As returning competitor Gage-Brown prepared his request to include an "old bastards" category for those 60 and over, organisers were making exciting changes to widen its appeal to participants at the other end of the spectrum.
The introduction of a novice category for five- or six-person teams opens the event up to less experienced athletes, as race director Marty Madsen explains.
"Creating an additional transition halfway through the mountain bike [sector] means you don't have to be a serious athlete to get involved.
"An extra transition in the kayak stage divides it into an upper section with the most rapids and a lower section suitable for less experienced kayakers."
Trident High School coach Helen Dobbin is enthusiastic about the novice category. "It's a struggle to get teams to enter at this time of year: seniors are getting ready for exams and the distances are too extreme for our junior students. With the stages now split it will be much easier to find Year 9 or 10 students [to participate]."
New Zealand's top multisport teams are enticed to Opotiki with a handsome $2000 prize purse for those who break the standing teams' records. Sonya Thompson's women's team record of 8:15:18 was set in 2008 and Ben Fouhy's men's team record of 6:21:00 has stood since 2001.
Committee member Rosalie Teddy would like to see the records challenged. "All we need are some top athletes and a medium river flow, and the records could well tumble.
"A rule change allows teams to split up the last multisport stage so the strongest runner and cyclist can tackle the final short legs, which could deliver a major time saving."
Meanwhile, Motu Challenge race manager Mike van der Boom is supportive of Gage-Brown's call for older age-group recognition.
"I think if you can complete one of NZ's toughest multisport races as an individual when you are over 60 then you deserve some recognition."
Gage-Brown played rugby into his 40s, picking up multisport in his 50s; approaching 60, he decided to tackle some of the bigger events "as a midlife crisis goal. I was over 100kg and multisport helped to get my body back in shape. I am doing some marathon training and that is going really well. I have even taken to sprint training on the track to improve my running style; according to my couch I run like a pterodactyl," he laughs.
Van der Boom believes the 'old bastards" category is just the beginning. "I can see the event adding an over 70s category before long, and then even an over 80s category. Our population is ageing and with good health. Someone like Coast-to-Coast champion Neil Jones will probably still be doing this in his 90s."
Adding to the intrigue, an epic battle is set to be played out between two-time winner and 40-something George Christison and his 17-year-old son, Shamus. Despite Shamus placing fourth in sister event the Motu 160 Cycle Challenge last year, Christison senior is backing himself, citing his competitive nature and deep experience: "It is a big ask for a young fellow to get everything right on his first attempt at a major [multisport] event."
Past Motu Challenge participants include Richard and Elina Ussher, Sam Manson and Sam Clark.
Already this year's line-up will see some top Kiwi talent in Opotiki on October 10, with Coast-to-Coast champions Neil Jones and George Christison returning, and young gun Hayden Wilde looking to add to his rapidly growing collection of titles.
