1. Rotorua half-ironman entries close today, Friday 30 November, midnight NZ time. Organiser Shane Hooks says the deadline is final and no exceptions can be made. http://www.half.co.nz/
2. The first NZ half ironman of the season took place last weekend at Lake Hood. David Plew and Kerry Rowley are the South Island Half Ironman Champs for 2007. Website...
3. There is another half ironman on the calendar - called the Southland Half Ironman in Gore on the 26th January.
4. Cameron Brown Ironman training weekend announced
Friday 1 Feb - Sunday 3 Feb, 2008.
http://www.cameronbrown.co.nz/
5. Ironman Western Australia is on Sunday at Busselton, Western Australia.
Live coverage at ironmanlive.com
Friday, 30 November 2007
Monday, 26 November 2007
Aaron Prince blitz’s the Tuatara Peninsula field
Press Release:Bloody Good Events.
26 November 2007.
Some of New Zealand’s leading multisport athletes raced on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th in the annual two day Tuatara Peninsula Race. Over 110 competitors consisting of teams and individuals ran, paddled and mountain biked a total distance of 85km’s from Christchurch to Akaroa.
Day one started with a tough 10km run from Taylors Mistake up to the Summit Road and over into Cass Bay. New Zealand orienteering representative Aaron Price dominated the run and had the lead into the run-kayak transition. Race rival Dick Brunton was hot on his tail. Karen Muller was the first female to arrive into the transition after a convincing lead in the run.
Brunton pulled off a very strong 13.5km kayak leg to move into first place at the end of the stage two. Prince pushed through to the front again in the 18.5km mountain bike ride from Purau up to the Summit Ridge before descending into Little River to the finish line.
At the end of day one the female section was very close with Pam Hewlett only having a 25 seconds advantage over Muller.
Day two dawned and competitors began with a fast 12.5km run from Little River along the Rail Trail to Birdlings Flat where they started their mountain bike stage. This consisted of a long grind up Bossu Road, around Peraki Saddle and down a very steep decline into Wainui. The final stage was the 12.25km paddle up to the Onawe Peninsula, across the Harbour and into Akaroa itself.
Brunton and Prince were neck and neck both taking their share of the lead on these 3 stages. Prince won overall in a time of 7hrs 26min, with Brunton in second place in a time of 7hrs 38min. It was a nail biting finish for the women’s title with Muller coming in first in a time of 9hrs 26min and Hewlett only 27 seconds behind in second place.
In the open men’s team section The Fairy’s consisting of Nathan Peterson and Ryan Kiesanowski were clear favourites particularly after having the fastest overall times for the kayak and mountain bike stages on day one. They won in a speedy time of 7hrs 1min, a convincing lead of 21 minutes from Team One Square Meal.
The first open women’s team to come in was Kiwi Coached Chicks consisting of Bridget Murdoch and Kim Johnston in a time of 9hrs 34min.
Veteran Men’s team Captain Cookers won convincingly, with team member Keith Alderson having the fastest kayak leg on day two by over 5 minutes. Fervent Femmes took out the Veteran Women’s title in 9hrs 54min. Team Character Homes won the corporate section in a time of 7hrs 24min, with the Talbot Turbos 58min’s behind in second place.
Team Canoe & Outdoor World won the Open Mixed division, with Tuatara Terrors taking out the Veteran Mixed title.
For full race results go to www.bloodygoodevents.co.nz
Men
1 Aaron Prince 7hrs 26min
2 Dick Brunton 7hrs 38min
3 Paul Current 7hrs 53min
4 Dane Harris 8hrs 11min
5 Rhys John 8hrs 15min
Women
1 Karen Muller 9hrs 26min 36sec
2 Pam Hewlett 9hrs 26min 57sec
3 Eleanor Wooff 10hrs 26min
4 Ilda Inglis 10hrs 38min
5 Emma de Lacy 10hrs 44min
26 November 2007.
Some of New Zealand’s leading multisport athletes raced on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th in the annual two day Tuatara Peninsula Race. Over 110 competitors consisting of teams and individuals ran, paddled and mountain biked a total distance of 85km’s from Christchurch to Akaroa.
Day one started with a tough 10km run from Taylors Mistake up to the Summit Road and over into Cass Bay. New Zealand orienteering representative Aaron Price dominated the run and had the lead into the run-kayak transition. Race rival Dick Brunton was hot on his tail. Karen Muller was the first female to arrive into the transition after a convincing lead in the run.
Brunton pulled off a very strong 13.5km kayak leg to move into first place at the end of the stage two. Prince pushed through to the front again in the 18.5km mountain bike ride from Purau up to the Summit Ridge before descending into Little River to the finish line.
At the end of day one the female section was very close with Pam Hewlett only having a 25 seconds advantage over Muller.
Day two dawned and competitors began with a fast 12.5km run from Little River along the Rail Trail to Birdlings Flat where they started their mountain bike stage. This consisted of a long grind up Bossu Road, around Peraki Saddle and down a very steep decline into Wainui. The final stage was the 12.25km paddle up to the Onawe Peninsula, across the Harbour and into Akaroa itself.
Brunton and Prince were neck and neck both taking their share of the lead on these 3 stages. Prince won overall in a time of 7hrs 26min, with Brunton in second place in a time of 7hrs 38min. It was a nail biting finish for the women’s title with Muller coming in first in a time of 9hrs 26min and Hewlett only 27 seconds behind in second place.
In the open men’s team section The Fairy’s consisting of Nathan Peterson and Ryan Kiesanowski were clear favourites particularly after having the fastest overall times for the kayak and mountain bike stages on day one. They won in a speedy time of 7hrs 1min, a convincing lead of 21 minutes from Team One Square Meal.
The first open women’s team to come in was Kiwi Coached Chicks consisting of Bridget Murdoch and Kim Johnston in a time of 9hrs 34min.
Veteran Men’s team Captain Cookers won convincingly, with team member Keith Alderson having the fastest kayak leg on day two by over 5 minutes. Fervent Femmes took out the Veteran Women’s title in 9hrs 54min. Team Character Homes won the corporate section in a time of 7hrs 24min, with the Talbot Turbos 58min’s behind in second place.
Team Canoe & Outdoor World won the Open Mixed division, with Tuatara Terrors taking out the Veteran Mixed title.
For full race results go to www.bloodygoodevents.co.nz
Men
1 Aaron Prince 7hrs 26min
2 Dick Brunton 7hrs 38min
3 Paul Current 7hrs 53min
4 Dane Harris 8hrs 11min
5 Rhys John 8hrs 15min
Women
1 Karen Muller 9hrs 26min 36sec
2 Pam Hewlett 9hrs 26min 57sec
3 Eleanor Wooff 10hrs 26min
4 Ilda Inglis 10hrs 38min
5 Emma de Lacy 10hrs 44min
Manawatu Triathlon Club members scoop awards
Kris Gemmell and Tama Christensen claimed the Sportsperson of the Year and Junior Sportsperson titles respectively at Friday night's Manawata Sportsperson of the Year Awards.
Gemmell, 30, is just home from a tough season overseas where he qualified for the Beijing Olympics. He also had three podium finishes on the ITU World Cup series, including a win in Rhodes, and two fourth places.
"I had 10 world cups this year and in six I finished in the top five," he said. "I represent the region because I really love it here and the support here is great. I hope I can give back to them what they have given to me over the last seven years and hopefully we can celebrate next year."
He has trained in the Manawatu for the past two summers and finds it a great place away from distractions allowing him to focus on what he needs to do.
Christensen, 19, also had a great 2007. He won the 18-19 age group title at the World Triathlon Championships in Hamburg, and in an elite level race in Slovenia.
Gemmell, 30, is just home from a tough season overseas where he qualified for the Beijing Olympics. He also had three podium finishes on the ITU World Cup series, including a win in Rhodes, and two fourth places.
"I had 10 world cups this year and in six I finished in the top five," he said. "I represent the region because I really love it here and the support here is great. I hope I can give back to them what they have given to me over the last seven years and hopefully we can celebrate next year."
He has trained in the Manawatu for the past two summers and finds it a great place away from distractions allowing him to focus on what he needs to do.
Christensen, 19, also had a great 2007. He won the 18-19 age group title at the World Triathlon Championships in Hamburg, and in an elite level race in Slovenia.
Friday, 23 November 2007
Takapuna Offers Unique Triathlon Experience
Press Release: Triathlon New Zealand.
22 November 2007.
Triathletes eager for a unique experience are coming out of the woodwork in numbers to compete at round two of the Contact Energy My Sport Series in Takapuna on December 2nd.
For a number of reasons the Triathlon New Zealand organized event is attracting interest from up and down the country, as well as great support from the local North Harbour Tri Club and greater Auckland region.
For one thing the racing takes place in the afternoon and early evening. Age group racing begins at the respectable hour of 2pm with wave starts ensuring all athletes have an uncluttered race course on which to do their best.
