Weather conditions were in the minus degrees for the first leg in the final event of the 2002 Arrow 24 Hour Series. Up to 24 mixed and open teams battled the poor weather conditions to undertake what has been an annual event in Dunedin for the past six years. The Dunedin final will also decide who will be the eventual winner of the New Zealand 24 Hour Adventure Race Championship title.

With Dunedin nearby, the final event kicked off with a mountain bike ride which commenced at 12:01am, from the well-known central Otago pub at "Clarks Junction". "Old Dunstan Road" was the starting point for the cycle segment, and then veering off the road to follow 4wd tracks through the "Lammermoor" and "Lammerlaw Ranges". These ranges, which are situated east of Beaumont and north of Lawrence, are home to the sites of many old gold mining fields and extend to an altitude of 1158m. These ranges are extremely exposed to the harsh weather conditions that occur in these areas and competitors battled the cold and freezing temperatures by using all of their compulsory equipment to keep warm.

Relief for many was the sausage sizzle and shelter put on by officials approximately half way through the biking leg. Many participants used this small window of opportunity to change into dry apparel and to warm their cold limbs. Early leaders and contenders to win the 2 person open New Zealand 24 Hour Championship title was team "Nile and Ray", consisting of Neil Hope and Ray Burrows of Dunedin. They where also joined by team "Quadraplods", Quenton Johnson, Murray Thomas, Sally Fahey and Dan Dollimore.

If the cold weather was not enough of an obstacle, the grueling bike leg tested the competitors stamina when the 4wd road soon deteriorated into a peat bog. Many mountain bikes were soon barely able to ride due to both the gears and breaks failing. Teams were required to push, carry and use their feet as brakes to complete the leg. Unfortunately for team "Headless Chickens" Prue Pool and Linda Hope, navigation was their undoing. After battling the elements and cycling for over 14 hours Prue and Linda where unable to identify their whereabouts after taking a wrong turn in the Glenhu Forest. They both were forced to withdraw after contacting officials via their cell phone not far from the check point.

Early morning bought the first team to finish leg 1. This team "Neil and Ray" did completed the leg in a time of 8 hours and 50 minutes. Team "Quadraplods" came in 20 minutes after, with team " Cripples" Tony Dodds and Colin Brown of Christchurch following suit 20 minutes behind them.

Lake Mahinerangi rose to host the next leg with teams required to paddle its length. Fortunately this time the weather assisted teams with a tail wind pushing participants down the lake to the site of the second transition, at Lake Mahinerangi Power Station. Teams experienced minimal difficulty during the paddle and found the kayak to be a warm relief after their long bike ride through the night. From the lake, teams exchanged kayaking equipment for running shoes before racing off down the beautiful Government track.

Once again team Neil and Ray set the pace extending their lead to an hour and a quarter at the conclusion of the tramp leg. They completed this in 2 hours and 15 minutes. The Government Track is well marked and often enjoyed by day walkers and mountain bike enthusiasts' alike. Team "Speed", Trevor Voyce, Rachael Dixon, Jason Dixon and Gavin Bonner found a more interesting route choice. While walking the track after dark the team lost their way and were forced to bush bash back to the Waipori Falls Road before being collected by race organisers after they had exceeded the 24 hour limit which concludes the event. Un-phased by their navigational error, team Speed were eager to continue on however they were forced to withdraw the race by the organisers.

From the bottom of the Government Track, Neil and Ray were well on their way to finishing the event. After completing the final paddle down the Waipori and Taieri Rivers, Neil and Ray concluded the event at Taieri Mouth in a total time of 14 hours and 55 minutes. Second overall, and also winners of the 4 mixed New Zealand 24 Hour Championship title was team "Quadraplods" in a time of 15 hours and 44 minutes. Third form Christchurch was team "Cripples" in a total time of 16 hours and 22 minutes. In all, 19 of the original 24 teams completed the 150km course from the mountains to the sea.

That concludes the 24 hour events for 2002. Almost all 600 participants in total took part during the series. Already dates for the 2003 series have been set and plans to ensure the series improves in 2003 are underway. Next years series will likley see minor changes to race courses. Richard Anderson, the Race Director of the 24 Hour Series,states that 2003 courses will be at lower altitudes to avoid the serious weather conditions that have been experienced in the past. Events may become shorter to include more legs for relay teams during the event. We will see more midnight starts, as this seemed to be a good format requiring all teams to race throughout the night. This means that teams are not required to find accommodation on the Friday night, aswell as giving teams more time to freshen up before the Sundays prize giving. Richard also comments that in future, teams who compete in three events will receive the fourth event free of charge. This is a great incentive to encourage teams to compete for New Zealand titles and showoff the diversity of courses in each of the provinces where events are held. Next 24 Hour events are planned for:
Melbourne March 29-30