As the Kathmandu Coast to Coast competitors undertake their epic, 243km multisport journey from Kumara beach to New Brighton this Friday and Saturday, Subaru will be providing the ultimate support crew.
Three Coast to Coast-branded Subaru SUVs – the Outback, XV and Forester – will be doing off-road duties, transporting the race’s lead and tail drivers from the South Island’s West Coast to the East Coast.
Subaru of New Zealand Managing Director Wallis Dumper says the Subarus are a perfect fit for this iconic New Zealand race.
“Subaru is a brand that is all about adventure and enabling Kiwis to access the great outdoors. We expect that our company’s branded cars will be just three of many privately-owned Subaru support vehicles out on course moving bikes, kayaks and running gear for the competitors,” Mr Dumper says.
“As our entire range is All-Wheel Drive, Subaru provides confidence off-road, or when conditions get slippery, which makes them an obvious choice for Coast to Coast with its river bed and gravel road access areas.”
Subaru Brand Ambassador Braden Currie will have his team driving his Outback, as they assist him on Saturday in his bid for a fourth Kathmandu Coast to Coast title.
Wanaka-based Currie, who recently won the two-day, Red Bull Defiance in a two-man team; set a new winner’s record in the Port of Tauranga Half in January and won the IRONMAN 70.3 Taupo in December, says he believes Subaru is the “ultimate multisport vehicle.”
“Just as the Kathmandu Coast to Coast’s longest day has the reputation as New Zealand’s toughest single-day event, Subaru’s are known as the perfect vehicle to transport multi-sporters to their off-the-beaten-track training grounds and races,” Currie says.
After a year off racing the Kathmandu Coast to Coast, which he won for three consecutive years from 2012 to 2015, Currie joins a longest day World Championship field that is shaping up as the most competitive ever in the event’s 33 year history.
He will be battling it out with last year’s winner Sam Clark, Australian multi-sport athlete Alex Hunt who was third last year, Whakatane’s Daniel Jones, two-time Australian Olympian Courtney Atkinson and a number of other strong athletes that include Sam Goodall, Andrew Sclater and Sam Manson.
Currie is confident he has what it takes to edge them all out after around 11 hours of racing on Saturday.
“Knowledge of the course and knowledge of how to race it and how to win it,” he says.
Event director Richard Ussher says: “The Kathmandu Coast to Coast is proud to have Subaru NZ on board, to support with vehicles for the 2017 event. Subarus are true multi-discipline vehicles - much like our competitors in the race."
CAPTIONS: Subaru of New Zealand is the official vehicle supplier to the Kathmandu Coast to Coast and these three branded Subaru SUV models will be seen out and about on the Kumara beach to New Brighton course on Friday and Saturday.
Subaru Brand Ambassador Braden Currie with his Subaru Outback, which will be supporting him on Saturday’s longest day, in his quest for a fourth Kathmandu Coast to Coast title. PHOTOS FREE FOR EDITORIAL USE.
Follow Subaru Brand Ambassador Braden Currie at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/multisportbradencurrie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradenCurrie
Web: www.bradencurrie.com