DAYS 5 & 6 : The Finals
Ed Masters & Emma Olofsson take the overall wins
120 happy riders take home lifetime memories
In what will be remembered as one of the tightest contests in the event’s history (yes, 3 years is history !), Masters secured the overall win by just 18 seconds after more than 2 hours and 30 minutes of cumulative stage racing throughout the week. The margin underlines the intensity of the duel, with the lead changing hands and pressure mounting across every stage.
To put this into perspective, the total racing time across the NZ MTB Rally rivals the cumulative timed efforts that elite riders face over multiple rounds of an Enduro World Cup season—yet here, it was condensed into a single unforgettable week. That such a small gap separated the top two riders after this volume of racing highlights the exceptional level of competition.
Last year’s winner Sam Blenkinsop finished behind Masters, with newcomer Dylan Crane hanging onto third place ahead of GMBN’s Rich Payne, in spite of a nasty crash on Day 5.
In the women’s field, Emma Olofsson made her strong debut into Enduro racing, swapping the freeride podiums at Crankworx for the top step at NZ MTB Rally, behind Gabrielle Newman and Katie Flower.
However, this race is most certainly not all about the Pros; with the vast majority of finishers clear in their assessment that indeed this is, in reality, just an epic package-holiday, disguised as a race. Indeed, 25% of the field this year took the Rally-Tour option which involves riding the same course as the racers – but without the pressure of wearing a timing chip.
We’ve shared such an amazing week together, riding some of the best trails in the world... I’ve travelled a lot, and the Nelson trails truly stack up worldwide. It was pretty intense to share that with all these legends... Such an epic week...
DAY 5
HELI BIKE
WAKAMARINA
HELI DROP into NZ Backountry
3 stages // -1350m // +475m
After a week packed with adventure, the NZ MTB Rally 2026 saved its most iconic experiences for the grand finale. A remote helicopter drop into the legendary Wakamarina Trail set the tone for Day 5, before riders rolled into Nelson for one last day of racing, riding and celebration.
This is the day everyone was expecting, and it was even better than expected
Heli-Yeah!
Into the Wild Wakamarina
If there’s one day riders had been talking about since the start of the week, this was it.
Day 5 began with the unmistakable sound of rotor blades echoing through the valley as helicopters lifted riders high above the Marlborough backcountry. 5 by 5, small groups were dropped onto a remote ridgeline at the entrance of the Wakamarina Trail, one of New Zealand’s most iconic backcountry rides.
No Extended course today, it’s only one way in, one way out, same rule for everyone!
After a short but intense flight over rugged peaks and deep canyons, buffeted by gusts of wind, every rider had already taken their daily adrenaline hit — and they hadn’t even touched the pedals yet!
Proper Kiwi Adventure
This heli-drop stage is one of the signatures of the NZ MTB Rally — the kind of experience that instantly sets the tone for a very different day on the bike. Within seconds of landing, riders clipped in and rolled straight into a remote back-country environment, far from roads and even further from anything resembling a bike park.
This stage isn’t just a ride—it’s a journey back in time, tracing the paths carved by miners during one of New Zealand’s most dramatic gold rushes in 1864. Thousands of hopeful prospectors once surged into this steep, wild valley, building temporary towns, rough roads, and packhorse tracks, all in search of fortune. Today, those same tracks form a mountain biking paradise, seemingly frozen in time.
Unlike modern bike parks with purpose-built berms and jumps, Wakamarina offers pure trail reading: roots, loam, and natural flow dictate every line.
Pure wilderness
The Wakamarina is not just about speed — it’s about rhythm and reading the trail. The terrain constantly changes, demanding focus while rewarding riders with kilometre after kilometre of raw, natural singletrack.
Dropping-in to the first stage of the day and which started directly out of the helicopter. Insane scenes indeed: the stoke at the start-line today was off the scale!
Stage 1 was fast, and full of cornflakes. Raced blind (as per all all NZ RALLY Stages) it was mostly a test of who’s prepared to simply open the taps and hang on for the wild white-knuckle ride.
The liaison between SP1 and SP2 was one of the hardest of the week, requiring racers to push or on occasion, carry their bike. Definitely not the best day to “enjoy” an E-bike ! But the effort was well worth the reward, given the treasures yet to be revealed on the next two stages.
That was definitely one of those days, that put a smile on your face for a long time !
Ed Masters widens the gap on Day 5.
On the leaderboard, Ed Masters set the day’s fastest time with 21:22sc total (quite short compare to other days, but pretty intense!), 10sc ahead of Sam Blenkinsop.
Unfortunately, Dylan Crane had two crashes, including a fairly serious one that cost him 1 minute 20 seconds, but he still holds third place overall.
In the women’s race, Emma claimed the day’s victory, far ahead of her competitors.
My favourite thing about the NZ MTB RALLY is the diversity of people who are here racing, you got everything from top end pros to people who've never been racing before...!
