A record number of athletes will be running over in the Motatapu course this year, says Motatapu Event Director, Gemma Boyle.
“We will have a record 1264 athletes involved in a running discipline this weekend, which includes the 42.2km marathon, the Arrowtown.com 15km Miners Trail Mountain Run, the R&R Sport 49km Adventure Run and the UDC Finance Xterra off-road triathlon” Gemma Boyle says. “Together they will run over 37,000kms.”
Overall numbers are very close to the record number of entrants the event attracted in 2010 and are 10% up on last year’s earthquake-affected Motatapu.
“While in 2010 we had a record number of bikers, this year we will have a record number of runners,” Gemma Boyle says.
This is not to say the popularity of mountain biking has diminished, she says, pointing out the Mountain Bike sold out as usual this year.
“In 2011 we decided to cut the mountain bike field by 300 people to create space on the course, and to make way for the UDC Finance Motatapu Xterra Triathlon”.
“We think we have a better balance across the events now, 2104 competitors across the five events”, she says.
Gemma Boyle says the UDC Finance Motatapu Xterra Triathlon is a direct qualifier for the World Xterra Championships held in Hawaii in October. “Individual spots for the UDC Finance Motatapu Xterra Triathlon sold out this year and we are expecting close and exciting racing,” she says.
“There has also been strong growth in the shorter but still very challenging Arrowtown.com Miners Trail Mountain Run”, Gemma Boyle says.
“All in all, it is shaping up to be another great Motatapu on Saturday. The recent cooler weather and a bit of rain will be a welcome relief for competitors after this year’s fantastically hot dry summer.”
From 2013 multisporters will have their chance of glory with the addition of a multisport option to be raced in alternate years of the Motatapu event.
Geoff Matthews, Director of Iconic Adventures, organisers’ of the Motatapu, hopes the new Motatapu R&R Sport multisport event will be a return to glory days for multisporters.
“Finishing the Motatapu R&R Sport Multisport event will possibly be the largest crowd that any multisporter has ever seen in New Zealand, the winner will get the accolades they deserve when crossing the finish line,” says Matthews.
Matthews says the inaugural Motatapu R&R Sport Multisport event will be held in March 2013 and be held once every two years, alternating each year with the R&R Sport Adventure Run.
“The multisport course will consist of a 15km kayak down the Matukituki River, a mountain bike through the Motatapu Valley on the same course as the Motatapu Speight’s Summit 47km Mountain Bike and then finish with the 15km Arrowtown.com Miners Trail Run,” Geoff Matthews says.
Local Queenstown multisport legend and co-owner of R&R Sport, Haydn Key, says multisporters have become thinner on the ground over recent years and he laments the passing of most of the classic multisport events.
“With the Motatapu having such great momentum and such a big event feel, it will be really fantastic to have a true multisport option at the event, Haydn says. “This will be a return to the classic one-day multisport format with the introduction of the kayak, mountain bike and run. It will be a fantastic course as well.”
Geoff Matthews, himself a former winner of the Southern Traverse and the Head to Head Multisport event, says there are a number of reasons that have lead to the demise of multisport participation and the number of multisport races in New Zealand but hopes the new Motatapu R&R Sport multisport event will reverse the trend.
“Over the past decade increased health and safety, as well as the high cost of accessing land and compliance costs, has made most events unsustainable,” Geoff Matthews says. “It is highly unlikely that a multisport event like this would be able to operate successfully as a stand-alone event, therefore incorporating it into the other Motatapu events held on the same day guarantees its survival,” he says.
Matthews also questions whether multisporters have in fact hung up their kayaks and gone onto other things because of the lack of atmosphere around multisport events. “While the scenery of the New Zealand countryside is spectacular, the atmosphere around multisport events often never quite matched it,” he says.
“It’s what I call the two cow finish line. I can distinctly remember finishing a multisport race in front of three people and a few cows in a paddock. This came only a few weeks after racing in front of 25,000 people at the Auckland Ironman. It’s extremely demoralising, and I hope the thought of finishing in front of the big crowd will spur a few people into dusting off their kayaks,” Geoff Matthews says.
The running of the inaugural R&R Sport Mutlisport event in 2013 will also mean that Adventure Runners who miss out on entering this year will have to wait until 2014 to race the R&R Adventure Run.
