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XTERRA Auckland trail run series
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 1 year and 29 days ago and counting...
Event #5: 9th August, 2009
Whitford
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Race number & transponder picked up from the event base on the day of the event. We recommend checking into this area at least prior to your scheduled start time.
Remember to bring the race number you picked up at race 1. You need to pick up a new transponder and get your name ticked off at the registration tent at the event base on the day of the event.
If you didn’t pick up your race number at race 1 we will have it at the rego tent waiting for you. Remember if you are changing up or down courses we need to know so please let us know. We recommend checking into this area at least prior to your scheduled start time.
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 Do the names Breadheads, The Bullet Track, Odens, Bakers Run, Rome, The Abyss, The Boss, El Sandero Lejano, Gavin's, The Milk Run, Twisted Delight and The Grim Raker sound familiar to you? If so you've likely had a little session at Whitty Mc Whitford at some stage haven't you?!?
The track network at Whitford is (again) like most other forests in Auckland- everchanging! Milling comes, milling goes, tracks become overgrown, tracks are cleared, new ones are built - such is life. The forest use to be an incredibly popular spot on the Auckland mountain biking scene but it's now just a selection of dedicated track builders that keep the area ticking over nicely (wicked stuff guys!). Certain tracks work you up and down like dogs while others have that nice rolling feel to them. Expect to see a selection of nice pine needle covered trails, clay road sections with great views of the city, bridges, streams, the occasional free slip and slide and an archery arrow or two headed for your melon if you stray out of bounds.
Again I think it's an underrated venue - hence we want to show it off to you in total sport style. In terms of toughness well nothing's easy is it (the way we like it!) but toughness could well depend on the weather in the lead up weeks. Start losing the top layer on some of the pine needle covered tracks and suddenly that beautiful trail becomes nice and greasy and again that's the way we like it!.
We'll release the exact course routes to you closer to the event date (once I've arm wrestled Greeny for the #1 choice) but for now consider yourself encountering something in between a Woodhill and a Riverhead! Whitty Mc Whitford - trust me - it's good!
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 Start Times |
| Compulsory race briefings are held 15 minutes before each events starting time. |
| 9.00am |
| 10.00am |
| 10.30am |
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Race Distances  |
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 Course Safety |
We strongly recommend that all competitors come to these events sensibly prepared as some of these courses are very tough and weather conditions can be extremely changeable.
We recommend running with a camelbak loaded with up to 2L of water and/or Balance along with Balance squeezy’s and other nutritional nibbles.
You can expect to be away from base for a decent period of time at these events!
While event medics will be at each event & competitors may encounter on course marshals with first aid on them it also pays to be safety conscious and carry items like:
basic first aid kit,
cell phone,
whistle
and additional warm clothing. |
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Take the southern motorway until you reach the South Eastern Highway.
Follow SE Highway until it moves into the Pakuranga Highway
Follow Pakuranga Highway then turn Right onto Ti Rakau Dr
Follow Ti Rakau Dr until you come to Chapel Rd (After Botany Town Centre)
Turn Left onto Chapel Rd
Follow Chapel Rd to Roundabout and then turn Right onto Whitford Rd
Stay on Whitford Rd and follow it to the Whtford Village
The road then becomes Whitford - Maraetai rd. Follow this road for approx 6km to the entry point to the forest Between Waikopua Rd and Okaroro Dr. Follow the event signage from this point! |
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Whitford is an interesting location and one venue where finding a large carpooling spot where the bulk of competitors would pass from all different directions was just not
going to happen on any productive level so........
For Whitford we highly encourage all competitors to use the total sport forum and the facebook website to try and meet up with fellow competitors pre race in a spot that works for them.
OUR SPOT
Just over a km inside the Whitford Forest there will be a compulsory carpooling area where full cars will be marshaled straight through the gate towards the event base (another 4-5km away) and cars looking a little light will be asked if they wouldn't mind carpooling down with someone else to the event base. We are not going to force anyone to do anything here but we are just trying to instill a carpooling attitude into people that will be beneficial to one and all in the future. Hey you might meet a wicked training partner or your future wife this way! Who's to say!
500 cars carrying one person each or say 100 - 125 full cars making their way to the event base makes a huge difference to the time everyone spends waiting to be marshaled into carparking areas and makes everyone's day a little more manageable. We appreciate the support you've all given this idea so far!
Once again all cars will be looked after at this spot as the area also acts as a drink station on the long / superlong course.
Dropping a vehicle will save a decent amount of Benzene and for every car that parks at one of these carpooling spots from here until the end of the series we will contribute a further dollar to – and just like your gas bill it certainly all adds up!
