Adventure Racing World Champs On NZ's West Coast

Media Release
Queenstown, New Zealand

REGISTRATIONS OPEN FOR 2005 ADVENTURE RACING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ON NEW ZEALAND'S WEST COAST

1 February 2005: Registrations are now open for the 2005 Adventure Racing World Championship which is being staged on New Zealand's West Coast of the Southern Alps in November.

The Queenstown based sports event management company, Southern Traverse, has secured the rights to run the world championship on November 11-19 with the West Coast Development Trust as principal sponsor.

The championship has a prize pool of NZ $100,000 and the winners receive $50,000, 2nd $25,000, 3rd $10,000, 4th and 5th $7,500.

ARWorld Series director Geoff Hunt says there are a number of qualifying criteria for the world event.

"Teams who have placed first in ARWorld Series events automatically have free entry to the worlds. Second placed teams have priority and a range of other criteria is applied which allows teams to enter."

There are still several events on the world circuit which teams can enter and aim to win free entry, or meet the second place qualifying criteria, for the world championships in New Zealand.

They include the Bergson Winter Challenge in Poland, a new race to the series which will be held in March, the Appalachian Extreme in Maine USA in May, the new Wilderness ARC in England and the Terra Incognito in Croatia in September.

"They all offer a great opportunity," says Mr Hunt. "We are impressed with the professionalism surrounding the Poland event and the race in Croatia is established as one of Europe's premier events."

Additionally all the other events in the AR World Series offer different opportunities for teams to qualify as outlined on the AR World Championship website (www.arworldchampionship.com).

Intense interest is expected in this year's world championship because it is being staged in New Zealand and particularly the West Coast.

"The West Coast has a fantastic reputation for its tough, often quite daunting terrain and the teams who competed in last year's West Coast Southern Traverse, were blown away by the course and the challenges it threw up."

The World Championship will be based in Westport and the course will cover 500kms with the disciplines still to be decided.

"But we have been investigating caving, abseiling, rope sections, tubing, and rafting as well as biking and trekking."

The first Adventure Racing World Championship was held in Switzerland in 2001 and the second in 2004 in Newfoundland, Canada.

"We believe the third championship will be the best yet," says Mr Hunt. "It's going to be a first class quality race in a superb location."

Teams who have so far qualified automatically for entry after completing ARWorld series races are - Nokia Finland, Cross Sportswear Sweden (Explore Sweden), Salomon Canada, Team Cyanosis South Africa (The Bull of Africa South Africa), Mitsubushi Salomon Quasar Lontra Brazil, Salomon Poavanet Czech AD Team (Eco Motion/Pro Brazil), Team Kathmandu NZ, Team Golite Timberland USA (Southern Traverse NZ), Hooked on the Outdoors USA, Simon River Sports Canada (New Balance Beast of the East USA).

To register, teams must use the on line form: http://www.arworldchampionship.com/arwc/registration/registration_details.htm

The Adventure Racing World Series is an international circuit of premiere adventure races representing 10 countries creating a 12 month calender of professional events around the world. The series events are: New Balance Beast of the East-USA, Raid the North Extreme- Canada, EcoMotion Pro - Brazil, Appalachian Extreme - USA, Explore Sweden - Sweden, The Bull of Africa - S.Africa, Terra Incognita - Croatia, Bergson Winter Challenge - Poland, Wilderness ARC - England and Southern Traverse -New Zealand. Adventure Racing World Series events are qualifiers for the Adventure Racing World Championship.

Southern Traverse Ltd is a premier international sports event management company operating elite events around the world, including the Adventure Racing World Championships, the AR World Series and the Southern Traverse.

ENDS

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