GODZone Rotorua: Mayor welcomes competitors to the city, including Richie McCaw
4 Mar, 2021 04:55 AM
4 minutes to read
GODZone Rotorua competitor Richie McCaw (left) with Race Director Adam Fairmaid. Photo / Supplied
Rotorua Daily Post
Rotorua s mayor has officially welcomed about 250 competitors taking part in the iconic GODZone Rotorua race, including former All Black Richie McCaw.
The gruelling eight-day 666 km long expedition adventure race gets underway at 9 am tomorrow from Rotorua s iconic Whakarewarewa Maori village.
Today s official GODZone Chapter 9 welcome and race briefing planned for the Rotorua Energy Event Centre (EEC) had to be cancelled due to Level 2 Covid restrictions.
Instead, teams received all their crucial information online before completing individual gear checks at the EEC within their team bubbles.
Press Release – 100 Percent Pure Racing
ROTORUA MAYOR OFFERS WARM WELCOME TO GODZONE AS COURSE REVEALED TO COMPETITORS
Key Quotes
“GODZone is all about adversity – knowing it, taking it on, and beating it,” said Rotorua Mayor Chadwick.
“My team has not spent that much time together, but we are all hugely competitive people, with Simone and Dougal both 2x Coast to Coast world champions. We are not just here to cruise along and are going out there to do the best we can,” says Richie McCaw.
Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick championed GODZone competitors and the race organisers this morning when she delivered an official event welcome to Rotorua via video messaging.
Three weeks before the race, Swannanoa vegetable grower Kiesanowski dropped an attachment hose full of water with a metal buckle on the end onto his right foot. He broke his fourth toe and also suffered a fracture to his fifth toe with surgery recommended straight away.
Iain McGregor/Stuff
Ryan Kiesanowski cools himself on the mountain run of the Coast to Coast. Coast to Coast veteran Kiesanowski, who has competed in 14 races across the longest day, two-day and teams events, opted to put surgery on hold to line up on the start line. His 2020 race didn t go well, having to withdraw on the mountain run after copping a stray branch to the head. Not featuring in this year’s longest day was never an option – even with a busted toe.