More than 17 hours after he started Garth Barfoot manages a
smile in the finish area. Photo by Stephen Jaquiery.
Septuagenarian triathlete Garth Barfoot was bleeding,
battered, and bruised when he crossed the Challenge Wanaka
finish line in last place, after a 17-hour battle with the race
course, the elements, and other competitors.
"All I was thinking about was a good lie down in bed,'' he
said.
The 72-year-old Auckland real estate company director
finished his race yesterday morning, after setting out on the
3.8km swim, 180km cycle, and 42km run at 7am on Saturday.
Along the way he endured a head-on collision in Lake Wanaka
with a team event swimmer - they set off two hours after
individual competitors - and was also rear-ended by a cyclist
during the bike.
"We both had our heads down biking into a strong wind. I was
going pretty slow and minding my own business, when I got
collected from behind,''
He picked himself up off the road to battle on with "more
than a few cuts and bruises,'' he said.
"It was a relief to get there.''
Barfoot's time of 17hr 36min, was almost an hour longer than
his previous individual time of 16hr 28min at the same race,
in 2007.
However, extra motivation was at hand for the final stretch
of the race as he rounded the last corner to see a 100-plus
crowd still waiting - at midnight - to cheer him on.
Surprisingly, he said he was not exhausted and described the
crowd's support as uplifting.
An "avenue of raised arms,'' caused him some consternation.
"I thought I'd get hit on the head [again]. But, as I ran on
they lifted for me,'' he said.
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