28/09/2025
Race Report - The 508.
Billed as "the toughest 48 hours in sport" - it was the tagline that caught the attention of Team NZBLUE earlier in the year. The 4th event to be completed following Race Across America in 2023, The Gibraltar Strait Swim Crossing and 5 Passes Cycle Tour in 2024 this event was right up there to challenge the team and with that of course comes the profile of such an event that helps the team raise much needed funds for youth charities in New Zealand.
This years charity was the awesome and in August a well supported long lunch and charity auction raised over $33,000 for them!
The race started in Borrego Springs, CA 7am on Friday 19 September. A 1/100 year rainstorm hit the day earlier, with cellphones beeping the emergency warning during the race briefing and flash flooding across the desert. That squashed any real plans for course review and familiarity. We were to rely on technology and experience to navigate the 508 mile course with close to 40.000ft of climbing - but hey we had completed RAAM two years prior and American's are great at hyping up things so we felt confident at the start and all thought, "Yep - We've got this..."
WRONG! SO WRONG....The 508 mile race comes in and out of Borrego, a sleepy town of about 3000 over the coastal ranges from San Diego. We had downloaded the GPS file that gives a whole manner of data, turn by turn instructions to Garmin Computers and GPS aps. In fact the course goes in and out of Borrego 4 times in different directions which is perfect for support in Ultra Cycling, but we soon found you get off course and the GPS will assume you are riding a different part and send you in the wrong direction.
The town is in an almost sea level flat section of the desert surrounded by mountains. When you come from the other side of the world, have been on the ground for less that a day sense of direction and the area all tends to look the same. Within 5 minutes, unknown at the time we were off course and we had to double back putting us -30mins down before we even started! Its Ironic that one of the reasons of heading to the part of the world was a redo as we went off course in the same place 2 years prior...
Anyway back on the pony and we were chasing. We might have an average team age of 55, but when the gun goes off, we find the decades of racing, competitiveness and grit is still inside us. There was about 30 teams and individuals and one by one we started to pick teams up. Confidence was high, roads were smooth and fast.
The first 24 hours went through relatively smoothly. We finished the first lap close on midnight allowing us a quick bathroom break and clothing change. 4am had us close to the Mexican Border which included us going through pre border check points. The passports were ready in case we were held up, the well armed but friendly border police waved us through with somewhat bemused expressions. I guess if your trying the sneak across the border, you aren't wearing lycra, lit up like a Christmas Tree on a bike with follow vehicle and flashing lights.
Into day two and the scale of climbs, some as much as 5000 ft along with the desert heat hitting 100F / 38C started to take a big toll on the team from down under. The general strategy was Blakey to hit the long climbs, Aaron and Mat to smash the rolling hills and Bennie to take the downhills and TT the flat. Conditions meant we were all in, dropping down to 10 min rotations at some stages just to get through heat and incline. Loop 2 was done around 8am, Loop 3 and ourselves done by noon.
Unfortunately the final loop beckoned and it took every ounce of grit and teamwork to get through a repat climb of the Glass Elevator - one of the most famous climbs and descents in the Cycling World. Kathy Blake, crew chief, photographer, counselor and happiest person on the planet was the glue keeping us together. There's a saying I learned from early days training with Wharenui Swim Club in Christchurch. "When the going gets tough, the tough get going". The physical, mental and emotional strength shown by the boys was inspirational.
34h32m post the start we crossed the line. Winners of our division and fourth overall. Ultra Cycling is a participation sport chosen by few and witnessed by less, so the finish line was one of personal pride, a couple of beers with the organisers and a compulsory shot of tequila from one of the sponsors .
Special thanks must go to our sponsors who helped us raise 33K for I am Hope Foundation, our supporters who donated time and money to attend the Long Lunch and these legends who put in the mahi to get the job done: Mat Tolhurst, Aaron Davis, Mark Blake, Kathy Blake.
This truly was the toughest 48 hours in Sport! (Well 34h32 mins for us:) Until event number 5, signing off. Ben Davies.
