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Ussher Heads Strong Field for XTERRA New Zealand Championship - April 9th

2009 XTERRA New Zealand Champion and World Adventure Racing Champion, Richard Ussher leads a strong men’s field at this year’s Paymark XTERRA Rotorua Festival on April 9, 2011.

The XTERRA Rotorua Festival takes place on the shores of the Blue Lake in Rotorua, a stunning setting for the 2000-strong field of entrants.

Event options include an 11km or 21km walk or run, a 29km mountain bike or an individual or team triathlon.

XTERRA New Zealand is considered the world's largest single day XTERRA off-road triathlon festival and has seen close to 20,000 people take part over its nine year history.

It is not only the qualification for the World XTERRA World Championships in Maui this year that attracts Ussher back to this event, as he explains.

“I just love coming back to this race, the whole event just has a great feeling about it, great course, great people involved and its very laid back. Plus some good racing, it always seems to be close at the front which is great for racers and spectators alike.”

And this year won’t be any different when it comes to close, fast racing.

Hoping to upset this powerhouse of multisport racing will be defending champion Scott Thorne as well as multiple podium place getter, Mark Leishman and Australian triathlete, Ben Allen.

Thorne comes to the race with a full complement of medals and will be looking for nothing less than another gold to add to that collection.

Leishman and Thorne will start with the most experience over the course having been racing here since 2005. In contrast Ben Allen (Australia) will be on the start line with no course experience but with international XTERRA credentials. Allen placed 5th at XTERRA Switzerland in 2010 and this year wants to qualify for the XTERRA World Championships.

The women’s field will also have an Australian influence with Melissa Vandewater, who comes to the race in great form and in five year history of impressive results in the sport of triathlon including a 2011 win at the prestigious Gatorade Triathlon Series in Melbourne.

She will be taking on the Kiwi girls, who between just two of them have nine XTERRA Rotorua podium medals between them.

Sonia Foote is XTERRA Rotorua’s most frequent visitor to the dais, having won six medals over the events nine year history. While Susan Wood will be aiming for an illusive gold medal to add to her two silver and one bronze medal already won.

The scene is set for some great racing at an incredibly stunning venue, check out images and results at www.xterranz.com.