Adventure Racing Endeavours
If you are looking for a sport that will challenge you on every level and demands expertise and endurance on the land and the water, then Adventure Racing is for you. Recently, Mr Guy Johnstone and a team of boys headed to the Hawkes Bay to compete in the North Island Secondary Schools Championships. Here is his report...
On April 6th a team of four consisting of Ben Stocker, Zach Medich, James Henderson and Cameron Swales competed in the NISS Adventure Racing championships. The team awoke to an unseasonably cold Hawkes Bay morning at 4.15am to make final preparations and fuel up before lining up against 30 teams for a 5.30 start. The 12 hour race consisted of 40 km of Mountain Biking and 30 km of running across some tough terrain on the Cape Kidnappers peninsula. Spread throughout the course were challenges involving kayaking, waka ama, orienteering, archery and problem solving. For the duration of the race the teams were required to navigate and make their own decisions about the best route selection and strategy. The team were relatively new to the sport but between them brought strong backgrounds in running, mountain biking and navigation skills. They functioned well as a unit and worked hard throughout the day to gain a creditable 6th position in the senior boys category. This was a pleasing result for a young team and a great platform to build on as we enter other races in the upcoming months. The team would like to thank Todd Stocker for his support for the event.