker / Emma Ussher

3rd equal - finish at Chinamans 23hrs 58mins
35 Placemakers Pacemakers Central Wanaka
Tim Pearson / Mike Johnston / Gordon Blythem / Denise Thorne

3rd equal -- finish at Chinamans 23hrs 58mins
37 Alexandra Motor Lodge Alexandra / Queenstown / Arrowtown
Malcolm McLeod / Hamish Robb / Micheal Wright / Jo Williams

 

Short course / paddle
Under 23 Teams
42 Dad's Army Alexander 17hrs 31mins
Kim Williamson / Nick Williamson / Lindsay Froggatt / Ben Necklen

Short course / bike 19hrs 10 mins
38 South Canterbury Adventure Racing Club Timaru
Steve Earnshaw / Bill Taine / Mark Cvitanich / Nicola Howes

Short course / bike 19hrs o8 mins
36 The Probes Akld / Nelson / Chch / Ohoka
Chris Denny / Dave Taylor / Brandon Wilson / Robyn Dunmore

 

 

Macpac 8hr adventure challenge Results

Individual
1st Mike Kelly 4:09
2nd Aaron Scott 4:22
3rd Brent Herdson 08:00 4:37

Team
1st Open / 1st Mixed
1st Mxd Team Marika & Eamon 5:36

2nd Open
22 Simple Arrows 6:04

3rd Open / 1st Womens
21 Ladies in Arrow 7:27

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Southern Traverse Ltd. is a premier international Sport Event Management company. Southern Traverse Ltd. operates and manages elite events around the world, including the Adventure Racing World Championship, the AR World Series and New Zealand's icon adventure race, the Macpac Southern Traverse.

Other New Zealand events include The North Face Peak to Peak, TrustPower Adventure Quest, the Macpac 24hrs of Southern Traverse and 8 hour Adventure Challenge, and the Fresh Choice Womens Triathlon.

The Adventure Racing World Series is an international circuit of premiere adventure races representing 11 countries creating a 12-month calendar of professional events around the world and acting as qualifiers for the Adventure Race World Championship to be held in Brazil in 2008.
sleepmonsters.com is the official ARWorld Series web site
Casio Protrek are the official watches of the ARWorld Series