20k Categories

Age Groups

Your chance to race your friends, family, mates, gender and age group. All entrants except Special Categories below should select "Age Group" when they enter.

The 20k Challenge will have age group divisions for men and women, as per the following:

• Age groups are allocated automatically via date of birth and age on race day.
• Prizes will be awarded to the first three male and female in each age group.
• Entries from riders aged less than 10 years are at the race directors discretion.

E-Bikes

A recreational category open only to factory built e-mtn bikes that meet the following criteria: Pedal-assist motors only; minimum 250w drive motor; maximum speed assistance of 32k/hr; minimum battery size of 250watt-hour. Bikes must not have any aftermarket electric modification, conversion kit, bike hacks, throttle control or hub-motor. This category is aimed solely at participation with no prizes, but you will be timed officially and recorded in results. Participants should avoid getting motors wet at river crossings, but you must start and finish with the river crossings just like every Karapoti participant.

• E-bikes participants for the 20k Challenge must have e-bikes meeting the specs above. Proof of this criteria must be filled out when entering.
• E-bikes in the 20k and 50k will start together at their own start time (info here).
• The e-bike category is recreational only. There will not be awards for winners, but results will be recorded as per every participant. 
• Riding an e-bike around the 20k Challenge should not be a problem for battery life, but may require bike-carry and pushing periods. The event will not be picking up e-bikes or riders who cannot finish the race because of battery failure or inability to carry e-bikes or inability to ride an e-bike with battery failure. 

The Special Categories

All special nod to enthusiasts of the mtn biking underground, participants wanting to ride Single Speed, Uni-Cycles, Retro, Cyclo Cross, Fat Bikes or Tandems have their own categories and awards.

• Special categories will start with the main 20k field. 
• Special categories are not eligible for age group categories above, but are eligible for the team categories below.
  
• Entries from riders aged less than 10 years are at the race directors discretion.

Single Speed:  Something for the minimalists !

Uni-Cycles:  We dare you one-wheel wonders to take on the 20k!

Retro:  For lovers of bikes from back-in-the-day. No suspension, no clip-in pedals, no disc brakes, no carbon. Old-school clothing also encouraged.

Cyclo-Cross/Gravel Bikes:  A taste of Euro for followers of cycling's latest cult craze. Cyclo-cross/Gravel bikes must have drop bars, no suspension and max tyre width of 45mm.

Tandem:  Try your hand on a tandem or introduce your kids to Karapoti on a trailer bike. A Tandem pays one entry fee. Enter on one entry form, putting one rider as first name and the second rider as surname. Trailer bikes are ok.

Fat Bikes:  Get out the big tyres for a cushie Karapoti. Must be a genuine fat bike with minimum 3.7" tyres.

Teams

The 20k team categories tally the results of three or more entrants from the same club or work place or family. Riders who want to be included in a team should enter the 20k normally and select a team category and team name.

Team categories in the 20k are as per following:

Open Teams:  Whether you're a bunch of mates, a cycle club, an elite team, a bike shop, a cycle importer, a frame builder or a house builder, teams of three or more riders can win rider prizes plus bragging rights amongst the cycling community.

Family Teams:  Something for families that play together. Whether siblings, in-laws, husbands, wives, aunts, uncles, cousins and children, teams of three or more win rider prizes and something to tell the grandkids.

Corporate Teams:  Cane your corporate competitor! Teams of three or more can win rider prizes plus bragging rights in the business community. But team members must be employed by the business they are entering with.

School Teams:  Get your school-mates together and challenge other school in your area. Teams of three or more can win rider prizes plus bragging rights. But team members must all be enrolled at the same school.

Off Beat Awards

Best-Dressed:  A Karapoti favourite and a chance for riders in any race to stand out. Past winners have included Darth Vader, fairies, Superman, Batman, devils, medieval warriors and wedding nuptials. The best dressed rider wins Ground Effect riding apparel.

Worst Luck:  A Karapoti favourite and a chance for riders from any race to stand out with their tall tale of the race that got away. Could be a crash, could be major mechanicals. In 2010 Wellington's Chris Henry won with 15 punctures, then won again in 2011 with a spectacular crash !

Youngest Rider:  The youngest rider within the 20k wins a prize on stage! 20k entries from riders aged less than 10 years are at the race directors discretion.

Oldest Rider:  The eldest rider within the 20k win a prize on stage, so don't let age get in your way!