Race #70

At the conclusion of last season Heidi Alexander and Brent Foster both claimed their second New Zealand Swim/Run Championship titles. After their winning performances in the first two races in the Stroke & Stride Series, this pair of multi-talented athletes must be favoured to do it again at the end of this season.

Heidi’s style of racing is to just hang off the back of the fastest swimmers during the swim leg, move quickly through to the front of the field during the run and then control the race from there through to the finish line. Her closest challenger in the first two events has been the big improver from last season, Nicole Cope who has actually managed to take time out of Heidi on the run on her way to her two second place finishes. Another getting better with every outing is Kirsty Whiting who shared the lead out of the water and then ran through for a great third placing ahead of Marisa Pentecost and Debbie Tanner who are both past Stroke & Stride Series Champions.

Brent Foster has been Series Champion for an unprecedented five times and from year one his winning style has always been the same. Go like hell during the swim. If anyone can actually hang on to him they’re going to be hurting and then get to the run and do exactly the same. Trouble is that Brent has spent the past few years working on his running and he’s now running faster than ever and nobody is even getting close to him at this early stage of the season. Will Green, Richard Harding and Rodney Gordon have been the best of the rest in the first two races but they will all be looking for further improvement over the summer months if they want a victory this season. Chris Williams had his best ever race to take fourth, while Stuart Blake and Marty Birch swapped places from Race #1 to take fifth and sixth respectively and the rivalry continues.

The Stroke & Stride has always been known for fast and furious racing with the odd sprint finish on the line thrown in for good measure. The women’s field gave a superb demonstration of close racing at Race #2 with eight women in the first 15 crossing the finish within one minute of each other. Of course the men weren’t going to be upstaged by this and they managed to squeeze ten across the line within their allotted 60 seconds. Thanks to all concerned for this added excitement.