Just 9 years ago saw the inaugural running of the of the K2 when just under 400 brave and hardy souls set out from Coromandel Township and took on the daunting challenge of a 200km circuit of the Coromandel Peninsula. These were the pioneers for the many thousands of people who have competed in the event ever since including 12 cyclists who have taken part in every event!
9 years and 2 complete circuits later we are back for another Coromandel Township start on the 30th October 2010.
The event has slowly evolved over the past 9 years and has developed into what for many is the holy grail of cycling challenges within New Zealand.
There are now in excess of 1,500 competitors taking part in the various challenges on offer which along with the main K2 event also include the Orca K1 (86km) which starts this year in Tairua and finishes in Coromandel and the Nicholas Browne Challenge(43km) which starts in Whitianga and finishes in Coromandel.
This year also sees the introduction of the EMC K150 (139km) which starts in Thames and finishes in Coromandel.
Every 4 years sees the running of the K4, a two time circuit of the Coromandel Peninsula in which already 9 people have entered. This must truly be one of the most difficult cycling challenges on the planet. The race starts at 10pm on the Friday evening with the cyclists riding through the night and joining the rest of the event on the Saturday.
One of the major goals of ARC events who bring you the K2 is to establish an Outdoor Education Centre on the Peninsula and to this end we have set ourselves the target of raising $2m over the next 5 years.
If you feel inspired by the challenge to raise money towards the Outdoor Education Centre than you can use the event to raise funds. You can set up an account on www.fundraiseonline.co.nz and select the Spirit of Coromandel Trust as your charity.
There are special early bird entry fees on the event and tee shirts for entries received before the 30th June. For more information on the event and online entry visit the website at www.arcevents.co.nz/k2cycle.
