MT PEEL MOUNTAIN BIKE MARATHON

SUNDAY 25TH MARCH 2007

starts 7.30 am at the Peel Forest Hall

Geraldine

Click here for the >> 2007 Provisional Results

In 1989, 19 Entrants lined for the the 1st Mt Peel Mountain Bike Marathon. Former Geraldine resident, Peter Dobson, had a dream to bring some of New Zealand's best mountain bikers together, and give them and local athletes a taste of the temendous back country that is the Geraldine area.

Not the largest mountain bike race in the South Island, but cetainly the toughest, the Marathon course travels over 85 kilometers of mountain terrain, including undulation, 4WD tracks, a tough 5000-ft climb, and an awesome continuous 25 minute downhill. It is a race that requires portage, technical skills and high levels of endurance, taking the fastest riders a good 5 hours to complete.

Over the years, numbers have steadily increased, with there being 72 in 2005. Also in 2005 it was part of BikeNZs Marathon Mountain Bike Series.

There is a trophy for the 1st person to the Top of Coal Hill (the highest point in the race) and in 2005 Hamish Seaton took the honour in a time of 2 hours, 32 minutes, 33 seconds, but it was Julian Mitchell who took line honours in a time of 5 hours,04 minutes 05 seconds with Hamish finishing 2nd, 41 seconds later.

It is an awesome course, although the weather isn't always wonderful up on top, but when it is the views are spectatular.

The date for the 2006 event is Sunday 9th April, 2006, how about it being the year you give it a try, or for those that have, see if you can better your previous time.

It Starts and finishes at the Peel Forest Hall, Geraldine, South Canterbury at 7.30 AM on the Sunday Morning, see you there.

Results: 2006 cancelled due to bad weather on top,  for results see Blue Mountain