A good carpooler brings a good attitude and a towel :) You won’t get anywhere near as grubby as Riverhead but please bring along a towel with you to the event! |
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There will be a parking area right by the registration and start line in the large skid - it is however limited in space so please CARPOOL CARPOOL CARPOOL!
Total sport has a new forum (click here to view) on our website so we encourage you to get on there and find like minded off roaders in your area that you can carpool with!
We will have numerous parking marshals at event #5 directing you where to park so please follow their instructions & keep in mind that short walks to the registration area are inevitable for events of this size in locations like this.
The parking marshalls participate in the events so if you don’t listen to them you may encounter some “trouble” on the trails. |
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The parking in and around the actual event base is limited (and a little wet at present) so the more 'fully loaded' cars that arrive the better off for everyone in the event! |
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We are thinking big picture here - if we get good buy in from you guys for these events you will be saving $ on gas and helping out the environment while were doing it! |
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So many vehicles come to our event with only one soul in them - here's a great way to meet more people and share some more pre event nerves and post event laughs! |
safe driving!!
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6.1km
Shorties get a great course with a mix of old and new Whitford! Your course will start with a quick blat down gravel road before you meet your first trail...The Grim Raker!!! This is a great 1km mountain bike trail leading you onto Stream Rd. Hang a left onto Main Rd and you have a couple of hundred meters before your one and only drink station. At the station you hang left into a nice uphill trail that will be you only real test of the day. At the top of this trail you have about another 1km on Main Rd. You then get to the new as yet un named goodness! Trail all the way home...be aware if it has been raining it will get a little slippery. Watch out for the odd pig or goat running around as well as Luke rooting about.
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1 @ 2.4km
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7/10
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12.5km
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You guys start with a nice flowing road section. You first trail is the short and sweet El Sandero Lejano. Down a very decent hill and through the sweet but random native section and you will get goodies like Milkrun, The Boss and Rome. You will be kicked out onto Main Road for a short gravel section before hitting The Abyss and onto the super cool, super new 3km home trail. You get trail all the way home...be aware if it has been raining it will get a little slippery. Watch out for the odd pig or goat running around as well as Luke rooting about.
1 @ 5km and 1 @ 9km
7/10
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18.2km
You guys start with a nice flowing road section. You first trail is the short and sweet El Sandero Lejano. Down a very decent hill and through the sweet but random native section and you will get goodies like Milkrun, The Boss, Rome, Breadheads, Bakers Run, Twisted Delight and Sleepy Hollow. After sleepy hollow you will have a quick gravel section before hitting Ethans for a bit of an uphill. You will be kicked out onto Main Road for a short gravel section before hitting The Abyss and onto the super cool, super new 3km home trail. You get trail all the way home...be aware if it has been raining it will get a little slippery. Watch out for the odd pig or goat running around as well as Luke rooting about.
1 @ 5km, 1 @ 9km, 1 @ 12.3 and 1 @ 15km
7.5/10
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21km
You guys start with a nice 1km road section the opposite direction to the long course punters. You will do a 3km loop of new trail before heading off in the same direction as the Long course. You have a nice road section before you hit the short and sweet El Sandero Lejano. Down a very decent hill and through the sweet but random native section and you will get goodies like Milkrun, The Boss, Rome, Breadheads, Bakers Run, Twisted Delight and Sleepy Hollow. After sleepy hollow you will have a quick gravel section before hitting Ethans for a bit of an uphill. You will be kicked out onto Main Road for a short gravel section before hitting The Abyss and onto the super cool, super new 3km home trail. You get trail all the way home...be aware if it has been raining it will get a little slippery. Watch out for the odd pig or goat running around as well as Luke rooting about.
1 @ 8km, 1 @ 12km, 1 @ 15.3km and 1 @ 18.3 km
7.5/10
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 You will still be following hanging blue XTERRA tape and our red arrows on a white coreflute backing however when you reach an intersection you will see
Longies will be following green triangular arrows,
Mid course will follow red triangular arrows
and Shorties will follow blue triangular arrows.
It is important that when you reach an intersection you follow your coloured triangular arrow & do not cross any tape that is laid on the ground at any time – this tape is laid out to stop you going in a particular direction. After you have passed an intersection you will again be following generic hanging blue XTERRA tape and red arrows. For piece of mind there will be another triangular arrow of your colour just past the intersection to confirm you are on the right track.
These courses will be checked and rechecked on the morning of the event but it is important you keep your eyes open out there!
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| There are several ways to enter this event: |
| Online |
Post In |
Email Us |
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Print off this entry form below and post to the address shown on the right.
Download entry form (97.4kb PDF file)
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Dont have access to a printer? then email us directly with your details using the entry form request page and have an entry form posted to you - read more. |
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