October 24, 2025 • 6 mins
A big motorcross event is happening this weekend with the Hard Adventure Enduro going down in and around Taupo over the long weekend. With 150 riders taking part its setting up to be a thrilling day of motorcross.
Sean Clarke is the director of the event and he spoke with Adam to tell us more about the Hard Adventure Enduro.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
But one of the great things about long weekends around
our country, especially at this time of year where the
weather's getting a bit nicer supposedly take away the last
couple of days in some areas, but lots of cool
events with a sporting theme happening around New Zealand. We're
going to highlight a couple of them this morning here
on the All Sport Breakfast. One of them is motocross
(00:32):
happening in Towpaw. Big event. This is the annual Hard
Adventure in Duro, takes place in more than one hundred
and fifty competitors just out of Toupau have signed up
for this and ready to do battle across the weekend.
Let's find out a little bit more about this event
and who's taking part. Former champion racer Sean Clark is
(00:54):
actually and then he's had a Motorcycling Hall of Fame.
He's been behind this event for many years and he's
with us now. I'm wanting to hear Sean tell us
a little bit about this event and how things are
looking for the weekend.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Yeah. Thanks very much for the courts. It's called the
forest Land Hardened Duro and it's a two day event
in forests between Tokrara and Talbot and it's about the
tenth time we'll run the event since twenty sixteen.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Then, how are sort of entry levels this year? We
know it's a popular sport and I'm sure people have
traveled from far and wide to be in town for
this one.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Yeah, well we cap the entries at one hundred and
fifty riders and we've got one hundred and fifty three,
so it's looking pretty good. And yeah, no, it's getting
more and more popular every year, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
What's behind its popularity do you think? Or just the
sports popularity in general? What more people wanting to take
part in an event like this?
Speaker 3 (01:47):
The events, the riding's not as fast as other motorcycles sports.
It's hard in Duro, so they do but more technical
riding and they go sort of more adventurous really, and
it's sort of mainly started from a big event in
Romania called the Red Bull Romaniacs, and it's just a
copy of their event. Really.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
You've said what I've seen an article about this that
this year's event is more physically demanding. Why is that
and just how grueling is it going to be for
some of these competitors.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
We have grades. We have gold, Silver, Bronze, and iron grades,
so gold is the hardest and iron is the easiest.
And basically we set the track to the level what
we think the riders are. It's up to them what
they enter, but they can enter any class, but generally
(02:39):
people go in the class that's suited to them. And
it's going to be more demanding this year because we've
got less and less rest on roads. It's more in
the under the trees.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Under the trees. I was going to say that area
pretty well known for all its trees and ruggage bush.
Is that sort of the makeup of a lot of
the course?
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Yeah, it is really the hills and up alls, the downhills,
and yeah, it's a bit of everything. And you've got
to follow a GPS as well navigate and to know
where you're going. So that adds a little bit to
the adventure side of it.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
And I see that none of the previous winners are entering.
That kind of opens things up a bit, I imagine, Yeah, it.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Sure it does. We've got guys like Chris Birch one
of multiple times he's a multi national New Zealand champion.
And Jake Whittaker they're not they're just busy doing other stuff.
And last year's winner from TAPO will we own and
he hasn't entered. It's having a break. So yeah, it's
going to be wide open. It will be a new winner,
that's sure this year.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
And we know whether around the country has been a
bit dicey this week. How's the latest conditions looking for
the track?
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Ah, yeah, it's good here. We're based sort of pomus
play and as long as we get one fine day,
the track will be fine. The thing is when it's
raining on the day it can be a bit more treacherous.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Yeah, And so Prologue started things off Friday. What is
the agenda the schedule for the weekend that you've got
the sort of placing set for everyone.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Today they start in the order they finished the and
they leave one minute intervals, three riders every minute. And
I've got about one hundred and twenty kilometers to cover
over the forest and generally the fastest guy doing about
five hours.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Now, Sean, you're very synonymous with the sport you've had
some some champion moments of the years here and then
he's a little Motorcycling Hall of Fame. Do you miss being
out there or do you like sort of being behind
the decision making and putting on the event for everyone?
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Yeah, but of both really done being organizing events. Me
and my wife probably for good thirty odd years, but
still write events, so do a bit of both. But
I do enjoy organizing, for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
And how is the state of the sport at the moment?
Speaker 3 (04:46):
That's pretty good? Really, Yeah. We're probably one hundred and
fifty riders in this event's pretty phenomenal, trail ridings massive,
so it's a pretty it's looking pretty good, to be honest.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Yeah, great, And clearly you have a lot of support
behind you, both sort of sponsorship and numbers wise from
people to be able to stage continue staging events. We
know sometimes the events industries had it pretty tough.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Yeah for sure. Yeah, I've had long term sponsors for
a long time and they're real good. But we've got fifty
people helping us run this event this weekend, and they're
the main backbone behind the whole sport, to be honest
with you, So you know that makes it just the
people that come and help, you know, and have a
good time.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Absolutely, And if people listening around the Topor area, is
there any good vantage point that you recommend if people
do want to just check out the sport maybe see
a particular part of the track. Is there any where
where people can come along and have a bit of
a geeze at it?
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Yeah? On day one today, there's a good spectator point
at mar Or, which is twenty kilometers north of Talbo,
so yeah, you can find it pretty easily. That's marked
with tape to get there. So yeah, Marl would be
a good spot to come and have a look better
for sure.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Yep. Well, anyone listening actually heard they're just north of
Topod you can catch these riders in action. Sean, great
to catch up. Hope the event goes really well across
the weekend and keep up your great work in the sporty.
