Organisers of Southland's gruelling MAGNificent adventure race held last week (28 Mar-7 Feb) - which this year included an unscheduled rescue helicopter callout, are beaming after being given preliminary approval to host the Adventure Racing World Championships in late 2028.

The brainchild of Te Anau based Andy Magness and his twin brother Jason, both veteran racers and course designers, MAGNificent is an unsupported expedition-style adventure race that has been held annually in the south since 2025.

This year's event attracted 30 elite 4-person teams from around the world, including New Zealand.

MAGNificent co-race director Andy Magness, fresh from the wind up of this year's race in Gore on Saturday, said the world championship approval would still be subject to gaining “government buy-in” and funding.

”We will need their support as there’s a big fee to pay, and we need to provide 20 free entries plus a significant prize purse,” he says.

“But we’ve been talking to the Major Events Fund team for the last few years, and they’ve got us on their radar.”

The MAGNificent race, where teams pushing through some of the south’s most spectacular, gritty and challenging terrain, coastlines and rivers, is now firmly etched on the international adventure race calendar.

Andy and Jason Magness are the masterminds behind New Zealand's MAGNificent race.

Fans have been watching this year's event live online from around the world, showcasing the south while turning on a thrill show for the audience, Magness says.

“We had over one million views over the past week just on our little Facebook page alone,” he says.

“We’re pretty thrilled to have reached that sort of global audience after only being in the game for two years."

“But we designed a pretty raw and rugged course. There was definitely some excitement down on the coast.”

Nine overseas teams competed this year – three each from America and Australia, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Japan, the rest from NZ, taking on the 11 stages, everything from rugged rocky Catlins’ coastline in big swells and pack rafting to mountain biking, bush and high country trekking, all while navigating the old school way with map and compass.

There was even a night kayaking section, with some teams navigating down the Clutha River in darkness.

A competitor bush bashes his way through the Catlins bush during the event. Photo: Guillermo Gutierrez/Supplied

“It was Grade 1 with no rapids, so we didn’t dark zone it as these teams all have the skills to self-rescue.”

From the grit required in the coasteering section - trekking rugged rocky headlands, swimming around impassable sections, to pack raft paddling the Mataura and Clutha Rivers and Catlins Coast, inside Cathedral Caves near Papatowai, Magness says teams were blown away.

“It’s pretty spectacular just how beautiful the south is. So many teams got to see penguins in the wild.”

Twin sisters, believed to be from Australia, were part of a four-woman team that flipped out of their packrafts off the coast of Papatowai last Tuesday (3 March), and were then pushed out to sea in the estuary outflow.

All four were either helped to shore by other participants or ended up clambering onto the rocks safely by themselves.

The twins were flown to Dunedin Hospital by Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter for observation after multiple PLBs (personal locator beacons) were set off by other racers on shore unable to spot them in heavy surf.

Photo: Guillermo Gutierrez/Supplied

Magness says all participants were wearing life jackets and wetsuits.

A race cameraman was also washed off the rocks into the sea nearby with the race safety team, but they all got back to shore safely.

A Rescue Coordination Centre spokesperson says four people were rescued from the waters off the Tautuku Peninsula about 4.15pm after RCCNZ received ‘multiple alerts and requests for assistance from people in the area” at about 3.10pm that day.

“RCCNZ in conjunction with those on scene, New Zealand Police and rescue helicopters ensured the safety of those requiring assistance,” the spokesperson says.

Rescue helicopters from Dunedin were sent to the location to assist and one vessel in the area supported the search for the people in the water.

Magness says veteran of adventure racing and multiple GODZone races Simon Sanders was instrumental in helping to assist several of the swimmers caught in the tidal outflow, including two of those on the all-woman team.

Other teams also helped recover gear washed up further down the beach.

“The twins were fine the next day and resumed the race on a biking leg, paddling the Clutha River the next day, which was a great result.”

He says they had an eye on all of these swimmers as they drifted along the coast, and had a safety boat in the water, but it was busy assisting a group of packrafts out near Tautuku Peninsula and unable to respond as quickly as they’d have liked.

“But this is what the competitors come for, the more challenging the better,” he says.

The race is already becoming renowned for its difficult navigation, in one section through Catlins bush a 3D plastic map to scale provided.

“Most racers had never seen a map like this before and they loved it,” Magness says.

Competitors make their way in and out of the Cathedral Caves on the Catlins Coast. Photo: Guillermo Gutierrez/Supplied

Teams had to really manage their rest and keep mentally sharp to do this, but they said it was exciting for them, and we got some really good feedback about our navigation sections.

“People just loved that technical level of coasteering using a map and compass.”

Kiwi team Rab – Chris Forne, of Wanaka, multiple world champion and a skilled navigator, Stu Lynch, Theo Wordsworth and Emily Wilson a young female superstar, won the event, finishing in just over five days, Magness says.

“They were clear favourites and put on an absolute masterclass. They raced well and were strong and executed their race well throughout.”

Further Faster were next - Adrian Braaksma, Holly Weston, Michael Mitchell and Harvey Brouard, with stars of the show MAGNificent Youth – talented young racers aged from 17 to 21 or 22 taking out third place. Jack Wilson, Louie Burger, Charli Watts and Luke Jansen also won the Youth Team prize.

“These are amazing kids. They’ve all come up in adventure racing through the secondary schools’ circuit and competed on different teams in the Hillary Challenge Championships."

A triumphant team after descending The Shute alongside the beautiful McLean Falls on the Catlins Coast. Photo: Garreth Meyer/Supplied

"There were incredible setbacks for them early on but they executed their late race so well, especially in the orienteering stage and, whether they had youth on their side or not, they seemed to be able to push the pace right up through the end while other teams slowed down,” he says.

“They were in 7th or 8th place after three or four days and then just charged."

"Their main navigator, Luke Jansen, is just 17 years old,” Magness says.

“They just gelled well.”

He took Louie and Jack to race in Oregon last year.

The winners won free entry into this year’s World Championships in France with a small cash prize, second team won free entry into The Legend event in Australia and the third, and youth team winners, sponsored equipment and cash prizes too.

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Competitors successfully descend The Shute – down the stunning McLean Falls on the Catlins Coast. These, and the Tawahiti Falls – for which there’s bush bash access only, were highlights of the course. Photo: Garreth Meyer/Supplied

With a prize money pool of $3000 all up Magness says they’re hoping to attract more funding for bigger prizes in future, but their main focus will be securing that major government support to host the World Championship in 2028.

“It would such an honour to host the pinnacle of adventure racing in New Zealand which is already the Adventure Capital of the World,” he says.

Meanwhile next year’s NZ start town for the event has been chosen but is yet to be confirmed.

“We’ve applied and we’re waiting on conservation land concession approvals. We think we can get those and then we will work through discussions with private landowners,” Magness says.

”We’ve already got a few of the courses planned.”

He says they’re rapt to have had such success with the event so quickly.

“We were approved as a World Championship qualifier event because my twin brother and co-race director Jason has been running similar high profile adventure races to this in the USA for seven years."

"That gave the team at the Adventure Racing World Series the confidence to believe in us.”

Jason lives three months a year in Te Anau and is based in Oregon, while Andy is engaged fulltime organising MAGNificent from his Te Anau home.

Sue Fea is a senior journalist with more than 40-years experience covering police, social and general news in the southern regions.