Edgar could win two-day race

Shannon Edgar negotiates her way through a stream in the  Coast to Coast event yesterday. Photo:...
Shannon Edgar negotiates her way through a stream in the Coast to Coast event yesterday. Photo: Wayne Parsons.
Dunedin's Shannon Edgar takes a handy lead into the second day of competition in the Kathmandu Coast to Coast two-day event.

Edgar (23) went through transition sixth in the open women’s competition and  paced herself over the first half of the long slog up to Doreen Stream, where she found herself sharing the lead with Katherine Buckenburg.

The two went blow for blow until Edgar managed to pull away after Goat Pass.Earlier, Edgar had a series of lucky escapes as she managed to avoid  several crashes in the large bunch she was cycling in.

"I was pretty lucky," she said.

Edgar is well aware of the part luck can play in this event as five years ago, when competing in the team section with Wanaka’s Gavin Mason, she had a fall just below Doreen Stream and broke an ankle, forcing her to be airlifted out. The demons have now been put  to rest, as she returned to the course yesterday for the seventh time and is  on track to take overall honours in the open women’s section.

Edgar noticed changes to the run course compared to when she trained on it  before it was flooded last month.

"The water is still high, but there are marked differences," she said, referring to  having to watch the lines she took on the way up Deception Valley.

Although kayaking was not a strong point, she was looking forward to the challenge awaiting her.

"I would prefer the water to be lower, but you can’t do much about it."

Edgar, an after-school programme manager, finished fourth in the open women’s two-day section last year and has won the 33km mountain running event twice. With a time yesterday of 6hr 26min 5sec, she holds an 11min lead on Katie Smith, with Buckenburg another three minutes back in third.

A strong run off Goat Pass secured a handy lead for Nelson’s Zac Jones to take into the second day of the open men’s competition in the two-day section.

Jones (16) took over the lead from Zac Barber, at Doreen Stream, the halfway point of the mountain run stage.

Barber began to feel the effects of a strong 55km cycle leading into the run.

Barber dictated the pace early on the cycle leg, helping split a leading group of 20 in half, as Jones backed his cycling ability and kept with the pace and the odd bluff from the lead group of 10.

Apart from feeling a little cramp, Jones said he felt strong all the way up to Goat Pass.

"Once I got to the top I had to stop for a wee minute and then had an awesome run down," Jones said.

With a time of 5hr 13min 12sec, Jones holds a 10-minute  lead over Hamish Elliott, with Oliver Thompson a further 17 minutes back in third with Barber fourth, trailing by a further eight minutes.

George Lucas (North Canterbury) won the open men’s title of the 33km mountain run, completing the course in 3hr 25min 42sec. Jean Jack won the open women’s title in 3hr 58min 59sec.

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