How would you spend your 25th wedding anniversary?
US couple travelling halfway around the world to compete as tandem team
Most couples celebrate 25 years of marriage with gifts, a dinner, or a quiet getaway.
Kristen and Alexis Frederick-Frost from Maryland, USA, have chosen something a little different: travelling 14,000 km to New Zealand to compete in the iconic Kathmandu Coast to Coast, their first-ever endurance race.
The couple will compete in the two‑day event as a tandem, staying together for every stage of the 243 km event. Which is set to take place on 13th and 14th of February.
“We wanted to be together on Valentine’s Day. Not on opposite sides of a mountain.”
The pair first discovered the Kathmandu Coast to Coast while visiting Aotearoa for their 15th wedding anniversary.
A decade later, they’re returning to honour a promise they made to each other: “One day, we’ll come back and do that race.”
But the journey to the start line has been far from straightforward.
Just a few months into their training, Alexis suffered a serious cycling accident, breaking his collarbone in multiple places and requiring a titanium plate.
“It was a pretty bad break. For a while, I couldn’t run, couldn’t train, I basically just sat in a chair and waited for my bones to heal. We genuinely didn’t know if I’d be able to race at all,” Alexis said.
Kristen continued training while Alexis recovered, supported by their local whitewater kayaking community.
“Kristen did everything. She found people to paddle with so she could keep learning. It turned a negative situation into something positive for her, but we really didn’t know if we’d be able to do the race together.”
Alexis was only cleared to complete his mandatory river certification a few weeks before the water became too cold.
“It was right down to the wire, but we always wanted to do this as a team,” Kristen said.
Although their family and friends can’t support them from the sidelines in New Zealand, the couple say they’ll be carrying them through the race.
“Everyone back home has contributed something. A rain jacket, rain pants, gear that we’ll have with us in our packs. It feels like we’re carrying our family with us through the mountains and river.
“We kept it quiet for a while, but once we finally told people what we were doing, the support was amazing.”
Because they live just outside Washington D.C., training for the rugged Goat Pass terrain hasn’t been easy.
“We don’t have anything like that here. We’ve done a lot of trail running along the Potomac River, but nothing close to what we’ll see on race day”, Alexis said.
The kayaking section is both the part they’re most nervous about and most excited for.
“We've spent the year learning whitewater paddling. It’s opened up a whole part of our environment we’d never really explored before,” Kristen said.
Alongside the race, the trip marks a milestone anniversary and a chance to revisit the country they fell in love with ten years ago.
“New Zealand is our happy place. We’ve travelled a lot, but Aotearoa is special. We’ve been looking forward to coming back for years,” Kristen said.
As for their secret to 25 successful years together?
“Open communication, and finding new ways to have fun together,” said Kristen.
“And if you’re going to bet on something, bet on yourselves” added Alexis.
Kristen and Alexis are not the only ones celebrating a milestone at this year’s event. February 2026 will celebrate ten years of the Kathmandu Coast to Coast collaboration, a partnership that has played a key role in transforming the event.
