Province praised for courage to host iconic adventure race

Marlborough became the capital of global expedition racing in December when the province hosted the 12th chapter of One New Zealand GODZONE.

The event brought 32 adventure racing teams of four - the same number as the inaugural race in 2012 – to Marlborough to experience an unforgettable eight days of non-stop adventure.

PURE ADVENTURE Charitable Trust, led by high-profile sporting representatives Richie McCaw, Rob Nichol and Adam Fairmaid, is behind the events’ reinstatement, with Rob Nichol saying their vision to showcase the best of New Zealand’s wilderness was achieved.

“Marlborough, as the host location, had the courage to back GODZONE returning and by partnering with us ensured the race’s delivery. We hope the event has repaid that investment by shining a light on Marlborough as an incredible destination to adventure through.

“We aspired to bring it back in an authentic way so that One NZ GODZONE continues to attract local and international racers to experience the unique beauty on offer here. It’s an expedition race of true global standing, and we think Chapter 12 delivered on that promise with a tough 600+km race full of epic stages, big country and dramatic weather thrown in for good measure.”

Competitors, support crews, volunteers, iwi, DOC, landowners and sponsors played a pivotal role in staging the race.

“Our strategic partners included the Marlborough District Council, local iwi, DOC and the New Zealand Community Trust, who were key enablers for the race returning as they understood our vision and the impact events like this have on the wider community,” said Nichol.

“Our commercial partners, led by One NZ, Sixt, Macpac, and Volkswagen, really stepped up and backed the race, and we are so fortunate to have such a great group of savvy stakeholders on this journey together with us. The race was also supported by a fantastic group of supplier partners who provided food, fuel and technical gear for race volunteers and officials.”

“The media interest was at an all-time high with excellent reportage that resonated with a broader audience,” says Nichol.

“Our online live tracking and event coverage website received 1.1 million page views over nine days, with 46k new users, an impressive following with this event resonating around the world.”

This year’s event attracted some of New Zealand’s greatest adventure racers, with world champions Chris Forne, Sophie Hart, Simone Maier and Sam Clark winning the Pure category in 6 days, 21 hours and 15 minutes.

“It was probably the toughest GODZONE ever, but I really enjoyed the course, seeing new places in this region,” said eleven-time GODZONE Champion Chris Forne from the Picton finish line.

Six-time GODZONE Champion Sophie Hart reiterated her team’s winning efforts, saying it was a challenging but achievable course. As a PURE ADVENTURE Trustee, she was also impressed with the number of younger teams competing.

“Looking around the Marlborough Event Centre at race registration, what was super cool was just how many younger people were there,” she said. “It was great to have that youth factor coming through, bringing new energy and helping to evolve the sport into the future.”