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Well established on the multisport calendar, the Rodney Coast Challenge has been going for around 28 years.
The race can be done as an individual or a team, and consists of four stages – a 10km run through Woodhill Forest, 30km cycle from Rimmers Road Helensville to Makarau (Scout Hut), a 25km gravel road mountain bike to Puhoi and 8km paddle down the Puhoi River to the finish at Wenderholm.
The 2022 event will be the first to offer an electric bike category, which event promoter Rob Howarth says was in response to demand.
“The race is aimed at all walks of life and is considered a good fitness challenge,” he says. It was suggested to me that some e-bike riders might be keen to participate – for example, if they don’t have the legs to ride a regular bike, particularly up some of the steep hills. And we thought – why the heck not!”
The new category is open to individuals, teams and tandem teams, enabling e-bikes to be used on the road or mountain bike sections.
Rob says it’s too soon to tell what the take-up of the new category may be.
“It might capture the imagination of some, and bring in more participation whereas others might see it as a cop-out,” he says. “Some cyclists might wish they were on an e-bike themselves going up some of the hills! Even if we only get a few e-bike entries, it’s a start.”
The Rodney Coast Challenge is the biggest annual fundraiser for the Kaukapakapa Scouts and, having been cancelled because of Covid-19 last year, organisers are hoping for a boom in entries this year.
The event will be held on November 13. Rob’s company, Future Proof Life, is the lead sponsor. Entries opened last month: www.rcc.org.nz/details
