March 4, 2026 • 7 mins
Andy Magness gives the latest update from the MAGNIficent adventure race.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
A replace it.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome back to the Master Pinball Wizard there by Elton
John pinball being the operative word with a lot of
these athletes in the Magnificent Adventure Race being thrown around
courtesy of mother Nature. Andy Magnus once again joins us
race director for the Magnificent Adventure Race. Andy, Good, afternoon.
It's been an interesting week.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
It has been an interesting week. Indeed. Yeah, it's been
feels like more than a week to me, to be fair,
but yeah, it's anyway, we had a lot going on.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Yeah, from your perspective, has it been stressful.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
For me? It's been extremely stressful. But we've got a
fantastic crew and we've been sharing the load, which is
the only thing that makes it possible to be to
be honest, see.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
How many people are actually involved with the Magnificent Rice
and size why volunteers or people helping out.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
So we've probably got a crew including the media crew,
the core crew, and the various volunteers, probably of twenty
five to thirty. I'd have to take a you know,
I'd say it's around that number. Yes, it's a big
effort by a lot of people.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
So the weather's playing ball at the moment, but that
wasn't the case earlier in the wake. How did the
teams fear well?
Speaker 1 (01:26):
So the first two days were just cold and wet,
and then it was the third day when it was
nice and first sunny day warmed up a little bit.
But then we had a big swell on the coast.
It was when teams were down the coast, a lot
of wind and we had some carnages. Teams were on
the water and teams were coming into land, and lots
of swimmers flipping their boats and yeah, it was it
(01:51):
was pretty taxing, but we got through it. We got
a couple of swimmers that were in the water for
a while before we were able to go at them out
and so they were flown out to Dunedin and checked
out at the hospital there. But they've actually rejoined the
race and spirits. Yeah, so I mean that's it's adventure racing.
It's so long that they were okay. They got a
(02:13):
bit of a shock from being pulled along by the
current down the coast and so they just wanted to
you know, medical, we just want to make sure they're okay,
and so they've come they've decided to skip any further
coastal legs, which is fair enough. They had enough of that,
and so they've they've jumped on the bike yesterday afternoon
and there probably heading up towards Black Gully now, And yeah,
(02:37):
we had it was carnage on the coast. It's big swell,
lots of exciting action down there. Teens loved it. It
was probably the highlight of the race the coast doing
leg but yes, and traumatic swims and people getting thrown
against the rocks, a couple of you know, bash knees
and things like that, but all of them all to
be expected, given given what the racers were traversing.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Getting thrown against the rocks. That's what you call being
suckers for punishment.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yeah, and I mean that that's it's it's it's a
it's a matter of timing, you know. It's it's the
racers are having to time things with waves, and we
have safety crew there and and teams know what they're
getting into. They have wet suits and life jackets and helmets.
So yeah, you know, it's kind of like falling off
your mountain bike. So it happens and everybody is okay,
(03:26):
and everybody's off the coast, deering stage. So now it's
on to just finding the last checkpoints in Black Gully,
and so we're bringing a five relief that that we
got through that those stages with all the plans working
and everybody, you know, just bruised and battered, but no
worse for wear at the end of the day.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
So, so, how many teams are pulled down a rice
so far? Or is everybody so in contention?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
No, no, everybody's not stelling contention. We have I think
that we have four. I believe we have four, maybe
five teams that have withdrawn in some capacity, possibly six.
And what that means is they've either lost a member
because you have to complete the whole course with all
four members of your team, or they have decided that
they've had enough and they are getting themselves back to
(04:13):
Gore riding a modified course back to Gore. Or there's
a couple of teams that have lost a single member
and that are continuing along the race, but they'll be
unranked because they're don't have four members. And a couple
of teams have joined together having both lost two members
and are proceeding unranked as a team still racing, but
they won't be ranked. It's not the original team, so
(04:33):
we've still got a substantial portion of the field, and
I feel like there's only about seven or eight teams
now that are still what we consider full course, which
means they've gotten every checkpoint available to them on the course,
and some of those probably are behind the curve enough
time wise that they will not be able to continue
(04:55):
to get all the checkpoints as the race and why
you know, draws near. But so it'd be interesting to
see how many teams are able to clear the course.
