ON THE WATER: This year marks the 31st and final edition of the Motu Challenge. File photo

“LET'S go out with a bang.”

That’s the words of Motu Challenge organiser Jarrod Teddy, who says this year’s race will be the final edition of the multisport race.

The 31st and final edition will be held on Saturday, October 12, but with it becoming harder and harder to find volunteers and people now wanting to do other things, it’s decided the upcoming race will be the last.

It’s an iconic race and ranks second behind the Coast to Coast in terms of the top multisport races in New Zealand.

It features a killer mountain bike ride from Ōpōtiki through to Motu School, before a 17-kilometre off-road run, then a long-distance bike ride, a kayak, a short bike and a sprint to the finish.

Over the years, it has featured some of New Zealand’s top multisport competitors in Whakatāne’s Sam Clark, Wanaka’s Dougal Allan, Christchurch’s Sam Manson, Elina Ussher, Simone Maier and Tayla Harrison.

Teddy said they were ending the race on a good note.

“The event is mostly funded by grants, with help from the entry fees. It’s getting close to the stage where it’s not paying for itself. So, we had to make a call.

“There’s no money issues or anything like that. We just have volunteers who have been helping for nearly 30 years and they can’t carry on forever, and it’s hard to replace them. No one is really interested in taking it on. We’d rather go out on a high than a low.

“We could carry on, but it takes a lot to organise, and we don’t want just anybody taking over. We wouldn’t want the race to lose its value. Numbers have also dropped off a bit and the interest doesn’t quite seem to be there, like it was.”

Teddy said there had been some fantastic memories since its inception in 1993 and had given many high-calibre athletes give it a crack.

“If you are thinking about doing the race for the first time, then you have no excuse. This is the last year, so come along and give it a go.”

It’s been a race that has created many feel-good stories over the years and seen plenty of people step outside their comfort zone.

It’s not a race for the faint-hearted but can be done in three, four or five-person teams.

“There have been other events around New Zealand that have finished because of compliance issues. We’re not one of them. The committee has always made sure there’s money there to fund and run the event well.”

With just over 400 competitors the past few years, Teddy said it was becoming more challenging, especially traffic management.

“It’s a good buzz that you are able to put on something like this in an amazing location, and get people who have never been to that part of the country coming to Ōpōtiki for 31 years.”

He said they wanted to see at least 700 people take part in the final race. It started out with that many and they’d love at least that number for one last hurrah.

Last year, they introduced GPS tracking and this year intend to go a step further with a satellite access point at Motu, so people can get the internet and track people up there.

Teddy said since it was going to be the final race, he would love to see a star-studded field.

“Let’s get the big guns there for one last hit out if, it’s going out on a high.”

He’s referring to the likes of Allan, Clark, Manson, McNamara, Bobby Dean and even triathlete Hayden Wilde, who have all raced it in the past, to see who will be the last ever winner of the Motu Challenge.

The same can be said in the women’s race, with Ussher, Maier, Harrison and Wilson.

A couple of years ago, they even had specially made medals for all the competitors, who get to see some fabulous sights in an awesome part of the country.