The "The North Face Peak to Peak", New Zealand's leading edge winter multisport event, is being staged in Queenstown for the 17th consecutive year on July 24 2010 and will attract some of the country's most high profile multisport athletes.
The race starts high on the Remarkables Ski Area and finishes on the other side of the valley at Coronet Peak Ski Area incorporating skiing/snowboarding, mountain biking, kayaking, running and cycling over the 44km course.
Race Director Geoff Hunt says numbers for the prestigious race are increasing all the time and while elite athletes like Mark Williams, Dougal Allan, or Gavin Mason continue to create record winning times, the Peak to Peak is achievable for all levels of competitors.
"For people who like to do multisport events or want to start out, the Peak to Peak offers a great opportunity either to race as an individual or in a team. While the top of the field battles it out for individual honours it is the teams' event which always creates the most interest and camaraderie."
The North Face New Zealand Sales Manager Jackie Murray says the Peak to Peak is the ideal event to showcase the The North Face range.
"Being a multisport winter event it covers all our gear from footwear to running and biking clothing and ski gear. The race is an icon event, the organisation is fantastic and we have an excellent association as title sponsor," she says. "What we love about the Peak to Peak is that all the competitors, at what ever level, get so much enjoyment out of participating."
The race begins with a 2km ski or snowboard on The Remarkables down to the access road and is followed by a 17km mountain bike down the gruelling high altitude road to the shores of Lake Wakatipu at Frankton.
A 7km paddle on the lake is completed in Queenstown Bay where the changeover is made for a 9km run from Queenstown, through Arthurs Point to the Coronet Alpine Hotel near the Coronet Peak turnoff.
The last stage which is always hotly contested is a 9km cycle up the challenging ski area road to the base building and the finish line.
Race categories include male, female, veteran and juniors individuals. The teams' sections includes open, female, mixed, business house, school or veteran.
"Every year there is growing interest in the Peak to Peak," says Hunt. "We are seeing more women and more teams taking part in particular and there is always a huge buzz around the event. There is something about standing at the top of The Remarkables and looking across to Coronet Peak at the finish line, and knowing that is the goal to achieve."
"People who complete the race for the first time find it hard to express just how satisfying that achievement is."
The North Face Peak To Peak 2009 Results
1st Men Open Category, Dougal Allan 2.19.13
1st Women Open Category, Joanna Williams 2.47.49
1st Team Open, Outside Sports Queenstown, 2.06.16