There's a covetive position called Lantern Rouge, which is the
last team to get all the checkpoints, and we have
a special prize for them, but I don't really know
who it's going to be yet.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
So seven pm Saturday, the teams have to be back in.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Gore, correct, They have to be back at the Gore
Town of Country Club by seven pm on Saturday. Many
of them will start arriving probably tomorrow morning. We think
the fastest team team rab almost done with the orienteering course.
They will have cleared the course. I expect they still
get a bit of travel left, but sometime on Friday morning,
(05:36):
maybe mid morning, I think they'll be back in Gore.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
That's pretty good going when the cutoffs not for over
another twenty four hours or even thirty six ols.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Yeah, that is good going. But that's kind of how
the course was designed that the best teams would be
able to finish in between five and five and a
half days. And my new team RAB is arguably the
most celebrated adventure racing team in the world with I
think Chris and Stu, who are the two kind of
leaders of that team, have seven ten whatever world champions
(06:07):
championships each, and then they've got the other two people
on the team are extremely strong athletes that are no
strangers to the podium either. So it is a you know,
it would be the best team at any race in
the world. And so five and a half days for them,
they're probably thinking it's a very long race. They're used
to finishing much quicker than that at these races.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Oh wow, So we're rest of the teams today. You
say you're around Brakeney crowd, So obviously Lawrence hitting through
the Tampanui other likes.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Yeah, so most of the riders are heading from Papatowa
up to Tapanui using a network of kind of back roads.
They don't get to take the main highway, getting checkpoints
along the way. They pass through Clinton, so a lot
of them that get through Clinton during the day will
be enjoying the dairy without question. And then yeah, they
head up through Tapannoui into Black Gully Domain and then
(06:57):
they've got a big twenty four hour or more orienteering
course up in the Blue Mountains above Japanui. And I
mean after that they push their bikes up and over
the Blue Mountains, riding down to Beaumont, paddle down to
Clyde Vale with their bikes on their raft and then
paddle their way back to Gore.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Hey, get on here, Andy, appreciate the update and thanks
very much for making yourself available. Congratulations on a hell
of an event and we're looking forward to seeing the
conclusion of the Magnificent Adventure Race. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Absolutely, thanks so much for having me on.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Andy, Magnus Race, director of the Magnificent Adventure Race. First
teams Judy Beck and Gore tomorrow and cut off as
Saturday at seven piament. That's got to NC and Erwin's
up next from beef Let, New Zealand.
A replace it.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome back to the Master Pinball Wizard there by Elton
John pinball being the operative word with a lot of
these athletes in the Magnificent Adventure Race being thrown around
courtesy of mother Nature. Andy Magnus once again joins us
race director for the Magnificent Adventure Race. Andy, Good, afternoon.
It's been an interesting week.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
It has been an interesting week. Indeed. Yeah, it's been
feels like more than a week to me, to be fair,
but yeah, it's anyway, we had a lot going on.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Yeah, from your perspective, has it been stressful.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
For me? It's been extremely stressful. But we've got a
fantastic crew and we've been sharing the load, which is
the only thing that makes it possible to be to
be honest, see.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
How many people are actually involved with the Magnificent Rice
and size why volunteers or people helping out.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
So we've probably got a crew including the media crew,
the core crew, and the various volunteers, probably of twenty
five to thirty. I'd have to take a you know,
I'd say it's around that number. Yes, it's a big
effort by a lot of people.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
So the weather's playing ball at the moment, but that
wasn't the case earlier in the wake. How did the
teams fear well?
Speaker 1 (01:26):
So the first two days were just cold and wet,
and then it was the third day when it was
nice and first sunny day warmed up a little bit.
But then we had a big swell on the coast.
It was when teams were down the coast, a lot
of wind and we had some carnages. Teams were on
the water and teams were coming into land, and lots
of swimmers flipping their boats and yeah, it was it
(01:51):
was pretty taxing, but we got through it. We got
a couple of swimmers that were in the water for
a while before we were able to go at them out
and so they were flown out to Dunedin and checked
out at the hospital there. But they've actually rejoined the
race and spirits. Yeah, so I mean that's it's adventure racing.
