Coast to Coast (race)
The Coast to Coast is a non-standard multisport competition held annually in New Zealand. It is run from the west coast to the east coast of the South Island, and features running, cycling and kayaking elements over a total of 243 kilometres (151 mi).
History
The first Coast to Coast race was organised in 1983 by New Zealand sportsman Robin Judkins who had earlier run the three-day Alpine Ironman. The original race featured only 79 competitors and was considered a largely local event. Subsequent races have increased in size, and by the race's 25th anniversary run in 2007 the field had increased to 840 participants and gained international acclaim as one of the premier adventure races in the world.[1]
After organising the race for 31 years, Judkins sold the rights in May 2013 to tourism company Trojan Holdings[2][3] for an undisclosed amount.
Course
The race consists of three different timed events which all run over the same course: individual and two-person teams competing over a two-day event, and the titular World Championship race, a one-person, one-day event previously called The Longest Day competition.
The race begins with a 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) run from Kumara Beach on the Tasman Sea, followed by a 55 km (34 mi) cycling up State Highway 73 to Aickens. The next segment of the race is a 33 kilometres (21 mi) run up the Deception River, through Goat Pass and then down the Mingha River to the Bealey River and SH 73 at Klondyke Corner. For the two-day event, competitors overnight here.
From Klondyke Corner, a 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) cycling leg along SH 73 brings competitors to the Waimakariri River at Mount White Bridge. From here, competitors kayak 67 kilometres (42 mi) down the river to the Waimakariri Gorge Bridge (Route 72).
Until 2014, the final segment was a 70 kilometres (43 mi) cycling race along Old West Coast Road and through Christchurch (via SH 73, SH 76, SH 74A, Ferry Road and Main Road) to the finish at Sumner Beach, on the Pacific Ocean.
From 2015, the route was shifted north of the Waimakariri River to follow South Eyre Road, then travelling through north-eastern Christchurch to finish at New Brighton beach, a total distance just 500 metres shorter than the original. The main reason for the change was to avoid competitors contending with numerous traffic lights through Christchurch's inner suburbs.
- Start line, Kumara beach: 42°34′21″S 171°06′57″E / 42.5725°S 171.1157°E
- Kumara Junction transition (run-cycle): 42°35′17″S 171°07′55″E / 42.5881°S 171.1319°E
- Aickins transition (cycle-run): 42°46′17″S 171°37′31″E / 42.7714°S 171.6253°E
- Klondyke Corner transition/overnight (run-cycle): 43°00′14″S 171°35′22″E / 43.0040°S 171.5894°E
- Mount White Bridge transition (cycle-kayak): 43°00′16″S 171°44′52″E / 43.0045°S 171.7479°E
- Waimakariri Gorge Bridge transition (kayak-cycle): 43°21′38″S 172°03′03″E / 43.3606°S 172.0507°E
- Finish line, New Brighton Beach: 43°30′51″S 172°44′05″E / 43.51423°S 172.73482°E
- Historic finish line, Sumner beach: 43°33′59″S 172°45′34″E / 43.5663°S 172.7594°E
Records
The record time of completion of the race is in 10 hours, 34 minutes and 37 seconds, achieved by Keith Murray in 1994. Murray also holds the record for the two-day competition at 11:05:18 from the year before in 1993.[4]
| Event | Time | Participant | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Individual (One day) | 10:34:37 | Keith Murray | 1994 |
| Women's Individual (One day) | 12:09:26 | Andrea Murray | 1997 |
| Men's Individual (Two day) | 11:05:18 | Keith Murray | 1993 |
| Women's Individual (Two day) | 12:59:57 | Anne Woodley | 1997 |
| Men's Teams | 10:50:56 | Michael Causer Graham Causer |
1993 |
| Women's Teams | 12:37:53 | Suzanne Stowell Andrea Devine |
1994 |
