Multisport: A motive for every competitor

Chris Patchett, of Dunedin, will compete in the half ironman.
Chris Patchett, of Dunedin, will compete in the half ironman.
Hugh Tait, of Dunedin, will compete in the half ironman. Photos by Mark Price.
Hugh Tait, of Dunedin, will compete in the half ironman. Photos by Mark Price.

At just before 7am tomorrow, 1500 athletes hit the chilly waters of Lake Wanaka at the start of the Challenge Wanaka triathlon. They will swim, cycle and run towards a finish line 196km away, or half that distance in the case of those doing the Lake Wanaka half ironman. Otago Daily Times Wanaka bureau chief Mark Price was on the street during the week asking some of those participants who have no expectation of winning why they do it.

Name: Mark Lucas (44).
From: Blenheim.
Events: Swim and bike legs in full ironman team event.

Lucas did the cycle leg last year but was ''way too fat''. He began training seriously - up to five hours on the bike and two hours in the pool each week - in May, primarily to lose weight.

''I wanted to get fit. I was getting too fat and too old. I've lost almost 10kg since this time last year.''

His aim is simply to finish.

''I don't care about times. I don't care about anything. It's just a matter of doing it.''

What he hopes not to have tomorrow is a 50kmh northwest wind.

''That would be the worst thing.''

Name: Alycia Walker (25).
From: Wiltshire, England.
Event: Cycle leg of the half ironman team event.

Walker jumped on a bike for the first time eight weeks ago and laughs when referred to as an athlete.

''I'm a give-it-a-goer.''

She joined a gym when she arrived in Wanaka two months ago and got involved in team training.

''One of the ladies in my class said they desperately needed a cyclist. I volunteered somebody else and ended up doing it myself.''

Success would be ''making it in the cut-off time''.

Walker said the worst thing that could happen was that the next person in the team could not do their leg because she had finished outside the time.

Name: Carl Read (33).
From: West Auckland.
Event: Full elite ironman.

Read was the first ''age-grouper'' home last year and has ''pretty much'' not stopped training since.

''Running is my strength. I work hard on my swimming and biking.''

Asked why he competed, Read said: ''Because I'm a sucker for punishment.

''I love the sport and the Challenge series. They look after you. It's fantastic. When I crossed the finish line last year, I said I was definitely coming back.''

His first goal is to complete the event but a successful day would be ''being able to mix it with the pro guys, the likes of Chris McCormack and Jamie Whyte and Keegan Williams. I'm only new to the professional side of things. If I can mix it with those guys, that's enough for me.''

A mechanical failure with his bike that prevented him finishing would be the worst thing to happen.

Name: Justin Earl (38).
From: Christchurch.
Event: Half ironman.

Earl says he started training in about 2001 and has ''never really stopped''.

He entered the Challenge two years ago but did not make the start line because of injury.

Biking is his best discipline but having swum the lake course, he thinks that leg ''should be fine''.

''Wanaka's a great place to race. I love the scenery and the fresh water. It's always nice doing a fresh-water swim rather than the ocean swims we usually do up north.''

Success tomorrow would be ''to get through without dying''.

''To get through in a reasonable time would be quite nice, and to be able to walk afterwards would be a great thing.''

Name: Chris Patchett (48).
From: Dunedin.
Event: Half ironman.

On his third time round in the half, Patchett is hoping for better luck than last year.

''I managed to break my bike. I only got 30km in. It's a long walk back from Glendhu Bay.''

He has competed in the full ironman team event, running the marathon.

''It nearly killed me, so I thought, I'm not doing that again. Then they announced they were going to do the half ironman and I thought they were all distances I could probably do.''

Patchett said he probably enjoyed the training (10-15 hours a week) more than the racing.

His goal is to finish around the six-hour mark. The worst that could happen would be another breakdown on his bike.

''I would get shot by the wife. All the time I spend training ...''

Name: Hugh Tait (41).
From: Dunedin.
Event: Half ironman.

Tait says he never stops training.

''I keep puddling away.''

He is new to the half but has ridden the cycle leg of the full ironman twice, and it is his strongest discipline ''by some distance''.

He says the lake is a ''little bit fresh'' when you first get in but ''you get used to it and away you go''.

Success tomorrow will be completing the course, preferably in less than six hours.

''Once I get out of the water, I'll be happy.''

The worst thing that could happen would be: ''Not getting out of the water.''

 

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