Secondly the course will be completely closed to traffic and offer a unique criterium style bike leg. Not only does this afford the athletes the comfort of knowing they will not meet traffic at any point on course but it will make for exciting and technical racing on the ten lap bike course.
Tri NZ Community Development Officer Richard Sceats is coordinating the event with local officials and says the expectation is high for a unique triathlon experience.
"The support we have had from the North Shore City Council has been tremendous; it is with their blessing and assistance that we can offer a completely closed bike course, a rarity in any sporting event these days.
"The retailers and restaurants too have been great in embracing a new and exciting concept in triathlon. To close the main streets down and literally have the finish line in front of Takapuna’s famed café district will be a huge buzz for competitors and spectators alike. This will be a wonderful celebration of our sport but also the vibrant Takapuna city centre."
The afternoon and early evening race schedule is also new to the sport, with events traditionally underway early in the morning. Sceats says the new time zone will make for a more spectator friendly and relaxed environment.
"It gives the sun more chance to shine and will allow family and friends the luxury of a nice meal or coffee at a nearby café or a picnic on the reserve or beach. All of which they can do without losing sight of family or friends as they race. Indeed I’m sure a few of the competitors will be eyeing up the menus for a post race recovery meal!"
That opportunity will be even better at the Belgian Beer Café on Hurstmere Road, the official ‘ASICS Recovery Zone’ for competitors. Ironman champion Jo Lawn will be amongst a group of elite triathletes on hand in ‘The Zone’ to answer any questions from competitors and offer tips on future racing and training.
Race distances are incredibly ‘user friendly’ as the sport looks to encourage back old participants or introduce new ones to Triathlon. The swim leg off Takapuna Beach is a comfortable 500m before a quick 16km over easy terrain on the bike and a quiet 4.65km jog through the Takapuna CBD and beach front reserve to the finish on Hurstmere Road in front of the Belgian Beer Cafe.
Detours will be in place from mid Sunday morning and will be clearly signposted, as will car parking in and around the event. Race maps and course directions are available on line at www.triathlon.org.nz
The race is also draft legal, allowing all competitors to enjoy a unique pack bike ride around the streets of Takapuna. This does however rule out aero bars with bikes having to meet ITU draft legal rules. These are explained again on the website.
Contact Energy my sport Series
Race Two: Takapuna
Date: Sunday 2nd December 2007
Location: The Strand, Takapuna, North Shore City
Races:
Contact Energy Cup Triathlon Age Group Event (Individual Races 1 -4)
500m Swim (1 lap) / 16km Cycle (10 laps) / 4.65km Run (2 ½ laps)
Contact Energy Cup Triathlon Elite Event (Individual Race 5 & 6)
500m Swim (2 laps) / 16km Cycle (10 laps) / 4.65km Run (2 ½ laps)
22 November 2007.
Triathletes eager for a unique experience are coming out of the woodwork in numbers to compete at round two of the Contact Energy My Sport Series in Takapuna on December 2nd.
For a number of reasons the Triathlon New Zealand organized event is attracting interest from up and down the country, as well as great support from the local North Harbour Tri Club and greater Auckland region.
For one thing the racing takes place in the afternoon and early evening. Age group racing begins at the respectable hour of 2pm with wave starts ensuring all athletes have an uncluttered race course on which to do their best.
Secondly the course will be completely closed to traffic and offer a unique criterium style bike leg. Not only does this afford the athletes the comfort of knowing they will not meet traffic at any point on course but it will make for exciting and technical racing on the ten lap bike course.
Tri NZ Community Development Officer Richard Sceats is coordinating the event with local officials and says the expectation is high for a unique triathlon experience.
"The support we have had from the North Shore City Council has been tremendous; it is with their blessing and assistance that we can offer a completely closed bike course, a rarity in any sporting event these days.
"The retailers and restaurants too have been great in embracing a new and exciting concept in triathlon. To close the main streets down and literally have the finish line in front of Takapuna’s famed café district will be a huge buzz for competitors and spectators alike. This will be a wonderful celebration of our sport but also the vibrant Takapuna city centre."
The afternoon and early evening race schedule is also new to the sport, with events traditionally underway early in the morning. Sceats says the new time zone will make for a more spectator friendly and relaxed environment.
"It gives the sun more chance to shine and will allow family and friends the luxury of a nice meal or coffee at a nearby café or a picnic on the reserve or beach. All of which they can do without losing sight of family or friends as they race. Indeed I’m sure a few of the competitors will be eyeing up the menus for a post race recovery meal!"
That opportunity will be even better at the Belgian Beer Café on Hurstmere Road, the official ‘ASICS Recovery Zone’ for competitors. Ironman champion Jo Lawn will be amongst a group of elite triathletes on hand in ‘The Zone’ to answer any questions from competitors and offer tips on future racing and training.
Race distances are incredibly ‘user friendly’ as the sport looks to encourage back old participants or introduce new ones to Triathlon. The swim leg off Takapuna Beach is a comfortable 500m before a quick 16km over easy terrain on the bike and a quiet 4.65km jog through the Takapuna CBD and beach front reserve to the finish on Hurstmere Road in front of the Belgian Beer Cafe.
Detours will be in place from mid Sunday morning and will be clearly signposted, as will car parking in and around the event. Race maps and course directions are available on line at www.triathlon.org.nz
The race is also draft legal, allowing all competitors to enjoy a unique pack bike ride around the streets of Takapuna. This does however rule out aero bars with bikes having to meet ITU draft legal rules. These are explained again on the website.
Contact Energy my sport Series
Race Two: Takapuna
Date: Sunday 2nd December 2007
Location: The Strand, Takapuna, North Shore City
Races:
Contact Energy Cup Triathlon Age Group Event (Individual Races 1 -4)
500m Swim (1 lap) / 16km Cycle (10 laps) / 4.65km Run (2 ½ laps)
Contact Energy Cup Triathlon Elite Event (Individual Race 5 & 6)
500m Swim (2 laps) / 16km Cycle (10 laps) / 4.65km Run (2 ½ laps)
Thursday, 22 November 2007
Top athletes race Christchurch to Akaroa
Press Release: Bloody Good Events.
21st November 2007.
A top class field of athletes will be racing this weekend (24th & 25th November) in the annual Tuatara Peninsula Race. All eyes will be on Aaron Prince, who is a New Zealand Orienteering representative and has been a top ten place getter in the Coast to Coast over the last few years. Dick Brunton from Christchurch will be challenging Prince. Sia Svendsen from Sweden is the strong favourite to dominate the women’s section.
Multisport enthusiasts will run, paddle and mountain bike from Christchurch to Akaroa via the crater rim, along the summit ridge and across the harbours and peninsulas. Covering a distance of 85kms over the two days of adventure, competitors will also get to enjoy great views of the Southern Alps, Canterbury Plains and Banks Peninsula.
Day One begins with a 10km run from Taylors Mistake up to the Summit Road and over into Cass Bay. From here there is a 13.5km kayak to Purau via Governors Bay. Then it’s onto the mountain bike for the last stage of the day, from Purau along the Summit Ridge 18.5km to Little River.
Competitors will start Day Two with a 12.5km run from Little River to Birdlings Flat. Then it’s back on their mountain bikes to make their way up to the Summit Ridge and down into Wainui. They will then kayak the final 12kms passing the historically important Onawe Peninsula. After crossing to the other side of the harbour and heading back to Akaroa there is a final sprint to the finish chute located on the Village Green near the waterfront.
The Tuatara Peninsula Race is organised by Bloody Good Events and has a large number of individual and teams entered this year.
21st November 2007.
A top class field of athletes will be racing this weekend (24th & 25th November) in the annual Tuatara Peninsula Race. All eyes will be on Aaron Prince, who is a New Zealand Orienteering representative and has been a top ten place getter in the Coast to Coast over the last few years. Dick Brunton from Christchurch will be challenging Prince. Sia Svendsen from Sweden is the strong favourite to dominate the women’s section.
Multisport enthusiasts will run, paddle and mountain bike from Christchurch to Akaroa via the crater rim, along the summit ridge and across the harbours and peninsulas. Covering a distance of 85kms over the two days of adventure, competitors will also get to enjoy great views of the Southern Alps, Canterbury Plains and Banks Peninsula.
Day One begins with a 10km run from Taylors Mistake up to the Summit Road and over into Cass Bay. From here there is a 13.5km kayak to Purau via Governors Bay. Then it’s onto the mountain bike for the last stage of the day, from Purau along the Summit Ridge 18.5km to Little River.
Competitors will start Day Two with a 12.5km run from Little River to Birdlings Flat. Then it’s back on their mountain bikes to make their way up to the Summit Ridge and down into Wainui. They will then kayak the final 12kms passing the historically important Onawe Peninsula. After crossing to the other side of the harbour and heading back to Akaroa there is a final sprint to the finish chute located on the Village Green near the waterfront.
The Tuatara Peninsula Race is organised by Bloody Good Events and has a large number of individual and teams entered this year.
