Twenty Years of Believing

Whaka100 celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, but Belinda Farmer's chapter in its story began at the end of 2013, when she and husband Tim took over the event.

As co-owner of Nduro Events, Belinda has since helped guide Whaka100 from a growing local mountain bike race into New Zealand's Premier MTB Marathon and an annual Labour Weekend tradition that attracts more than 3,000 riders.

One of the first goals she remembers writing down seemed almost impossible at the time, 1,000 riders.

"It felt incredibly ambitious," she laughs.

Today, Whaka100 has grown well beyond that milestone, but the vision was never just about participation numbers.

"It was about bringing mountain bikers together. We wanted to create more than a race. We imagined a long weekend where people could ride, explore the expo, catch up with friends and be part of a mountain biking festival." That vision still drives every decision today.

Learning to Build Something Bigger​
Belinda admits she never imagined the event would grow into what it has become. "When we wrote that original goal, 1,000 riders didn't even seem achievable." The growth didn't happen overnight.

It came from surrounding themselves with good people, continually improving the event and building a team capable of delivering something bigger every year. "You simply can't do it on your own. Building the right event team has been one of the biggest reasons Whaka100 has grown into what it is today."

If she could give herself one piece of advice back in 2013, it would be simple. "Build your team early. No one can successfully do five different jobs when the deadline is fast approaching."

The 3am Starts
The early years were very different. Belinda still remembers setting her alarm for three o'clock on race morning, heading into the forest to finish marking the course before racing back to the venue just in time for the first riders to roll away. "It was stressful."

These days, dedicated course crews have every course completely marked well before race weekend begins. "It's one of those things that reminds you how much the event has evolved."

It's Always Been About the People
​Ask Belinda what has shaped Whaka100 over the past twenty years and the answer comes without hesitation: the people. The riders, volunteers, staff, contractors, sponsors, local businesses and the Rotorua riding community have all played a part.

"They're the people who believed in the vision and backed us," she says. Together, they've helped build something much bigger than an annual event. They've built a community.

The Hardest Chapter
Like many events around the world, COVID brought Whaka100 to a standstill. After postponements and cancellations, Belinda describes the emotions as surprisingly personal.
"The only way I can describe it was like a death. It sounds dramatic, but that's honestly how it felt. You invest so much into an event that when it's suddenly taken away, every emotion comes to the surface."

Looking back, one lesson stands above everything else. "Lean on the people who offer to help, They genuinely want to support you."
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When Whaka100 finally returned in October 2022, it felt like a victory for everyone involved.
"The whole team, our riders, our volunteers and supporters all came back because they believed in what Whaka100 stands for."

Creating Opportunities
Among Belinda's proudest achievements is something that happens long after the finish line. Following the loss of close friend and Whaka100 contractor Paul Gunn, his parents approached Tim and Belinda with the idea of creating a scholarship in his memory.bTogether they established the Paul Gunn Scholarship, supporting emerging cross-country mountain bikers on their journey towards international competition. "It's something we're incredibly proud to continue."

​She also smiles when reflecting on how the event merchandise has grown. "What started with a few drink bottles and riding socks has become a full merchandise range both online and during race weekend."

Why Riders Return
So what keeps thousands of riders coming back? "For me, it comes down to trust," Belinda says. "People trust the Whaka100 brand. They know they'll receive a quality event." Some return to improve their time. Others come back to tackle a new distance. And for many, it has simply become part of their year.
"When someone says, 'See you next year,' I always think... you're part of the family now."

The Forest Makes It Possible
Rotorua's forests are constantly changing, and as an operational forest, harvesting means the Whaka100 course evolves almost every year.

​The forest is owned by a collective of local Māori tribes (iwi) through CNI Iwi Holdings Ltd, who allow recreational use of this incredible landscape.

"The teams at Timberlands and the Rotorua Trails Trust work incredibly hard to ensure we can continue creating an amazing experience for riders," Belinda says. "Being able to use this incredible asset is absolutely critical for Whaka100."

The Work Nobody Sees
For most riders, Whaka100 begins on Labour Weekend. For Belinda and the team, it begins almost as soon as the previous event finishes.

There are stocktakes and budgets to manage, course arrows and cable ties to count, merchandise and medals to organise, number plates to prepare, and ongoing partner meetings and landowner discussions.

"If you can name it, we've probably counted it," she says. Then, after eleven months of planning, race week finally arrives. "It's exciting. You spend almost a year preparing for one weekend, and suddenly it's here."

Looking Forward
Mountain biking has changed enormously over the last twenty years, and Whaka100 has evolved alongside it.

The addition of the Whaka Kids Ride and the 10km has introduced thousands of young riders to the sport, while elite athletes continue to use Whaka100 as a platform before competing on the world stage.

Looking back through old photographs, Belinda doesn't notice the old bikes or jerseys. She notices the growth—more participants, more spectators, a larger event village, a bigger team, and a stronger community.

More Than a Mountain Bike Event
For Belinda, Whaka100 means something much bigger than a race.

"It's a mountain biking event that includes everyone," she says. "From young kids riding their very first event, through to endurance athletes taking on the Giant Miler, everyone has their own personal goal. And everyone can achieve it here."

That's what makes Whaka100 special—not simply the kilometres or the trails, but twenty years of people coming together around a shared passion for mountain biking.
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And that's a tradition Belinda hopes will continue for many Labour Weekends to come.