The Orion Health GODZone Adventure race got off to a magical start this morning in Milford Sound. 31 teams of four lined up out in the Sound under the Bridal Veil Falls, where the race was started at 6.35am by race patron and nine time Coast to Coast winner Steve Gurney.

”It was a mass of headlamps and glow sticks lighting up the shoreline and quite magical," says co race director Adam Fairmaid. "Teams had an early start at 3.45am when they were transported out into the Sound by Real Journeys vessel, the Milford Haven and then Mariner Tender boats to the Bridal Veil Falls."

Leading New Zealand teams quickly made short work of the 8km paddle with Team Subway and Team Seagate neck and neck into the first transition area with just a minute between them. 

A lightning fast transition saw these teams onto their bikes and heading up the Milford Rd towards the Homer Tunnel. Back in the mid field, teams experienced the highlight of a pod of Bottle nose dolphins that splashed and flipped around their boats.

Co race director Warren Bates says the teams are blazing through the first day of the six day event and are currently ahead of projected race times by 20 - 30 minutes. Tonight the teams will head into their first night with a 54km trek over the Dunton Mountain Range just outside of Te Anau.

Teams are travelling with a satellite navigational tracking device with live coverage on line.

First teams are expected across the finish line on Thursday in Queenstown but racers have until 2pm on Saturday to complete the course.

Photos / story courtesy of Orion Health GODZone Adventure race.