Gisborne athletes came through day one of the 2009 Genesis Energy Lake to Lighthouse Challenge tired, sore and fully challenged — but on track to hold strong positions in the tough two-day 186-kilometre eight-stage odyssey.
Perfect, hot conditions, but with a strong headwind on the lake kayak section, met athletes on the first day. The course took them out of Tuai on a mountainbike leg to the lake, kayak leg to Hopuarahine inlet, and 46km of running around the Great Lake Walk.
The traverse of Panekiri Bluff took its expected toll on running legs and all competitors reflected on the climb and descent of the huge landmark as the tough part of the day mentally and physically.
Gerald Holden held 10th place in the open individual men’s section, crossing the line in 40th place in nine hours, 14 minutes, 30 seconds.
“It hasn’t got any easier, that’s for sure,” he said as he lay in the shade back in Tuai.
An understatement, considering individual competitors not only run what is normally a two to four-day tramp, but throw in a lake crossing by kayak and uphill mountainbike ride — all in the same day.
Holden was seventh last year and has stronger competition this time, but much could change over today’s mountainbike, road cycle, river kayak and cross-country run legs between Tuai and Wairoa.
John Redpath was 14th open man, 56th to cross the line in 9:45:28. He had cramp but was otherwise in good shape.
Sarah Wallace was lying sixth in the women’s race, crossing the line 67th in 10:06:20.
In the biggest race of her life, Wallace was holding a solid pace.
Jo Teesdale, the defending veteran woman champion, was holding second place in the veteran women’s section, finishing in 10:59:46 in 92nd place overall.
Gisborne-based teams were also in good shape and holding strong positions in their categories.
Two-man veteran team John Harris and Ian Hughes were lying fifth in their category, crossing the line 44th overall in 9:21:23.
Four-man open team Jim Holden, Harley Dibble, Dave Conway and Jeremy Macavoy were lying second in the male teams, on the back of strong runs around the lake track by Dibble and Macavoy. They arrived back in Tuai in 30th overall place in 8:56:43.
The young Gisborne-based crew of Rory McLoughlin, Tom Hyland, Matt Sutton and Anna Junnila, entered as a Wairoa team, were lying third in the four-person mixed division. Sutton laid down the fastest time of the day on the water.
Pat Butler, Bob Dyer, Steve Gordon and Hamish Clentworth, another Wairoa team with Gisborne members, were seventh in the four-man teams, in 10:15:21 and 72nd place overall.
Veteran Wairoa multisporter Rod Kirwan was looking strong in 10th place in the vets, clocking 10:49:23 in 88th place.