Other events to be held in conjunction with the Motatapu include; the Speight’s Summit 47km Mountain Bike, Icebreaker Off Road Marathon, Arrowtown.com Miners Trail 15km mountain run and the XTERRA UDC Finance Motatapu Triathlon.
The 23rd summer of racing commences this Wednesday at Mission Bay when the 2XU Stroke & Stride Series splashes off. Outstanding young athletes and current Series Champions Michael Poole and Simone Ackermann have returned to New Zealand from their international competitions to defend their titles over the eight events that run from November through March on the beautiful beaches of Auckland's Waitemata Harbour.
Our champs will be challenged all season long by Elise Salt, Rebecca Clarke, Sam Franklin and New Zealand Swimrun Champion Cameron Todd who all managed to sneak wins during the previous season.
Each Stroke & Stride involves a sea swim immediately followed by a road run. Swim distances range from 500 metre to 1000 metre while the runs can be from 3 kilometre to 5 kilometre. This combination adds up to action packed racing at each event with the winners crossing the finish line with less than 30 minutes elapsed on the clock.
The world's most popular swimrun series also ranks as New Zealand's most popular after work sports event with hundred's of athletes challenging themselves and their competition every fortnight. Athletes compete in five year age groups ranging from the youngest at 13 years of age up to those aged more than 70 years.
The first event in the 2XU Stroke & Stride Series will be contested over a 500 metre swim and 5 kilometre run at Mission Bay, Auckland on Wednesday, November 9, 2011 with a 6.15pm start time.
The Stroke & Stride Series and the $80,000 in cash and prizes to be won is made possible with the generous support of sponsors headlined by 2XU, TIMEX, HORLEYS, BONITA, SHOE CLINIC, ASICS and JUST ENERGY.
Further detail on what is in store for this season and all the results from previous years can be found at the official Stroke & Stride website - swimrun.org
Calendar
#1 November 9 2011 Mission Bay
#2 November 23 2011 Mission Bay
#3 December 7 2011 St Heliers Bay
#4 January 24 2012 St Heliers Bay
#5 February 7 2012 St Heliers Bay
#6 February 21 2012 Mission Bay
#7 March 7 2012 Mission Bay
#8 March 21 2012 Mission Bay
On Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 October 2011, Weekend Warrior Events did what they do best: the perfect execution of the location race. Or, in this case, three races.
This year, The Straddie Salute Multisport Festival (presented by Stradbroke Ferries) was in its fourth year and has expanded since the inaugural off-road triathlon in 2008 to a weekend festival with three events, over two days, in one great location - North Stradbroke Island.
North Stradbroke Island is accessible from Cleveland, 30 minutes south-east of Brisbane City CBD. Ferries run regularly and there is the option of a water taxi or a vehicular ferry. It’s just far away enough from the office to feel that sense of relief and escape. When the ferries land at Dunwich on North Stradbroke, Point Lookout is only 15 minutes by car. It's the perfect weekend away with some of the best surfing, whalewatching, snorkelling, diving and 4WDing in Queensland, as well as boasting one of the most iconic spots for a post-race beer: the Straddie Beach Hotel! I wish I was there right now...
On the morning of Saturday 8 October, the weather was looking a bit average: strong winds, heavy rain, thunder. Luckily, by 3pm that afternoon the weather had eased for the Sibelco Straddie 1000 Ocean Swim. Whether it was a pair of boardies, a bikini, Speedos or a wetsuit, the 100+ competitors threw themselves into the water at Cylinder Beach, under cloudy skies, for the 1000m ocean swim. Trent Grimsey (7:54) was the first male out of the water, followed by Josh Richardson (8:02) and Brendan Capell (8:19). Danielle DeFrancesco was the first female out of the water (9:06), followed by Caitlin Schluter (9:46) and Jaclyn Friend (11:07).
Sunday 9 October was the Columbia Adventure Run/Walk and the Straddie Salute Offroad Triathlon. And boy, did Straddie turn on the weather: clear skies, hardly a breath of wind, still water...not a trace of the wild storm the day before. These two events have to be two of the most beautiful courses going round, with the course mapping its way to showcase the best of North Stradbroke Island.