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
Speight's Coast to Coast – Back and better than ever!
Press Release: Speight's Coast to Coast.
19 November 2007.
The Speight's Coast to Coast is taking place again on the 8th and 9th of February 2008. In its 26th year and with over 730 competitors registered so far, this is set to be one of the biggest races yet.
The Speight's Coast to Coast is New Zealand's best-known and premier multisport event. It draws competitors from around the world; all keen to take on the gruelling course across the South Island's main divide.
The Speight's Coast to Coast can be tackled in either the one-day or two-day competition. Entrants facing the two-day challenge leave Kumara Beach on the South Island's West Coast on Friday 8th February at 7am. Competitors head off on a 243km journey taking them through the Waimakariri Gorge, over Arthur's Pass, and finishing up at Sumner Beach in Christchurch on Saturday 9th February. Around 250 individual competitors will take off on Saturday morning at 6am, pushing themselves to the limit by attempting to complete this difficult course in one day.
This year, the organisers are expecting more than 100 international competitors. Entries have been received from 21 different countries including Germany, South Africa, Iceland, the West Indies and Finland, confirming that the Speight's Coast to Coast has solidly established itself as an international affair. The race has already attracted the biggest Australian and British contingent ever, with over 30 entrants from each country.
International competitors include Nathan Facer, a pilot from Australia, who after seven years of competing solo is teaming up with his wife Katy. John Flanagan, an ex-rugby player who is now based in the USA as a mine clearance manager for the UN, will be attacking the Speight's Coast to Coast for his first time; as will be Daniel Cowley, an aid worker from Papua New Guinea. Another international highlight is Commonwealth Games boxing champion Brian Williams from Australia, competing in the one-day event.
Aja Shanahan of Australia is following in her father's footsteps. In 2004 he completed the race with Aja's best friend's father, after finding a list of goals he'd written years before, one of which was "Compete in the Speight's Coast to Coast".
"I am competing in the Speight's Coast to Coast for the first time with my best friend - the same girl whose father competed with Dad. So it is the same team, but now the daughters!" says Aja, "It is my first adventure race - and definitely one of the biggest physical challenges I have faced."
Race Director, Robin Judkins is thrilled by the huge increase in international entries,
"I'm really pleased that the Speight's Coast to Coast now holds a permanent position on the world multisport calendar," says Judkins. "It is the result of a 25-year campaign to publicise the Speight's Coast to Coast worldwide and I can't wait to welcome all of our 105 international competitors in February."
A keen New Zealand contingent will be giving the internationals a run for their money with a record number of entries from Northland through to Invercargill. Multisporter, Anton Wesselink is making the trip from Hamilton for his 13th time, having competed every year since 1996. Anton first competed in the team event with his father and hasn't been able to stop since.
"Some people go to Fiji and sit on the beach for their annual holiday; I prefer to push my limits at the Speight's Coast to Coast!" says Anton. "It is such a wicked race through such a beautiful part of the country; I've caught the Speight's Coast to Coast bug!"
65-year-old Green Party member and former Green Party MP, Mike Ward also joins the NZ field and having competed in every Speight's Coast to Coast since its inception, he's bound to know a thing or two about the race.
Limited places are still available for both the one-day and two-day competitions for ultra-keen Kiwi's and international competitors.
19 November 2007.
The Speight's Coast to Coast is taking place again on the 8th and 9th of February 2008. In its 26th year and with over 730 competitors registered so far, this is set to be one of the biggest races yet.
The Speight's Coast to Coast is New Zealand's best-known and premier multisport event. It draws competitors from around the world; all keen to take on the gruelling course across the South Island's main divide.
The Speight's Coast to Coast can be tackled in either the one-day or two-day competition. Entrants facing the two-day challenge leave Kumara Beach on the South Island's West Coast on Friday 8th February at 7am. Competitors head off on a 243km journey taking them through the Waimakariri Gorge, over Arthur's Pass, and finishing up at Sumner Beach in Christchurch on Saturday 9th February. Around 250 individual competitors will take off on Saturday morning at 6am, pushing themselves to the limit by attempting to complete this difficult course in one day.
This year, the organisers are expecting more than 100 international competitors. Entries have been received from 21 different countries including Germany, South Africa, Iceland, the West Indies and Finland, confirming that the Speight's Coast to Coast has solidly established itself as an international affair. The race has already attracted the biggest Australian and British contingent ever, with over 30 entrants from each country.
International competitors include Nathan Facer, a pilot from Australia, who after seven years of competing solo is teaming up with his wife Katy. John Flanagan, an ex-rugby player who is now based in the USA as a mine clearance manager for the UN, will be attacking the Speight's Coast to Coast for his first time; as will be Daniel Cowley, an aid worker from Papua New Guinea. Another international highlight is Commonwealth Games boxing champion Brian Williams from Australia, competing in the one-day event.
Aja Shanahan of Australia is following in her father's footsteps. In 2004 he completed the race with Aja's best friend's father, after finding a list of goals he'd written years before, one of which was "Compete in the Speight's Coast to Coast".
"I am competing in the Speight's Coast to Coast for the first time with my best friend - the same girl whose father competed with Dad. So it is the same team, but now the daughters!" says Aja, "It is my first adventure race - and definitely one of the biggest physical challenges I have faced."
Race Director, Robin Judkins is thrilled by the huge increase in international entries,
"I'm really pleased that the Speight's Coast to Coast now holds a permanent position on the world multisport calendar," says Judkins. "It is the result of a 25-year campaign to publicise the Speight's Coast to Coast worldwide and I can't wait to welcome all of our 105 international competitors in February."
A keen New Zealand contingent will be giving the internationals a run for their money with a record number of entries from Northland through to Invercargill. Multisporter, Anton Wesselink is making the trip from Hamilton for his 13th time, having competed every year since 1996. Anton first competed in the team event with his father and hasn't been able to stop since.
"Some people go to Fiji and sit on the beach for their annual holiday; I prefer to push my limits at the Speight's Coast to Coast!" says Anton. "It is such a wicked race through such a beautiful part of the country; I've caught the Speight's Coast to Coast bug!"
65-year-old Green Party member and former Green Party MP, Mike Ward also joins the NZ field and having competed in every Speight's Coast to Coast since its inception, he's bound to know a thing or two about the race.
Limited places are still available for both the one-day and two-day competitions for ultra-keen Kiwi's and international competitors.
Adventure racers battle it out in 24 Hours of Southern Traverse
Press release: Southern Traverse Ltd.
Queenstown, 18 November 2007.
Some of the most experienced adventure racers in New Zealand's tackled the 24 Hours of Southern Traverse on a challenging and spectacularly scenic course in the Southern Lakes region yesterday, with line honours going to the local Queenstown Team Icebreaker R & R Sport.
The team included Mark Williams, Haydn Key and Mitch Murdoch, along with Matt Woods (Dunedin) all who are recognised as some of New Zealand's leading adventure racers.
Icebreaker R&R Sport won the 112km race in 14 hours 20 minutes just under an hour ahead of the predicted pace. Twenty one minutes behind were the highly experienced Queenstown Paper Plus team of Bill Godsall (Cromwell) and Jim Cotter (Dunedin). who had been setting the pace all day.
The race began at midnight Friday and the first stage took the teams in the darkness up on to the Crown Range.
Race director Geoff Hunt says that the only way you can guarantee that every team has a fair share of the night experience is to start the race in the middle of the night. "We have had a great response from the athletes last year with the midnight start so we decided to repeat it."
With the first stage being a steep climb from Arrowtown to the top of the Crown Range the teams already begun to split slightly.
Icebreaker R & R Sport and Paper Plus Queenstown team lead through this stage but were closely chased by the Murray Thomas led Kapa Design Gallery team and the Queenstown Frontrunner team.
As the teams disappeared into the clear starry night the headlamps could occasionally be seen flashing on the tussocks as the teams moved up onto the second stage, a 15km trek along the ridge line of the Crown range to Cardrona ski field.
What appeared to be relatively simple on the map begun t o sort the field as teams struggled to find the correct ridge from Mt Sale that lead onto the connecting Cardrona ridgelines. Again, the experienced heads in the front teams prevailed and it was here that both Icebreaker R & R Sport and Paper Plus Queenstown broke away from the field.
By the Cardrona checkpoint both these teams had opened up a gap of one and half hours on the chasing teams.
The next stage took teams on a tough 35km mountain bike via the Roaring Meg pack track to the Kawarau River. With only 600 metres of ascension and over 2500 metres of descending this was described as a highlight of the event. Some teams however found the single track down the Roaring Meg catchment tough and all teams reported problems with punctures from the notorious Spaniards.
This time the veteran Paper Plus Queenstown team lead into and out of the transition as the teams set out on the short 9kms paddle to the Bannockburn inlet. Both teams arrived and left together onto the last trek, a 15km trek up through the historic Casrricktown gold mining area and along one of the many water races that dot the central Otago region.
