Redbull Defiance

Source: Redbull Content Pool

Mother nature is not to be trifled with. She can throw some pretty gnarly things at you, and in a land as raw and pristine as New Zealand the extreme becomes the norm. Enter the Redbull Defiance, a twist on the traditional triathlon, a two person team, two day adventure race which combines trail running, kayaking, endurance mountain biking, and “the creative element of undisclosed special stages.”

Defiance, by definition is the presentation of challenge, but at the same time a means to overcome challenge. The course, created by multisport endurance phenom and Kiwi, Braden Currie is designed to do just that, challenge as well as push athletes to overcome by racing through and over some of the most beautiful scenery the South Island of New Zealand has to offer. Situated in the Wanaka region and focusing on and around Lake Wanaka the 2017 course consisted of a 71 KM enduro mountain bike, 39 KM trail run, 40 KM kayak, 60 M abseil, all of which combined measure out at 5238 M of vertical.

Day one:

Stage one: Bike

Source: Redbull Defiance

Distance: 43 km
Altitude Gain: 1200 m
Terrain: Well formed 4WD/rough farm tracks/potentially muddy/river crossings
Expected Fastest time: 2hr 20 min

Stage two: Run

Source: Redbull Defiance

Distance: 11 km
Altitude Gain: 490m
Terrain: Steep technical climb/fully formed trail/abseil
Expected Fastest time: 1hr 15min

Special Stage: Abseil

The special stage for day one is a abseil descent of rocky outcrops into the native bush of Diamond Lake. All abseil equipment is provided and instruction from professionals is provided to aid the completion of this stage. Timing for this portion is halted and athletes will have no more than 5 minutes to prepare for the abseil with the equipment provided. Timing resumes as athletes begin their abseil down the rock face.

Stage four: Kayak

Source: Redbull Defiance

Distance: 20 km
Terrain: River/Lake
Expected Fastest time: 1 hr 45min

Day Two:

Stage Four: Kayak

Source: Redbull Defiance

Distance: 20 km
Altitude Gain: 0 m
Terrain: Lake/river/rapid/fast flow
Expected Fastest time: 1 hr 30mins

Stage Five: Bike

Source: Redbull Defiance

Distance: 28 km
Altitude Gain: 1278 m
Terrain: 4WD track/single track/rough terrain
Expected fastest time: 2hrs

Special Stage: Clay Pigeon Shoot

Both team members get 1 shot each. If a shot is made then the team is free to start the next stage of the event, if both shots miss, teams will be forced to take a two minute penalty before starting the next stage of the race.

Stage Six: Run

Source: Redbull Defiance

Distance: 28 km
Altitude Gain: 1848 m
Terrain: Farm tracks/markers/exposed alpine route/rocks/shingle
Expected fastest time: 3 hrs 15min

Details of Redbull Defiance 2018 have yet to be announced, but with a overwhelmingly positive reaction from the endurance racing community we’re sure that course info and registration for the coming year will be available soon, likely to be held in January of 2018. As Jess Simson, Women’s One Day Coast to Coast Champion 2014, and all around badass, says, “If there is any multisport race to do in the world right now, Red Bull Defiance is it!”

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Official Website: https://www.redbulldefiance.co.nz/

To learn more about GorillaSafe please visit: GoGorillaSafe.com

The Arctic Triple

An ultra endurance event is one of the most challenging and rewarding events you can experience. There is little else which will completely test you physically and often much more challengingly, mentally. Many outside of the ultra endurance community wonder why people would voluntarily punish their bodies to such an extent. One of the greatest joys of an ultra event is that they allow individuals to explore and experience an area or culture in a way that isn’t possible any other way. You become intimately familiar with a place after running 100 miles of it. You see things and locations that you can’t reach by car. You interact with people you otherwise wouldn’t ever meet.

As locations go there are few places less explored and visited than The Arctic. Enter The Arctic Triple. The Arctic Triple is a series of three races held in the Lofoten archipelago of Norway. Located 68°20′N 14°40′E Lofoten is deep in the Arctic circle however it enjoys relatively warm temperatures due to its high altitude and Gulf Stream air currents which bring warm air to the region, making for the highest relative temperature anomaly in the world. It is also one of three locations which is both furthest North and has year round average temperatures above freezing. There is no better place for endurance racing in The Arctic, featuring stunning natural scenery including dramatic mountains rising from the wild Norwegian Sea, sheltered bays, pristine grasslands and untouched beaches.

Lofoten, Norway. Source: lofoten.info

Completing the Arctic Triple means successfully completing three events, the Skimo, the Ultra-Trail, the Triathlon within one year. Each event may also be participated in as a standalone event. The Skimo is a ski mountaineering (snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and running) race offering one extreme 4000+ meters and one normal distance taking place during March 16th through March 19th 2017. The Lofoten Ultra-Trail® is a trail running event with distances of 100 miles, 50 miles and 24 KM. All three routes feature near entire ocean views through and travlel through mountains, beaches, green hills. The Ultra-Trail is run June 1st through June 4th. The Arctic Triple Lofoten Triathlon is offered at two distances, Extreme and Olympic +. Lofoten Triathlon is a unique race due to it’s stunning surroundings and transition zone in the heart of Svolvær city. Held August 17th through August 20th.

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With participants labeling the events as “insane” due to course and weather conditions, any one of these races will prove to be a huge challenge, however completing the entirety of the Arctic Triple would be a truly impressive and rewarding experience. As the even organizers put it, “It will be hard. It will be tough. It will be amazing.”

Registration is now open, are you up to the challenge?

Event website: thearctictriple.no

More information on Lofonten: lofoten.info