The race involved 15,000 metres worth of ups after downs, a journey which mirrors the emotional peaks and troughs the racers can experience. (For the troughs, try "sleepmonster" - more about that later).
Running, roller-blading uphill, puffing, trekking, fighting sleep, mountainbiking, puffing, abseiling, kayaking and puffing their way into fifth place were the Auckland-based team OrionHealth.com.
It took them 5 1/2 days to complete the race, of which only 10 hours were spent sleeping. Some holiday.
Captain Wayne Oxenham, Sonya Clark, Brent Edwards and Stuart Lynch are a relatively inexperienced unit in adventure racing. This was their second world event after finishing 11th in the South Island last year.
Adventure racing is a sport where New Zealanders are at the mountain top, including several who compete for overseas-based teams.
Kiwis such as Nelson's adventure-racing superstar Richard Ussher - the coast-to-coast champion who is in the top-ranked Nike team - are at the head of the sport.
But it's hardly a headliner here, nor a get-rich-quick scheme over there. The top team prize in this year's worlds was around $40,000.
By day, 34-year-old Wayne Oxenham is a health-software programme manager. By day and night, he's an adventure-racing junkie.
Here, he gives the Herald an insight into the mud and glory of his sport.
Your team has a squad system, just like the All Blacks.
Each competing team must be mixed sex. Most usually include one woman. We have a squad of eight competitors and put two teams into local races and then compete for positions for international events. One of the worst things is telling people they're not going to be part of a team. They understand, but you can hear the disappointment in their voices.
How do you train for something with so many diverse elements?
We go off on team missions every couple of weeks. An example ... one involved trekking up Mt Te Aroha four times carrying packs with weights - by weights I mean full water bottles, phone books ...
You come from Omokoroa near Tauranga, and every other squad member is also from small-town New Zealand. Any thoughts?
It's probably a coincidence ... but country life does arm you with a can-do attitude and a few more skills - jumping off cliffs into rivers, hunting, farming, maybe even navigation skills. You don't mind getting muddy. Apart from being four-wheel-drive territory, it doesn't sound very Ponsonby Rd ...
What's your sporting background?
Triathlon - and I did a lot of backpacking and trekking overseas. I first started in the coast-to-coast three years ago and came 19th. I had a few issues ... like the footplate on my bike fell off and I missed the first bunch. I cycled solo for 35km to catch them up which was foolish first-time bravado.
Your first big adventure race?
The Ecomotion in Brazil. The captain was sick and by day three he wasn't talking. Bit of a zombie, but all credit to his toughness. The navigator wasn't well either. Diarrhoea. I made a big navigating error missing a turnoff and we spent 12 hours in the wrong place carrying our bikes in mud.
Still, it didn't put you off. Even the sleepmonster doesn't put you off. Who is this monster?
It's an affectionate adventure-racing term for extreme tiredness, where you fight to keep your eyes open and to stay awake while your body is doing its damnedest to go to sleep. It feels like you're being invaded by a monster - sometimes he's too big to fight off. Usually it comes during repetitive exercises like kayaking, where it's very rhythmic. We fight it by singing to each other or together.
No lullabies then?
There is some really bad singing that goes on. Actually, it's yelling. Twice people have fallen asleep in rapids. Once, both the people in one boat fell asleep together. Pretty dangerous. We swapped the combinations. The worst situation is when people fall asleep while riding bikes down hills.
Doesn't sound too healthy. Let's move on ... what are the highs?
The adventure activities like abseiling, traversing rocks on ropes, white-water racing ... things that break up the longer mountain bike and trekking sections. The transitions are always great, where you get relief from the previous activity. Also getting to the finish line ... and the team joking and laughing.
The lows?
Sickness. When communication isn't working. When you get tired, the team dynamic doesn't always work, even in a happy team like ours. You get sensitive when you're knackered.
Spill the beans ...
No. We leave that sort of stuff on the race course.
Don't suppose you had much energy for wild parties after the world champs?
It's so rewarding, being part of a team, improving every race, to be competing with the best already and starting to beat them. There was a bit of celebrating but basically, we went to bed for two days. It can take a month, two months, to recover properly after a big race.
