New form of stamina test

Press, 26 October 1984, Page 19

New form of stamina test

By

KEVIN TUTTY

Triathlons, it seems, are superseding marathons as the “new .wave” sport for that group of people who insist on pushing their bodies in • ultra-endurance tests. ' This summer Christchurch will have its own major triathlon for the first time, and the winners of the men’s and women’s sections will have the opportunity to compete for a place in the daddy of all triathlons, the Ironman Triathlon world championship in Hawaii. By the world championship standard, the Christchurch event will be a min-

now. It will include a I.Bkm swim, a 70km cycle ride and a 21km run to finish. The Hawaiian event, by comparison, involves a 3km swim, a 160 km cycle ride and a 32km run to finish. The Christchurch event will be held on January 5 and start at 8 a.m. to avoid the heat of the day. It is expected that the winner of the men’s section will take about four hours. In March the winners of the Christchurch event will

compete, if they wish, in the Auckland triathlon, and the first man and first woman in that event will gain automatic entry to the world championship in Hawaii. A group of enthusiasts have combined to stage the Christchurch event and they hope to have official sanction the following year to call the event the Christchurch Ironman Triathlon, making it a subsidiary event of the Hawaiian world championship. The race directors in Christchurch will be two men well known in surf life- 1 saving, Geoff Le Cren and Dave Bradley. John Hellemans, the present New Zealand triathlon champion, is also a member of the steering committee. At present the steering commitee is seeking sponsors, and it hopes to attract a major sponsor whose name will, be associated with the event. Entries from throughout the South Island and, perhaps, the lower part of the North island, are likely and the total field should be between 100 and 150, said Mr Bradley this week.

The course for the Christchurch triathlon starts in the inner Lyttelton Harbour and finishes I.Bkm later at Corsair Bay. From Corsair Bay the competitors will cycle to Teddington, across Gebbies Pass, and through Springston, Lincoln, Tai Tapu and Halswell to finish at The Princess Margaret Hospital. Those that have enough energy for the third leg face a half-marathon which includes Port Hills Road, Bridle Path Road before cutting across Dyers Road to finish at the New Brighton Mall.

A large group of support workers will be needed and the Red Cross, the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Sports Medicine Federation, and the Christchurch Radio Communications Club will provide expert back-up. The Canterbury Surf LifeSaving Association will provide manpower and rescue craft for the swim section; the Hornby Workingmen’s Amateur Cycling Club will provide officials and aid stations for the cycling leg; and the New Brighton amateur Athletic Club will man the running section. The steering committee is working on a budget of $B5OO to run the event. There will be five age categories and male and female sections for competitors aged 16 to 24 years; 25 to 29; 30 to 39; 40 to 49, and over 50 years.