It was right at the end of this stage that Icebreaker R & R Sport finally made a break on Paper Plus Queenstown and arrived at TA5 with a six minute lead. After a fast 14km descent on mountain bike down the Nevis Road they had increased this lead to thirteen minutes and during the last 11km paddle across Lake Dunstan to the Lowburn Inlet finish gained another 7 minutes with the advantage of paddling double kayaks.
The hardluck story went to the first time team "Harry and Lloyd" from Invercargill who had had a great first adventure race only to misplace their guidebook on the second last leg. As a result they were unable to find the last remote checkpoint and event though they finished the race in a creditable 5th place were relegated to unranked due to missing that checkpoint.
Matt Woods from winning Icebreaker R & R Sport says the 24 Hours of Southern Traverse was a highly competitive race.
"We had some close racing all day with Paper Plus. It was a really good battle with them which was great because while being good friends we certainly did not want the old boys to beat us across the line."
The course drew widespread praise for its diversity and its fantastic scenery.
Geoff Hunt says he is pleased with the reaction to the course.
"We always work to try and achieve a race course that we would want to race on. This actually forms part of our company mission statement and each year we strive to achieve that. This year the trekking legs were mostly uphill which lead to downhill mountain bike stages and this was well appreciated by all the racers."
Results Overall
1 Icebreaker R&R Sport 14:20 (4 person team)
2 Paper Plus Queenstown 14:41 (2 person team)
3 Kapa Design Gallery 16:56 (4 person team)
Queenstown, 18 November 2007.
Some of the most experienced adventure racers in New Zealand's tackled the 24 Hours of Southern Traverse on a challenging and spectacularly scenic course in the Southern Lakes region yesterday, with line honours going to the local Queenstown Team Icebreaker R & R Sport.
The team included Mark Williams, Haydn Key and Mitch Murdoch, along with Matt Woods (Dunedin) all who are recognised as some of New Zealand's leading adventure racers.
Icebreaker R&R Sport won the 112km race in 14 hours 20 minutes just under an hour ahead of the predicted pace. Twenty one minutes behind were the highly experienced Queenstown Paper Plus team of Bill Godsall (Cromwell) and Jim Cotter (Dunedin). who had been setting the pace all day.
The race began at midnight Friday and the first stage took the teams in the darkness up on to the Crown Range.
Race director Geoff Hunt says that the only way you can guarantee that every team has a fair share of the night experience is to start the race in the middle of the night. "We have had a great response from the athletes last year with the midnight start so we decided to repeat it."
With the first stage being a steep climb from Arrowtown to the top of the Crown Range the teams already begun to split slightly.
Icebreaker R & R Sport and Paper Plus Queenstown team lead through this stage but were closely chased by the Murray Thomas led Kapa Design Gallery team and the Queenstown Frontrunner team.
As the teams disappeared into the clear starry night the headlamps could occasionally be seen flashing on the tussocks as the teams moved up onto the second stage, a 15km trek along the ridge line of the Crown range to Cardrona ski field.
What appeared to be relatively simple on the map begun t o sort the field as teams struggled to find the correct ridge from Mt Sale that lead onto the connecting Cardrona ridgelines. Again, the experienced heads in the front teams prevailed and it was here that both Icebreaker R & R Sport and Paper Plus Queenstown broke away from the field.
By the Cardrona checkpoint both these teams had opened up a gap of one and half hours on the chasing teams.
The next stage took teams on a tough 35km mountain bike via the Roaring Meg pack track to the Kawarau River. With only 600 metres of ascension and over 2500 metres of descending this was described as a highlight of the event. Some teams however found the single track down the Roaring Meg catchment tough and all teams reported problems with punctures from the notorious Spaniards.
This time the veteran Paper Plus Queenstown team lead into and out of the transition as the teams set out on the short 9kms paddle to the Bannockburn inlet. Both teams arrived and left together onto the last trek, a 15km trek up through the historic Casrricktown gold mining area and along one of the many water races that dot the central Otago region.
It was right at the end of this stage that Icebreaker R & R Sport finally made a break on Paper Plus Queenstown and arrived at TA5 with a six minute lead. After a fast 14km descent on mountain bike down the Nevis Road they had increased this lead to thirteen minutes and during the last 11km paddle across Lake Dunstan to the Lowburn Inlet finish gained another 7 minutes with the advantage of paddling double kayaks.
The hardluck story went to the first time team "Harry and Lloyd" from Invercargill who had had a great first adventure race only to misplace their guidebook on the second last leg. As a result they were unable to find the last remote checkpoint and event though they finished the race in a creditable 5th place were relegated to unranked due to missing that checkpoint.
Matt Woods from winning Icebreaker R & R Sport says the 24 Hours of Southern Traverse was a highly competitive race.
"We had some close racing all day with Paper Plus. It was a really good battle with them which was great because while being good friends we certainly did not want the old boys to beat us across the line."
The course drew widespread praise for its diversity and its fantastic scenery.
Geoff Hunt says he is pleased with the reaction to the course.
"We always work to try and achieve a race course that we would want to race on. This actually forms part of our company mission statement and each year we strive to achieve that. This year the trekking legs were mostly uphill which lead to downhill mountain bike stages and this was well appreciated by all the racers."
Results Overall
1 Icebreaker R&R Sport 14:20 (4 person team)
2 Paper Plus Queenstown 14:41 (2 person team)
3 Kapa Design Gallery 16:56 (4 person team)
Saturday, 17 November 2007
Rebecca Spence - rising triathlon star
New Zealand is full of promise when it comes to young triathlon talent. And none more so than Rebecca Spence. She won two world titles in 2006 first defending her World Junior Duathlon title in Newfoundland, Canada and then two weeks later, winning the World Junior Cycling Time Trial in Belgium. Injury prevented her from having a decent shot at the world triathlon title in the same season.
And whats more, she has only just turned 18. Her longer term goal is the London Olympic triathlon in 2012. "If all goes to plan – I’ll be bringing a gold home from that Olympics," says Spence.
However she has not written off having a shot at the Beijing Olympics next year. She has one more chance to qualify at Maloolaba early next year, provided she gains enough points on the world circuit before then. In Maloolaba she will have to finish in the top 5, and see off the likes of Andrea Hewitt and Nicky Samuels.
She has had a relatively quiet 2007. She says "while I managed to keep on top of my training last year, this year has been a more focussed, building year. I’ve been swimming ten times a week and putting in a lot more miles with my cycling, making me noticeably fitter and faster."
At this year’s Westpac Halberg Awards, Rebecca won the Emerging Talent Award, which carried a $25,000 scholarship that has enabled her to head for Europe for the rest of this year to train and compete. "This scholarship has opened up incredible opportunities for me to not only get to my competitions, but has enabled me to take this year out to train," she says.
Rebecca is taking the view that she has "nothing to lose so I’m making the most of every opportunity while I’m here. I have some set performance goals and disciplines for competing days and I’d like to place in the top 10 for the two world cup events, but otherwise I’m just going for it with all I’ve got."
Caption: Westpac CEO Ann Sherry accompanies Rebecca Spence as she receives her Westpac Emerging Talent Award at the 2006 Westpac Halberg Awards in Auckland earlier this year.
And whats more, she has only just turned 18. Her longer term goal is the London Olympic triathlon in 2012. "If all goes to plan – I’ll be bringing a gold home from that Olympics," says Spence.
However she has not written off having a shot at the Beijing Olympics next year. She has one more chance to qualify at Maloolaba early next year, provided she gains enough points on the world circuit before then. In Maloolaba she will have to finish in the top 5, and see off the likes of Andrea Hewitt and Nicky Samuels.
She has had a relatively quiet 2007. She says "while I managed to keep on top of my training last year, this year has been a more focussed, building year. I’ve been swimming ten times a week and putting in a lot more miles with my cycling, making me noticeably fitter and faster."
At this year’s Westpac Halberg Awards, Rebecca won the Emerging Talent Award, which carried a $25,000 scholarship that has enabled her to head for Europe for the rest of this year to train and compete. "This scholarship has opened up incredible opportunities for me to not only get to my competitions, but has enabled me to take this year out to train," she says.
Rebecca is taking the view that she has "nothing to lose so I’m making the most of every opportunity while I’m here. I have some set performance goals and disciplines for competing days and I’d like to place in the top 10 for the two world cup events, but otherwise I’m just going for it with all I’ve got."
Caption: Westpac CEO Ann Sherry accompanies Rebecca Spence as she receives her Westpac Emerging Talent Award at the 2006 Westpac Halberg Awards in Auckland earlier this year.
Friday, 16 November 2007
24 Hours of Southern Traverse on this weekend
Press Release: Southern Traverse Ltd.
12 November 2007.
The 2nd edition of the 24 Hours of Southern Traverse on November 16 and 17 will feature race teams from Invercargill, Winton, Alexandra and Queenstown. The field this year is wide open with the defending champions Richard Ussher and Nathan Fa'avae unable to return due to prior commitments.
