A big contingent is limbering up for the unique challenge of getting down one skifield, across the Whakatipu Basin and up another — all under their own steam today.
Peak to Peak (P2P) is New Zealand’s longest-running winter multisport race.
It involves competitors in teams, tandems or individuals racing from The Remarkables to Coronet Peak skifields in five stages: skiing/snowboarding down the hill, a mountain bike down The Remarks access road to Frankton Beach, a kayak to Queenstown Beach, a run to Arthurs Point and a bike up Coronet Peak.
Event organiser Adrian Bailey says this year’s P2P is virtually at full capacity with 102 teams and 58 individuals signed up at the time of publication.
The team categories include school, business and open, each involving five members tackling each leg in a relay.
The new tandem category involves duos doing the whole thing together, including a double kayak across the lake.
As well as local regulars, the event has attracted entrants from all around the country and Australia, Bailey says.
‘‘The nice thing about this event is that it gets a lot of people coming back each year and people travelling from further afield,’’ Bailey says.
After Covid-forced cancellations in 2020 and 2021, Bailey’s ‘‘ecstatic’’ to have the event back as a regular on the resort’s multisport calendar.
