SEVEN X SEVEN

I bloody love races that aren’t the usual formula of either short course XC or straight DH. I think alternative formats fit better with us normal lot and encourage more people to have a go at competition in a more laid back manner. Take for instance last weekend’s third annual Seven Hours of Seven Mile race held in Queenstown by the QMTBC. Simple format for it: Either as solo or in teams you have to loop around a fun and unrelenting course in the Seven Mile trail network for seven hours. The course was 5.2 km long, with winning soloists completing around 80km of riding and ascending approximately 3200m in the seven hours. The weather was perfect, the trails were slathered in ego dirt and the vibe was laid back. Whether you are a mutant in peak physical fitness, a trail rider that loves a laugh and a beer, or have never ridden your bike in anger before then I hugely recommend this race. The above photo is of third place soloist and local leg tearing singletrack whippet Jim Hawkridge carving the course on saturday. For more results open this post.