Luke Corson ( KTM 300 EXC ), from Whitecliffs , west of Christchurch , and Tokoroa ’ s Jake Wightman ( KTM 300 EXC ) rounded out the top five . However , that finishers tally of 59 was from the 160 riders who lined up to start this time around , so it still means more than 100 individuals missed the cut-off and were declared “ nonfinishers ”. Therefore , although it was supposedly “ fractionally easier ” this year , most individuals who entered still could not finish . “ The first half of this 67-kilometre race wasn ’ t too demanding , but it got progressively harder after that . The riders raced the course twice and we made seven changes between laps one and two , just to lift the degree of difficulty . “ It really put the riders through the wringer . It was something to be proud of just to finish this race . “ Last year ’ s winner ( Wainuiomata ’ s Jake Whitaker ) took two hours and 43 minutes to finish the event ( with each lap 70 kilometres long ), but Yeoman took just two hours and 21
seconds this year , possibly because the terrain was so much drier and the course was a fraction shorter . “ But no matter how hard we set the course , we can ’ t really make it any harder . It ’ s a testimony , I suppose , to just how high the rider skill level has now become .” Birch was winner of the inaugural NWIH event in 2010 , the only individual to finish unaided , in a time of three hours and 12 minutes . Hokianga ’ s Mitchell Neild was two hours behind in second place . Event organiser Clarke is a multi-time former New Zealand champion and a four-time medallist at the “ Olympic Games of enduro racing ”, the International Six Days Enduro , so he knows first-hand what it takes to win at the ultimate level of the sport . The event was jointly sponsored by Husqvarna motorcycles , Forbes and Davies accessory distributors , O ’ Neal apparel , Maxima oils , Arai helmets , Ogio bags , Blur , Maxi Grip , Kiwi Rider Magazine , Muck-Off , Metzeler tyres , USWE and SATCO logging attachments .
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