DAY 6
NELSON
Racing Right out of the City Centre
5 stages // 36km // -2350m // +1400m
Trails from the Front Door
Final day, and we’re back in Nelson City — proving you don’t need to drive for hours to ride world-class trails. After brekkie, the whole crew rolled straight from The Rutherford Hotel out of town and into the Maitai valley, to reach all the official trails that make Nelson one of the best spots to throw a leg over a bike.
They were also joined by 30 “Wild-card” local riders invited only for this last day to add some spice along with a few Nelsonian ‘Yeah-Boi’s’ to round off the week.
There are few major cities in the world where you can find such a network of mountain biking trails for all levels, including very challenging ones, just a couple of pedal strokes from the city center! Nelson is one of them, if not the best !
Rolling straight out of town, riders dropped into five mint stages that showed off exactly why Nelson’s such a legendary spot to ride. From the loose and fast “Koata Fireball” to the grunty “Sneaking Ridge” and the all-out blast of “Hotbox” to finish, it was a full send kind of day.
More than just racing, the day was a reminder of what makes riding here so special. The trails don’t just magically exist—there’s a lot going on behind the scenes, with iwi like Ngāti Koata, local crews, and legends like the Nelson MTB Club all playing their part to keep things running sweet.
Emma Oloffson living her best life on the Nelson trail — proper different from what she’s used to riding. From massive bike-park drops to tight, sketchy singletrack, Emma showed she can absolutely send it no matter what the trail throws at her!
After regrouping and refueling, riders faced the final two epic descents of the rally. The legendary Te Ara Koa, New Zealand’s longest dedicated mountain bike trail, provided a thrilling mix of technical features, tight corners, and fast, flowy sections. The trail’s natural terrain kept riders engaged, with marked lines ensuring a safe but exhilarating ride to the valley below. To cap off the week, riders tackled Hotbox, a freshly refurbished classic, blending rooty, hand-cut sections with newly sculpted machine-built corners, making for an exciting final stage.
The top 3 finish in style—party train mode—putting on a show in the final Heckle Zone!
25 ‘Wild Card’ entries were granted by the organizers for the final day of the Rally, allowing game-contest winners, local riders, and even some dedicated volunteers to experience the event as racers for this ultimate day of the week. And some of them were fast—really fast! Six of the top ten times of the day were set by Wild Card riders, including the second-fastest of the day : Lenny ! Was it the advantage of local trail knowledge or the freshness of not having raced all week? Anyway, good job showing the pro riders how it’s done in Nelson 
The event wrapped up with big party, split between great dinner, award ceremony, storytelling, and celebration, marking the end of a truly extraordinary week of mountain biking.
AND THE WINNERS ARE....
WOMEN - EXTENDED COURSE
Emma Oloffson dominated the Open Female category, taking the overall win with a total time of 3:29:38, showing incredible consistency across all six days. Gabrielle Newman secured second place at 3:33:38, while Katie Flower completed the podium in third with 3:53:37. Emma’s performance was particularly impressive, with multiple stage wins highlighting her speed and technical skill on the diverse New Zealand trails.
Extended course
1st place: Emma Oloffson
2nd place: Gabrielle Newman
3rd place: Katie Flower
Regular Course
1st place: Jackie Joyce
2nd place: Tiarna Crichton
3rd place: Andrea Borst
MEN - EXTENDED COURSE
Edward Masters locked in the win with a consistently sharp performance across all six days, finishing with a total time of 2:37:41 and taking multiple stage victories along the way. Sam Blenkinsop pushed hard all week to secure second overall, just 18 seconds back, while Dylan Crane rounded out the podium in third after a solid and steady campaign. The battle for the top five stayed tight, with Richard Payne and Andrew Godfrey completing the standings after a demanding week of racing.
And a huge shoutout to the “Open Extended Course” (excluding Elite category) Winners, Andrew Godfrey, Max Brau & Tommy Pastalka
REGULAR COURSE WINNERS :
1st Maciej Wence 2nd Matthew Rees 3rd Michal Pietrzyk
1st: Jackie Joyce 2nd: Tiarna Crichton 3rd: Andrea Borst
See you next year?
The NZ MTB Rally is more than just a race—it’s an adventure, a journey, and a celebration of mountain biking. Over the past six days, riders from around the world have pushed their limits, forged new friendships, and experienced some of the best trails New Zealand has to offer. The final evening was a time to reflect, with a closing ceremony filled with laughter, stories, and well-earned cheers for everyone who took part.
With 3rd edition now in the books, one thing is certain—the NZ MTB Rally continues to set the standard for multi-day mountain biking events. Until next time, keep riding, keep exploring, and keep the adventure alive, and we’ll see you on the trails again soon.
BREAKING NEWS – NZ MTB Rally organisers will be offering tour packages in 2027 following the same itinerary as the Race, but in a relaxed, non-raced, fully-supported format. Options to join the adventure will be available for both individuals and groups, with limited dates in February and April 2027. Check out the website for more info or to sign up for the newsletter below.
Photos : ©Mikhail Huggins
