Whangamatā multisport adventure attracts close to 400 competitors

The Whangamatā Adventure Race involves a number of sporting disciplines including running and mountain biking.

Close to 400 people were running, walking, mountain biking and orienteering in a multisport challenge across Whangamatā on the weekend.

Competitors tackled three and six-hour races in teams of two, three or four on foot and mountain bikes across unfamiliar terrain, using maps to guide them to checkpoints during the Whangamatā Adventure Race on Saturday.

Race director Rod Thompson said 393 competitors, about 30 volunteers and “quite a few spectators” turned out for the event, a similar turnout to the 2023 event.

“We had a fantastic day, with good weather and a great bunch of competitors who gave it their all; the tracks and trails were steep and muddy in places, but they weren’t deterred and enjoyed the challenges of the course.”

This year’s event started in the Tairua Forest, about 3.5 kilometres from the main road with competitors using an area near the Luck at Last Mine.

Land Search and Rescue members assisted with communication and safety in the forest and bush areas.

“Land Search and Rescue help us to run the event on the day, they set up a radio communication system and have teams placed at various points on the course to check that teams are all accounted for and safe.

“Fortunately, we had no serious injuries requiring rescue.”

The race covers the wider Whangamatā area and surrounds.

There was also a team of local volunteers who helped with running the event, such as the scoring team who marked the teams’ scorecards and entered results into a database.

In the three-hour event Claudia and Vaughn Woods had the highest score on 500 points.

A highlight of the three-hour challenge was the large number of family teams, 27 in total, Thompson said.

In the six-hour event, Duncan Morrison and Nathan Carr cleared the whole course, collecting all 1160 points.

The best student team, Tai Pullen and Zac Raine, collected 1020 points, an excellent effort, Thompson said.

Competitors were required to read maps, use a compass, and be fit enough to ride and run or walk for three or six hours over tricky terrain, such as hills, forestry roads, bush trails, rivers and streams.

The event has been running for more than 10 years, it started as a means for the Bivouac Colts Adventure Racing Team to raise funds for overseas competitions.

Whangamatā local Ryan Thompson came up with the idea and designed several courses around the bush, beaches and rivers surrounding the town.

“It is a beautiful area, and people keep coming back year after year to take part,” Thompson said.