The epic two-day Red Bull Defiance teams’ race will be back in Wanaka for its third chapter on January 21 and 22, 2017, with entries opening on the 24th of June.
After running its first chapter in 2014 and the second in January this year, the Red Bull Defiance has established itself as a must-do race because it has all the key ingredients of an unbeatable adventure. Magnificent scenery, challenging stages, weekend warriors rubbing shoulders with world-class athletes and that X Factor that only Red Bull can bring to an event.
Methven athlete Glen Currie, who raced in the Elite Mixed category of Red Bull Defiance 2014, sums it up perfectly.
"The Red Bull Defiance course really is spectacular and Red Bull remain true to their image by not repeating another Kiwi kid triathlon-like race that pulls in the masses, but instead creating a true course that makes sure even the best athletes know they have done two days of serious racing. This race sets the benchmark for professionally run multisport events"
Thinking of entering? Then picture yourself on board the barge heading across Lake Wanaka to the remote Minaret Station. You are mingling with some of the best athletes on the planet; excitement builds as the Red Bull Hummer DJ turns up the tunes and the choppers buzz overhead. The boat hits the beach and you disembark with your bike and your teammate, pumped and ready for the adventure of a lifetime.
The stunning location remains the same; athletes still traverse eight private, incredibly scenic hill country stations, endurance racing about 150km over two days by mountain bike, on foot and in kayaks (with some creative special stage elements thrown in) but next year the team dynamic has changed. For the first time entrants can form three or four-person ‘tag teams', where they can swap out one or two team members after each stage.
Race director Sally Currie says this new category has been added to encourage entries from “weekend warriors, specialists in the bike / run / kayak disciplines, corporate teams, or just anyone who wants to be part of this amazing race that prefers a shorter day out.''
There is limited space for ‘tag teams' so get in quick on the Red Bull Defiance website. The first 20 early bird entries will be rewarded with a special discount price of $1200 per two to four-person team. After those spots are filled, the price returns to the same entry fee as this year's Red Bull Defiance of $1600 per team.
Red Bull Defiance 2017 will feature three categories: Elite Mixed, which races for a prize purse of $20,000; Sports Teams (two-person) and Sports Tag Teams (three to four-person).
After the first chapter, 77% of teams rated Red Bull Defiance in their top three events of all time. Red Bull Defiance 2016 saw the number of teams entered swell to 50 teams, which included the highest calibre of multisport racers across the globe. Celebrity competitors like ultra-runner Ryan Sandes completed the event with team mate Bianca Saw - a fellow South African and top cross country mountain biker. Former All Black captain Richie McCaw even made an appearance, completing the challenging but spectacularly scenic first 43km mountain bike from West Wanaka's Minaret Station as part of his training for the Godzone Adventure Race.
Red Bull endurance athlete and world-class adventure and multisport racer Braden Currie, of Wanaka, designed the original course and will be back on the start line next year.
''I'm super stoked to get the opportunity to come back and race Red Bull Defiance 2017. For me it’s obviously a very special event, having been involved since the outset. I race all over the world but the fact that Red Bull Defiance is in my back yard and home playground is a real privilege as I don't need to travel to access this spectacular terrain,'' Currie says.
He and team mate Dougal Allan won the inaugural race in 2014 but this time around Currie will team up with a female race partner.
“I'm looking forward to the challenge of racing as a mixed team and expect it will bring a whole new dynamic to the race. We saw the Elite Mixed category as the absolute star attraction this year in January, with some of the best male/female athlete pairings in the world turning up,'' Currie says.
“Wanaka powerhouse Simone Maier took out the title for the second year running with her man Marcel Hagener. Young Kiwi super stars in the making, Hayden Wilde and Corrinne Smit were second and Team Thule Adventure, made up of Swedish adventure racing legend Martin Flinta and multi-talented Czech athlete Helena Erbenova were third,'' Currie says.
The decision was made to focus the majority of the prize money on the Elite Mixed category with the intention of Red Bull Defiance 2017 finding the fastest male and female athlete team on the planet.
Currie's wife Sally was race manager in 2014 and this year completed the 2016 Red Bull Defiance with one of her best friends, racing in the women's category. She has taken up the event's reins again for next year and feels privileged to be involved with such an iconic event.
“Red Bull Defiance has proved to be something quite unique, relative to other traditional multisport races that have been around for a while,” she says.
“Something that I really felt, was the energy that Red Bull Defiance emanated from the beginning to the end. The elite and sport competitors alike are all there to compete to the best of their ability but also because of their love of adventure. This shared passion unites everyone involved. I’ve been on the side-lines of hundreds of events in my lifetime, and I can honestly say that this particular event is something quite different to most,” Sally adds.
The fact that teams do not need support crews - double kayaks are provided - and that all equipment will be moved between transition areas, for all teams, by the Red Bull Defiance crew takes away the organisational stress of the race.
Competing with a buddy is another drawcard for this event, Sally says.
“For me it really was an incredible experience racing Red Bull Defiance with my friend. It took us out of our comfort zones but being able to share the highs and the lows made it more enjoyable and provided many memorable moments to share afterwards.''
“I will remember Red Bull Defiance as once of the biggest achievements of my life, with the ability to stand beside so many incredible athletes and finish a course that is a challenge for them as well, was hugely significant for me. I could not take the smile off my face the whole of the first day. I just loved it!”
While the six main stages will remain virtually the same, next year's Red Bull Defiance will introduce some new undisclosed special stages. While these will stay secret until four weeks prior to the January event, rest assured they will not give any one team an unfair advantage.
Just be prepared to bring your mental and physical A game and experience the grit and the glory that is Red Bull Defiance 2017.
For more information and to enter visit the Red Bull Defiance website.
