Spring Challenge
World's Biggest Women's Adventure Race a Great Success
Spring Challenge / 10.10.2013
Another world record adventure race took part in New Zealand in the weekend with 918-women starting the Spring Challenge, confirming the events place as the biggest women’s adventure race in the world and quite possibly the highest participated adventure race on the planet. While the event had closed entries at 320-teams during the winter, 306-teams signed on at race registration in Arrowtown on Friday preluding the event.
The Spring Challenge is the product of 3-time World Adventure Racing Champion Nathan Fa’avae, regarded as one New Zealand’s most accomplished athletes in the sport. In 2007 Fa’avae had a belief that there would be a lot of women keen to try adventure racing but the team format of 3-males and 1-female was a deterrent for many. Not many people shared his vision but he held firm and organised the inaugural event. When 330-women entered the event was destined for success. The following year in Kaikoura it sold out at 600.
By 2009 the event management had risen to such a scale that his wife, Jodie Fa’avae, who had raced in the first two editions, hung up her race bib and took on the Event Directorship, leaving Nathan to focus on the Race Director role, safety and course design.
While the event has surged again in popularity, Jodie Fa’avae says the aims of the event remain the same. “Nathan started the Spring Challenge to create an opportunity for women to adventure race, to experience the benefits of being in a team, exercising for improved health and connecting with nature in wilderness settings. There is racing happening at the front of the fields but for many the Spring Challenge is more about the lifestyle, the wider impact it has on people’s lives over a bigger time period than the event weekend itself. We hear some amazing stories from women about how the Spring Challenge is a catalyst for change in their lives”.
The 2013 event course sat idle, soon to be discovered. By the time 6:00am rolled around 918 women were busy preparing themselves for the day ahead, rafting, hiking, mountain biking with the navigation element linking the course.
As daylight filtered through to the Gibbston Valley it was the Veteran 6 and 10-hour categories first away. Starting at Chard Farm Winery on a high terrace above the Kawarau River the teams had a 2km run to the riverbank to the 55-rafts lined up with awaiting guides. Due to recent snow melt and some rain the night before, the river was flowing at 230-cumecs, which translates to a ‘pumping’ flow for the grade-3 Dog Leg section.
The 9km section was fast flowing with the first rapid Smith Falls near the start, giving the teams a taste of big waves as they dropped down the falls. After passing the bungy bridge they went through the next rapid, Twin Bridges and soon after that the third piece of white water, Do Little Do Nothing. Then it was 4km of paddling through the gorge to the biggest rapid of the stage, the legendary Dog Leg, a two-stage rapid stretching 500-metres. The first stage known for huge powerful river waves. Ten safety kayakers were stationed at this point to help if needed, as rafting flips were potential.
In the first wave, 2-of the rafts fell victim to the rapid, but the guides and staff responded fast. The rafting was a popular highlight for most of the participants.
Exiting the rafts teams had a 7km trekking stage up the Gibbston River Trail to TA2, with 3-check points en route.
TA2 was situated at AJ Hacket Bungy site, which proved popular for the support crews who had a few hours to wait at the cafe for their teams. From TA2 teams climbed onto mountain bikes for varying bike stages, depending on whether they were 3, 6 or 10-hour teams. All the teams though started with a ride through the Rabbit Ridge Mountain Bike Resort. A mixture of farm trails and single track had teams weave their way through the park by a series of checkpoints, under the watchful eye of hundreds of wild rabbits.
All teams exited onto Coal Pit Road, here they split into their different routes. The 3-hour teams climbed a short distance then rode the Gibbston Back Road to Mount Rosa Winery and the finish line, but not before a short hiking stage to the top of a knoll where wine tasting was on offer. The 6-hour teams descended back to the main valley and rode the Waitiri Creek Loop in search for checkpoint 13. The bike stage then continued around Nevis Bluff to Victoria Flat and TA3. Next up was an honest climb and some concentrated navigation to summit Mount Mason, over looking the Gibbston Valley and offering views back over the entire course. The final part for the 6-hour teams was the descent to the valley and Mount Rosa Winery.
