Drowned RATS make the most of it

10th June 2010

A good turnout defied the horrid Queen's Birthday weather conditions as the Rotorua Association of Triathletes held its first of three winter duathlons.

Despite the heavy rain and forest tracks resembling streams, 54 people turned out for Sunday's race in the Whakarewarewa Forest area.

There were two courses on offer - a short course of 3km run, 8km mountainbike and 1.5km run or the long course of 4.5km run, 15km mountainbike and 3km run.

The runs all followed the same 1.5km loop near the Waipa carpark, while the bike was a mixture of forestry road and single track with the long course following the Tickler and Sweet and Sour trails.

RATS event co-ordinator Sheryl Pearson said the turnout was "amazing given the conditions".

Competitors of all standards took part and some classy winners were produced. New Zealand representative mountainbiker Sam Shaw beat his XTERRA world championship rep cousin Oliver Shaw in the men's big race. In the corresponding women's event former world duathlon silver medallist and Commonwealth Games mountainbike representative Sonia Foote marked her competitive return from maternity leave with a clear victory. She headed XTERRA age group world champion Monique Avery and Oceania mountainbike title holder Alexa Peters for line honours.

The next race in the RATS Duathlon series is on July 4.

* RATS WINTER DUATHLON RACE ONE RESULTS

Short Course: Men: Sam Rossiter 43 minutes 11 seconds 1, Grant Utteridge 49mins 51secs 2, Nathan Johnston 50mins 32secs; Women: Amber Johnston 50mins 33secs 1, Nicky Buckley 50mins 47secs 2, Charlotte Pearson 54mins 20secs 3.

Long Course: Men: Sam Shaw 1 hour 4mins 14secs 1, Oliver Shaw 1hr 5mins 10secs 2, Adam Marshment 1hr 5mins 28secs; Women: Sonia Foote 1 hr 13mins 59secs 1, Monique Avery 1hr 20mins 53mins 2, Alexa Peters 1hr 25mins 57secs.