Adventure race: Triple Peaks reduced to one peak due to safety concerns

Race director David Tait collapsed from exhaustion at his Hastings home on Thursday and is resting on medical advice. PHOTO/FILE

Triple Peaks will mutate to just one peak but athletes will have to conquer Te Mata Peak three times when the annual adventure race starts tomorrow morning because of safety concerns due to inclement weather.

The challenge organisers, who today were working against the clock to modify the standard Mt Erin, Mt Kahuranaki and Te Mata Peak course to a 3x16km loop one, understand and share the disappointment of more than 500 athletes but make no apologies for putting their health and safety first.

"The farmers will love it but as far as the race is concerned it's a nightmare," said Kiwi Adventure Trust operations manager Kevin Webb, as they braced themselves to work late into the night to re-plot the 47km run, walk or bike course of an event that starts at the Havelock North Domain village green and ends there.

"We'll go to whatever time we'll need to tonight," Webb, of Hastings, said.

The enormity of the task has already taken it's toll, with race director David Tait collapsing at his home yesterday afternoon.

Tait has been confined to his bed on medical advice.

"Basically he and I organise the Triple Peaks and Kevin helps so he's taken over now so we're a team," said wife Tanya Tait, who discovered the trust manager had collapsed soon after she picked up their son from school.

"The doctor's given him some medication and he's got some counselling and all the stuff that goes with it," she said, confirming he was burnt out.

The organisers had reached a decision to modify the course on Wednesday after the forecast of non-stop rain from 2am - peaking at 9.8mm to 10.9mm from 4am to 8am - to 8pm tomorrow, posing threats to river crossings along the route.

"You never can tell what they're going to do depending on how heavy it's going to be," he said.

The challenge had similar issues in 2006 and 2014, prompting similar plan B moves, when hypothermia also became an issue, although there's little danger of that due to the forecast tomorrow of a balmy 26C.

Aware some people were not familiar with crossing rivers, it was a safety call the organisers had to make early.

"At the end of the day there's no race if you cannot come back in one piece," he said.

"We're gutted ourselves for many who want to do the three peaks. It just means if you can't cross the river than you can't do three peaks, that's all."

The Te Mata traverse will start at 9am for athletes who are coming from as far north as Whangarei and as far south as Wellington.

Competitors will start at the village green at the domain, heading up to a valley (private property) on the side of Te Mata Peak on the way to the head of the summit before descending on the same route.

Mountain bikers also will follow the revamped circuit, avoiding rivers in what is billed as one of the most picturesque adventure races in the country.

Those who find the adventure race too gruelling are offered an alternative 12km fun run that allows friends to form teams to accomplish legs as part of a relay.

The event lures athletes as young as school pupils and has had several elderly entrants.

The mountainbikers start at 6.45am, the walkers at 7.15am and runners at 7:45am.

The organisers factored in the need to keep competitors close to town to keep a tab on them.

"We're working very hard to make it happen so everyone an enjoy a great day."

A transition area has been established near the Havelock North Primary School, where they are encouraging athletes and their support crews and fans to help build a humming atmosphere.

The organisers were hoping to enlighten competitors on details at a race briefing at 6.30pm today at the village green.

"Te Mata Peak is definitely on the steep side," said Webb, revealing Mt Erin is not so demanding although Mt Kahuranaki can be and has the added factor of isolation.

It entails the re-marking of tracks and embracing entire route changes, which require seeking permission from private land owners.

For Webb and his trust staff, that also meant having to work fulltime with schools on their routine courses outside the challenge.

"I've worked 12-hour days with all the re-negotiations with owners and the council as well. We were flat tack anyway so it's been crazy."

Aaron O'Keeffe, a solo competitor since 2009, backs the organisers 100 per cent in adopting safety stance.

"Given the opportunity I'd like to do the Triple Peaks as it is but I appreciate the safety of everybody from bib No 1 to the last person," says O'Keeffe, lauding lauding Tait's early call because some people may not be as confident as others in crossing rivers or withstanding potential hypothermia.

"It's not an indoor race. If it was we wouldn't be having this conversation," says the 46-year-old beer/wine packaging equipment company owner, stressing the forces of nature have no respect for anyone so it pays to be prepared for the unexpected.

The trust champions the significance of outdoor and adventure-based activities in the developing youngsters through holiday programmes, camps, youth at-risk initiatives, schools, the Flaxrock community climbing wall and such collaborative programmes regardless of their background or ability.