Southern Traverse Athletes Converge On West Coast

Fri, 12 Nov 2004

Southern Traverse Athletes Converge On West Coast

November 12 2004: Endurance and adventure racing athletes from all over the world are converging on the West Coast in preparation for the start of the 2004 Southern Traverse.

The Southern Traverse is New Zealand's icon adventure race and starts at 9am on Monday November 15 by the clock tower in the township of Hokitika. The race finishes on Saturday November 22 at an undisclosed location.

Twenty six teams have entered, many of them international competitors, keen to experience wilderness racing at its best on New Zealand's infamous West Coast.

The principal sponsor for this year's race, which carries $40,000 in prize money, is the West Coast Development Trust. Many other long standing sponsors are involved and national and international media, including a number of television camera crews, will have a strong presence throughout the race.

The winning team wins $30,000 as well as entry into the Adventure Racing World Championship, which is also being held on the West Coast next year.

Director Geoff Hunt says the course will be under wraps until Sunday November 14 when it will be unveiled, in Hokitika, at an athlete's briefing meeting. "The course will definitely be challenging and the West Coast of the Southern Alps and its diverse territory is the attraction for many of the racers."

The Southern Traverse is a six day non-stop event for co-ed teams of four competing in a variety of disciplines. Navigation is a key component in the event and teams are provided with maps and instructions identifying checkpoints and transition areas throughout the course.

The race has an official Classic Course which teams have to complete by a cut off time or finish the event on a shortened alternate course.

The Southern Traverse has a race management team consisting of race directors, operation and logistics managers, and medical and media representatives.

"But it is the 60 or so volunteers who we really rely on to make the Southern Traverse a success," says Geoff. "Without them we could not run a race like this, providing safe conditions and back up for competitors, throughout all the stages. They play a huge role and have a major commitment to the event. This is evidenced by the numbers of our volunteers who return year after year."

The Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright will officially start the race in Hokitika on Monday (November 15).

For all the latest information on the race, progress reports on the teams, with hourly updates, visit www.southerntraverse.com. Also check out our web partner's site www.sleepmonsters.com

Southern Traverse is a premier international sports event management company operating elite events around the world, including the World Championship Adventure Race, the AR World Series and the Southern Traverse.

ENDS

© Scoop Media