The launch of the inaugural Expedition Racing World Championships today has cemented a bold future for the world’s largest expedition racing event, GODZONE, held each year in New Zealand.

The first-ever Expedition Racing World Championships will be hosted by GODZONE in Fiordland in March 2023. It has been co-developed and sanctioned by World Obstacle – Federation Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles (FISO) based in Switzerland.

“We have reflected on the successes of GODZONE over the past ten chapters achieving significant global reach and worldwide recognition, and saw an opportunity to accelerate the development of adventure racing by creating a new hierarchy of competition at a championship level,” says GODZONE Founder & Event Director Warren Bates.

“New Zealand is seen as the birthplace and spiritual home of the sport, and the Expedition Racing World Championships is a significant step towards bringing more internationally competitive teams to race here. GODZONE has become the biggest, most followed, most watched, and highly respected expedition event globally, and these new championships endorse that status.”

Bates says the revolutionary new competition sets an exciting vision for the sport to be more internationally recognised.

“GODZONE has now aligned with FISO to work on better governance and growth to ensure expedition racing events meet the standards delivered at other top international sporting events around the globe. FISO has the right to allocate World Championships, World Cups, World Series, Continental Championships, and events and international multi-sport Games. We see this as an opportunity for expedition racing to gain traction on the international sporting stage. As the recognized world governing body, FISO will assist with opening those gateways.” 

“It will enable us to offer up a significant prize pool to reflect the status of the Expedition Racing World Championships at GODZONE, reward the world’s very best adventure racing teams and continue to grow the level of new participants in the sport.”

FISO is the official international governing body of obstacle sports (FISO was granted Observer Status by the Global Association of International Sports Federations, GASIF, in 2021) – including sports where athletes run and overcome obstacles in timed competitions. Obstacle sport disciplines include Ninja Competitions, Obstacle Course Racing (OCR), and Adventure Racing. 

FISO president Ian Adamson, a 23x international champion adventure racer and three times Games medallist, has been instrumental in forming the Expedition Racing World Championships.

“It’s exciting to collaborate with GODZone to offer a truly exceptional race experience for the global racing community and to engage athletes across all adventure, obstacle, and multi-sport,” said Adamson. “New Zealand is widely regarded as the ancestral home and epicenter for adventure and multi-sport events worldwide, and it is fitting that GODZone is delivering the first recognized World Championships for the sport.”

Entries to gain a coveted team spot for the Expedition Racing World Championships GODZONE Chapter 11 open on the 1st July (EST) 2022, are strictly limited on a first-in–first-served basis. The multi-day adventure racing event consistently sells out within 24 hours, and Warren Bates says he is looking forward to welcoming domestic and international racers back for 2023.

“We are extremely mindful that GODZONE retains its significant connection to the greater adventure racing community and the integrity of the racing challenge as we evolve. The event has been so successful because the fans and competitors know how tough the race is, and that legitimacy has led to its legendary status. We won’t be compromising that.”

“To win the newly minted Expedition Racing World Championships against the best teams in the world, in the home of the sport, will be the ultimate prize and a massive challenge. We can’t wait to see what the final results will bring in 2023.

The official Expedition Racing World Championships GODZone Chapter 11 website has launched today here; www.godzonadventure.com

Quick Facts:

What: Expedition Racing World Championships GODZONE Chapter 11

When: 24^th – 4^th March 2023

Where: Te Anau, Fiordland  / Welcome & Registration Host

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/godzoneadventure 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/godzonepure

For general information and team, entries, go to: http://godzoneadventure.com/.

For more information, interview & imagery requests, contact: 

Margo Berryman, GODZONE Media Manager

P: +64 21 246 3342 • E: [email protected]