Ultimate Event Productions Ltd — a company associated with Sir John Davies’ company, Trojan Holdings, which also owns the Coast to Coast — has officially acquired the event, run since 2001 by Mr McWhirter’s Good Times Events.
Mr McWhirter had to go through an expression of interest process with Doc in 2021 due to an apparent new interpretation of the Mount Aspiring National Park management plan.
While he was given a one-year extension to run the 32km trail run last year, the event was cancelled due to Covid restrictions.
He said he was "thrilled" Ultimate Event had taken over the reins and was confident the company would "continue to build on the success of the event and take it to new heights".
The Classic, held on the Routeburn Track, is held every April — weather permitting — with entrants restricted to 350 annually, though under the new Doc concession, that could increase to 400.
This year’s Classic is scheduled to run on April 29.
Ultimate Event Productions director Noel Saxon said they were excited to add the Routeburn Classic to their events portfolio, and given associated company Ultimate Hikes had been running guided walks on the track for several years, it was a great symmetry.
