Overall six stage winners, Milla Phipps, centre, Keira Burborough-Murphy, left, and Ellora Sidwell. Photo / Sarah Lord
Overall six stage winners, Milla Phipps, centre, Keira Burborough-Murphy, left, and Ellora Sidwell. Photo / Sarah Lord
What started as a way to find mates to ride with has become a hotly contested sell-out women’s mountain biking event in Rotorua.
The 7th annual Mud Maidens Enduro was held in Whakarewarewa Forest last Sunday with 140 women from all over the North Island exploring the forest and findingout who can fly down the trails fastest.
The grassroots event is one of a growing number of regular events that make up Cyclezone Women’s Ride Month.
The enduro requires riders to complete a series of trails within a set time period.
Riders are timed only from the top to bottom of each downhill stage with untimed transitions between the stages using either pedal power, or shuttle.
Event Director Kylie Kennett said it was the perfect mix of fun and challenge, tailored for intermediate to advanced riders.
‘Whether you’re new to Enduro or a seasoned shredder, this is your chance to race, ride, and connect with an amazing community of women who love to ride just as much as you do.”
Riders can choose to enter a four-stage event made up of grade 3-4 trails or take on the challenge of the six-stage event which adds two extra grade 5 trails to the mix.
The event attracted riders from ages 11 to 59, with the largest age category being the “Mature Maidens”, women aged 40-49.
While some riders were vying for podium spots, others were using the event as an opportunity to challenge themselves to level-up their skills while surrounded by a crew of supportive women.
Chloe Bell at the Mud Maidens Enduro 2025. Photo / Sarah Lord
Ems Coull of Tauranga was competing for the third time and decided to tackle the six-stage event this year.
“The grade 5 trails were super techie, with opportunities to choose an “easier” line - a great step-up from the grade 4 trails, and both trails that I had only ridden once or twice prior to the event.
“It was super rewarding to reach the trail end, alive and only slightly battered,” Coull said.
Committee member Sarah Lord described the trail conditions on Sunday’s race as “all time” with the rain mostly holding off in the days leading up to the race leaving the trails in pretty good condition for the time of year.
She said it was exciting to see the talent coming through in the younger riders, with under-20s making up over a third of the competition and taking out the overall podium in both the four and six-stage events.
Sophie Bell, 11, said she entered because “it’s real fun and it’s just girls so there’s no pressure”.
The Tauranga rider took out second place overall in the four stage event, 30 seconds behind race leader, Brooke McCabe of Auckland.
Page Wright of Auckland took third place with a margin of just 0.3 seconds over fourth place.
Rotorua locals came out on top in the six-stage event, with Milla Phipps and Keira Burborough-Murphy taking first and second overall and Aucklander Ellora Sidwell rounding out the podium in third.
