FAQ

Registration will be held between 3pm – 8pm Friday evening at Lake Hawea Community Centre, 28 Myra Street, Lake Hawea. An open bar and pre ordered meals will be available at the Centre.There is no registration on the morning of the event, unfortunately if you have not picked up your race number at registration Friday night you will not be able to compete on race day.If you have a battery to drop off it must be named and handed in at Registration as well. There is no morning option.Please bring a copy of your registration confirmation, available through your Event Plus account.At registration you will receive:Race briefing, safety and the latest course changes information sheet.Any pre ordered carbo Loading meal options.Your race number plate and 3 zip ties to attach your number to your bike.Note:This number plate also doubles as your event certificate. Riders will be able to differentiate the different categories by the different coloured number plates.Epic riders will have a red number plate.Classic riders will have a blue number plate. Start  / Time : Saturday Reserve day is Sunday the following day (all race timings will remain the same). All courses will start at the same time if the reserve day is used. All riders must be parked 30 mins prior to race start to ensure you are at the start line 15 mins before race start for a pre race briefing if required.125km Epic Start 7:30 am at Lake Hawea Community Centre.There are no reserved positions, so it’s first up best dressed for the start line except for previous winners of the Epic Open Men’s and Woman’s who have podium positions.Position yourself for the start based on your ability and, if not competitive or clear about bunch riding protocols, please stay towards the back.95km Classic Start 8:00 am at Kidds Bush on Meads Road, 6km off SH 6. It takes 45 mins minimum to get to Kidds Bush from Wanaka.Position yourself for the start based on your ability and, if not competitive or clear about bunch riding protocols, please stay towards the back.In the event of a course change due to river levels and not being able to cross the Hunter River, Classic riders will start at the Community Centre with the Epic riders and ride the alternative course up the Dingle Burn side together. Epic rider will turn around at Green Bush Hut (approx 60km) and the Classic riders will turn around at Mt Jones Creek (approx 45km).Race Briefing: A full written race briefing will be given to you when you register at the Lake Hawea Hotel. It is compulsory that you read the Race Briefing carefully, as it contains important safety and or course change information that you need to know.

We consider this a true mountain bike experience, but we’re not here to tell you what to ride. Gravel bikes, hardtails, full-suspension bikes and even a unicycle (once — he never returned) are all welcome.That said, our event team unanimously agrees that a full-suspension mountain bike is the best tool for the job. Ultimately, the choice is yours - but we accept no responsibility for any ailments you may suffer crossing the finish line!

125km EpicPrizes / $6000Open Male 18yrs+1st   $15002nd  $10003rd  $500Open Female 18yrs+1st   $15002nd  $10003rd  $500Veteran Male      40-49yrs 1st – 3rdSponsors product or VouchersVeteran Female      40-49yrs 1st – 3rdSponsors product or Vouchers Masters Male 50yrs+ 1st – 3rdSponsors product or Vouchers Masters Female 50yrs+ 1st – 3rdSponsors product or Vouchers Super Heros 60 + 1st – 3rdSponsors product or Vouchers   95km ClassicPrizes Open Male 18yrs+1st – 3rdSponsors product or Vouchers Open Female 18yrs+1st – 3rdSponsors product or Vouchers Male 16-18yrs1st – 3rdSponsors product or VouchersFemale 16-18yrs1st – 3rdSponsors product or VouchersVeteran Male        40-49yrs1st – 3rdSponsors product or Vouchers Veteran Female 40-49yrs1st – 3rdSponsors product or Vouchers Masters Male 50yrs+1st – 3rdSponsors product or Vouchers Masters Female 50yrs+1st – 3rdSponsors product or Vouchers  Super Heros 60 + 1st – 3rdSponsors product or Vouchers Yes E-Bikes spot prizes60KM Dingle DashPrizesMale1st - 3rd receive Merit PrizesFemale1st - 3rd receive Merit PrizesNo eligibility for Spot PrizesNote: To be eligible for prize money you must enter the Open categories for the Epic only.Merit winners in the other categories will receive sponsors products or vouchersMinimum entry age 16 yrs.E-Bikes will not be eligible for merit prizes. You will be eligible for all spot prizes.

