Race #41

Race #5 of the NutraSport Stroke & Stride Series presented competitors with a stiff onshore breeze which once again made for choppy swimming conditions.  The 750 metre swim was made up of a tough outward leg to the first buoy and then two much quicker legs back to the beach.  The 4 kilometre run was out and back to Mission Bay with the head wind on the retum. The women’s field started 7 minutes in front of the men.

First from the water was Jo Craddock in 10 minutes 33 seconds with a huge minute and a half lead over Heidi Alexander and Roxane Benney.  Anne Buckley exited the water in 12 minutes 40 seconds.

Out onto the run leg and Jo Craddock’s lead was eroded considerably by some of the faster runners but she still looked a comfortable winner in 28 minutes 20 seconds which gave her her second win in a row.  Heidi Alexander made up time on the run to finish in second just 19 seconds behind, while Anne Buckley ran through for third in 28 minutes 49 seconds.  Leanne Johnston was fourth and Roxane Benney held on for fifth place.

Once again Brent Foster lead the men’s field from the water in 9 minutes 30 seconds but he had some tough competition with Tim Bowen (9m 38s) and John Munro (9m 42s) doing their best to hang on.  Next out were Malcolm McGregor and William Smith a further 20 seconds back while Mark Hutchinson recorded a time of 11 minutes and 12 seconds and Rodney Gordon 11 minutes 27 seconds.

At the finish of the run it was Brent Foster leading the field home in 24 minutes 35 seconds but Jared Letica had made the biggest gains during the run to move through for second place only 8 seconds behind.  Mark Hutchinson and Rodney Gordon made up ground on most of the field to take third and fourth places while young Matthew Brook added a sub 14 minute run split to his 11 minute 17 second swim to move up to take fifth.