Racing alongside son Mark Maitland, who had previously only run about as far as it took to tackle somebody in rugby, Dave, who recently fractured his pelvis in three places, finished top of the Family and Mixed two-person team category in a time of 12:55:39.

“I wasn’t going to miss it. It’s the event that sort of brings you level again and sets you right for the year,” Dave Maitland said.

“It’s only fractured in 3 places on the right side, so it’ll come right.”

Mark Maitland, who’d watched his dad compete right throughout his life, and only gave up rugby this year, said he found the course a challenge, especially the final bike ride into New Brighton. “It was really good, but definitely tough, especially at the bottom of South Eyre Rd and that wind just changed.” 

 

Maitland and Maitland finished in 12:55:39 with other Kathmandu Coast to Coast regulars Kelly and Zac Barber finishing second in 13:22:12 and Todd Wilkins and Annabel Eberlein in third.

 

 

 

Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard found out how strong the Canterbury easterly can blow during the final bike ride from the Waimakariri Gorge to the finish line at New Brighton. Representing his Parliamentary team alongside Labour MP Greg O’Connor, the pair were given a major boost with nine-time national surf ski champion Rachel Clarke powering down the river in 4 hours and 13 minutes. 

“I’m tired. It was a pretty hard wind, but I was with some good people and that made it easier, we rotated and shared the work.”

 

“For the first time being involved in this event I have to say it’s so well organised, the most amazing scenery, but it’s the people that really make it. I have met some great people. I would do it again, but it would be in a team again because I’m not a runner or a paddler.”

 

TopSport, who consisted of women’s kayak record holder Kate Cambie, four-time Longest Day champion Sam Clarke and prolific mountain runner Daniel Jones, won the division in 10:59:27 with Further Faster in second and HarrisonBloy nabbing the last step on the podium and the top spot in the corporate section. As HarrisonBloy's final cyclist and mountain runner Matt Mustchin admitted when he crossed the finish line he was already eyeing up an entry for 2022. “It was absolutely brutal. I rode 60 km on my own, so it was a bit of a race within myself. But Liam just smashed it on the kayak like he always does and that is why I was by myself out there. I will be back next year, but I am going to do it for the individual."

 

The men’s category was won by 3Sum in 12:03:32 with Gung-Ho in second and Sloppy Rigs in 3rd.

 

Team Maiden etched their name onto the women’s trophy, stopping the clock in 14:29 flat, with Allan Scott Family Wine Makers in second and Insert Sponsor Here in third.

 

 

 

St Andrew’s College, who won the Kathmandu Academy prize pack last year, took out the Schools mixed category. The team of Ben Ferrier, Georgia Spark, and Nate Pringle crossed the finish line in 13 hours 20 minutes and 04 seconds.

 

Queenstown’s Wakatipu High School finished second in a time of 13:33:42 while Porirua’s Aotea College came home in 3rd.

 

Motueka High School Boys won the boys three-person team in 13:30:11 with McKenzie College picking up second and Aotea College Boys rounding out the podium.

 

Aotea College Girls won the girls three-person team title in 16:59:03.

 

 

 

Radix Nutrition’s Emily Wilson and Jaqs Manson enjoyed their slightly more relaxed day than normal, with Wilson a usual Longest Day Competitor and Manson a quality athlete herself winning the Open women’s 2-person Team category in 13:46:27. Penny Roy and Olivia Robb finished second in 14:48:03 while Jo Gosse and Shelley Friedrich finished 3rd in 15:13:22 and took out the Veteran category.

 

Paul Massie and Rob Loveridge claimed the spoils overall in the men’s veteran two-person category as well as topping the overall men’s two-person division. The duo rode home in 12:13:32, over half an hour ahead of Sam Shergold and Ben Cantley in 12:48:37 and Paul Chapman and Hayden Prattley in 12:57:13

 

 

Former All Black Captain Richie McCaw was seen towing a bunch of about 60 others down South Eyre Road and finished second with teammate Rob Nichol in the Veteran Tandem Category just over 10 minutes behind good mates Bob McLachlan and Flavio Vianna.  

That meant they missed out on the podium in the overall Tandem Category with Pecker Heads nabbing second and Mo U Down slipping in for third.

“It was good out there. Hard, but that’s to be expected. We had a good bunch that we were riding with so that makes it easier,” said McCaw. “We had a good first day, for us. We were racing against a few friends and we didn’t make any mistakes or disgrace ourselves. It was good to get through Goat Pass and not have to go the viaduct again, but you can’t control the weather.”

 

McLachlan was looking forward to giving McCaw a ribbing from time to time and joked that he’d remind him that 10 minutes was a long time.

 

Powered by Ice Cream slipped home to take out the women’s Tandem division in 15:01:49 with Methven’s Garage Fit in second and Team G & R a further 33 minutes back in third.

 

Father and son The Dooney’s won the mixed (Unranked) with Optimal Performance claiming second and the veterans title with The Hiit Squad claiming 3rd but winning the Open category.    

 

For more results, please go here.

https://www.coasttocoast.co.nz/2021-results