Gore to host SI schools adventure racing

High school adventure racing enthusiasts from around the mainland will descend on Dolamore Park, near Gore, this weekend.

The Southland Triathlon and Multisport Club is hosting the South Island secondary schools adventure racing championships in and around Dolamore Park on Saturday, March 16.

The event is usually held in Central Otago, but with the New Zealand championships being staged there in a couple of weeks’ time, it will head south with 20 teams from as far away as Nelson entered.

Southland Triathlon and Multisport Club president Ginge Burnett was pleased with the venue for the championships.

“We’ve got a good course based in Dolamore Park. It’s an awesome place to have it, it’s a beautiful, sheltered place with good, basic facilities,” he said.

“The course is going to be on the tracks, but the more experienced teams will be able to navigate through the bush.”

Burnett said the course had been created with a view to ensuring everyone had a good experience, balancing the aims of making it challenging with the need to make it achievable and safe.

The course will include abseiling, a water section, trekking and biking.

Burnett said adventure racing was a great pursuit for high school students, putting an emphasis on teamwork, resilience and respecting the natural environment.

“It’s a great team thing for kids to do together. We’ve also got them all camping the night before at Dolamore Park, which just adds that little bit extra.”

The championships start at 6am on Saturday, with the top teams expected to be through the course by mid-afternoon.