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Up & Comers Announce Their Arrival At Moehau |
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Monday, 21 April 2008 |
 One of the country's most popular multisport events produced one of the season's closest races when more than 200 endurance junkies went to the line in The Mighty Moehau multisport race. Stu Lynch & Marcel Hagener
The Mighty Moehau, a 124k of kayaking, mountain biking and running around the Coromandel Peninsula, offers a scenic but savage tour of one of the country's most spectacular regions. This year's race was affected by high winds, but it didn't deter a tight battle between two of New Zealand's most underrated multisporters.
| The pre-race chat focused on Auckland's Stu Lynch and whether he could claim his third straight Moehau title. The man most likely to prevent that happening was German-turned Kiwi Marcel Hagener. Lynch has been one of the country's fastest rising stars, finishing a solid seventh at the Speight's Coast to Coast earlier this year. Hagener is a former professional cyclist before moving to New Zealand and taking up multisport and has since won an adventure racing world title. |
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His recent form has been good too, with a comfortable win in Wellington's Porirua Grand Traverse just two weeks earlier.
Racing got under way with an 18k kayak from Coromandel's Long Bay to Otautu Bay. Lynch took no prisoners from the start, opening up a five-minute lead in the hope that he could stay clear of Hagener's cycling prowess on the following 27k mountain bike ride to the historic Port Jackson. Hagener, the former professional cyclist, was expected to take significant time out of Lynch but the Aucklander gave away only 25secs.
More often than not it's the run around Moehau mountain that decides this race. Last year both Lynch and women's winner Sophie Hart ran away from the field to set up comfortable wins. This year, however, Hart had the woman's race all to herself and cantered away to an easy win and ninth place overall. But up front Lynch ended up with a battle on his hands as Hagener pulled out all the stops to arrive at Big Sandy in the lead.
| Lynch (right) ran faster than last year but Hagener was even faster, passing Lynch and opening up a six-minute lead as they climbed back on bikes for a 40k mountain bike ride from Big Sandy to Waitete Bay. Lynch responded to Hagener's challenge to claw back one minute, but with only a 14k kayak and 3k mountain bike to the finish Hagener looked to have the race in control. But looks can be deceiving. |
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The wind and waters had been rising all day and this final 14k kayak proved to be the big decider. Lynch responded to the challenging conditions superbly, overhauling Hagener to arrive back at Long Bay in the lead. With only a 3k ride to the finish he proved a comfortable victor in a new race record of 7hrs 03min 55secs. In second place Hagener clocked in at 7hrs 16min 22secs, while adventure racing specialist Wayne Oxenham claimed third 25min later.
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The team racing proved to be the closest race of the day, with just four minutes separating the top two. The difference turned out to be a record breaking run of 1hr 32min for 53 year old mountain running legend Colin Earwaker, which allowed his teammates Graeme Pearson and Thomas Pinter enough of a lead to hold on for a winning time of 6hrs 46min 10secs.
>>Sophie Hart another convincing Moehau win>>
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The Mighty Moehau, however, is much more than merely a proving ground for the country's top endurance athletes. This event offers something for athletes of all age and ability. A shorter 66k option called the Tokotea Multisport was won by Darren Donnelly in a new race record of 3hrs 43min 40secs, while the woman's race saw Oksana Isevnina make her first ever multisport race one to remember when she won by almost 10min in 4hrs 17min 22secs.
A triathlon option was also popular, with Auckland's Scott Thorne smashing the record for the 1.5k swim, 11k mountain bike, 11k mountain run and 19k mountain bike with a time of 2hrs 50min 20secs. The women's race proved closer, with Megan Stewart using her swim prowess to exit the swim in first place overall, but then having to pull out all the stops as veteran Allison Hamilton chased her all the way to the finish. Stewart clocked in at 3hrs 39min 50secs, with Hamilton just four minutes behind.
>>Darren Donnelly on target for a record in the Tokotea race>> |
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The Mighty Moehau is organised by Adventure Racing Coromandel, a local organisation whose events benefit the Spirit of Coromandel Trust that assists in getting young people in to outdoor activities. Race directors Andy Reid and Keith Stephenson also organise the popular ARC Adventure Race, White Star Intrigue mountain bike, K2 road cycle and Kauri Run. Their next big event is the K2 Road Cycle in November.
>>Marcel Hagener (above) leads into paddle home>>
Photos: via left menu top of page (note can be purchased once loaded on www.cycle-photos.com
Video to feature soon - http://www.sportzvibes.com/
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