Thanks for your time.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Yeah, no, thanks very much man, and thanks for the core.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk set B on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
But one of the great things about long weekends around
our country, especially at this time of year where the
weather's getting a bit nicer supposedly take away the last
couple of days in some areas, but lots of cool
events with a sporting theme happening around New Zealand. We're
going to highlight a couple of them this morning here
on the All Sport Breakfast. One of them is motocross
(00:32):
happening in Towpaw. Big event. This is the annual Hard
Adventure in Duro, takes place in more than one hundred
and fifty competitors just out of Toupau have signed up
for this and ready to do battle across the weekend.
Let's find out a little bit more about this event
and who's taking part. Former champion racer Sean Clark is
(00:54):
actually and then he's had a Motorcycling Hall of Fame.
He's been behind this event for many years and he's
with us now. I'm wanting to hear Sean tell us
a little bit about this event and how things are
looking for the weekend.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Yeah. Thanks very much for the courts. It's called the
forest Land Hardened Duro and it's a two day event
in forests between Tokrara and Talbot and it's about the
tenth time we'll run the event since twenty sixteen.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Then, how are sort of entry levels this year? We
know it's a popular sport and I'm sure people have
traveled from far and wide to be in town for
this one.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Yeah, well we cap the entries at one hundred and
fifty riders and we've got one hundred and fifty three,
so it's looking pretty good. And yeah, no, it's getting
more and more popular every year, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
What's behind its popularity do you think? Or just the
sports popularity in general? What more people wanting to take
part in an event like this?
Speaker 3 (01:47):
The events, the riding's not as fast as other motorcycles sports.
It's hard in Duro, so they do but more technical
riding and they go sort of more adventurous really, and
it's sort of mainly started from a big event in
Romania called the Red Bull Romaniacs, and it's just a
copy of their event. Really.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
You've said what I've seen an article about this that
this year's event is more physically demanding. Why is that
and just how grueling is it going to be for
some of these competitors.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
We have grades. We have gold, Silver, Bronze, and iron grades,
so gold is the hardest and iron is the easiest.
And basically we set the track to the level what
we think the riders are. It's up to them what
they enter, but they can enter any class, but generally
(02:39):
people go in the class that's suited to them. And
it's going to be more demanding this year because we've
got less and less rest on roads. It's more in
the under the trees.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Under the trees. I was going to say that area
pretty well known for all its trees and ruggage bush.
Is that sort of the makeup of a lot of
the course?
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Yeah, it is really the hills and up alls, the downhills,
and yeah, it's a bit of everything. And you've got
to follow a GPS as well navigate and to know
where you're going. So that adds a little bit to
the adventure side of it.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
And I see that none of the previous winners are entering.
That kind of opens things up a bit, I imagine, Yeah, it.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Sure it does. We've got guys like Chris Birch one
of multiple times he's a multi national New Zealand champion.
And Jake Whittaker they're not they're just busy doing other stuff.
And last year's winner from TAPO will we own and
he hasn't entered. It's having a break. So yeah, it's
going to be wide open. It will be a new winner,
that's sure this year.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
And we know whether around the country has been a
bit dicey this week. How's the latest conditions looking for
the track?
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Ah, yeah, it's good here. We're based sort of pomus
play and as long as we get one fine day,
the track will be fine. The thing is when it's
raining on the day it can be a bit more treacherous.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Yeah, And so Prologue started things off Friday. What is
the agenda the schedule for the weekend that you've got
the sort of placing set for everyone.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Today they start in the order they finished the and
they leave one minute intervals, three riders every minute. And
I've got about one hundred and twenty kilometers to cover
over the forest and generally the fastest guy doing about
five hours.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Now, Sean, you're very synonymous with the sport you've had
some some champion moments of the years here and then
he's a little Motorcycling Hall of Fame. Do you miss being
out there or do you like sort of being behind
the decision making and putting on the event for everyone?
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Yeah, but of both really done being organizing events. Me
and my wife probably for good thirty odd years, but
still write events, so do a bit of both. But
I do enjoy organizing, for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
And how is the state of the sport at the moment?
Speaker 3 (04:46):
That's pretty good? Really, Yeah. We're probably one hundred and
fifty riders in this event's pretty phenomenal, trail ridings massive,
so it's a pretty it's looking pretty good, to be honest.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Yeah, great, And clearly you have a lot of support
behind you, both sort of sponsorship and numbers wise from
people to be able to stage continue staging events. We
know sometimes the events industries had it pretty tough.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Yeah for sure. Yeah, I've had long term sponsors for
a long time and they're real good. But we've got fifty
people helping us run this event this weekend, and they're
the main backbone behind the whole sport, to be honest
with you, So you know that makes it just the
people that come and help, you know, and have a
good time.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Absolutely, And if people listening around the Topor area, is
there any good vantage point that you recommend if people
do want to just check out the sport maybe see
a particular part of the track. Is there any where
where people can come along and have a bit of
a geeze at it?
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Yeah? On day one today, there's a good spectator point
at mar Or, which is twenty kilometers north of Talbo,
so yeah, you can find it pretty easily. That's marked
with tape to get there. So yeah, Marl would be
a good spot to come and have a look better
for sure.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Yep. Well, anyone listening actually heard they're just north of
Topod you can catch these riders in action. Sean, great
to catch up. Hope the event goes really well across
the weekend and keep up your great work in the sporty.
Thanks for your time.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Yeah, no, thanks very much man, and thanks for the core.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk set B on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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