Emotions Run High As GODZone Teams Race Sixth Consecutive Day

Emotions are running high for many teams competing at GODZone Chapter 10 as the arduous ten-day event starts heading towards the South Islands East Coast and onto the home straight at Brighton Beach.

High profile team Topsport with Coast-to-Coast champion Simone Maier, Sam Manson, Hamish Fleming and Theo Wordsworth are battling injury with Sam Manson suffering from foot infections which rattled an emotional Maier on day six of racing.

“We have been nursing Sam Manson’s feet since coming off the Stage three trek over the Main Divide and then through the Erye mountains over the last 48 hours," says Maier. "Today riding over the Nevis has been tough, but he says he is not giving up. We have told him we would not give up on him either, so as a team will keep going as far as we can, but I don't know how he can cope with the pain to the finish line."

Maier is a seasoned professional, having won GODZone back in 2019 in Canterbury and the Coast to Coast longest day last month for the third time. She says Chapter 10 has been the most challenging adventure race she has ever experienced.

"It's been brutal. I guess when you have an injured team member, it's tough to keep going, and for me, it has been a bit of a challenging head game," said Maier. "This is not so much about the race but how we can keep moving as a team together - and making Sam as comfortable as possible but seeing your teammate suffer is very hard.”

Today, the 710km expedition adventure racing course moved into the Central Otago region. Teams rode 170km over the historic Nevis Back Road on stage six and then onto a stage eight 96km packraft and trek through the Onslow Serpentine.

Leading team Avaya including Nathan Fa’avae, Chris Forne, Sophie Hart and Stu Lynch, completed stage seven just after midday and moved quickly onto the stage eight 100km mountain bike ride through the Taieri Gorge.

"At the bike transition, Nathan said he was sick of wearing his shoes, so for the final 2km, he trekked in bare feet," says GODZone Race Director Warren Bates, “He also said the navigation on the Serpentine last night was quite tricky finding all the required checkpoints in place.”

Bates says Avaya is showing their world-class champion adventure racing skills on the GODZone Chapter 10 course that has proven very difficult for the chasing field.

“They really have not put a foot wrong in the entire race. Chris Forne is nailing the navigation, and the team have banked plenty of sleep along the way – it is quite extraordinary to watch.”

"We expect them to arrive at the Taieri River later tonight, where they will hustle to paddle down the river as far as possible before the dark zone on the lower Taieri kicks in.”

He says there could be a finish tomorrow (Thursday 9th March).

“Once teams get off the Taieri River, they have the last stage – a 19km coasteer up the coastline to the Brighton Beach finish line. I expect Avaya will keep the momentum going at that point – maybe even a jog up the sand is on the cards depending on what the tides are doing for a finish around midday all going well.”

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