Race #124

Spring racing in Auckland can be a dodgy proposition with no guarantees of what weather the city will be blessed or cursed with on race day.  Fortunately for all at Race #1 of the Structured Finance Stroke & Stride Series a blue sky day was delivered as requested.  The balmy afternoon allowing competitors to bask in the sunshine while a gentle afternoon breeze rippled the sea.  These outstanding conditions encouraged race organisers to use their preferred swim course option utilizing the deep water start and then the drag race alongside the beautiful St Heliers bay.

The women led the way and after their brief 500 metre beachside burst it was the familiar face of Rebecca Nesbitt leading them from the water in a time of 6m 27s however stacked up just seconds behind were all the major contenders such as Samantha Warriner 6m 30s, Rebecca Spence 6m 34s, Carmel Hanly 6m 48s and Anna Hamilton 7m 07s.  As the 500 metre swim really does nothing to separate all the players it was again left to the 5 kilometre run extending as far as Mission Bay and return to decide the final placings.  Eight months ago it was Samantha Warriner winning the final race of the season and claiming the 2005 New Zealand SWIMRUN Championship before setting off for her outstanding season on the world stage.  Sam has returned as sharp as ever as it wasn’t far into the run that she seized control of this race running just too fast for anyone to challenge her before sprinting up the beach to claim her satisfying first victory of the new season.  Recording the fastest run of the day took Carmel Hanly up into 2nd place while Anna Hamilton’s great run enabled her to run through for 3rd ahead of Jacqui Seebold and Kate Mitchell.

Turning now to the men’s field we can just change a name and press ‘replay’ as eight months ago it was Shane Reed winning the final race of the season and claiming the 2005 New Zealand SWIMRUN Championship before setting off for his outstanding season on the world stage.  Shane has returned as sharp as ever and he didn’t want to wait for the run to make his mark; he lead the men’s field from the water by a handy 15 seconds recording 5m 39s for the swim leg.  He then promptly extended his lead out on the run course to stroll home a comfortable winner.  James Upton had his best ever race in a Stroke & Stride and was rewarded with a fine second placing ahead of the experienced James Elvery, Liam Scopes and Ben Visser.

At first glance not too much appears to have changed at the Stroke & Stride with our two race winners from the end of last season repeating their victories at the start of the new season.  However a large number of the top placed finishers at this event were recording their best ever results signifying some have been training hard through the winter months and steadily improving for the start of the new season.  We now look forward to seven more events to decide who will top the Series at the end of the summer.