Event offers difficult Olympiclength course

ATHLETES from Olympic hopefuls to first timers, runners, cyclists, swimmers and kayakers flocked to Bannockburn yesterday.

With the temperatures set to reach 27degC in the afternoon, an early morning start was a win for competitors in the Gate Lake Dunstan Triathlon and Duathlon. The event was part of the Cromwell Summer Series.

Organiser Bill Godsall said he was pretty happy with the day.

There were 126 entries, including teams, up from last year.

The first group set off at 8am for the Olympicdistance triathlon involving a 1.5km swim and 40km bike ride, finishing with a 10km run.

It was a hard course and the last competitor in the Olympiclength section crossed the line nearly four hours after starting, Mr Godsall said.

Among the athletes in that group were two members of the New Zealand highperformance triathlon team — Janus Staufenberg and Olivia Thornbury, both of Dunedin.

Both have just completed their second year of medicine at the University of Otago while competing in triathlons internationally and at home.

It was a workload that took some balancing, Mr Staufenberg said.

‘‘We make it work,’’ Miss

Thornbury said.

Mr Godsall said the great thing about the event was all ages could compete.

There were a couple of school teams in the shorter triathlon, he said.

It was where people started out, and being able to compete at an event with athletes such as Mr Staufenberg and Miss Thornbury was huge for beginners, Mr Godsall said.

Christchurch couple Francesca and Chris Kappely entered the duathlon and both were competing for the first time.

Mr Kappely said they were holidaying in Wanaka and his wife had found out the race was on.

They regularly cycled and ran for fitness and his wife had been wanting to compete for some time, he said.

Results were. —

Open male — Janus Staufenberg, Dunedin, 1:45:49; Open female — Rebecca Clarke, Wanaka, 1:58:51.

Open male — Laurie Watson, Wanaka, 57:28; Open female — Sophie Shallard, Dunedin, 1:05:18.

Open male — Chris Kappely, Christchurch, 1:23:05; Open female — Emma Waite, Ashburton, 1:16:49.

PHOTO: JULIE ASHER Catching a break . . . New Zealand triathlon highperformance athletes Janus Staufenberg and Olivia Thornbury, of Dunedin, relax after the Olympicdistance triathlon at Bannockburn yesterday.

Mixing it up . . . Dunedinbased mixologists Alex Stoddart (left) and Jaz Campbell prepare cocktails for Hannah Wallace, Tanya Wallace and Caitlin McEvoy.