Peak to Peak hat-trick for Fleming

Peak to Peak winner Hamish Fleming is flanked by second-placed Eryn Cutler (left) and third-placed Rikki Griffin, at Coronet Peak, on Saturday. Photo: Leigh Jeffery.

The Queenstown-based endurance athlete dominated the field and finished in 2hr 6min. Josie Cederman was the fastest woman, finishing in 3hr and 6min.

Competitors race 44km from The Remarkables skifield to Coronet Peak skifield.

The event begins with a 2km ski or snowboard, followed by a 17km mountain bike thrash down the skifield road, a 7km paddle on Lake Wakatipu, a 9km run and at lung-bursting 9km cycle up to Coronet Peak.

Fleming (27) says: "The lake was pretty rough - it made for an interesting day out.

"That’s the cool thing about the race, it’s a mountain race, you’ve got all that going on, keeps it fun."

Fleming said he was nervous heading into the race, with the chance to get a third successive win.

"I had a glance at the trophy the other day and Dougal Allan and Richard Ussher have both got three wins, but not in a row.

"So the thought crosses your mind, ‘Oh man, it’d be nice to get three’."

With reasonably challenging weather conditions, the kayak stage was cut short to the Frankton arm section of the lake, rather than rounding Queenstown Gardens into main lake.

The ski was also shorter, while the bike and run were longer.

"So it’s difficult to compare to last year," Fleming said.

"I was three minutes slower, I think. The kayak was definitely slower because there was a head wind.

"The cycle up Coronet is always the toughest part for sure.

"I think this year I did a better job of pacing myself to save some energy for that, but saying that, half way up and you’re giving it everything you’ve got and you cross the finish line spent, regardless.

"It’s a very honest race."

Fleming, sponsored by employer Around the Basin and also Torpedo 7, will head to China later this month to compete with a team of New Zealand athletes on the endurance circuit over there.

Hundreds of multisporters tackled the 24th Peak to Peak, the longest-running winter multisport event in New Zealand.They were coated in mud by the time they reached the bottom of the Remarkables access road.

Queenstown’s Archie Ritchie took the honours in the individual junior male division, while Alexandra’s Shaun Portegys was fastest male veteran and Cederman also won the female veteran title.

Southland Boys won the high school division, fourth place overall, and James Hargest College JR was the fastest junior school team.

Dunedin’s Avantiplus was fastest veterans team for the 11th time in a row.

Queenstown’s Proactive Physio was the fastest open team and Funk Nose the fastest mixed team. Back on Track Physio was the fastest women’s team and Hirepool was the fastest business team.

Queenstown’s Eryn Cutler and Invercargill’s Rikki Griffin were second and third placed individual males, while Queenstown’s Kat Bulk and Christchurch’s Jess Rathgen were second and third in the women's section.

paul.taylor@scene.co.nz