NZ MTB Rally 2025 Recap: Big Vert, Backcountry Trails & Epic Vibes

The 2025 NZ MTB Rally took place from 22–29 March 2025, in a bucket list event/adventure/race that took riders deep into New Zealand’s premier mountain biking zones, from a millionaire’s playground to the trails of Nelson and everything in-between, riders were treated to helicopter rides, boat transfers and 4×4 shuttles, making this event a must-do for technical trail lovers.

Day 1: Wairoa Gorge

• Stages: 7 Stages
• Total Distance: 28km
• Total Descent: 2,800m
• Total Ascent: +660m
  

Day 1 saw riders tackle the legendary Wairoa Gorge, a millionaires mountain biking playground, known for its hand-built, technical descents. Across 7 stages, participants racked up around 2,800m of descending, facilitated by three 4×4 shuttled uplifts, helping to access the technical terrain that blended flow with gnar. This stage saw catastrophe, with former winner, Matt Fairbrother, injuring himself having to retire from the race. Get well soon Matt!

Day 2: Silvan Forest and Richmond Hills

• Stages: 5 stages
• Total Descent: 2,450m
• Total Ascent: +690m

Day 2 shifted to Silvan Forest and Richmond Hills, a new destination for the event in 2025. Silvan Forest showcased tight and twisty singletrack with fast and flowy berms, with that elusive ‘hero dirt’ us Australians dream about. Ocean views sealed the deal for what was an epic day on the trails, with the two day’s racing totally contrasting each other.

Day 3: Takaka Hill to the Beach

• Stages: 5
• Total Distance: 45 km
• Total Descent: 2,050 m
• Total Ascent: +490 m
  

Riders explored the Abel Tasman National Park’s dense native forests, navigating slippery and rooty singletracks. The day concluded at Kaiteriteri Beach with a well-deserved cold beverage, offering a picturesque view of the upcoming destination across the bay, Cable Bay. 

After the first couple of stages, a 45min liaison took riders deep within the Abel Tasman National Park. Riding the Rameka Pack track, riders were treated to a historical trade route that has been transformed into a flowy masterpiece by Golden Bay Mountain Bike club.

Day 4: Cable Bay

• Stages: 6
• Total Distance: 26km
• Total Descent: 2,100m
• Total Ascent: +750m
  

The day began with an 80-minute sunrise boat cruise across the water from the Kaiteriteri beach to Cable Bay, complete with onboard breakfast and coffee. Riders then tackled a mix of flow and steep and deep technical downcountry trails at Cable Bay Adventure Park, set amidst native and pine forests. The day concluded with a quality feed station and camaraderie among participants. 

Riders were weary after four days of epic trails, but two more days racing was still to come, featuring some epic liaisons…

Day 5: Wakamarina

• Stages: 3
• Total Descent: 1,350m
• Total Ascent: +450m
  

Starting the day with a bus liaison, riders were in for a treat as the first uplift of the day was via helicopter. Heading to the summit of the Wakamarina, home of black beech and prehistoric ferns. Stage one started at the Richmond Ranges, straight from the ‘chopper. A sketchy, white knuckle ride greeted racers, as the toughest liaisons of the week meant riders were scrambling and pushing to the next stages. Good thing the trails rewarded riders with steep challenging scree. Hang on!

Day 6: Nelson

• Stages: 5
• Distance: 31km
• Total Descent: 2,150m
• Total Ascent: +710m
  

The final day of the NZ MTB Rally started in the heart of Nelson, with weary riders and new friends peeling themselves from breakfast onto their bikes for a final day of racing down world-class trails. Day 6 also saw 25 ‘wild card’ riders join the race, with six of the top ten best times of the day set by wild card riders; it’s clear that by day six, fatigue was felt by all!

At the end of the week, NZ’s Sam Blenkinsop bested Matt Walker for the win, with Killian Bron in third. 

To learn more about the NZ MTB Rally, you can head to their website here.