Course records have been broken as top mountain bikers took on the Whaka100 Mountain Bike Marathon presented by CamelBak at the Whakarewarewa forest in Rotorua today.
Christchurch’s Tim Rush won with a time of 05:10:56 and Manawatu’s Josie Wilcox won with a time of 05:53:32, both breaking the 100km records. Tim Rush beat the course record by 11 minutes, while Josie Wilcox beat it by 19 minutes.
Rush said he felt amazing at the start.
“The first bit was really enjoyable, with nice flowing trails. I set a good pace, kept my rhythm, and just really enjoyed it.’
He said he ran out of water at the 70km mark but managed to stay ahead.
“I tried to make up time to get it home and be safe.”
Brad Jones came in second with a time of 05:17:02 and Sam Shaw came third with a time of 05:25:19.
Jones said he hadn’t ridden the Whaka100 in a few years but it was just as hard as he remembered it.
“I’ve been doing a lot of road biking. I thought that would help me a lot but I should’ve done more mountain biking.”
Wilcox was happy to come away with the win after being ahead throughout the race.
“It was a really hard day, it was so warm but it was heaps of fun. I loved it.”
Wilcox said she did a lot of training in preparation with a lot of back to back climbing and long days on the bike.
“I train really hard and it’s cool to see the hours paying off.”
Tanya Sharp came second with a time of 06:56:57, and Imi Blance came in third with a time of 07:05:04.
Event director Tim Farmer said he was happy with how the day went with spectators out enjoying the weather and festival feel.
“It was a great day and it was good to see the riders achieving their goals.”
The 100km endurance race on the world-class mountain bike trail network in the Whakarewarewa Forest is known as the toughest mountain bike marathon in the southern hemisphere.
Results
Male 100km top 5:
Tim Rush 05:10:56
Brad Jones 05:17:02
Sam Shaw 05:25:19
Callum Gordon 05:31:30
Maxwell Wickens 05:40:27
Female 100km top 5:
Josie Wilcox 05:53:32
Tanya Sharp 06:56:57
Imi Blance 07:05:04
Mary Gray 07:06:24
Liz Smith 07:18:34
Check out the results page here to see more https://whaka100.co.nz/results.html
Whaka100
The Whaka 100 is an iconic mountain-bike event deep in Rotorua’s famous Whakarewarewa Forest taking advantage of 160km of single track trail perfection – nowhere else in Australasia has an event like it. Featuring cross-country riding at its finest, this event gives competitors a chance to show off skill and endurance with a reputation as one of the toughest mountain bike marathons in the Southern Hemisphere. This 12th edition of the Whaka100 has a cash prize pool of over $5,100 along with $20,000 in giveaways, 237 sought-after podium medals and 1,000 finishers medals. A packed schedule of events serves up something for everyone with the Rotorua Isuzu Shootout Time Trial, 5.5km kids ride, 25km, 50km, 100km (relay, pairs, individual), King of the Mountain, plus live music, an expo and demo rides. Make the most of Labour Weekend with the Whaka 100 in Rotorua. Take in the sights, the sounds, the tracks and the tribe of mountain bikers and supporters that will descend on the city. https://whaka100.co.nz/ Free training programme available for download here.