It's so long that they were okay. They got a
(02:13):
bit of a shock from being pulled along by the
current down the coast and so they just wanted to
you know, medical, we just want to make sure they're okay,
and so they've come they've decided to skip any further
coastal legs, which is fair enough. They had enough of that,
and so they've they've jumped on the bike yesterday afternoon
and there probably heading up towards Black Gully now, And yeah,
(02:37):
we had it was carnage on the coast. It's big swell,
lots of exciting action down there. Teens loved it. It
was probably the highlight of the race the coast doing
leg but yes, and traumatic swims and people getting thrown
against the rocks, a couple of you know, bash knees
and things like that, but all of them all to
be expected, given given what the racers were traversing.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Getting thrown against the rocks. That's what you call being
suckers for punishment.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yeah, and I mean that that's it's it's it's a
it's a matter of timing, you know. It's it's the
racers are having to time things with waves, and we
have safety crew there and and teams know what they're
getting into. They have wet suits and life jackets and helmets.
So yeah, you know, it's kind of like falling off
your mountain bike. So it happens and everybody is okay,
(03:26):
and everybody's off the coast, deering stage. So now it's
on to just finding the last checkpoints in Black Gully,
and so we're bringing a five relief that that we
got through that those stages with all the plans working
and everybody, you know, just bruised and battered, but no
worse for wear at the end of the day.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
So, so, how many teams are pulled down a rice
so far? Or is everybody so in contention?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
No, no, everybody's not stelling contention. We have I think
that we have four. I believe we have four, maybe
five teams that have withdrawn in some capacity, possibly six.
And what that means is they've either lost a member
because you have to complete the whole course with all
four members of your team, or they have decided that
they've had enough and they are getting themselves back to
(04:13):
Gore riding a modified course back to Gore. Or there's
a couple of teams that have lost a single member
and that are continuing along the race, but they'll be
unranked because they're don't have four members. And a couple
of teams have joined together having both lost two members
and are proceeding unranked as a team still racing, but
they won't be ranked. It's not the original team, so
(04:33):
we've still got a substantial portion of the field, and
I feel like there's only about seven or eight teams
now that are still what we consider full course, which
means they've gotten every checkpoint available to them on the course,
and some of those probably are behind the curve enough
time wise that they will not be able to continue
(04:55):
to get all the checkpoints as the race and why
you know, draws near. But so it'd be interesting to
see how many teams are able to clear the course.
There's a covetive position called Lantern Rouge, which is the
last team to get all the checkpoints, and we have
a special prize for them, but I don't really know
who it's going to be yet.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
So seven pm Saturday, the teams have to be back in.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Gore, correct, They have to be back at the Gore
Town of Country Club by seven pm on Saturday. Many
of them will start arriving probably tomorrow morning. We think
the fastest team team rab almost done with the orienteering course.
They will have cleared the course. I expect they still
get a bit of travel left, but sometime on Friday morning,
(05:36):
maybe mid morning, I think they'll be back in Gore.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
That's pretty good going when the cutoffs not for over
another twenty four hours or even thirty six ols.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Yeah, that is good going. But that's kind of how
the course was designed that the best teams would be
able to finish in between five and five and a
half days. And my new team RAB is arguably the
most celebrated adventure racing team in the world with I
think Chris and Stu, who are the two kind of
leaders of that team, have seven ten whatever world champions
(06:07):
championships each, and then they've got the other two people
on the team are extremely strong athletes that are no
strangers to the podium either. So it is a you know,
it would be the best team at any race in
the world. And so five and a half days for them,
they're probably thinking it's a very long race. They're used
to finishing much quicker than that at these races.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Oh wow, So we're rest of the teams today. You
say you're around Brakeney crowd, So obviously Lawrence hitting through
the Tampanui other likes.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Yeah, so most of the riders are heading from Papatowa
up to Tapanui using a network of kind of back roads.
They don't get to take the main highway, getting checkpoints
along the way. They pass through Clinton, so a lot
of them that get through Clinton during the day will
be enjoying the dairy without question. And then yeah, they
head up through Tapannoui into Black Gully Domain and then
(06:57):
they've got a big twenty four hour or more orienteering
course up in the Blue Mountains above Japanui. And I
mean after that they push their bikes up and over
the Blue Mountains, riding down to Beaumont, paddle down to
Clyde Vale with their bikes on their raft and then
paddle their way back to Gore.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Hey, get on here, Andy, appreciate the update and thanks
very much for making yourself available. Congratulations on a hell
of an event and we're looking forward to seeing the
conclusion of the Magnificent Adventure Race. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Absolutely, thanks so much for having me on.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Andy, Magnus Race, director of the Magnificent Adventure Race. First
teams Judy Beck and Gore tomorrow and cut off as
Saturday at seven piament. That's got to NC and Erwin's
up next from beef Let, New Zealand.
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