Whangamata Adventure Race Underway Today

The Whangamata coastline is abuzz this morning with 77-adventure racing teams competing in the Bivouac Outdoors Whangamata Adventure Race.

Overcast conditions and a choppy two-meter coastal swell have made for a dynamic start for the teams who are competing in 6 hours and 12-hour racing categories.

17 teams in the 12-hour event started at 8 am this morning racing from the east coast town of Onemana. The weather conditions hampered the start with organisers having to cancel a coasteering section of the planned course.

“ With a two-meter swell we made the safety call to cancel both the coasteering and kayaking sections this morning,” says Bivouac Outdoors Whangamata Adventure Race Director Becks Law.

" The weather is improving all the time with overcast and sunny conditions now so the teams should be in for a fairly warm afternoon as they head through the native and pine forest trekking section."

The 12-hour and six-hour adventure racing course incudes rogaining, coastal and forest trekking and a mountain biking section that will see competitors finish at Whangamata main beach by the end of the day.
Law says there are some mystery activities included that will add some fun and slow competitors down at certain points.

“ Our first wave of competitors had to stop and fill a bucket of water using an ice-cream container that had holes in it during the rogaine and later in the day all the teams will be forced to eat a dry weetbix which could be challenging after a busy day out competing.”

Team Ataraxia are currently in the first position in the 12-hour race and are well out in front of second-placed team Rogue Four and the Kauri Coasters in third.

Bivouac Outdoors Whangamata Adventure Race is the second qualifying event in the new A1 NZ Adventure Racing series. Teams in the 12-hour racing category are carrying GPS Yellow Brick tracking devices and can be followed at the A1 Adventure Racing Series live tracking site.

To follow live tracking go to
http://purelivetracking.com/ar-races/tracking/?si=5634&id=whangamata17AR