Taupiri-based adventurer Shane Riley has won a coveted sold-out entry into the 2026 Kathmandu Coast to Coast, thanks to a special Trade Me charity auction raising funds for the Backcountry Trust.

The winning bid secures Riley a place in the iconic multisport event—and marks the beginning of a new chapter, as he and his wife Vicky will take on the race together in February for the first time as a two-day tandem team.

Shane and Vicky, both 50, are longtime fans of the Kathmandu Coast to Coast, having each competed before—Vicky twice, and Shane once. But 2026 will be their first time racing side by side, making this entry win particularly meaningful.

“We’ve both done it solo, but taking it on together as a team brings a whole new sense of purpose and excitement,” says Shane.

“We love a good challenge—and sharing this one makes it even better.”

Demand for the event has sky rocketed in recent years with organisers forced to introduce a ballot system for entries which have constantly sold out within a matter of hours over the last several years.



“We were 181 on the waitlist and it started to feel like the chances of getting through were getting a bit slim,” says Riley.

“As soon the auction went live, everyone in my training group was pinging me the link and egging me on.”

The proceeds from Shane’s winning bid will go to the Backcountry Trust, which restores and maintains remote huts and tracks across Aotearoa.

Race director Glen Currie says the idea for the auction came about after he met a group of volunteers working on the Mingha Biv in Arthers Pass National Park.

“It was cold and drizzly and I had a cup of tea with the guys doing the work who described how they are volunteers and their role with BCT, for the rest of the trip down the Mingha Valley I was left brainstorming how we cans support the trust,” says Currie.

“Since then the trust have updated the Deception Valley hut and are currently working on Goat Pass hut. They do an amazing job!”

It’s a sentiment shared by Riley who has followed the the Trust’s works for a while now.

“Their dedication to maintaining huts and tracks in some seriously remote places is incredible,” says Riley.

“They make it possible for people like us to keep exploring and connecting with the land safely. They preserve the stories and the mana of the outdoors. Without them, a lot of these wild places would become inaccessible—or worse, forgotten.”

As regular trail runners and members of “The Coasters,” a 34-strong group of Waikato-based Kathmandu Coast to Coast athletes, the Rileys live and breathe the outdoors.

Their home in Taupiri puts them within easy reach of the bush and mountains, with the Central Plateau—and favourite stop Mangaturuturu Hut—always calling.

Looking ahead to 2026, the couple are not only preparing for the Kathmandu Coast to Coast but also planning a pack-rafting adventure through the Hollyford.

Whether on foot, bike, or water, the common thread is clear: a love for wild places, and a deep respect for the people and organisations who help protect them.