We don’t want to dive too deep into the details (but if you’re interested you can read this incredibly long article HERE), but essentially Mystic Park has changed. For them to continue to run the bike park they needed much more income to be able to pay contractors and administration to support the enormous growth in popularity the Park has seen in the past couple years. In 2022 they introduced a new membership model for bike riders and in 2023 (just before the Buffalo Stampede) they introduced an on foot membership model.

To use the Park and its amazing trails, it would now cost a small price. For runners, that is $5 per day or $20 per year. To purchase this pass, you need to use the HIVEPASS app, which is software developed in NZ for MTB Parks to be able to introduce membership models. 

If you are racing the 10k, 20k or 100k you will be passing through the Park in your race. You will have to purchase a day pass for the day you are racing. Technically, anyone who wishes to spectate in the Park or maybe go for a run or hike while their friend is racing, will also need to purchase a pass. 

Why are we using the Park? We did consider shifting the courses to not include the Park, however this was simply too big of a compromise. The courses would not be as epic, and to not run through some of the country’s BEST trails at Bright’s doorstep would be foolish. 

We have also worked with Mystic Park closely to minimise our impact in the park. We now only pass through the Park in very unpopular riding Hours: after 6 pm on Friday Night; and before 8:30 am Saturday Morning. 

This is actually the main reason for the loss of the infamous Mick’s Track in 2024. We had to swap the direction of the 20k and 100k in order to run it through Mystic Park first thing in the morning. This meant that climbing Mick’s track late in the race wasn’t possible as it would leave runners passing through Mystic for many hours into late Saturday night and Sunday morning. Same reason Mick’s Track was left out of the Marathon course, so that runners weren’t running through the Park all of Sunday. 

We understand that that is what has always happened, but for the last two years it hasn’t been safe quite frankly and with both the bike park and Buffalo Stampede rapidly growing in popularity, something had to change. 

If you plan to be in the area for a while or make other trips throughout the year, you may want to purchase the yearly pass, or even the yearly Bike Pass if you plan to ride the trails in the Park as well. 

Side Note: We did ask if we could simply add the price of this onto each runner's ticket fee and pay them ourselves. However, they want everyone to have the app and to read and sign the waiver to cover them. They said they want everyone to pay through the app. We apologize about the inconvenience, we know it’s a little annoying. 

Finally, we want to say that this money isn’t just going nowhere and being lost in trivial administration tasks. Since the inception of the Membership model, the Park has undergone dramatic changes for the better. The trails are remarkably well maintained now, and there are new trails opening up all the time. 

Please head to the Mystic Park Page HERE, which explains the HIVEPASS process.