Volcanic Epic MTB Stage Race

About the event

The Volcanic Epic was first held in 2023; it is organised by Nduro Events, which also runs the Whaka 100. There are three formats: five days solo, five days in a team of two (men, women, mixed and age categories) or two days solo, covering only stages 4 and 5. In pairs the combined time counts; teammates may be no more than two minutes apart and may help each other with food, parts and pushing, but towing is prohibited. E-bikes are only allowed in a dedicated five-day solo category.

The first stage begins with a helicopter uplift to private trails in the Kaimanawa Ranges. It is followed by stages from Kinloch to Whakaipo Bay on Lake Taupō, in the Whakarewarewa Forest, at Cougar Park in Tokoroa and from the Te Puia geothermal valley into central Rotorua. The trails are mostly grade 3 to 4 and the courses are marked. Riders start in three waves of about 100 each, allocated by general classification.

The minimum age is 16; headphones and non-participating support riders on course are prohibited. A food truck lunch after each stage is included in the entry fee. The first winner in 2023 was Rotorua's Olly Shaw; in 2026 Fletcher Adams and American Syd Schulz won.