The 10-hour teams exited Rabbit Ridge and immediately the course escalated in difficulty plus the mountain biking and navigation became more technical. A 5km climb to Coal Pit Saddle took the teams up 600-metres in elevation. Once through the saddle there was a tricky descent on bikes to reach Doolans Creek. TA2A was a bike drop where the teams changed to hiking gear and set off on a rogaine. They had to reach 8 of the 10 controls placed, but if teams decided to get less they could opt for that, it meant they would be ranked below any teams that got more controls than they did. Once back on bikes they had a hard but easier ride to Coal Pit Saddle than their previous ascent. A long downhill and direct to TA3. Here they joined the 6-hour route over Mount Mason to finish.
3-Hour Race
In the 3-hour race, a new category was introduced for the 2013, school teams. The winning team was Team AJAX from Nelson, Abbey Franklin, Beatrice Fulton,Georgina Fulton. Abbey Franklin is the daughter of the Spring Challenge winningest entrant, Penny Sue Franklin who was won her division of the event 6-times from 7-starts. There was a section of the course, less than 1km long where the 3 and 10-hour events crossed, by coincidence, after nearly 9-hours of racing, Penny Sue happened to pass her daughter on this section, making it a real highlight for them both. Team Ajax completed the event in 2:58:12.
In the 3-hour open, Team MSG took first place in a time of 2:55:23, a few minutes clear of the 2nd place team. Team MSG included Meredith Rookes, Steph Grieve and Georgie Inglis.
The 3-hour veteran grade was won by Team Hayes, Lou McDowell, Tracey Geick, Alison Gerry in 3:16:58. They had a handy lead but the tight race was for second, with three teams all gunning for the line, Tri Tapu 3:35:47, edging out the Tough Tarts who took 3:35:50, just ahead of 4th team Jimm Tarts in 3:35:52.
6-Hour Race
The 6-hour open race was also close competition with a number of teams going under 6-hours. By the finish line the Wanaka based trio of Nikki Shaw, Caroline Dumas and Ailsa Rolinson won in 5:35:14. (Later that night, about 9:00pm, Ailsa joined the staff team and helped clear the course doing the final trek over Mount Mason for the second time that day). Next team home was The PC Three, Sarah Wright, Anna Maze, Fiona Vetcher in a time of 5:39:12. Team Rapid Thigh Movement Sarah Crawford, Sandi Dillon, Sally Yarwood in 5:41:57, third spot.
The veteran 6-hour division was won by Jill Lang, Janelle Schnell, Sharon Morrison, Team Smooth N Wrinkly, clocking 5:52:05. Second team home in 5:58:09 was 4 Blondes 'Where’s North?', Sarah Robinson, Annabel Burdon, Julie Brown. Third place was the Methven Whoop Whoops in 6:02:59, Michelle Clyne, Vanessa Kelk, Kim Turney.
10 Hour Race
The 10-hour Veteran competition was expected to contain some close racing with repeat winners entered. Nelson team Topzone won in 2012 and the team of Penny Sue Franklin, Jo Harris and Vicky Shelling were eager to repeat that result. They knew that they’d have some solid competition from other Nelson team, the Smoking Turtles Suzie LeCren, Jacqui Nathan and Leigh Champion. Another former winning team The Mint Chicks were back again too, Leigh Cockerill, Linda Craig and Julia Cree.
In the end it came down to the two Nelson teams engaged in a close fought competition, Team Topzone edging away to a comfy win in 10:57:22. The Smoking Turtles stopped the clock in 11:10:02, the Mint Chicks arriving 11:25:46. All teams commented on the course, admitting it was a tough course but they enjoyed the challenge of it and the adventure it provided.
The 10-hour open grade sees the top female athletes in teams moving through the course at high speeds. This year’s race featured three main contenders, all containing experienced and talented athletes. Perhaps the team to beat in many people’s eyes was R&R Sport with Sophie Hart and Fleur Pawsey, both Coast to Coast winners and accomplished adventure racers. They were joined by Susie Wood, a former elite level national cyclist and talented triathlete. Unfortunately Wood was recovering from illness and not at her typical high performance condition. Team Thule / Gu Energy also had a talented stacked team with Jess Simson, Jo Williams and Sia Svendsen.