Steve Gurney, a local from Christchurch, has won the event a record 9 times, in 1990, 1991, and 1997–2003.[5]
Individual (one day) results
| Year | Men | Women | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competitor | Residence | Time | Competitor | Residence | Time | |
| 1987 | Russell Prince | Christchurch | 12:19:51 | Stella Sweney | Nelson | 16:07:10 |
| 1988 | John Jacoby | Melbourne, Australia | 12:02:59 | Denise Higgison | Tauranga | 17:22:08 |
| 1989 | John Jacoby | Melbourne, Australia | 11:27:19 | Stella Sweney | Nelson | 13:11:10 |
| 1990 | Steve Gurney | Christchurch | 11:06:49 | Anna Keeling | Christchurch | 13:39:01 |
| 1991 | Steve Gurney | Christchurch | 10:56:14 | Kathy Lynch | Motueka | 12:46:04 |
| 1992 | Rockley Montgomery | South Africa | 08:37:30 | Kathy Lynch | Motueka | 09:29:36 |
| 1993 | John Jacoby | Melbourne, Australia | 11:06:02 | Kathy Lynch | Motueka | 12:41:52 |
| 1994 | Keith Murray | Christchurch | 10:34:37 | Kathy Lynch | Motueka | 12:38:31 |
| 1995 | Ian Edmond | Christchurch | 11:44:22 | Wendy Nelson | Geraldine | 13:17:14 |
| 1996 | Neil Jones | Whakatane | 11:49:39 | Kathy Lynch | Motueka | 13:16:58 |
| 1997 | Steve Gurney | Christchurch | 10:55:16 | Andrea Murray | Christchurch | 12:09:26 |
| 1998 | Steve Gurney | Christchurch | 11:30:09 | Alexandra Stewart | Wellington | 13:50:34 |
| 1999 | Steve Gurney | Christchurch | 11:34:21 | Kate Callaghan | Auckland | 13:17:58 |
| 2000 | Steve Gurney | Christchurch | 11:47:32 | Jill Westenra | Wellington | 13:16:25 |
| 2001 | Steve Gurney | Christchurch | 11:04:58 | Jill Westenra | Wellington | 12:46:35 |
| 2002 | Steve Gurney | Christchurch | 11:53:08 | Jill Westenra | Wellington | 13:25:34 |
| 2003 | Steve Gurney | Christchurch | 11:14:08 | Jill Westenra | Wellington | 12:25:54 |
| 2004 | George Christison | Napier | 11:33:30 | Kristina Strode-Penny | Christchurch | 13:08:43 |
| 2005 | Richard Ussher | Nelson | 11:44:07 | Kristina Anglem | Christchurch | 12:40:34 |
| 2006 | Richard Ussher | Nelson | 11:05:06 | Emily Miazga | Canada | 13:00:15 |
| 2007 | Gordon Walker | Auckland | 11:39:30 | Fleur Pawsey | Wellington | 13:29:47 |
| 2008 | Richard Ussher | Nelson | 11:03:52 | Emily Miazga | Canada | 13:16:24 |
| 2009 | Gordon Walker | Auckland | 11:49:26 | Emily Miazga | Canada | 13:39:33 |
| 2010 | Gordon Walker | Auckland | 09:43:24 | Elina Ussher | Finland | 10:59:54 |
| 2011 | Richard Ussher | Nelson | 10:41:12 | Sophie Hart | Nelson | 12:10:31 |
| 2012 | Richard Ussher | Nelson | 11:33:24 | Elina Ussher | Finland | 13:25:24 |
| 2013 | Braden Currie | Methven | 11:06:51 | Sophie Hart | Nelson | 12:36:19 |
| 2014[6] | Braden Currie | Wanaka | 11:18:37 | Jess Simson | Wellington | 13:12:24 |
| 2014[7] | Braden Currie | Wanaka | 11:20:46 | Jess Simson | Wellington | 13:05:10 |
| 2015 | Braden Currie | Wanaka | 11:27:46 | Jess Simson | Wanaka | 13:05:44 |
| 2016 | Sam Clark | Whakatane | 11:37:07 | Elina Ussher | Finland | 13:32:41 |
References
- ^ Woodcock, Fred (9 February 2007). "Coast-to-Coast a life-changing event". The Dominion Post.[dead link]
- ^ Longley, Geoff (10 May 2013). "Judkins sells Coast to Coast". The Press. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
- ^ Hutching, Chris (13 May 2013). "Rich List 'coasters' keep Judkins as 'beer boy'". National Business Review. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
- ^ "Coast to Coast:Individual Race Records". Speight's Coast to Coast. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
- ^ Guerney, Steve. "Steve Gurney". Retrieved 16 September 2013.
- ^ Egan, Brendon (16 February 2014). "Braden Currie shines in Coast to Coast win". The Press. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
- ^ Davis, Hanne (15 February 2015). "Braden Currie wins third straight Coast to Coast race after rival's bike breaks down". The Press. Retrieved 4 November 2015.