Whakatane Olympian mountain biker Karen Hanlan is hoping for better weather as she competes in the Motu 160 to retain her championship title.

She says it was pretty windy when she competed last year.

Whakatane Olympian Karen Hanlen.

'I'm just aiming to get to the finish line as it will be my first event after the world champs.”

Scheduled for October 12, the Motu 160 is a sister event to the Motu Challenge, regarded as among the country's premier multi-sport events.

The race consists of a tough 65km mountain bike stage, with riders transitioning to road bikes in the village of Motu for a 90km haul back to Opotiki.

Last year's event was hit by a ‘weather bomb', with high winds, heavy rain and cold making the race that much tougher for all contestants.

Hanlan, who is a part-time physiotherapist, mother of two and world-class mountain bike racer, says it's difficult to compete against other who are fulltime athletes.

'I'm fortunate to have a brilliant support crew to help me.

'I also have coach Evan McRae by my side and support from High Performance Sport NZ.”

Hanlan is in the process of preparing for the Mountain Bike World Championships to be held in August.

Despite this, she manages to work three days a week, plus spend 20 hours in the saddle in addition to weight training and practicing and teaching Pilates.

'To compete on a world class level you need to be super-fit as well as technically sound – you need to have the whole package.

'I train every day and three times a week I'm out on the road with the local cycling club, which includes speed races. You just have to get out and do long rides and put in the miles.”