​Our Hydration Sponsor, Skratch Labs share a rapid fire lesson on sweat, hydration and how to manage it - useful for whether you're training inside or out, or on race day. Read the list and watch the video below.

The middle of winter is here, which means Zwift, frosty mornings, headtorches, and
mud. With just under five months until Whaka, now is the time to ensure your winter
foundations are established so that you can stay strong, healthy, and dedicated to
your Whaka goals. 

Here are 8 top tips to keep your progress ticking along during the middle of winter:

​We’re excited to announce that Shimano New Zealand will be joining the Isuzu Utes Whaka 100 as naming sponsor for the 100km marathon event. To celebrate, we're giving away a set of Shimano XT Brakes. Read on to find out more.

The Isuzu Utes Whaka 100 Mountain Bike Marathon, presented by Rotorua NZ, and Cycling New Zealand are excited to announce that the Whaka 100 has secured hosting rights for the UCI Eliminator and Marathon MTB National championship titles for 2023 - 2025.

After a challenging year in 2021 with the event being postponed and then cancelled due to COVID-19, the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest marathon mountain bike event is back in its traditional slot of Labour Weekend and is stronger than ever, with over 2,600 riders, representing 14 nations registered across the six event options.

We’ve always said that the Whaka 100 has such a passionate community that it feels like we’re its guardians rather than owners. This shared passion for community is how we got talking to Holland Beckett Law, our newest partner for this October’s event.

Official National Marathon Championship added to mountain bike calendar
​The rising popularity of long-distance mountain bike events around the globe, has led to Cycling New Zealand today confirming that the Marathon National Championship will be added to the calendar this year.
The Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships will be staged as part of the marquee 100km race at the Isuzu Whaka 100 in Rotorua on 23 October. Altogether over 3000 riders expected to take part across the various events over the weekend.

What’s that dot on the horizon? It’s the Whaka 100, and it’s approaching sure and steady. Regardless of what distance you’re in, you’ll likely have chosen something that will test your riding skills and fitness. It’s time to get prepared, learn, and train.

Written by Jason Reid 
Last year, (2020) after completing the Whaka 100 whilst lying on the ground, still cramping, I was asked what I thought.

My answer was, "I'll never f***ing do that again!". Two days later I signed up to do the Whaka Miler. 

​Kia ora,

The Whaka 100 has been cancelled.

The Rotorua Lakes Council, on behalf of the Forest Recreation Committee, who had provided us their approval on the morning of Monday 24 January, retracted this approval at 2.27pm today.

We are painfully aware of the impact on you, your travel, accommodation, and all the work you’ve put in ahead of the event. We know many of you are here already. We are devastated, and it leaves Whaka 100’s future uncertain.

Your event was poised to go ahead, well within the red guidelines which have been set out by the Government to allow events to run in the COVID-19 conditions we are currently in. Our protocols met and exceeded what was mandated.

We’ve been monitoring the risks daily, and still perceive it to be low for our community, participants and staff.

Ultimately, we acknowledge and respect the decision of mana whenua and forest owners. Being able to access the forest is a privilege that we greatly appreciate.

We’re in the process of working out what we can do for participants, considering we received notice on the first day of rider registration. 

We kindly ask for your patience. We know you will have questions. We will be in touch with you as soon as we have more information. 

Tim & Belinda
& the Whaka 100 team