Red Bull Defiance is made up of six key stages spread over 2 days. There are also a couple of special skill stages that take place; one on day 1 and another on day 2. Each day has a run, bike and kayak/canoe as it’s core activity but the relative difficulty of each is different on each day. There is no doubt that day 2 is the most physically demanding, but how you ‘race’ day 1 will have a profound impact on how good you feel for day 2. It’s up to you to decide how best to use your team of four to conquer the stages. The course navigates through 8 high country stations providing unique access to some of New Zealand’s most stunning and varied terrain. Those teams that make it to the finish will be able to reflect on the challenge, the intensity and the reward of completing an epic 2 day adventure race against the backdrop of the Southern Alps.
Once the coach ride and barge trip are done, the teams will enjoy a fast and furious bunch ride along the trails of Minaret Station. Once the climbs start after about 15km, the teams will start to thin out and the real hard work will begin. After 2-3hrs the teams will arrive at West Wanaka where they will take off on foot around Rocky Mountain, with the abseil looming above Diamond Lake. From here it’s all downhill to the kayaks waiting in Paddock Bay. The wind here usually affords a nice long surf kayak back to the day 1 finish line at Edgewater Resort.
A big day for a big race. The second day of racing at Red Bull Defiance sees teams race from The Outlet, down the Clutha River for some action in the rapids. After almost 1.5hrs, teams move on to their bikes for the epic ride up (and down) Criffel Peak – taking in a fun special discipline on the way. After the adrenalin rush of the descent it’s the queen stage, the mighty Skyline Traverse that will bring the event to a close for those mentally and physically strong enough to Defy the Odds.