While both these teams had the capacity to win, Nelson team Thermatech Thighs of Steel including Ingrid Richter, Lynley Coventry and Naomi Whitehead were eyeing up a podium placing.
The teams started at 9am, just after a rain shower had passed. The day started to brighten as the teams staged on the start line and by Go the sun was peaking between the parting clouds. However, The course was shortened by 3-check points due to the weather forecast picking snow flurries and cold winds in the high country later in the day.
First to the rafts was R&R Sport with Thule / Gu Energy closely after. These teams boarded the first raft and set off. Thermatech Team Captain, Lynley Coventry said that they managed to reach the second raft and set off in pursuit.
“Our goal for the race was to get in the top 3, but also to focus on racing our own race and not get distracted by what other teams where doing” Coventry said.
Thermatech shared their raft with a team of 18-year olds and 49-year old Coventry discovered one of the girls was doing the same course as her son at university, which created a few laughs.
Off the raft R&R Sport had a fast transition and were gone. Thule / GU Energy followed and Thermatech were next. On the next stage to TA2, they met R&R Sport who had overshot CP2.
Thule / GU Energy led out of TA2, R&R Sport in second. Soon into the Rabbit Ridge ride the teams came together but R&R Sport pulled ahead. By TA2A R&R Sport held the lead, with Thermatech in second, about 6-minutes behind.
On the rogaine stage Thermatech navigator, an accomplished orienteerer, Ingrid Richter, set to work and guided the team through the stage smoothly and efficiently, approximately 15-minutes quicker than R&R Sport. It appears R&R Sport took a slightly longer route and were also delayed when a control flag was tampered with (not by team Thermatech).
Thermatech started the final mountain bike with a narrow lead over R&R Sport but they knew they had to race hard to stay in front. They reached TA3 with a mere 5-minute buffer, quickly setting out on the final trekking stage. R&R Sport started the stage in hot pursuit but forgot their control card so had to return to TA3. By the time they departed TA3 they were 12-minutes back, an insurmountable gap to bridge with Thermatech sniffing the finish line and feeling strong.
Coventry says “We kept looking back expecting to see them, we were pushing hard the whole way, finally we could see the finish line and we knew then we had won the race, it was an amazing feeling the last part, the course was great, I love hills, I hope the race is in Queenstown again one day.”
Thermatech crossed the line in a lightening time of 8:42:27 to a well earned victory. On the day they were the team that completed the course in the fastest time. R&R Sport dipping under 9-hours also, while Hart and Pawsey looked incredibly fresh as they crossed the line sipping wine, Wood was the opposite, the evidence clear that she had pushed and persevered, enduring hardship to make it to the end, a testament to her tenacity.
Thule/Gu Energy claimed third in 10:15:42, they’d raced well but had some bike trouble and Svendsen commented the recent racing she had done in China meant she wasn’t fully recovered for a race as hard and fast as the Spring Challenge.
The closing word goes to Nathan Fa’avae “Overall the event was a great success, the main priority is getting everyone off the course safely, and while we had a few minor injuries and incidents, we’re very happy. The course was hard this year, the reality of staging an event in the mountains. While a lot of teams really struggled and felt the pinch on some of the mountain stages, I’m sure those people who didn’t enjoy the challenges at the time, are proud of what they accomplished now. It’s special to see how much of a positive impact the event has on so many women. Now it’s time to start the planning for the 2014 course, which will be hosted in Hokitika”.
For full results and more information see www.springchallenge.co.nz
Entries open April 1st for the 2014 event.
The Spring Challenge want to acknowledge the incredible support from the local land owners in the Gibbston Valley, and the efforts to support the event from the Department of Conservation.
Events Sponsors; GU, Patagonia ,Adventure Brands / Rocky Mountain Bikes, R and R Sport , Ems Power Cookies, O2B Healthy, Tineli, Thule, Ampro, Silva, Bridgedale, Platypus, Inov-8, AJ Hackett Bungy, Fertility Associates, Buff, The Helicopter Line, Decode, Mac Technology – Antichafe, Shotover Jet, Bean Bags and Beyond, Liminal, Barkers, Skyline, Proactive Physio, Chard Farm, Gibbson Winery, Mt Rosa Wines, Rabbit Ridge, Power Bread
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