21km
Our toughest event, but full of rewards!
21kms of ups and downs and twists and turns.
Get yourself on the start line.
The 2024 course has been nearly completely redesigned and makes the most of the new and improved Craters Mountain Bike Park.
For the hero’s and legends of the night. Now you hardy athletes get your own private start line in an undisclosed location just 200 metres from the Wairakei Resort. Take in some deep breaths, centre yourself (check that your headlamp works) then boom, off you go into the night with hundred of other adventurous souls that signed up for our biggest challenge.
Enjoy that gentle uphill for 1km before things start to get real, nah don’t worry its not too bad, we have avoided the steepest slopes ?? But there is a bit of up and down work in your event. So pace yourself so you can go the full distance.
Your event is nearly a full perimeter navigation of the entire Crater of the Moon bike park. After 8.5km of fun winding forest trail you reach the highest point of your event – (your own Everest) and well it would be stretching the truth to say it is all downhill from there… but the second half of your event should be easier than the first.
10km in sees you running through some cool geothermal grounds and then at around the 12km mark you say G’day mate to your 12km buddies. No panic though as both the 21km and 12km fields will be well spread out by now and there will be room on the trail to do your thing. From here you boost up to the Craters of the Moon Geothermal Board walk, zip around the 1.5km of boardwalk then yes now you truly are on the home straights with under 6km to go. You final leg is made up of a fun twisty gentle downhill, followed by the final uphill (where you wished you had maybe sneaked in more hill training), then thank goodness the last 2km is proper DOWNHILL! The DJ beats and search lights will pull you home like a moth to a flame, racing down the finish chute you go, all of your fans will cheer and you have well and truly deserved your Possum Half Marathon 2024 medal and either a cold beverage from the Wairakei Resort bar of home for a cup of tea and a lie down. Kapai to you we say!
Are you up for the challenge?
