GODZone is picking one of the most beautiful places in the World to host Chapter 5. With pre and post-event activities centred around the stunning beach town of Kaiteriteri this edition is sure to appeal to racers, supporters and media alike.
Situated at the north end of the South Island of New Zealand, this years Host Location is bounded to the west by the Matiri Ranges, Tasman Mountains and the Tasman Sea. To the north Tasman and Golden Bays form its seaward edge, and the eastern boundary extends to the edge of Nelson city, and includes part of the Spencer Mountains, Saint Arnaud and Richmond Ranges. The landscape is diverse, from large mountainous areas to valleys and is sliced by major rivers like the Buller, Motueka, Aorere, Takaka and Wairoa. The limestone-rich area around Mt Owen and Mt Arthur is notable for its extensive cave networks, among them New Zealand's deepest. There is abundant bush and bird life, golden sand beaches and the unique 40km sands of Farewell Spit. Tasman is home to three national parks: Abel Tasman National Park, Nelson Lakes National Park and Kahurangi National Park. Tasman has produced some of the greatest adventure racers in the history of the sport - most attracted to the high sunshine hours, fantastic climate and the spectacularly varied environment that is on their doorstep. With three National Parks to explore, a magnificent coast line, community love of sport, and high number of local adventure racers, it’s going to be another incredible adventure for everyone involved.

The new GODZone format will effectively give teams the chance to choose the style and difficulty of race they want to take on. The GZ Pure event is aimed at those wanting to race unsupported (without support crews), in true expedition style, over a distance of approximately 500km. The new GZ Pursuit event is slightly shorter with support crews providing teams with assistance at key points on the course.

The GZ Pursuit event is formatted loosely around the iconic race of old in New Zealand, the Southern Traverse. Teams will bring their own support crew, which will bring a slightly different style of racing, a more social dynamic to the event and create a fantastic buzz. The GZ Pursuit event will cover a distance of approximately 400km making it the perfect opportunity for teams ready to step up to an expedition-length race for the first time.