WHAT'S PROVIDED ON COURSE

Aid Stations and Water

While you should be carrying enough food and fluids to get you through the race, there will be four self-service aid stations evenly spaced along the course. The water provided at the aid stations is from nearby mountain streams. We have been doing so for six years without any problems so you can feel comfortable filling your own water bottles up too. For further details on the Aid Station locations and provisions, click here.

Volunteers Services

Around 200 volunteers and staff give up their time to make the Motatapu a successful event for you - some even overnight in the backcountry for you! These crews include start and finish line crews, parking crews, registration crews, aid station crews, timing crews, clean up crews, bike mechanics, medical crews, 4WD club members and Tail End Charlies. Please respect our volunteers and follow their instructions carefully at all times. If you, or someone you know, would be interested in being a volunteer please click here.

R&R Sport Bike Mechanics on Course

While you must still carry the required competitor gear and ensure that you know how to use it, there will be five R&R Sport bike mechanics cycling the course with the bulk of the crowd, should you need assistance. They will be identifiable in their R&R branded tops and “Bike Mechanic” number plates and they will be on the lookout for anyone having bike issues. They also stop at each aid station to see if anyone requires assistance.

Medical/Emergency Services

We have seven pre-hospital care medics in Rhino and 4WD vehicles, a doctor & nurse on course, and numerous first aid qualified staff spread throughout the Motatapu courses and at the finish line area, where a doctor is also located. Medics and first aid volunteers will be wearing high visibility vests with a white cross. 

We also brief the police and ambulance services in the weeks before the event with all the relevant maps and course details. We contract the services of Medical Rescue for medical support for the event, however for serious injuries and/or heli-evacuations we rely upon the 111 system already in place. For serious injuries at the finish line that require more than first aid care, you will be directed to the nearest medical clinic or to Queenstown Hospital, near Queenstown Airport.

Road Closures/Restricted Access

We apply to the Queenstown Lakes District Council to have access restricted to Buckingham Street West which effectively restricts access on the Macetown road. However, while traffic is limited, it does not mean that the roads will be closed as official race vehicles and ambulances will be using these roads in both directions. Please be on the look out for vehicles at all times and remember that normal road rules will apply.

Radio Communications

As cell phone reception is only available at the start and finish lines, we place our own dedicated radio communications services between Glendhu Bay and Arrowtown. This includes installing three radio repeater stations on the highest points along on the route to improve our team’s communications in the valleys. These repeaters link up to other repeaters in the area to approximately 95% coverage to the 50 handheld radios that will be in use by staff, volunteers and support crews. These radios are distributed throughout the course at aid stations, in the designated Queenstown 4WD-Club vehicles and rhinos which carry our Medics and our Tail End Charlies.