The title of 'favourites' might fall on one of two teams. The Hamish Robb and Murray Thomas lead team of Kapa Design Gallery, where the vast experience of Murray could be the deciding factor. Also setting the pace at the front will be the R & R Sports team with Matt Woods.
This second 24 hours of Southern Traverse is again based in the challenging Queenstown region.
Event director Geoff Hunt says the course which involves trekking, mountain biking and kayaking will provide a good test for the teams.
"The course this year is fantastic! During late winter I did one of the trekking stages with skis (on and off my back) and it has amazing views - though the night could make it different . The final recognisance was completed a week ago and this mountain bike section will be a highlight, with just under 3000 metres of descending and only 600 metres of ascent. In the route book I have described the major part of this as 'single track heaven'".
The 2nd trek sees teams explores some gold mining trails and water races with more fantastic downhill on the 3rd mountain bike stage.
The course details will not be released until Friday November 16 at the pre-race briefing which is standard for Southern Traverse events.
"The race start time has been announced as midnight Friday from the edge of the Arrow river in Arrowtown" says Hunt. "While we expect the first team to finish in 15hours 15minutes with the back of the field at about 21hrs. The support crew will enjoy the event as well with coffee bars close at hand and nice TA's.
12 November 2007.
The 2nd edition of the 24 Hours of Southern Traverse on November 16 and 17 will feature race teams from Invercargill, Winton, Alexandra and Queenstown. The field this year is wide open with the defending champions Richard Ussher and Nathan Fa'avae unable to return due to prior commitments.
The title of 'favourites' might fall on one of two teams. The Hamish Robb and Murray Thomas lead team of Kapa Design Gallery, where the vast experience of Murray could be the deciding factor. Also setting the pace at the front will be the R & R Sports team with Matt Woods.
This second 24 hours of Southern Traverse is again based in the challenging Queenstown region.
Event director Geoff Hunt says the course which involves trekking, mountain biking and kayaking will provide a good test for the teams.
"The course this year is fantastic! During late winter I did one of the trekking stages with skis (on and off my back) and it has amazing views - though the night could make it different . The final recognisance was completed a week ago and this mountain bike section will be a highlight, with just under 3000 metres of descending and only 600 metres of ascent. In the route book I have described the major part of this as 'single track heaven'".
The 2nd trek sees teams explores some gold mining trails and water races with more fantastic downhill on the 3rd mountain bike stage.
The course details will not be released until Friday November 16 at the pre-race briefing which is standard for Southern Traverse events.
"The race start time has been announced as midnight Friday from the edge of the Arrow river in Arrowtown" says Hunt. "While we expect the first team to finish in 15hours 15minutes with the back of the field at about 21hrs. The support crew will enjoy the event as well with coffee bars close at hand and nice TA's.
Ironman Aaron Fleming to carry Olympic Torch
Press Release: New Zealand Olympic Committee.
7 November 2007.
An outstanding Kiwi has been chosen to carry the flame for New Zealand in the Australasian leg of the international Olympic Torch Relay next year.
The search for the torch bearer was carried out by the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) in association with Samsung Electronics New Zealand, and aimed to find "a local community hero" to carry the torch for New Zealand.
NZOC secretary-general Barry Maister says 24-year-old Aaron Fleming is a worthy recipient of the honour to take part in the Olympic Torch Relay.
"Aaron showed incredible determination and fortitude to overcome a major illness, and then train to become an Ironman. He is an inspiration to New Zealanders – not only has he excelled against all odds, he’s made a valuable contribution to his community," Mr Maister said.
Aaron, who lives in Hamilton, suffered a serious lung ailment as a teenager, which was followed by a slow and painful three-year recovery back to good health. Despite the limitations of his condition, Aaron decided to begin triathlon training as part of his rehabilitation. After several years of exhaustive conditioning work, Aaron achieved his ultimate goal of completing an Ironman race this year, along the way raising almost $22,000 for the cystic fibrosis charity Breath4CF.
Samsung New Zealand general manager marketing Jean-Philippe Diel says Samsung is proud to partner the IOC in a global event that recognises and celebrates the commitment and hard work of extraordinary people like Aaron.
"Aaron is a great role model, and very deserving of New Zealand’s one and only position in the Olympic Torch Relay. He is passionate about life and an excellent candidate for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Mr Diel said.
The relay starts in Athens on April 1 and stops off in 22 other cities across the globe – including Canberra on April 24 – before heading to China on May 4.
Aaron says he is already getting excited about the prospect of carrying the torch for New Zealand in 2008.
"It will be a great honour to represent New Zealand in the relay," Aaron said. "It was a real surprise – I was just speechless when I got the call to say I’d won."
Aaron was nominated for the competition by his mother Denise Fleming, who received a Samsung U700V mobile phone for making the winning nomination.
The nominations were judged by double Olympic gold medallist and NZOC Olympic Ambassador Danyon Loader, NZOC secretary-general Barry Maister, and Samsung New Zealand general manager marketing Jean-Philippe Diel.
7 November 2007.
An outstanding Kiwi has been chosen to carry the flame for New Zealand in the Australasian leg of the international Olympic Torch Relay next year.
The search for the torch bearer was carried out by the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) in association with Samsung Electronics New Zealand, and aimed to find "a local community hero" to carry the torch for New Zealand.
NZOC secretary-general Barry Maister says 24-year-old Aaron Fleming is a worthy recipient of the honour to take part in the Olympic Torch Relay.
"Aaron showed incredible determination and fortitude to overcome a major illness, and then train to become an Ironman. He is an inspiration to New Zealanders – not only has he excelled against all odds, he’s made a valuable contribution to his community," Mr Maister said.
Aaron, who lives in Hamilton, suffered a serious lung ailment as a teenager, which was followed by a slow and painful three-year recovery back to good health. Despite the limitations of his condition, Aaron decided to begin triathlon training as part of his rehabilitation. After several years of exhaustive conditioning work, Aaron achieved his ultimate goal of completing an Ironman race this year, along the way raising almost $22,000 for the cystic fibrosis charity Breath4CF.
Samsung New Zealand general manager marketing Jean-Philippe Diel says Samsung is proud to partner the IOC in a global event that recognises and celebrates the commitment and hard work of extraordinary people like Aaron.
"Aaron is a great role model, and very deserving of New Zealand’s one and only position in the Olympic Torch Relay. He is passionate about life and an excellent candidate for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Mr Diel said.
The relay starts in Athens on April 1 and stops off in 22 other cities across the globe – including Canberra on April 24 – before heading to China on May 4.
Aaron says he is already getting excited about the prospect of carrying the torch for New Zealand in 2008.
"It will be a great honour to represent New Zealand in the relay," Aaron said. "It was a real surprise – I was just speechless when I got the call to say I’d won."
Aaron was nominated for the competition by his mother Denise Fleming, who received a Samsung U700V mobile phone for making the winning nomination.
The nominations were judged by double Olympic gold medallist and NZOC Olympic Ambassador Danyon Loader, NZOC secretary-general Barry Maister, and Samsung New Zealand general manager marketing Jean-Philippe Diel.
Andrea Hewitt featuring at Festival of Cycling
Press Release: Armstrong Peugeot Festival of Cycling
Thursday, 15 November 2007.
Christchurch’s Armstrong Peugeot Festival of Cycling continues on its quest become the premier cycling event in New Zealand with the signing recently of Commonwealth Games bronze medal triathlete Andrea Hewitt.
After just three years the Armstrong Peugeot Festival of Cycling is attracting interest from all ends of the country and overseas. Close to 2000 riders, both elite and recreational, are expected the two-day cycling festival. Scheduled for December 1 and 2 it features a 75k road ride around the Lyttelton Harbour bays and an inner city criterium around the Oxford Terrace café strip.
The latest elite signings include Commonwealth Games silver medallist and former under-23 world champion Andrea Hewitt, who is using the Festival of Cycling as preparation toward Olympic triathlon qualification in 2008.
Hewitt, who has consistently ranked among the top 10 female triathletes in the world for the last two years, narrowly missed out on automatic Olympic selection last month when she finished a disappointing 14th in the Olympic warmup race in Beijing. She must now pin her chances on a second qualification race in Australia during March and hopes the top competition at the Festival Of Cycling will help her preparation.
Hewitt is also introducing her boy friend, top French triathlete Laurent Vidal, to the Festival of Cycling. The 23-year old Frenchman enjoyed a breakthrough year on the World Cup triathlon circuit, twice finishing in the top 10 in World Cup races and is also starting his Olympic qualification campaign at the Armstrong Peugeot Festival Of Cycling.
While the front end of the Armstrong Peugeot Festival of Cycling will feature some of the world’s best riders, race director Simon Hollander stresses that the event is designed to bring together cycling enthusiasts of all age ability and gender.
"When we started this event," says Hollander, "the aim was to create a weekend of cycling where recreational enthusiasts and fitness riders could rub shoulders with some of the world’s best."
