A record 32 teams and over 130 participants entered the first event of the New Zealand Arrow International 24 Hour adventure race series. Held July 26th in Auckland, participants were in for an adventure which included special activities such as a 70m abseil, coasteering (traversing the coast line and where impassable swimming!) and archery. The secret course was finally released on the Friday night prior to the event beginning. Held very close to Auckland the theme of the course was an entire traverse of Auckland’s Waitakere ranges.

The Waitakere well known by many (or so they thought) offered many spectacular views while offering very challenging terrain. Beginning with a 20k kayak competitors raced from Mangere reserve to Huia Beach. Teams had to check in at the Mclachlan Memorial on Cornwallis Peninsula. This check point gave teams more than one option where to land on the peninsula. While not leading the kayak team “Green Decoys - Phil White, Anne Mortimer, Malcolm Hugh's and Mark Struthers” were first to reach Huia after landing their kayaks and taking a shorter but steeper route to the memorial before returning to their kayaks and continuing to Huia. “Team Icebug – Tim Wilkins. Phil Wood, Jill Westenra and Craig Stevens” were second with team “Sportzhub/Salomon New Zealand – Steve Knowles, Debbie chambers, Neil Gellatly and Marcelle Hagner only one minute back

For many leg two coasteering from Huia to Whatipu was their highlight. Participants faced 5k of coastal terrain, where many where forced to swim short distances numerous times. As though on cue seals where abundant and many teams reported close encounters with the smelly natives. Few Aucklanders would have believed there was a seal colonel only 40 minutes from Auckland. While the coasteering was not compulsory teams faced a hefty time penalty for taking the shorter road route. Teams Icebug, second off the kayak, chose the alternative route while team Green decoys and Sportzhub/Salomon NZ undertook the coasteering.

Not surprisingly team Icebug where first into Whatipu with a total time for 3 hour and 33 minutes, however this was excluding their 120-minute penalty for avoiding the coasteering. Team Sportzhub/Salomon NZ had gained 7 minutes on the Green Decoys to reach Whatipu in 4 hours and 27 minutes. First two-mixed team was “Team Darryl and Bridget – Darryl Taylor and Bridget Robert-Shaw in a time of 3 hours and 59 minutes excluding penalty. First relay team was the 12 person all girls team “Girls on Top” in a total time of 6 hours and 2 minutes, 17 minutes ahead for their closest rivals.

It was the third leg trekking form Whatipu to Muriwai that really push teams physically and mentally. Split with a 70m abseil managed by Cliffhanger in Auckland. Participants had to navigate through untracked bush to the abseil site just north of Piha. Set above Anawhata Stream one participant after completing the abseil was commented to say, “you have cured my fear of heights – thank you”. Relay teams had the option to split the tramp leg in to two. Without their 120 minute penalty Team Icebug had a 1 hour lead leaving Whatipu. This meant they had to make up an additional hour on Team Sportzhub/Salomon NZ during the tramp by either using the day light to move faster over the ground and or make less navigational errors in the day. Team Icebug reached Muriwai in 9 hours and 57 minutes while Team Sportzhub/Salomon NZ took 11 hours and 39 minutes. Icebug had made up an additional 47 minutes during the tramp.

At Whatipu team “A monkey and a tiger – Mike Gilbert and Jeremy Kuygelijn had been placed second equal with team Sportzhub/Salomon NZ however after falling during the coasteering leg, Jeremy was forced to retire with headaches and possible minor concussion. This injury may have been worse if it had not been for the insistences by race organisers that all participants coasteering wear bike helmets, buoyancy aids and carry through bags.

At Muriwai teams undertook their last special activity archery. Managed by Kevin Watson of Advanced Archery in Auckland many support crews and participants marveled at the latest archery technology on loaned from advanced archery. All participants where allowed two shots at the target where they would gain time bonuses for their accuracy. Out of a possible forty minutes Team Icebug scores 37 minutes while Sportzhub/Salomon NZ an almost perfect 39 minutes. After having lessons with Kevin prior to the race, team Green Decoys scored a perfect 40 minutes with 8 bulls eyes.

Race organiser Richard Anderson had warned participants about the difficult navigation during the final 50k bike leg in Woodhill forest. Many of the forestry tracks no longer exist while new roads had been formed. Without the aid of day light team Icebug begun the bike leg just 15 minutes behind Sportzhub/Salomon NZ. At the finish line (Parakai Aero Club) it was an anxious wait with Icebug finishing in a total time of (including penalty) 15 hours and 51 minutes. Team Sportzhub/Salomon NZ not only maintained their lead during the final bike leg but increased it to 54 minutes to win in a total time of 14 hours and 55 minutes. Third was team Green Decoys in 17 hours and 10 minutes followed by the first two man team “Rogain 9th August – Shaun Collins and Stu Lynch” in 20 hours and six minutes. Worth a note was the all girls relay team “Girls on top” who finished fifth over all in 20 hour sand 42 minutes.

In all, 27 of the 32 team finished the event. Showing the most endurance was team “Adventure Race Coromandel – Andy Reid, Keith Stephenson, Glenn Beatie and Peter Cullen who completed the course in 27 hours and 8 minutes. Looking a little saddle sore team Adventure Race Coromandel drove straight from the finish line to make the prize giving which was held at 12 noon at the Cardrona Speights Ale House on the Sunday of the event weekend. A big thank you to Arrow, Fairydown, JKK Kayaks, R and R Sport, Suunto, Salomon, Top Sports, Leppin, Radio Pacific, Natural FX, House of Travel Christchurch City, Alto2Lab and www.ventureout.co.nz

While the Arrow International 24 hour adventure race series is a winter series it would seem there are still plenty of willing and fit participants eager to shake the winter blues and enjoy the outdoors. The series now moves to Christchurch August 23-24, Wellington September 20-21 and finally Dunedin October 18-19.