Triumph turned to despair for Dunedin high school student Shannon Edgar mid-way through the 33km mountain run of the two-day section of the Coast to Coast yesterday.
Edgar (18), was gifted the best possible start from team-mate Gavin Mason, who handed the year-13 Columba College student a 3min 30sec lead at the transition station at Deception, following the 58km stage from Kumara Beach, 55km of which was a cycle stage.
Mason, who trains with today's Longest Day hopeful Dougal Allan, demonstrated his superior cycling skills right from the start. She led by almost 5min at Jacksons, showing no mercy on the peloton which contained some seasoned campaigners including nine-time champion Steve Gurney.
But after battling her way through high river levels and coming to terms with the elements, it was a tree stump near Big Boulders that proved Edgar's undoing, as her foot became tangled up in the undergrowth and she fell to the ground, unable to get back on her feet.
It was not until boyfriend Elliot Shackleton discovered her soon afterwards that she was able to seek any assistance.
Shackleton (18), a first-year carpentry student at Otago Polytech, attempted to assist her in her determination to carry on, but eventually she was forced to give into the pain.
He stayed with her, making sure she was left in a comfortable state before running on to raise the alarm, returning with medical help before she was airlifted from the course and eventually transported to Christchurch for precautionary X-rays for a suspected broken ankle.
While Shackleton regained his race composure and continued on to complete the 33km mountain stage through the Southern Alps, girlfriend Shannon will have some humble pie to digest.
She had refused to team up with her father Kevin Edgar, a six-time Coast to Coast veteran, for the event's team section, claiming he was too slow.