The 75k Armstrong Peugeot Harbour Ride, on Saturday December 1, starts at McCormack’s Bay Reserve in Redcliffs and heads out around Cashmere, Halswell and Motukarara before climbing over Gebbies Pass to Lyttelton Harbour. The course then undulates along the northern bays and through Lyttelton itself, before climbing Evans Pass for a final stretch down through Sumner to finish back at McCormack’s Bay Reserve. This year the new SBS Kid’s Mini-Bays race will see up to 500 children riding between 5k and 10k with the stars.
The following day the Armstrong Peugeot City Criterium will bring a taste of European cycling to Christchurch with an exciting morning of multi-lap racing around the inner city’s café strip. New Zealand’s top riders will be in attendance, but there are also events for riders of any ability, including a celebrity tandem fundraising race for Cure Kids NZ.
Entries for the Armstrong Peugeot Festival of cycling are still open.
For more details: www.festivalofcycling.co.nz
Thursday, 15 November 2007.
Christchurch’s Armstrong Peugeot Festival of Cycling continues on its quest become the premier cycling event in New Zealand with the signing recently of Commonwealth Games bronze medal triathlete Andrea Hewitt.
After just three years the Armstrong Peugeot Festival of Cycling is attracting interest from all ends of the country and overseas. Close to 2000 riders, both elite and recreational, are expected the two-day cycling festival. Scheduled for December 1 and 2 it features a 75k road ride around the Lyttelton Harbour bays and an inner city criterium around the Oxford Terrace café strip.
The latest elite signings include Commonwealth Games silver medallist and former under-23 world champion Andrea Hewitt, who is using the Festival of Cycling as preparation toward Olympic triathlon qualification in 2008.
Hewitt, who has consistently ranked among the top 10 female triathletes in the world for the last two years, narrowly missed out on automatic Olympic selection last month when she finished a disappointing 14th in the Olympic warmup race in Beijing. She must now pin her chances on a second qualification race in Australia during March and hopes the top competition at the Festival Of Cycling will help her preparation.
Hewitt is also introducing her boy friend, top French triathlete Laurent Vidal, to the Festival of Cycling. The 23-year old Frenchman enjoyed a breakthrough year on the World Cup triathlon circuit, twice finishing in the top 10 in World Cup races and is also starting his Olympic qualification campaign at the Armstrong Peugeot Festival Of Cycling.
While the front end of the Armstrong Peugeot Festival of Cycling will feature some of the world’s best riders, race director Simon Hollander stresses that the event is designed to bring together cycling enthusiasts of all age ability and gender.
"When we started this event," says Hollander, "the aim was to create a weekend of cycling where recreational enthusiasts and fitness riders could rub shoulders with some of the world’s best."
The 75k Armstrong Peugeot Harbour Ride, on Saturday December 1, starts at McCormack’s Bay Reserve in Redcliffs and heads out around Cashmere, Halswell and Motukarara before climbing over Gebbies Pass to Lyttelton Harbour. The course then undulates along the northern bays and through Lyttelton itself, before climbing Evans Pass for a final stretch down through Sumner to finish back at McCormack’s Bay Reserve. This year the new SBS Kid’s Mini-Bays race will see up to 500 children riding between 5k and 10k with the stars.
The following day the Armstrong Peugeot City Criterium will bring a taste of European cycling to Christchurch with an exciting morning of multi-lap racing around the inner city’s café strip. New Zealand’s top riders will be in attendance, but there are also events for riders of any ability, including a celebrity tandem fundraising race for Cure Kids NZ.
Entries for the Armstrong Peugeot Festival of cycling are still open.
For more details: www.festivalofcycling.co.nz
Monday, 12 November 2007
James Elvery's November Update
November Update - World Ranking: 111
Hi Everyone
I've been home for a while now and an update is long overdue. It's been a long time since I last raced and as such there hasn't really been a lot to report!
If you didn't hear unfortunately I got injured just after I came home in July and had to withdraw from the World Champs. I have plenty of years to go I guess...
I had been getting a pretty sore knee after my last 2 races in Holten and Munich and when I got home and started training for worlds, it got worse to the point where I couldn't even run for more than 20 minutes without having to stop and call home for a pick up! I had developed ITB Friction Syndrome likely as a result of doing lots of consecutive races with little recovery time and not much training in between. It was just something I had to do at the time to get my ranking up to qualify for the worlds, and has taught me a good lesson! Well done to Terenzo for his awesome 7th place in Hamburg and Bevan, Kris, Sam and Debbie for making the Olympic team at the World Cup in Beijing!
So I took my annual break to get over the injury and had 3-4 weeks completely off to recharge the batteries. I got back into training and was starting to get some resemblance of fitness back when my exams kind of stopped me in my tracks about 3 weeks ago. This was my final semester of 6 years at uni, and I realised that I really didn't want to go back next year and had to put my head down! I.m happy to report that I'm pretty sure I passed everything - results to come! And should end up with a BCom in International Business and a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science. It's a great feeling to be finally finished. Thanks to the Academy of Sport for the 6 year Prime Minister's scholarship! I definitely would have either quit uni or put the triathlon on hold without it.
So the plan from here is to rebuild my fitness slowly and get stuck into the big long slow miles in December. The knee is holding up well so far, with twice weekly massages continuing for a few more weeks. I'm moving (read being kicked) out of home finally and am going to spend the summer training in Christchurch and at the Snowfarm altitude training facility in the Cardrona Valley. After some racing in March I'll be overseas from mid May - October. I have some big goals for 2008 and can't wait to finally put it all on the line and prepare properly with no distractions. Worlds are in Vancouver early in June and there's still one place left in the NZ Olympic Team for Beijing.
Early summer races have started with the Stroke n Stride series kicking off last week; I struggled in for 5th, and had another tough day at the office on Sunday at the first round of the Triathlon NZ My Sport Series in Rotorua for 7th. Work to be done!
I hope everyone is well and if I don't see you beforehand; have a merry Christmas. Thanks for your support and if you want this junk mail to stop just let me know!
James
Hi Everyone
I've been home for a while now and an update is long overdue. It's been a long time since I last raced and as such there hasn't really been a lot to report!
If you didn't hear unfortunately I got injured just after I came home in July and had to withdraw from the World Champs. I have plenty of years to go I guess...
I had been getting a pretty sore knee after my last 2 races in Holten and Munich and when I got home and started training for worlds, it got worse to the point where I couldn't even run for more than 20 minutes without having to stop and call home for a pick up! I had developed ITB Friction Syndrome likely as a result of doing lots of consecutive races with little recovery time and not much training in between. It was just something I had to do at the time to get my ranking up to qualify for the worlds, and has taught me a good lesson! Well done to Terenzo for his awesome 7th place in Hamburg and Bevan, Kris, Sam and Debbie for making the Olympic team at the World Cup in Beijing!
So I took my annual break to get over the injury and had 3-4 weeks completely off to recharge the batteries. I got back into training and was starting to get some resemblance of fitness back when my exams kind of stopped me in my tracks about 3 weeks ago. This was my final semester of 6 years at uni, and I realised that I really didn't want to go back next year and had to put my head down! I.m happy to report that I'm pretty sure I passed everything - results to come! And should end up with a BCom in International Business and a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science. It's a great feeling to be finally finished. Thanks to the Academy of Sport for the 6 year Prime Minister's scholarship! I definitely would have either quit uni or put the triathlon on hold without it.
So the plan from here is to rebuild my fitness slowly and get stuck into the big long slow miles in December. The knee is holding up well so far, with twice weekly massages continuing for a few more weeks. I'm moving (read being kicked) out of home finally and am going to spend the summer training in Christchurch and at the Snowfarm altitude training facility in the Cardrona Valley. After some racing in March I'll be overseas from mid May - October. I have some big goals for 2008 and can't wait to finally put it all on the line and prepare properly with no distractions. Worlds are in Vancouver early in June and there's still one place left in the NZ Olympic Team for Beijing.
Early summer races have started with the Stroke n Stride series kicking off last week; I struggled in for 5th, and had another tough day at the office on Sunday at the first round of the Triathlon NZ My Sport Series in Rotorua for 7th. Work to be done!
I hope everyone is well and if I don't see you beforehand; have a merry Christmas. Thanks for your support and if you want this junk mail to stop just let me know!
James
Rotorua Tri NZ opening race a cracker
Stephen Sheldrake, the Contact Energy Series defending champion, made light work of the field after the withdrawal of Kieran Doe during the bike leg, to win the opening race of the Contact Energy Cup at Blue Lake in Rotorua. Whangarei’s Katherine Anton had an even easier win in the women's division.
Rotorua turned on a cracker of a day, and even Blue Lake was up to 18 degrees for the 300 competitors for the first of 7 races in the series. It was a day for the stronger, rather than faster, athletes with a hilly bike course and and off-road forest run with some technical and steep sections.
Doe was contending for the the lead with Sheldrake when his chain jammed, causing his derailier to bend, forcing him out of the race. Sheldrake who is one of Triathlon New Zealand's High Performance coaching team, said the tough course and conditions suited him.
