The Wild Kiwi multisport event is on again at Whangarei Heads again this weekend after a two-year Covid hiatus
The Wild Kiwi multisport event is on again at Whangarei Heads again this weekend after a two-year Covid hiatus
First Covid cancellations, then Cyclone Gabrielle damage – it has been a turbulent few years for the Northpower Wild Kiwi.
Still, the off-road multisport event is back tomorrow at Whangārei’s Bream Head Scenic Reserve.
Abigail Monteith, from the Department of Conservation (DoC), said the Bream Head Scenic Reserve was damaged, mainly by wind and flooding after Cyclone Gabrielle.
DoC closed the tracks while it assessed the damage.
“It was able to be cleared relatively quickly once assessments were completed. While DoC cleared the track, we also worked with the Wild Kiwi event to ensure it was safe for the event,” Monteith said.
Mark Fordham, from event organisers Total Sport, said thanks to the DoC “it was looking as good as new out there.”
The event includes the Wild Kiwi and the shorter Mild Kiwi multisport races. They start with a kayak at Taurikura Bay. Next is the mountain bike leg, which takes place over four private farm properties.
The cyclone also caused slips on the farms, some of which have not been cleared in time.
“There is one section of the mountain bike course that will be removed. But it was the hardest section so I don’t think people will be too disappointed about that.”
The final leg, the run, predominantly goes through the Bream Head tracks, where trees fell during the cyclone.
Separate running events as part of the Wild Kiwi include a half marathon.
The Wild Kiwi multisport event, back on at Whangarei Heads on Saturday, is a real test for those taking part.
“While there are some very achievable shorter distances in the event, the Northpower Wild Kiwi is quite possibly New Zealand’s toughest half marathon and ranks highly on the trail event bucket list for many people,” Fordham said.
When Wild Kiwi last took place in 2021, there were 740 competitors. Total Sport was hoping to have more than 1000 competitors this year. However, the uncertainty caused by the cyclone has affected numbers.
It is still expected there will be over 600 competitors on race day across all the events.
Many Whangārei locals will tackle the grueling races, as well as a large number of Northpower employees from Wellington to Whangārei.
Fordham said there were limited grassroots multisport events in New Zealand and even fewer in Northland, which was why the Wild Kiwi was popular.
After the past few years of Covid disruptions, “people [are] starved of so many multisport events”.
It does not hurt that the backdrop for the event is “unbelievably breathtaking”.
Wild Kiwi is a cup-free event to protect the reserve, and competitors bring their own water bottle, reusable cup, or hydration pack.
Because of the risk of kauri dieback disease, contestants are also asked to ensure shoes, tyres and equipment are clean of dirt before beginning the race.
First held in 2016, the Wild Kiwi was cancelled in 2020 and 2022 because of Covid.
