GODZone
Title Chasers at Godzone Adventure
Rob Howard / 24.02.2017
GODzone Adventure 2017 is about to start in Queenstown with ‘chapter 6’ of the race attracting an entry of 70 teams who will take on a 420km course, which is open for a little over 7 days.
That’s a huge entry for an expedition race and impressively the vast majority of racers are from New Zealand (86% of them). That a country with a small population can support such a big expedition race is proof positive of the unique place adventure racing holds in the kiwi sporting psyche. It is perhaps the only country where AR is truly regarded as a sport and has achieved any level of national recognition.
There is certainly a depth of talent, with the race attracting a host of experienced racers and many teams who are Godzone regulars from previous editions (sorry chapters!). There are some names on the start list with decades of experience too, and plenty of young guns coming up through schools competitions and other races.
All of which makes it a fascinating contest among the top teams – if you can figure out who the top teams are!
While the mighty Seagate were winning the first 4 titles that was easy, but for the first time ever there is no Seagate team this year. Several of their regulars and 2016 team members are here however, and if you track down where they are it helps to pick out some of the possible winners.
The defending title holders are Yealands Family Wines with Chris Forne, and this year they are joined by local multi-sport racer Simone Maier. A pre-race press release picked them as favourites but there is plenty of competition. Jo Williams, who was on the winning Seagate ARWC team in Australia last November is in Team Torpedo7 with Richard Anderson and navigator Greg Hamilton, and another racer with multi-sport pedigree Glen Currie.
Multi ARWC winner Stu Lynch is on Team Swordfox with another world champs winner in Brent Edwards, and they will be out for the win, while Isla Smith who won Raid in France with Seagate last year is on Team Sneaky Weasel Gang who have finished in the top 10.
That’s before taking account of teams like Tiki Tour who are local to Queenstown and were 3rd in Godzone 2015, or Team Rebel Foods with Hadyn Key, Richard Ussher, Karl Johnson and Lisa Bates. Or perhaps Bivouac Inov-8 who were 5th last time. The adventure racing riches are spread lavishly across the team list.
By this point in the article a few US racers may be getting a bit twitchy – we’re into paragraph 9 and no mention the top ARWS ranked team in the race, world #3 Team Adventure Medical Kits. Of course that is exactly how it will be in the pre-race chat and discussion in Queenstown – the many good home nation teams will be discussed before any mention of visitors, whatever their achievements. Visiting teams never win and kiwi pride won’t tolerate giving such an outlandish idea too much credence!
AMK travelled to Godzone to race last year, and finished 4th, and they are back aiming to do better this time out. They field the same team who were second in the last World Champs behind Seagate, and want to be world #1. Travelling to Godzone to win might be harder to achieve, but they’ve bravely taken on the challenge and will learn from their experience last year.
The chances are they will be the only visiting team in the top 10, such is the strength in depth of kiwi racing, but will they be with the leaders, and who might those lead teams be? We will find out over the next week of racing – this race is going to be a dot watchers dream.
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