Experienced mountainbikers David Drake (40), Andrew McLeod (52) and Blair Coupe (37), all of Wanaka, decided they were too old to chase multisport star 26-year-old youngster Dougal Allan around Lake Hawea but could still show him a thing or two.
So they decided to do two laps of the Contact Epic course on Saturday - beginning at 4am.
But with Drake and Coupe still gunning for a race and a 12-hour goal, McLeod had a confidence crisis and set off an hour earlier, at 3.10am, hoping for a decent head start.
It did not last long. Coupe stole a march on Drake after Drake got lost in the dark at the top of the Hunter River. Then they both overhauled McLeod.
But by Dingle Burn, Coupe was eating Drake's dust and the pair did not see each other again until the end.
"Hours six to nine were the hardest, just going up that never-ending valley . . . It is definitely a challenge.
"That was the hardest thing I have ever done. But it is good to push your limits.
"I got lost twice in the dark, seriously lost. Once at the Hunter River, I went left instead of right.
"Then back towards Green Bush, I got totally lost. I was bush-bashing and yelling out.
"Then I just walked back to the river and saw a marker. I was gone about 20 minutes," Drake said.
Drake "won" in about 12 hours 15 minutes, but spent just over 15 minutes resting.
Coupe was next in about 12hr 30min and McLeod finished about 16 hours after setting out.
Coupe was gracious in defeat.
"I am more than happy with that. I also got lost in the dark but he got more lost than I did, so that was good," he said.
McLeod particularly enjoyed a scones and tea break at Dingle Burn Station and was happy to finish.
Coupe said he would come back if it was a race. "But it was lonely. Catching up with the tail-end-charlies was good.
"A 12-hour conversation with yourself is a little bit boring."
Race organiser Danielle Nicholson said no decision would be made on a two-lap race until after a debriefing.
The trio had issues in the dark "and that is my big concern, finding your way".
"David Drake said he got a bit perplexed in places and he's a local Hawea lad who's ridden that track a number of times.
"So how someone from Auckland, who has never ridden it would go, I don't know," she said.
