Described by athletes as one of the best events on the international circuit, Challenge Wanaka certainly isn’t the biggest but the terrain, remoteness and honesty of the course makes it one of the most memorable. The physical and mental challenges will push athletes to their limits but the enthusiasm and warm welcome of the local supporters is second to none with the resulting atmosphere getting even the most tired competitor across the line.

As an athlete it is essential you are prepared for this very special event. It is an ironman with an 'adventure edge' and there are several compulsory elements that you may not encounter at other events.

Racers Edge is the 'official bike sponsor' of Challenge Wanaka for 2010. So bring your bike into 103 Ardmore St to get it all sorted for your training and race day. We also stock blueseventy triathlon wetsuits so come in and get a proper fitting from one of our trained professionals. 

Pre Ski Season Training

With the ski season just around the corner it is imperative that you get your body ready to be forced into an unnatural position caused by a hard plastic ski boot and of course the technique required to get the most out of your ski equipment.

There are many muscles that you feel after the first few days on the hill, this can sometimes even make the following day somewhat unpleasant. However with a little bit of forward thinking and pre season ski fitness you can ski longer, harder, much more comfortably and even prevent injury.

One great way to get yourself fit for skiing is cycling, in particular road cycling builds your quads and hamstrings. There is minimal resistance on your legs (knees) to get fantastic muscle (VMO) growth and especially if you are using cleated cycle shoes you can set your bike up to ensure a well aligned leg rotation when pedalling. Good quad strength will give you much greater endurance (prevention of the burn) when skiing and keep the knee very stable preventing knee injuries.

There are Monday and Wednesday night group rides underway, which is a great way to meet new people and motivate you to make this training happen. Enquire today with Racers Edge Bike (03 ) 443 8855. If you don’t have a road bike but are interested in trying this type of training then book a rental road bike bike clicking here: www.racersedge.co.nz/book_here.html or enquire about some of the great Trek road bike specials on offer at the moment at Racers Edge Bike.

Racers Edge Bike staff place in top 10 of Hawea Epic.

It was a great day on Saturday 25th April 2009 in the Hawea Epic for Racers Edge Bike as four of the staff that entered the Epic and Classic series of the race all placed within the top 10 of their age categories.

David Drake took out 2nd place in open men with a time of 5.14 hours followed closely by Hamish Fraser who was 6th in open men with a time of 5.36hrs in the Epic series.

Lucy Fullerton was the first female home in the open women’s category of the Classic with a time of 6.23hrs and Em Wetherall was placed 9th in the open women’s Epic with a time of 8.47hrs.

Charles Cochrane and Neil Kerr of Racers Edge also particpated in the Epic series and finished with a time of 7.04hrs, whilst mechanic James De La Cruz was one of the official race mechanics that sorted out a number of bike break downs and repairs whilst riding around the course.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the race; they said it was an absolute gut buster with huge amounts of climbing and brutal on the body especially the section from the top of the Hunter River to Dingle Burn Station, but this won’t be enough to stop them re-entering next year.

Racers Edge were a gold sponsor for the contact epic mountain bike race held in Hawea on the 25th April 2009. The event consisted of over 680 athletes competing two gruelling races 1. The Contact Classic 95km starting from Kidds Bush and 2. The Conctact Epic 125 km starting and finishing at the Hawea pub.

Below: David Drake of Racers Edge crossing the Hunter River. David got 2nd in the 125km Epic series with a time of 5.14hrs.