Record Entries For NZ’s No. 1 Mtb Race

Michael Jaques / 12.01.2006

New Zealand’s premier mountain bike race, Wellington’s Karapoti Classic, has sold out in record time.

For 20 years Wellington’s Karapoti Classic has been the race that every mountain bikers aspires to. Established in 1986, the rugged 50k epic around Upper Hutt’s Akatarawa Forest is the longest running mountain bike race in the Southern Hemisphere.

The combination of an unforgiving challenge, amazing scenery and tradition attracts riders from all over the world and the 1000-rider limited is always oversubscribed. Last year Karapoti received a record 1536 entries for the 20th anniversary event. But this year looks likely to surpass that again.

Scheduled for Saturday February 18, the 2006 Giant Bicycles Karapoti Classic celebrates the 21st birthday of New Zealand’s best-known mountain bike event. With six weeks until race day the traditional 1000-rider limit is already sold out and race manager Michael Jacques expects close to 2000 entries in total.

“We’d love to let them all of them race,” he says. “But Karapoti is a tough challenge in a remote environment and we simply can’t cope with much more than 1000 riders.”

Jacques says the record level of interest is something that endurance events right across the country are experiencing. “Karapoti has always had a big reputation,” he says. “But this increased level of interest is being felt right across all endurance sports.

“Right now New Zealand is in the grips of a mini-boom in sports like mountain biking, road cycling, multisport and triathlon. It started last summer, with several big events experiencing substantial growth. Now it’s spread right across almost every event.”

Jacques puts it down to a combination of factors. “It’s partly to do with the inspiration provided by New Zealand’s elite successes in sports like triathlon, mountain running and cycling. But mostly I think it’s a new generation of people discovering that there’s satisfaction in challenging themselves to accomplish things they might not otherwise experience.”

Attracting competitors from nine countries, the Karapoti Classic has once again attracted a world-class field. Defending champions Tim Vincent (Nelson) and Rosara Joseph (Wgtn) are returning along with Australia’s 2004 winning pair Peter Hatton and Lisa Mathison. However, perennial runners up Tim Bennett (Aus), Sonia Foote (Roto) and Upper Hutt’s own Wayne Hiscock will be looking to step up to the top of the podium.