The Finnish team (Team North Pole Expedition) was the first to be disqualified, due to an injury. Dr. Adrian Cohen said that Panu Kanniainen, a police officer from Helsinki, turned his right ankle on a rock while traveling between PCs 4 and 5 on the scree slope. The team called for assistance on their radio and Thunderbird Team 3, positioned at the top of the mountain, rescued Kanniainen. He was helicoptered to Glentanner Field Hospital where he was treated and diagnosed with a Grade II external, collateral ligament rupture. He has been sent to Queenstown for a precautionary X-ray, and his team is continuing on the course unranked.

	...His foot got caught in a stirrup and the horse ran off... and eventually the team was able to catch up the wayward horse..
	PHOTO GALLERY   (1 Photo)

Team Deloitte Consulting had a close call during the horse leg. "We got really lucky," said team member Maureen Monaghan. One of our horses wouldn't cross water, so when we got to a river, Eddie (Freyer) had to dismount. His foot got caught in a stirrup and the horse ran off. Eddie wasn't hurt, and eventually the team was able to catch up the wayward horse." When asked to compare this year's race to last year's, team member Monaghan said, "It's a bit too early in the race for me to compare the two. But I can say that so far I'm enjoying this year's race quite a bit more. The flora and fauna here are not as intense and the climate has been quite nice so far. But we could still get nailed."

Team Hong Kong, one of several teams not to have checked into PC4 by this afternoon, got disoriented in the fog and had trouble finding the checkpoint. They reportedly called in, however they didn't request help and are still moving forward. The first race cutoff is at PC4 at 4PM today. As of 3PM's unofficial rankings, Hong Kong's team was still in the running.

The Kiwi team PureNZ.com came into PC8 shortly before midnight last night. Team Captain Neil Jones said, "It was a beautiful day. We had a fantastic view of Mount Cook." When asked to comment on the scree slope the team had to travel down, Jones said, "It wasn't big enough for us - we're hoping for bigger ahead."

Team AXN East Wind arrived at PC8 looking drained and exhausted. They hadn't gotten any sleep. Captain Masato Tanaka carried two bags for some distance to help out a fellow team member who was tired. At PC8, the team decided to carry on, but planned to get some sleep on the raft.

Team Seagate, in tenth place as of 3PM today, entered PC8 looking strong and ready to move forward. The most challenging aspect of the course for the team was in the alpine portion, where they completed eight hours of bouldering - something not terribly difficult, but extremely tedious. Otherwise, Team Seagate found the course to be very straightforward, with well-marked trails. Said Captain David Kelly, "We're not full-time, professional racers. Our goal is to come here and simply race. This is my seventh Eco-Challenge, and that's always been my goal. The opportunity to come here and race against the world's top athletes, semi-professional, and semi-amateur racers means a lot to me." Team Seagate spent 10 minutes at PC8 preparing for what, at an estimated travel time of four hours in windless conditions, looks to be a challenging water leg."

The lead teams used the enforced dark zone to catch some sleep. Teams Red Bull, Gisborne and Subaru Outback each spent a few hours at PC8 resting, while the leaders got comfortable on the beach near the raft put-in. Salomon Eco-Internet found rest in a hut somewhere between PC7 and 8.

The lead teams breezed through PC9, most spending less than five minutes to check in and out. There were questions about water gear, as to whether or not teams had to wear them while in the rafts, or simply carry it with them. Isaac Wilson of Team Earthlink commented on the warmth of the day as their team stripped down for comfort. Team Salomon Eco-Internet got out and ran with their boat lining for approximately 20km before beginning paddling, as did team Red Bull/ Playstation.

American teams Pearl Izumi, Earthlink, and Salomon Eco-Internet simultaneously prepared for the next mountaineering leg at Boundary Stream (PC10). Racers Ian Adamson and Patrick Harper mentally labored over their respective maps in the tent, while their teammates and the members of Earthlink repacked food supplies and gear. Although Pearl Izumi kept their lead at the PC departure, Eco-Internet took closely to their heels, edging ahead of previous leaders, Earthlink. Mark Burnett described this upcoming mountaineering leg as "massive" and "epic."

At PC10, leader PureNZ was met with a warm welcome by local friends and family. Team member Jeff Mitchell's mother waited on the bench, waving a large flag as he arrived. Although captained by Neil Jones, the Kiwis responded to Kathy Lynch's drill-seargeant encouragement techniques and were able to get in and out of the PC with their new maps in under an hour.

—Courtesy, EcoChallenge.com