A sore ankle didn’t stop 18 year old Hayden Wilde from a dominating display on the Coast to Coast two day event that started today on the South Island’s West Coast.
Wilde, the latest endurance athlete from Whakatane to make national waves, showed the form that has seen him win the Under 19 New Zealand/Australasian multisport and World Xterra Championships, taking five hours and twelve minutes to complete the short run off Kamaru Beach, the 55 kilometre cycle leg and 33 kilometre mountain run, to lead the two day men’s individual event from Gerard Morrison by 22 minutes.
“After a good bike I got onto to the run and just said to myself I just had to get really nice lead at the start,” Wilde said. “From there I just had to push through so no one could follow my lines and then after I got to Goat Pass the ankle was a bit sore so I lost about 20 minutes on the downhill where I thought I’d better take it a bit easier.”
 Hayden Wilde(Photo: Marathon-Photos.com; click to enlarge) |
Wilde said the ankle was ‘pretty sore’ and definitely slowed him down as he struggled to get his heartrate and effort up, saying he was also feeling the effects of an unbeaten run of six races in seven weeks that has included a mix of multisport and triathlon events as he eyes trying the qualify in triathlon for the Tokyo Olympics in four years time.
“Recent racing is still in my legs, and I peaked pretty well last week but I’m still feeling pretty good about tomorrow. The kayak should be good but the rivers a bit low but I’d love to have a good time there and then just get on the bike and push it to the end.”
Tackling the event for the first time Wilde said he’d always want to do the Coast to Coast, the ‘big cake’ of multi-sport, but it would be at least a couple of years before he would race it again as triathlon will be his sole focus, but stressed he would be back to take on the One Day World Championship longest day event in the future.
 Anna Barrett(Photo: Marathon-Photos.com; click to enlarge) |
Anna Barrett from Mount Manganui lies sixth overall in the two day individual event saying she was ‘very happy’ to be leading the women’s event after a strong mountain run, going into the second day with a seven minute lead over Isla Smith.
Barrett said she expected a ‘long day’ on the river and planned to do her own race as two day competitors go off in waves on the second day so she won’t know how her other competitors are going. “The river is so low it’s going to be a long paddle and it really will be a different beast tomorrow; it’s going to be something else that’s for sure.”
The fastest team on the first day was three person team New World St Martins with experienced multi sporter Alex Nisbet sending his team mate Flavio Vianna into the run with a four minute lead over the main bunch of chasers.
New father Vianna, who last year failed to finish the one day event last year after getting hyperthermia on the kayak leg, said it was great to be back this year as part of the more relaxed two day event where he only had to worry about a good run.
“It was pretty lonely,” he joked. “I was looking round and it was just me. I didn’t have anyone to talk to, not even to complain to but it was just beautiful mountains and it was just a great day and you couldn’t have had better weather than that.”
Nesbit and Vianna are joined by previous kayak leg winner and top ten Coast to Coast finisher Ian Huntsman who takes on the 67 kilometre kayak as they look to build their 25 minute lead over team Goat Ski Riders. Secondary Schools team Team Greymouth High School performed well in the three person two day event, to lie third overall, 12 minutes behind Goat Ski Riders.
Mixed tandem team Team Thule Adventure Racing leads the two persons teams event overall from men’s two day team Structex Engineers NO1 with mixed open team Irish Twins third.
Hamish Fleming won the individual mountain running event in a quick time of three hours and six minutes, an impressive twenty one minutes ahead of Bevan Jefferies.
Racing starts in the One Day World Championship Longest Day event tomorrow at 6am with competitors taking on 243 kilometres of running, cycling and kayaking, with the leaders expected to take about 11 hours and thirty minutes.
Tomorrows racing finishes at New Brighton Pier where there will be a market day, expo, live racing featuring on a big screen and a fireworks display in the evening at 10.30pm sponsored by 360 Logistics Group.
Two-day individual men leaders
1. Hayden Wilde 5.12.59
2. Gerard Morrison 5.35.00
3. Peter Olds 5.36.32
Two-day individual women leaders
1. Anna Barrett 6.02.08
2. Isla Smith 6.09.12
3. Shannon Edgar 6.17.26
