Southern Traverse
The Call of the Wild
Rob Howard/Media Release / 12.11.2004
The six day race starts by the clock tower in the township of Hokitika at 9am on November 15th, and the course closes on November 22nd. The combination of the world’s longest established expedition race (it’s now in it’s 14th year) and the challenge of the West Coast terrain has attracted widespread interest from around New Zealand and internationally.
There will be 26 teams racing, with athletes from, from the USA, Australia, Japan, Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Sweden and of course New Zealand. In classic expedition racing style they will compete non-stop 24 hours a day over 6 days to cover the 430 kms course.
This year the route offers a real mix of bush and rain forest, wild beaches and rivers, alpine passes and stunning scenery. Competitors will paddle, mountain bike, beach walk, trek and navigate their way through some of the most impenetrable and inspiring West Coast terrain. The first team is expected to cross the finish line of the Classic course on Friday 19th November and for those finding the full distance too much there is short course alternative later in the race.
They are racing for $40,000 in prize money, sponsored by the West Coast Development Trust, with the winners claiming $30,000 as well as free entry into the Adventure Racing World Championship, which is also being held on the West Coast next year. Whoever wins will have had the perfect preparation for the bid to be World Champions next year.
Director Geoff Hunt says the course will be under wraps until Sunday November 14th when it will be unveiled in Hokitika at the athlete\'s briefing meeting. \"The course will definitely be challenging and the West Coast of the Southern Alps and its diverse territory is the attraction for many of the racers.\"
“It is the 60 or so volunteers who we really rely on to make the Southern Traverse a success,\" he added. \"Without them we could not run a race like this, providing safe conditions and back up for competitors, throughout all the stages. They play a huge role and have a major commitment to the event. This is evidenced by the numbers of our volunteers who return year after year.\"
The Governor-General, Dame Silvia Cartwright, will officially start the race on Monday to set the teams on their way.
Susan McKenzie will be providing reports for SleepMonsters throughout the race and you can also follow the official coverage and race leaderboard on www.southerntraverse.com - just use the link top right.
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