"This is a tough course but one that suited me. The hill on the bike made it tough and took the sting out of some of the runners in the race but suited me down to the ground. The trail run was weird though; you were effectively running blind and just had to keep the foot down the whole way."
Sheldrake exited the bike with a 4 minute margin over Tristan Caldwell, but the North Shore based athlete took two minutes out of Sheldrake and comfortably held on to second ahead of Wanaka’s Tony Dodds.
31-year-old Anton was a surprise winner of the women’s race, upstaging the more favoured Fleur Bromley and Belinda Harper with a good day’s work. She was 10th overall in the series last year.
"What a venue, this is surely the best place in the world you could hope to race a triathlon, it is stunning. I enjoyed that immensely and the run suited me today, both the toughness of the course and the extra kilometre played to my strength."
The next race in the series is Takapuna on December 2nd when for the first time racing will take part in the early evening with the main street closed to create a party atmosphere.
Contact Energy Cup, Race 1 Rotorua, 11 November 2007
1500m swim, 40km bike, 11km run
Male
1. Stephen Sheldrake Gisborne 2:07:17
2. Tristan Caldwell Auckland 2:09:52
3. Tony Dodds Wanaka 2:10:55
4. Martin van Barneveld Wellington 2:10:59
5. Rob Creasy Christchurch 2:14:29
Female
1. Katherine Anton Whangarei 2:30:10
2. Janine Sax Mt Maunganui 2:34:24
3. Fleur Bromley Auckland 2:35:57
4. Marina Fowell Whakatane 2:40:18
5. Sonia Hill 2:40:24
Full results here.
Rotorua turned on a cracker of a day, and even Blue Lake was up to 18 degrees for the 300 competitors for the first of 7 races in the series. It was a day for the stronger, rather than faster, athletes with a hilly bike course and and off-road forest run with some technical and steep sections.
Doe was contending for the the lead with Sheldrake when his chain jammed, causing his derailier to bend, forcing him out of the race. Sheldrake who is one of Triathlon New Zealand's High Performance coaching team, said the tough course and conditions suited him.
"This is a tough course but one that suited me. The hill on the bike made it tough and took the sting out of some of the runners in the race but suited me down to the ground. The trail run was weird though; you were effectively running blind and just had to keep the foot down the whole way."
Sheldrake exited the bike with a 4 minute margin over Tristan Caldwell, but the North Shore based athlete took two minutes out of Sheldrake and comfortably held on to second ahead of Wanaka’s Tony Dodds.
31-year-old Anton was a surprise winner of the women’s race, upstaging the more favoured Fleur Bromley and Belinda Harper with a good day’s work. She was 10th overall in the series last year.
"What a venue, this is surely the best place in the world you could hope to race a triathlon, it is stunning. I enjoyed that immensely and the run suited me today, both the toughness of the course and the extra kilometre played to my strength."
The next race in the series is Takapuna on December 2nd when for the first time racing will take part in the early evening with the main street closed to create a party atmosphere.
Contact Energy Cup, Race 1 Rotorua, 11 November 2007
1500m swim, 40km bike, 11km run
Male
1. Stephen Sheldrake Gisborne 2:07:17
2. Tristan Caldwell Auckland 2:09:52
3. Tony Dodds Wanaka 2:10:55
4. Martin van Barneveld Wellington 2:10:59
5. Rob Creasy Christchurch 2:14:29
Female
1. Katherine Anton Whangarei 2:30:10
2. Janine Sax Mt Maunganui 2:34:24
3. Fleur Bromley Auckland 2:35:57
4. Marina Fowell Whakatane 2:40:18
5. Sonia Hill 2:40:24
Full results here.
Friday, 9 November 2007
World Triathlon Festival Launched in New Plymouth
Press Release: Triathlon New Zealand.
7 November 2007.
Triathlon New Zealand today launched an ambitious and exciting four year project to focus the world of triathlon on New Plymouth each April with the announcement of the Port Taranaki World Triathlon Festival, incorporating a round of the ITU BG World Cup series.
Triathlon NZ CEO Dave Beeche said confirmation of a further four years and further development of the World Triathlon Festival will deliver an event to appeal to all people in a celebration of the sport and the region.
"Next April will see a host of the world's very best triathletes coming to New Plymouth to race in the BG World Cup. And when you talk about the best triathletes in the world, you are talking about New Zealanders with both male and female elite categories dominated by the silver fern this year.
"But we wanted to make this event about so much more than just the elite; it is a celebration of our sport and the region. Over the four days in April we will host thousands of participants in various events ranging from the Weet-Bix Tryathlon for children to walking events, to an ocean swim to the actual triathlon races for people of all ages and abilities, including the elite in the BG World Cup race. Hence the catch phrase for the World Triathlon Festival is 'Taranaki Challenges You' as we look to motivate people of all backgrounds and abilities."
The April 3rd to 6th event will showcase the New Plymouth region to the rest of New Zealand and the world, with television and live internet coverage sending images and commentary to millions around the globe.
The region stands to gain considerable economic benefit with spin offs from overseas and domestic tourists for the accommodation, service and retail sectors.
His worship the Mayor of New Plymouth Peter Tennent was a delighted man at the launch.
“This is a wonderful day for the region; we like to call it the triathlon capital of New Zealand! During the festival you will see 105,000 supporters out in force cheering on the competitors in every event from the Weet-Bix kids to the elite World Cup athletes."
Beeche makes no bones about the fact the event would not have proceeded without the support of the local business community and council.
“This is a huge undertaking and simply would not have got across the line without the partnership with Port of Taranaki and our family of sponsors. Such an international event of this caliber does not happen without solid infrastructure and a considerable financial platform. The enthusiasm and commitment to the event from Ports of Taranaki is ultimately what has got us over the line and in a position to announce details today."
The World Triathlon Festival also enjoys support form Mayor Peter Tennent and his council; Venture Taranaki, New Zealand Community Trust, TSB Community Trust, Yarrow Bakery and TSB Bank.
The news is a great fillip also for New Zealand athletes with the chance to race in an ITU World Cup in their own 'patch.'
Debbie Tanner and Shane Reed represented their fellow Kiwi elite athletes at the launch, with Tanner featuring in the advertising campaign 'Taranaki Challenges You'.
"Our careers are so dominated by international travel and it seems sometimes we spend as much time on planes, trains and buses as we do on bikes or in the pool! Racing at home is truly a luxury and one that any athlete would look forward to immensely. More than that though it is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our sport to New Zealand and in particular the region of Taranaki. There is nothing like seeing a sporting event live to inspire and motivate people to take up their own challenges in life, no matter how big or small they might be."
Fellow elite athlete Shane Reed has extra motivation to do well as he will be racing in his home town.
"We race all around the world and on all continents in all weather conditions and on any given day there might be 50 athletes in with a show of winning. To think that all of that will once again come to New Zealand and my home town of New Plymouth is just incredible. For me it means a chance to race in front of friends, families and sponsors and repay the faith and support they have given me throughout my career."
7 November 2007.
Triathlon New Zealand today launched an ambitious and exciting four year project to focus the world of triathlon on New Plymouth each April with the announcement of the Port Taranaki World Triathlon Festival, incorporating a round of the ITU BG World Cup series.
Triathlon NZ CEO Dave Beeche said confirmation of a further four years and further development of the World Triathlon Festival will deliver an event to appeal to all people in a celebration of the sport and the region.
"Next April will see a host of the world's very best triathletes coming to New Plymouth to race in the BG World Cup. And when you talk about the best triathletes in the world, you are talking about New Zealanders with both male and female elite categories dominated by the silver fern this year.
"But we wanted to make this event about so much more than just the elite; it is a celebration of our sport and the region. Over the four days in April we will host thousands of participants in various events ranging from the Weet-Bix Tryathlon for children to walking events, to an ocean swim to the actual triathlon races for people of all ages and abilities, including the elite in the BG World Cup race. Hence the catch phrase for the World Triathlon Festival is 'Taranaki Challenges You' as we look to motivate people of all backgrounds and abilities."
The April 3rd to 6th event will showcase the New Plymouth region to the rest of New Zealand and the world, with television and live internet coverage sending images and commentary to millions around the globe.
The region stands to gain considerable economic benefit with spin offs from overseas and domestic tourists for the accommodation, service and retail sectors.
His worship the Mayor of New Plymouth Peter Tennent was a delighted man at the launch.
“This is a wonderful day for the region; we like to call it the triathlon capital of New Zealand! During the festival you will see 105,000 supporters out in force cheering on the competitors in every event from the Weet-Bix kids to the elite World Cup athletes."
Beeche makes no bones about the fact the event would not have proceeded without the support of the local business community and council.
“This is a huge undertaking and simply would not have got across the line without the partnership with Port of Taranaki and our family of sponsors. Such an international event of this caliber does not happen without solid infrastructure and a considerable financial platform. The enthusiasm and commitment to the event from Ports of Taranaki is ultimately what has got us over the line and in a position to announce details today."
