Xterra Rotorua went down on Saturday, the event took me by surprise I’ve heard good things but can’t say I took the time to look into it too much. I was shocked at the size and how well put together the event was. From the seamless management of the event to the energy and atmosphere the event culture inspired in the athletes and spectators.
The run down: I turned up Friday night at the Distinction hotel which sounds like an odd place to pick up a race pack and it was but the set up was mint. There were a few exhibits of sponsored brands products in the foyer to have a look at them the signup room was well laid out with no queues despite there being 1000 odd entries into the event. Not sure if this was good management or lucky timing but it seemed to work regardless. The race pack was also one of the best I’ve come across.
The trail run: I competed in the off-road half marathon which is one of the many events Xterra ran at the blue lakes. The run started at 8am which worked out to be a good time with the temperature and how the day’s schedule was put together.
The Run started in a slow mass with all three distances (5,5km, 11km and 21km) groups pushing across the line. Then we broke onto the road with everyone getting carried away with their pace before the hype settled and people started to find a rhythm. The terrain was consistently challenging with a mixed bag of gravel road, paths and Mtb trails to run on. There were a few hills around to push everyone doing the longer distance. But not too many that the runners would riot about the difficulty although personally, I thought it was borderline. The scenery was incredible as it exposed the beautiful often overlooked green lake. After the course took us into the redwoods and around the shore of the green lake we wound back past the blue lake to enjoy the run through the finishing chute and take it all in.
The small road segment of the run at the start of the race pictured below:
The other events: The others races at the blue lake were a Mtb ride, a short and the premier long course off-road triathlon both with options to compete in teams. They were exciting events to watch despite losing sight of the Mtb course as they pedalled away from the event village set up on the shore of the blue lake. Everyone did have an awesome vantage point for the swim and a good chunk of the run. One of the highlights from the event was seeing the competitive men’s elite field in the long course triathlon come in from the ride and set off for the 11km run which consisted of 2 laps of the blue lake. The pace those top guys were running at was out of hand. The podium was heavily contested with big hitters, in the end, Sam Osborne came through with the win after an outstanding performance.
Results were:
Long course Pro divisions
Men
- Sam Osborne
- Hayden Wilde
- Kyle Smith
Women
- Jacqui Allen
- Hannah Wells
- Josie Wilcox
Summary: The event was executed super well with the day flowing from event to event seamlessly which would have taken some hard work conducting behind the scenes but they pulled it off. The supportive nature of the event put the wide range of athletes in a good state which made for an awesome atmosphere.
5 Reasons why you should line up the Xterra Rotorua event as well as the series next year
It’s something different – The event is challenging on a variety of levels with a mixed bag of off-road terrain and distances to push anyone
Beautiful location – The picturesque backdrop of the blue lake and the surrounds help to distract you from the physical pain that comes with exercising. But all in all, I think the blue lake would have to be right up there with the best lakes in NZ, I personally rate it beside the likes of Tekapo.
Community connection – It’s inspiring to be amongst a big bunch of motivated people, also these events tend to be super friendly. I think this is a result of everyone having a mutual goal of finishing and enjoying the event even with completely different race plans.
Health – The training leading up to the event will have a positive dent on your health and challenge you to extend your physical limits and further push your body.
Good vibes – The event is busy and fun. There’s an expo village to check out what new gear sponsors are showing, people share their stories from the race, the crowd is really supportive and there are spot prizes to top it off.
Photos sourced from Xterra.co.nz
AUTHOR
Alex Murray
Marketing - Torpedo7
