Dare2Sweat Events brings over 20 years of event management experience and the development of crucial relationships with regional stakeholders, sponsors, contractors and competitors that together provide integral facets required in delivering a successful event. This of course requires a significant level of commitment and many hours of work to deliver events of such a high standard and with an impeccable safety record. 

Dare 2 Sweat Events (D2SE) comprises a small but highly-skilled and professional team of passionate outdoor adventure lovers working together to deliver the best quality outdoor events on the NZ calendar.

Formally established by Neil Gellatly in 2004, D2SE’s first event was the challenging Mighty Waiau River Race that attracted a mere 35 entrants in its first year. Building on Neil’s long and successful multisport career, and experience as an athlete himself, under Neil’s directorship the company has a strong focus on detail, execution, relationships, and return for participants and sponsors. On any given day he might be exploring new course locations, submitting permits, negotiating sponsorships, brainstorming ideas and problem solving, or getting his hand’s dirty loading/unloading trailers and course setting – and loving every minute.

Neil’s wife Katrine is a professional Graphic Designer and Enviromental Sustainability Consultant. Kat provides the creative flair behind the professional branding of all D2SE events, custom signage and merchandising. Kat enjoys the problem-solving aspect of design and constant pursuit of a lower event footprint, often useing the great outdoors as her inspiration, often coming up with her best ideas in the middle of a trail run or ride.

With years of on the job event experience and a mountain of passion for her work, Kezia has been an integral cog in the operations and marketing of the event company from mid-2018. 

Finally, joining the team in 2020, Debbie brings a wealth of adventure racing experience and management skills. With a love for the sport and tonne of physical and mental strength, Debbie’s unsurpassed appetite for adventure and stamina on the job makes her the perfect event manager.

Such has been the rapid success of the Spirited Women – All Women’s Adventure Race (growing to a staggering capped 2000 entrants in 2023), organizing this major national event twice a year (once in the North Island & once in the South Island) now consumes the entire D2SE calendar year. Evolving through the events the company has run over the past 20 years, D2SE continues to be innovative in its delivery of their events on the NZ adventure calendar. What surprises have they in store next? … You will have to enter to see…!