1999 NZ Swimrun Champs

Fila New Zealand Swimrun Championships

The FILA New Zealand Swimrun Championships for 1999 were held at St Heliers Bay, Auckland starting at 8.00 am on Saturday morning in near perfect conditions for fast racing. A slight offshore breeze left the sea flat and smooth for the 2000 metre swim. The incoming tide may have even helped swimmers along down the back of the two lap triangular course.

The half way point was a buoy just 10 metres in front of the transition area giving spectators an excellent view of the mid point of the swim. Skies were overcast with the late summer sun burning off the cloud cover just as the first athletes crossed the finish line so heat was not a factor during the race. The 8 kilometre run followed the curve of the Auckland waterfront and was totally flat apart from a 200 metre climb leading up to the turnaround at the 4 kilometre point.

Reigning New Zealand Swimrun Champion Brent Foster’s toughest competition was expected to come from last season’s runner up, Kris Gemmell from Christchurch. Adding competition and an international flavour to the Men’s field was the World Champion athlete Olivier Bernhard from Switzerland. Two time New Zealand Champion Heidi Alexander faced a stern challenge this year from a handful of the countries best athletes. Evelyn Williamson from Wellington, Shanelle Barrett and Fiona Docherty from Taupo and the 1994 Swimrun Champion, the recently married Marisa Carter (nee Pentecost) were all looking to prevent Alexander from winning another title.

At the halfway point of the swim Brent Foster had opened up a commanding lead on the chasing pack of swimmers. Marisa Carter was leading the woman and in the top 10 overall at this stage. Brent Foster applied further pressure over the later portion of the swim leg and started the run over a minute and a half clear of the next man. The next man just happened to be his twin brother Dean Foster who had Kris Gemmell in tow at the end of the swim. Peter Clode was only a further 10 seconds down at this point but was still feeling the effects of his Ironman competition two weeks earlier and withdrew half way through the run. A further minute down on Gemmell after the swim was Olivier Bernhard whose smooth running style looked ominous for the lead men. Gemmell passed Dean Foster in transition and set off after the leading Foster like a speeding bullet. Unfortunately bullets have trouble going around corners and this problem would also prove to be Gemmell’s downfall later in the day. With every passing metre Gemmell proceeded to take large chunks from Brent Foster’s rapidly evaporating lead and in the final kilometres Gemmell took the lead and crossed the line in first place ahead of Brent Foster. Olivier Bernhard was all class as he made quick work of the 8 kilometres but couldn’t catch the two leaders and finished third ahead of Silas Cullen who also had a tremendous run leg. Dean Foster backed up his superb swim with a strong run to round out the top five. Unfortunately for Gemmell his elation turned to disappointment as he was given a two minute time penalty for running on the road instead of the footpath which relegated him to third place.

Marisa Carter finished the swim in front of all but a handful of the men and started the run 45 seconds clear of the second woman Evelyn Williamson. Carter was having her best season in recent years and eager to regain her title but Williamson’s run has improved markedly over recent seasons and she quickly passed Carter and moved to the head of the woman’s field.

Starting the run a couple of minutes behind these leading woman was Shanelle Barrett who was on her way to recording the fastest run split of the day. Barrett’s run was good enough to get her up into second but Evelyn Williamson was not to be denied her victory as she took the title of Swimrun Champion for 1999 in a time of 55 minutes and 35 seconds. Carter held out last season’s Champion Heidi Alexander and took third while Fiona Docherty missed a turn near the finish to allow Megan Dalton to snatch back fifth place.