A strong run down from Goat Pass saw James Coubrough (Lower Hutt) finish with a decisive 25-minute lead at the end of the first day of the two-day section of the Coast to Coast yesterday.
Adding to Coubrough's significant advantage was a strong bike stage from Kumara, where he mixed it with some of the country's best in the peloton along with some wise choices made early on in picking his line running up Deception Valley.
He admitted to suffering cramping in the calf muscles after each river crossing, but it did little to slow him down.
Coast to Coast great Steve Gurney was full of praise for Coubrough at the end of day one at Klondyke Corner, stating that the 29-year-old self-employed builder put in more than his fair share of work in the bunch.
"You've got to do your effort. You don't want to be a bludger, like I probably was on the run, until I started to suck it up," he said as he turned to the gathering press.
For Coubrough, a New Zealand cross-country and mountain running representative, it was the longest run in a race he has ever done and he was pleased with the result.
"I'm looking forward to getting on the river," he said of his skill in kayaking, after a successful stint over the past five years in white-water kayaking.
But what may hinder his progress when racing restarts in the two-day section this morning is his troublesome left arm.
"It's just cramping up," he said nursing it at the finish in an ice bandage.
"I don't know what I've done to it. Maybe it just from tensing up going through the river crossings. But I'm sure I'll be fine."
In the open women's section Hayley Shearer (Christchurch) holds a 12min 45sec advantage over Olivia Faull (Christchurch) with Louise Hales (Wellington) a further 13min adrift in third.
Dynamic Dunedin dental duo Steven McKinstry and Joseph Petelo are in an ideal situation heading into the second day to clinch team honours.
Petelo set McKinstry up for the mountain run, coming into the transition point in the second wave.
This handed McKinstry, the 2007 two-day individual winner, an ideal opportunity to target those ahead of him.
The two start the kayak and bike stages today just 2min 51sec adrift of the Canterbury pairing of Luke Vaughan and Peter O'Sullivan.
