Winter triathlon

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 7, Issue 336, 15 May 1990, Page 1

Winter triathlon

The Ruapehu region will feature in a new, high profile kayak triathlon series this winter.

The action sports magazine, New Zealand Adventure, last week announced a winter kayak triathlon series covering eight races in the North Island. The last stage of the event - a three day scenario of run, cycling and kayaking, will take place in the Waimarino. Editor Bob McKerrow says the series will attract more than 1000 competitors. This number reflects the growing interest in what is now called "multisport". Four of these races will count for the series prizes for men, women and teams of two or three persons. The Adventure North Island Kayak Triathlon Championships start onSunday 6 May at the beautiful Kai-Iwi Lakes north of Dargaville. The competitor must cover 10km runing,

40km cycling and 4km kayaking. Two weeks later on 20 May Lake Rotorangi near Stratford in Taranaki will be the scene of a 16km kayak course, a run of 16km and a cycle of 36km. the seemingly haphazard order and distances of these events are because of the terrain and geography of the regions in where the races will be held. Many of the races are a joumey from one place to another instead of a race centred about the same start and finish point. The short finish leg run distance of 2km may lull the unsuspecting, but "easy" is something the Bethells Superdune on 27 Ma> will not be, according to McKerrow. The tough 11km run anc tougher 41km cycle is

followed by a lOknr paddle and then a run of 2km over a giant sandhill, carrying your kayak. On 17 June the race will be at Clive near Napier. The Three Rivers Race is held over 10km run, 36km cycle and 8km kayak. The newest race on the calendar, 'The Adventurethon', will be on 29 July from Whatipu, the North Head of the Manukau Harbour near Auckland. Runners will negotiate the steep hills of Centennial Park 11km run to the seasidc hamlet of Huia. There follows a tough 65km cycle 1300m up and through the Waitakere Ranges to Hobsonville Air Base. A 13km kayak down the Waitemata Harbour will finish in prim victorian Devonport with a 2km sprint to North Head. The Rimutaka race on 2 September includes a run 16km, cycling

38km across the Rimutakas then kayaking 12km down the Hutt Valley. The wild card event will be 7 October at Cambridge on and around Lake Karapiro with a 12km run, 26km cycle and 12km kayak. All those with a chance at the win almost have to get a good place to buffer them for the next race. The final event, the Mountain to Seas, starts on Saturday 20 October at 7 am, in the carpark at Whakapapa on Mt Ruapehu. Competitors will run 20km to National Park, cycle 61km to Ohinepa on the Wanganui River and kayak 35km on what the organisers call "Grade 1" water (rough

stuff) to Retaruke River junction and overnight camp at Whakahoro. The second day Sunday 21 October starts at 6.30am kayaking 87km to Pipiriki, a Maori greeting and hangi. Last day of the series Monday 22 October start is at 7am with 30km of rough unsealed road run before the cycle of 54km from Koroniti to Wanganui and the finish at Castlecliff Beach. The Adventure North Island Kayak Triathlon Championships Awards for the Best Man, Best Woman and Best Team will be presented there. The series is a pilot for a National Kayak Triathlon Championship in 1991.