The Columbia Adventure Run/Walk was a slightly different course to previous years, due to council work being done on the pathways in the Gorge, but was still as stunning as ever. Competitors started on George Nothling Drive, making their way along some sealed bitumen roads before hitting the sand on Main Beach. From there, the course made its way up stairs, along beach trails and tracks, wound along the tops of cliffs, before finishing up at the event base at the Point Lookout Domain. It’s a course unlike any other. And the best part? It’s relaxed and it’s real: no elbowing to get ahead, no attitude from fellow runners, no monotonous courses that simply follow a white line along an anonymous road. I’m not surprised that Columbia have jumped on board to sponsor this event – it’s about getting out there, getting dirty (well, your shoes at least!) and getting into it! Local Straddie boy Patrick Hagan streaked ahead to finish first in a blistering time of 26:54, following by Artem Golev (28:43) and Cameron Boyd in third (30:03). Annette O’Shea lead the women’s race in a time of 32:46, following by Kirsti Creed (35:56) and Olwen McClintock in third (36:01).
The Straddie Salute Offroad Triathlon: I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again – this triathlon has to be one of the best that is on offer and is one of my favourite races. It’s been designed by John Guise and his team at Weekend Warrior Events with the social competitor in mind. Love it! Standing there listening to Triathlon Queensland give the race briefing was just fabulous: a very warm and relaxed welcome, followed by a show of hands of those competitors doing their first triathlon (a lot!), then some very reassuring comments about staying calm, taking your time, using the IRB (Inflatable Rescue Boat...I didn’t know what that meant either, shows how much time I’ve spent ocean swimming!) to take a breath and adjust your goggles – brilliant! It’s this kind of atmosphere that makes sport possible, sustainable, and open to athletes of every ability, size, age, and fitness level. And it’s this kind of atmosphere that will foster a community willingness and acceptance that sport needs to become a part of life if our society is ever going to become a healthier, happier one.
Right, off my soapbox and back to the race!
You can enter the tri as an individual or as a team and the field is strictly limited to 500 entrants. I think that field limitation is so important, and hope that the popularity of the event doesn’t force the race organiser’s hand to extend the field – keeping it (relatively) small not only makes you feel exclusive but guarantees that the event maintains its original intention: to provide an offroad triathlon for weekend warriors and finely-tuned athletes in one of Queensland’s prime locations.
The swim is a 600m ocean swim, with a mass start at the eastern end of Home Beach. The course heads west before turning into the shore opposite the Point Lookout Domain, with a short beach and grass run into transition.
The cycle consists of both sealed road (60%) and 4WD trail (40%) and starts and finishes at the event base. It’s not an overly technical course, but a mountain bike is essential.
The run follows some of the Columbia Adventure Run/Walk course and is a mixture of coastal trails, 4WD roads and beaches. After a short road section from transition, runners reached Main Beach where the course links with Point Lookout's scenic tracks and trails.
Rob Symmons took out the men’s race (again!) in a time of 1:15:46 (splits: 9:32, 35:25, 30:49), followed by George Tamblyn in 1:18:16 (splits: 10:09, 38:17, 29:50), with Dave Brown in third place at 1:20:47 (splits: 12:29, 34:11, 34:07).
Gold Coast resident Yoko Okuda-Thomsen won the women’s race in a time of 1:27:22 (splits: 12:11, 39:34, 35:37), followed by Renee White at 1:31:49 (splits: 11:22, 42:48, 37:39), with Lyndia Bellew in third place at 1:39:12 (splits: 14:01, 45:02, 40:09).
I decided to lend my extensive athletic ability, rigorous training, self-discipline and talent to a team entry with my (cyclist) husband as the swimmer, his best mate (also a cyclist) on the bike leg, and yours truly (not a cyclist!) on the run leg. My best mate and training partner ran the Columbia Adventure Run/Walk. Next year, we just need a competitor in the Sibelco Straddie 100 Swim and all bases will be covered! That afternoon, sitting at the Stradbroke Island Hotel after watching the prize giving and presentations (that does have, can I add, fantastic spot-prizes from the event sponsors!) over a beer, seeing whales breaching in the afternoon sun, and comparing race thoughts, the reviews couldn’t have been more favourable. The sea was crystal clear, meaning that from the very start you could see the dappled sunlight on the sand at the seabed; the cycle leg was an enjoyable challenge and refreshing change from road racing and criterions; and the run, well, you know my thoughts on that one. It’s a beauty.
We’ll be back, same time next year. So there are only 496 spots left.
