KEY POINTS:
World champion adventure racers Richard Ussher and Nathan Fa'avae will team up for this weekend's Southern Traverse in Queenstown.
Ussher's partner Elina Rautila (Finland), who finished second in this year's Coast to Coast, and Christchurch's Luke Vaughan are the other members of their R and R Sport NZ team for the 24-hour race.
Ussher was in this year's winning Adventure Racing world championship team in Sweden while he and Fa'avae competed together to win last year's championship staged on the West Coast.
The Southern Traverse has changed its format this year from a five-day race to a 24-hour event based in the Queenstown region.
Event director Geoff Hunt said the course, which involves trekking, mountainbiking and kayaking, will be testing for the 20 teams competing.
"We have a combination of four and two-person teams, including mixed and men's teams, and there is a lot of experience in the field," Hunt said.
"But I think even those who have plenty of local knowledge will find there are some new twists to this course. There is a strong orienteering component which will separate the field in the first stage."
Most of the teams are from the South Island, but the event has also attracted two men's teams from Australia, a mixed team from Brazil and Canada and an Auckland-based teams.
The R and R Sport NZ team were obviously the favourites for the event.
- NZPA
