The Prospector MTB Stage Race event

The Prospector is a new race to the New Zealand to the New Zealand mountain bike scene. Created by Alexandra locals James Williamson and Phil Oliver, the race is “designed by mountain bikers for mountain bikers”. Central Otago has a rich gold mining history, with many of the routes and trails in the hills formed as they hunted gold. Now 100 years later the hills are thriving again with the trails repurposed for two-wheeled use

A multi-stage race over three days, The Prospector will be raced by riders in teams of two, where the teams with the lowest overall time will be crowned race champions. The courses will challenge riders in many ways, with a large amount of technical grade 3 & 4 single track on offer, skillful riders will be well rewarded however there is no also hiding on the many climbs, with nearly 4000m total elevation gain in the event.

The race is based in Alexandra for the three days, the stages take place in the hills surrounding the town with the start finishes a 10min drive or short ride from the township. Once riders have completed the stages they can relax and enjoy the many great spots around town to re-hydrate and refuel, or even take on a leisurely recovery ride with the family on some of the world famous cycle trails.

After launching Prospector in 2021 with a bang, 2022 followed it up with a bigger field, just as much action and good times all round. We cant wait to see the action unfold once again in 2023!!