There will be no compulsory bike checks or gear checks.It’s important to have a very reliable and well maintained bike for this Epic event. You will have a bad day if you neglect your bike on this demanding  course. It is highly recommended that you visit your local bike store to get your bike in its best condition possible.You don’t want to carry too much gear so consider carefully the clothing you need. The weather can change quickly from extremely hot to snowing in a matter of hours, so study the weather forecasts and plan for the worst case scenario from that.Part of this challenge is to get your mind, body and your bike in top condition so you can give yourself the best chance of finishing this iconic journey. To that end, it is your responsibility to prepare accordingly and accept responsibility for yourself during this event.  Remember there will be no cotton wool, no shortcuts and no excuses, just you riding the course on your own terms. make it an enjoyable one.Gravel Bikes: As an event we are strong on self-responsibility and we have no intention to stop you from riding a gravel bike. That said, we would choose a mountain bike ourselves and we think a gravel bike would be a big risk on your body and your gear. If you still choose to ride a gravel bike we wish you luck and hope to still shake your hand across the finish line!

Transportation from the Community Centre to the Classic Start lineTransport will be available for riders in the Classic that want to leave their vehicles at the finish line and get bus transport out to the Kidds Bush start line.  This is with Ritchies Transport who will offer transport for you and your bicycle on race morning. This shuttle service must be booked PRIOR to race day and spots are limited, so get in quick. The cost is $40 per rider and the shuttle will leave at 6.30am from the Community Centre and is about a 35 minute drive so you will have at least 45 minutes once you arrive at Kidds Bush to get yourself ready for the start! Please follow the link below and book your spot now:BOOK HERECost: $40 PP (Incl bike and gear)

Important InformationAll EPIC riders need to be parked near the Lake Hawea Community Centre by 7:00am.You also need to be at the pre race briefing on the start line 15 minutes prior to your race start.All CLASSIC riders need to be parked at Kidds Bush by 7:30am to ensure they are at the start line by 7:45 for the pre race briefing and start at 8:00am.Vehicle access along Mead Road from Kidds Bush will be restricted from the time the first Epic riders starts on Mead Road (8:40am) until the last Epic rider passes Kidds Bush.

Finish line is at the Lake Hawea Community CentrePrize giving will be held on the lawn if the weather is suitable or inside the facility otherwise. Prize Giving will start when the last competitor crosses the finish line, or at 5.30pm which ever occurs first.Those not finished by 5.30pm will unfortunately miss out on this part of the event.All riders are eligible for all spot prizes. However you have to be at the Prize Giving event to collect your prize in person.  Merit prizes will be issues to those that come 1st-3rd in their respective Divisions. Finishers’ Certificates and MedalsA finishers’ medal will be given to all competitors who complete the Classic or Epic or Dingle Dash courses. You must finish the event under your own steam to be eligible for a finishers’ medal.Finishers’ certificates for all riders will be YOUR race Number Plate. Please bring it to the timing desk and you can get your official race time inscribed on it or write it on yourself from the published results available online during the event.

Until the cut off date YOU can go onto your personal Event Plus account to;Change CoursesTransfer your entry to another personChange your medical informationChange your emergency contact person on the dayRemember: The emergency person you select must be available on race day and cannot be another rider.

If our safety team decides the river levels are too high to cross safely, we’ll switch to our Plan B course: an out-and-back route starting and finishing at the Lake Hāwea Community Centre.The Epic and Classic will be a few kilometres shorter than their planned distances, but the challenge will remain. The Dingle Dash course will stay unchanged, with staggered start times to keep the events separated at the start line.There is no reserve day. If Plan B is required, we’ll announce this by 3pm on the Friday before race day.

Insurance is strongly recommended. It can only be purchased at the time of Registration.You can find out more about the entry insurance HERE and if you need to process a refund or transfer of your entry then follow THIS link.The event organiser will not provide any refunds directly to any competitors.To be eligible for any refund, competitors must purchase the Entry Protection Insurance during the online registration process.The insurance offers competitors the ability to receive a full refund if an unexpected event prevents them from participating.The Entry Protection Insurance costs an additional 8% of the entry fee.Unfortunately competitors who choose not to purchase the insurance will have no other option to receive a refund under any circumstances.

1. John Burke2. Dave Cowie 3. Grant Fyfe4. Darren Clay5. Richelle Adams6. Andrew McLoed7. Malcolm Patterson8. Mark Adam9. Kath Kelly10. Neil Ofee11. Dutchy VermeulenLMS competitors are those people who have competed in every single event at The Epic or The Centurion level.At some point in the future, the last person remaining will take the ever expanding pot of cash created from the $1 contributed per LMS person over the years of the event.