Explore Fiordland Adventure Racing Team

04/03/2026

After a tough coasteering leg yesterday, the team is down to three - but they’re pushing forward with absolute grit. Judging by how many of us have abandoned our life admin to watch the tracker, the support crew at home is strong! Incredible effort and incredible distance covered already.

02/03/2026

Team 13 check-in 🗺️

Here’s the latest map showing their most recent position as they continue pushing through the course. They’re deep in remote terrain now, right on the edge of the Otago / Southland boundary near the Catlins Forest Park - proper adventure racing country.

They’ve been steadily working their way through some challenging sections and are still moving strong.

You can follow their live progress here 👇
https://trackme.tracktherace.com/en/5834/players/326827/bib

Jump on the tracker and send them some virtual support — every dot moving out there represents serious grit.

Virtual bib of Explore Fiordland (13) for event The Magnificent 2026! that will not leave you indifferent. Find out how to register, its exact location, approximate duration, date and much more!

01/03/2026

Apologies for the late coverage - The Magnificent Race kicked off this morning and Team 13 is already making solid progress through the course!

After completing S1 – Bike 1: The Dolomore Duathlon in the backcountry of Gore near Upper Charlton, they’ve now travelled from Gore through to Wyndham - covering roughly 30km since the start.

A strong opening push through classic Southland terrain to get the race underway.

You can follow their journey live here:
https://trackme.tracktherace.com/en/sports-events/adventure-races/the-magnificent/race

Keep an eye on Team 13 & leave a message to show your support👀

Find out all the information about The Magnificent 2026! An adventure race that will not leave you indifferent. Find out how to register, its exact location, approximate duration, date and much more!

22/02/2026

7 days to go ⛰️

Prep’s looking a bit different for everyone this week.

Simon’s been out packrafting on Lake Hayes — nice and cruisy.
No swell, no rocks, no tides, no sharks 🦈
Not exactly the Southern Ocean conditions we might be dealing with at The MAGNIficent… but we’ll take the calm while we can.

Barbara’s been doing the opposite — slogging it out at Pigs Backyard Ultra.
74km in proper rain and proper mud, one decent tumble, and a good reminder that sometimes the win isn’t another lap… it’s getting to the next start line in one piece.

That’s pretty much the plan for this race too.
Stay upright. Keep moving. See what happens.

7 days to go.

13/02/2026

🌊 Last week, Sonia headed out for a wee coasteering training session at her local, Warrington Beach, after work. Murray (Sonia's husband) was an absolute legend and came along to be her safety, offering solid pointers along the way. He’s a surfer and basically part‑fish, so his experience (and his picture‑taking skills) made the whole session feel far less daunting.
The water has always been a big mental hurdle for Sonia, so having Murray’s support and know‑how has made a huge difference. It’s helped her build the confidence to just get out there and give it a go 💪

Training for this race keeps pushing her straight into her ✨uncomfort zone✨ Stretching what she thinks she can do, and sometimes making her do things she doesn’t exactly want to do… but also kind of loves at the same time 🩵

08/02/2026

20 days to go and the gear explosion has officially begun 💥

Packrafts, panniers, PLBs, poles… and that’s just the P section of the list.
The team’s deep in the “spread everything on the floor and hope it fits in the bag” phase - you know, that magical time when you realize adventure racing is 10% racing and 90% trying not to forget your spork or foon.

From headlamps to helmets, dry bags to duct tape, we’re ticking off the essentials and getting the legs ready for what’s coming. Big missions need big prep, and the countdown is well and truly on.

The MAGNIficent , we’re coming for ya🔥🏔️💪

07/02/2026

A hell of a dog makes a hell of a training partner 🐾

Zeke & Dusky are Sacha’s go-to motivators. Rain, wind, tired legs, doesn’t matter. They’re always keen, always ready, and they don’t let you bail early. Dusky even joins mountain biking missions and keeps pace like it’s her job.

Simon took young Mick the Kelpie out on a Waitangi Day training walk up Mt Dewar from Coronet Peak Station Road. Big climb, proper views, and at the top, an old shepherd’s dog grave. Iron cross, rusty fence, daffodils in spring. Someone’s favourite dog, buried where the work and the views mattered. Must’ve been one hell of a dog.

Training with dogs is good prep for adventure racing. They don’t stop, they don’t overthink, and they force you to keep moving. Long days, rough ground, no shortcuts. You learn pacing, patience, and how to keep going when the legs are aching.

If you can keep up with a good dog, you’re probably doing something right.

Cheers to the pups 🍻🐾

04/02/2026

Sacha’s training ground is Fiordland, home to some of New Zealand’s most iconic Great Walks, and a place that has shaped both her work and her love for the outdoors.

Spending days on the Routeburn and Kepler Tracks means moving through landscapes that define Fiordland: vast valleys, alpine ridgelines, ancient forest, and weather that reminds you who’s in charge. These aren’t just training routes, they’re some of the most celebrated walking tracks in the country, and working here means returning to them again and again, in all seasons and conditions.

Guiding in Fiordland gives Sacha the rare chance to train while sharing her genuine care for these environments with guests and helping people experience the scale, remoteness, and quiet of the region. Whether it’s long days on the track or early starts in the hills, the motivation comes from being in a landscape worth protecting.

For Sacha, Fiordland isn’t just a workplace or a training ground. It’s home, and it’s a privilege to spend time moving through it.

02/02/2026

A big training day deep in the Catlins 🌿

Simon, Sonia, and Barbara worked through a 28km navigation course Simon set, moving through native forest, waterways, and rugged Catlins terrain. Sacha was off on a packrafting mission elsewhere, so we were one team member down - but well fuelled thanks to Skratch Labs, generously donated by MoveNation

The Catlins delivered in spectacular fashion; lush bush, tricky navigation, plenty of bush bashing, relentless supplejack, and at least one accidental creek dip (names withheld). Strong teamwork and problem solving got us through.

Perfect weekend training 💪
27 days to go until the The MAGNIficent 🎉

28/01/2026

School holidays = creative training solutions 😅

Training for adventure racing and ultras as a mum of two doesn’t stop when school’s out - it just turns into a slightly chaotic, multi-sport circus with very early opening hours.

Recent “training sessions” have included a 3am start to squeeze in a marathon before everyone wakes up, kids riding alongside on their bikes, kids riding alongside on their horses, a rig pulled by the dogs, and a bike trailer that I push while running or tow while riding.

Is this in any official training manual? No.
Is it slightly unhinged? Possibly.
Is it excellent preparation for adventure racing chaos? Absolutely.

Between sleep deprivation, problem-solving on the fly, and negotiating snacks mid-session, it turns out I’m basically training for race conditions and surviving parenthood at the same time.

Grateful to be part of a sport - and a team - where adaptability is a strength, real life is welcome, and “whatever works” still counts as training.

- Barbara