D'Arcy Waldegrave: GODZONE - peak Kiwi madness

GODZONE. Peak Kiwi madness.  

Currently Chapter 12 of the most berserk race is unfolding in the Marlborough region. This iconic adventure beggars belief.   

This year's edition, over 615 kilometres, encompasses many disciplines, not a great deal of sleep, and the tyranny of navigation for the four member teams competing, all operating under the intense stress of fatigue and sleep deprivation.  

They mountain bike, trek, packraft, kayak, and canyon on a course that takes in 16000m of ascent.   

The race is expected to take five days for the frontrunners.  

One of the absolute legends of global adventure racing and 7-time winner of GODZONE is Nathan Fa’avae. This man has finally stepped away from the race, leaving Chris Forne, 10-time champion, to soldier on with Simone Meyer, 7-time winner Sophie Hart, and 5-time Coast to Coast champion Simone Maier. Sam Clarke is also with the team.  

But the Fa’avae name will still be present in the race, with daughter Tide competing in a team of teenagers. The next generation is here. 

The teams don't know where they are going until just before the race commences, another twist in the tale of GODZONE. 

The race has been staged over some of the most stunning regions Te Waipounamu (the South Island) has to offer. Wanaka, Mt Cook Aoaraki, Fiordland, the race even went north once too, 2021 in Rotorua.  

It’s a celebration of the magnificence of our extraordinary home, an event we should all be proud of. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Wildgrave from News Talk SEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Twenty six minutes after seven, I said it, Soul say
it again. God's Zone Peak Kiwi madness in the nicest
possible way. The current chapter, as we heard from Adam before,
it's got to be one of the most berserk races.
It's throughout the Marlborough region. It beggest belief quite frankly,

(00:35):
not only this, but all of the previous editions of
God's Zone. This year is one. It goes over six
hundred and fifteen kilometers. It encompasses so many disciplines. It's
not a great deal of sleep. And there's the tyranny
of navigation for the four member teams too, competing all
operating under the intense stress of fatigue and sleep deprivation.

(00:59):
They've got to work out where they're going, how they're
getting there, and they've got to do it with an
hour's sleep from here to there, whilst going up and
down Valley Dale and the like two. As a group
of four, it is stunning. They mountain bike, they trek,
they even pack raft, they kayak. There's a bit of
canyoning there too. And the course takes in sixteen thousand

(01:23):
meters of as cent. This is going to not literally
kill them, but it will destroy them. But they keep
coming back for more of the race expected to take
five days for the front runners, five days. One of
the absolute legends of global adventure racing, and he's a
seven times winner of God's Owners. Nathan spoken to him

(01:46):
many times on this program. The man has finally stepped
away from the race. He's leaving Chris Forn ten times champion,
to soldier on with Simon Meyer, who has won the
Coast to Coast. I think seven five times are so
so if the Hart has picked up the championship in

(02:08):
God's own seven times and Sam Clark has been tacked
on with the team after a late withdrawal, it's it's freakish,
but the fart of a name. Even though we've lost Nathan,
not physically, he's still around, He's just not competing anymore.
The name will still be present in the race is mentioned.
The daughter Tied is competing in a team of teenagers.

(02:31):
The next generation is here. The teams don't know where
they're going until just before the race commences. Another twist
in the Tale of God's own. The race itself has
been staged over some of the most stunning regions to
why Pornamu can offer. That's the South Island. It's been
around Warnica, It's been around Mount Cook, Olakia, Fiordland. Even

(02:52):
went north once in twenty twenty one around Rotorua. This
is an exceptional race. That is the essence of what
we'd like to think is key we live, even though
most of us probably wouldn't even go anywhere near it.
We should be rightly proud of God's Zone. It puts
out an extraordinary advertisement for New Zealand and everything this

(03:15):
place has to offer. Get off the screen, get your
bike and get out there into the wonderful, wide open
wilderness that New Zealand provides. No, I'm not saying do
a God Zone, but really crystallize what's out there and
get out and get involved. We are living in one
of the luckiest countries in the world. It is God

(03:38):
Zone and we should be celebrating that every time we
wake up and breathe this air. Get amongst ladies and gentlemen,
because we live, as they see, in a God Zone.

Speaker 1 (03:50):
For more from the Your Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave.
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