The annual Motatapu is set to take place next Saturday with a variety of running and biking trails catering to a range of interests and age groups.
With about 3000 athletes from all over New Zealand and Australia registered across five events, Motatapu director Gemma Peskett is expecting a full and exciting day.
The events include their popular 52km Ultra Run and 47km Mondraker Bike track, both of which begin in Glendhu Bay and finish near Arrowtown.
There are also shorter trails such as the 15km Miners Trail and the 4km Junior Trail.
Ms Peskett, who has been involved since the first race in 2005, said the event had grown to include more than one trail, which is what it started with at the time.
"We now have quite a few different options ... we run the walking track and then we’ve got the Arrow Town 15k and some of the kids run as well"
She also observed that 20 years ago, the bike trail was more popular than the running tracks, something that was no longer true today.
"Our running numbers are very strong ... I just think trail running is a bit of a trend at the moment and it’s probably a lot easier to get into running like get a good pair of shoes and you’re away."
Although there are more runners than cyclists this year, Ms Peskett said they had a few under-19 cyclists who are the ones to watch in this year’s race.
One notable young cyclist is Levi Gear, of Ōrewa, a member of the NZ Cycling Project team with an international third place win as the Copa de Espana Ciudad del Ciclismo UCI race in Spain.
Levi is also one of few young cyclists who did the track last year, making him a strong contender.
"He’ll have a bit of inside knowledge compared to the other ones because you can’t access the course any other time," Ms Peskett said.
The event is set to take place on March 1 with the Ultra Run being the first one, starting at 6am at Glendhu Bay.
— APL