The World Triathlon Festival also enjoys support form Mayor Peter Tennent and his council; Venture Taranaki, New Zealand Community Trust, TSB Community Trust, Yarrow Bakery and TSB Bank.
The news is a great fillip also for New Zealand athletes with the chance to race in an ITU World Cup in their own 'patch.'
Debbie Tanner and Shane Reed represented their fellow Kiwi elite athletes at the launch, with Tanner featuring in the advertising campaign 'Taranaki Challenges You'.
"Our careers are so dominated by international travel and it seems sometimes we spend as much time on planes, trains and buses as we do on bikes or in the pool! Racing at home is truly a luxury and one that any athlete would look forward to immensely. More than that though it is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our sport to New Zealand and in particular the region of Taranaki. There is nothing like seeing a sporting event live to inspire and motivate people to take up their own challenges in life, no matter how big or small they might be."
Fellow elite athlete Shane Reed has extra motivation to do well as he will be racing in his home town.
"We race all around the world and on all continents in all weather conditions and on any given day there might be 50 athletes in with a show of winning. To think that all of that will once again come to New Zealand and my home town of New Plymouth is just incredible. For me it means a chance to race in front of friends, families and sponsors and repay the faith and support they have given me throughout my career."
Thursday, 8 November 2007
Bryan Rhodes third in Ironman Florida
Bryan Rhodes bounced back to a third place in Ironman Florida on the weekend, after injury cost him a good finish in Ironman UK 9 weeks ago.
Three time Ironman champion and holder of the fastest ironman-distance time for a New Zealander, Rhodes led out of the water in 49:02, but dropped back on a fast, flat bike course with a 4:37 which included getting stung by a bee. A solid marathon however saw him move from 9th onto the podium, in 8:26:52, five minutes behind the winner.
Overall winner was Sydney Olympic Games Triathlon silver medalist Stephan Vuckovic (Germany) who beat the course record by one second in 8:21:29. Nina Kraft claimed her sixth Ironman title in 9:05:35, also a new course record at the ninth edition of the race in Panama City.
Top five men
1. Stephan Vuckovich, Germany 8:21:29
2. Sergio Marques, Portugal 8:23:49
3. Bryan Rhodes, New Zealand 8:26:52
4. Stephen Bayliss, GBR 8:30:59
5. Massimo Cigana, Italy 8:31:26
Top five women
1. Nina Kraft, Germany 9:05:35
2. Heleen Bij de Vaate, NLD 9:07:40
3. Tyler Stewart, Novato, CA 9:09:18
4. Bella Comerford, GBR 9:13:34
5. Tamara Kozulina, UKR 9:20:10
Three time Ironman champion and holder of the fastest ironman-distance time for a New Zealander, Rhodes led out of the water in 49:02, but dropped back on a fast, flat bike course with a 4:37 which included getting stung by a bee. A solid marathon however saw him move from 9th onto the podium, in 8:26:52, five minutes behind the winner.
Overall winner was Sydney Olympic Games Triathlon silver medalist Stephan Vuckovic (Germany) who beat the course record by one second in 8:21:29. Nina Kraft claimed her sixth Ironman title in 9:05:35, also a new course record at the ninth edition of the race in Panama City.
Top five men
1. Stephan Vuckovich, Germany 8:21:29
2. Sergio Marques, Portugal 8:23:49
3. Bryan Rhodes, New Zealand 8:26:52
4. Stephen Bayliss, GBR 8:30:59
5. Massimo Cigana, Italy 8:31:26
Top five women
1. Nina Kraft, Germany 9:05:35
2. Heleen Bij de Vaate, NLD 9:07:40
3. Tyler Stewart, Novato, CA 9:09:18
4. Bella Comerford, GBR 9:13:34
5. Tamara Kozulina, UKR 9:20:10
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Kiwis tri but can't in Cancun
Bevan Docherty and Samantha Warriner could only manage 12th place their Elite races on Sunday's ITU Cancun triathlon world cup event.
In both the men and women's races bunches of 15 and 10 respectively broke away on the bike leg without any New Zealand representation in swirling and gusty winds. Shallow, rough swim conditions had allowed the stronger swimmers to get away spreading the fields from the start.
In a sprint finish, world no. 2 Canadian Simon Whitfield edged out countryman Paul Tichelaar, with Volodymyr Polikarpenko preventing a full Canadian podium sweep by fending off Brent McMahon.
Even though Docherty posted one of the quickest run splits in the field it wasn't enough. Of the other Kiwis, Terenzo Bozzone was 24th and Kris Gemmell withdrew early on the bike leg. Gemmell had been suffering from flu since his victory in the last round in Rhodes, and his training had been somewhat compromised in the build-up to Cancun.
One final World Cup event of the year remains, and it will be take place in Eilat, Israel for the first time, on December 1.
There is a US$250,000 bonus pool to be shared among the top triathletes. With this race Whitfield has tightened his number 2 position ahead of Docherty who has slipped to 4th with Gemmell in 5th. Warriner remains at number 3.
2007 Cancun BG Triathlon World Cup - Elite Men's Results:
1. Simon Whitfield (CAN) 1:52:05
2. Paul Tichelaar (CAN) 1:52:06
3. Volodymyr Polikarpenko (UKR) 1:52:08
4. Brent McMahon (CAN) 1:52:15
5. Yulian Malyshev (RUS) 1:52:16
6. Samuel Pierreclaud (FRA) 1:52:47
7. Reinaldo Colucci (BRA) 1:53:20
8. Stuart Hayes (GBR) 1:53:26
9. Alexander Brukhankov (RUS) 1:53:45
10. Dmitry Polyansky (RUS) 1:53:59
Also
12. Bevan Docherty (NZL) 1:54:29
24. Terenzo Bozzone (NZL) 1:55:53
DNF Kris Gemmell
2007 Cancun BG Triathlon World Cup - Elite Women's Results:
1. Julie Ertel (USA) 2:03:22
2. Carole Peon (FRA) 2:03:33
3. Sarah Haskins (USA) 2:03:33
4. Jodie Swallow (GBR) 2:03:37
5. Laura Bennett (USA) 2:04:14
6. Sarah Groff (USA) 2:04:18
7. Anja Dittmer (GER) 2:04:41
8. Kerry Lang (GBR) 2:04:42
9. Jasmine Oeinck (USA) 2:07:18
10. Juri Ide (JPN) 2:07:56
Also
12. Sam Warriner (NZL) 2:09:05
In both the men and women's races bunches of 15 and 10 respectively broke away on the bike leg without any New Zealand representation in swirling and gusty winds. Shallow, rough swim conditions had allowed the stronger swimmers to get away spreading the fields from the start.
In a sprint finish, world no. 2 Canadian Simon Whitfield edged out countryman Paul Tichelaar, with Volodymyr Polikarpenko preventing a full Canadian podium sweep by fending off Brent McMahon.
Even though Docherty posted one of the quickest run splits in the field it wasn't enough. Of the other Kiwis, Terenzo Bozzone was 24th and Kris Gemmell withdrew early on the bike leg. Gemmell had been suffering from flu since his victory in the last round in Rhodes, and his training had been somewhat compromised in the build-up to Cancun.
One final World Cup event of the year remains, and it will be take place in Eilat, Israel for the first time, on December 1.
There is a US$250,000 bonus pool to be shared among the top triathletes. With this race Whitfield has tightened his number 2 position ahead of Docherty who has slipped to 4th with Gemmell in 5th. Warriner remains at number 3.
2007 Cancun BG Triathlon World Cup - Elite Men's Results:
1. Simon Whitfield (CAN) 1:52:05
2. Paul Tichelaar (CAN) 1:52:06
3. Volodymyr Polikarpenko (UKR) 1:52:08
4. Brent McMahon (CAN) 1:52:15
5. Yulian Malyshev (RUS) 1:52:16
6. Samuel Pierreclaud (FRA) 1:52:47
7. Reinaldo Colucci (BRA) 1:53:20
8. Stuart Hayes (GBR) 1:53:26
9. Alexander Brukhankov (RUS) 1:53:45
10. Dmitry Polyansky (RUS) 1:53:59
Also
12. Bevan Docherty (NZL) 1:54:29
24. Terenzo Bozzone (NZL) 1:55:53
DNF Kris Gemmell
2007 Cancun BG Triathlon World Cup - Elite Women's Results:
1. Julie Ertel (USA) 2:03:22
2. Carole Peon (FRA) 2:03:33
3. Sarah Haskins (USA) 2:03:33
4. Jodie Swallow (GBR) 2:03:37
5. Laura Bennett (USA) 2:04:14
6. Sarah Groff (USA) 2:04:18
7. Anja Dittmer (GER) 2:04:41
8. Kerry Lang (GBR) 2:04:42
9. Jasmine Oeinck (USA) 2:07:18
10. Juri Ide (JPN) 2:07:56
Also
12. Sam Warriner (NZL) 2:09:05
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