Mountain Designs GeoQuest NZ 48hr Adventure Race is the ultimate test of your physical and mental limits. There is no question, the race is tough and it is real adventure.

Your body will be totally exhausted, your brain will be begging you to stop and you’ll have had little or no sleep for 48 hours. Then if you are one of the lucky teams, you will crawl across the finish line. This is certainly not your average weekend!

Why do people do it then?

Because for the competitors who attain the ultimate prize of crossing the finish line, will come to them an elation and sense of achievement like nothing else. They will have taken their body and mind past anywhere it has been before. They will have shared incomparable experiences with their team mates and learnt about themselves. Ultimately they will have found that their limits are just an illusion…

Who

Teams of 2 or 4 enter in one of three categories, Premier (i.e. Mixed), All-Female, or All-Male. You must finish the race with the number of team members you start with. Teams have the option of racing ‘supported’ and bringing one additional person as support crew (this person is not racing) or racing or ‘un-supported’ and have the GeoQuest team handle logistics.

What

A non-stop 48 hour adventure race, including disciplines of trekking, mountain biking, and kayaking. You and your teammates stay together for the whole race – it isn’t a relay! There are two courses, the Full Course and the Geo-Half. The Full Course is the ultimate test for a team while the Geo-Half is approx half the distance but still allows teams the full 48 hours to reach the finish line. The Geo-Half is ideal for those who want to give adventure racing a try, but not commit to the full course. It is an event with an emphasis on teamwork, fitness and adventure. Check out the Wikipedia definition of Adventure Racing.

“Expect this to be tough – this event is only for those who can race and complete a hard core challenge. Race support will be given with water stations on the course but you will be expected to carry your own water and nutrition for long sections of the course!”

— Chris Dixon, Race Director

Where

Mountain Designs GeoQuest New Zealand is held in a new location each year. The second edition of the event will be held in Napier, New Zealand. Each year the general location will be announced before Early Bird entries end. The course itself will only be revealed to teams the day before the start of the race.