The Grinder hits the spot again!

The Grinder hits the spot again!

More than 100 people from around New Zealand took part in Bay of Plenty Polytechnic’s annual Grinder Multisport Race on Saturday the 25 September.

After having a challenging week of rain, wind and more rain throughout the region, Saturday provided the perfect weather and track condition to make those bush tracks extra testing - plenty of mud to go with the gorgeous Bay sun!

This 43km event included the Asics / Smiths Sports Shoes off Road 11km Run, the Waimarino 12km Kayak, the Cycle Obsession 15km Mountain Bike and the Te Pare A Ruahine 5km Run – all based in McLaren Falls Park and covering some of the Bay’s most spectacular scenery.

“It was a fantastic day,” says race director Debbie Garea. “It was the second time we have run the event at McLaren Falls and it’s just an amazing place to hold it. Harold and Ilene Marshall generously make their farmland at McLaren Falls available for the race - you can’t access parts of this farmland unless you enter the race and it is simply a stunning property,’ said Debbie.

A plus for the event is that it caters for all of fitness and competitiveness with options to enter as individuals or as two, three or four person teams which was obviously a draw for those from further afield . “Athletes came from as far afield as Whangarei, Auckland, Napier, Palmerston North, Wellington and Christchurch - with a large number from the entire Bay community,” said Debbie.

Some competitors used this race as a build up to the Motu Challenge (9 October) while others chose this as their first introduction to multisport. A number of secondary school teams proved they were up there with the more experienced competitors.

“We had an adventure racing team – Team Double Trouble from Trident High School with Joshua Walters and Ashley Roozendall as U13’s,” said Debbie. “The Trident Trihards came first in the secondary school teams division with Heather Davidson winning the first individual in the secondary school category.”

“It was a great community event with Paintball Oropi setting up a target challenge in the 11km run, Bay of Plenty Polytechnic staff and Sport and Fitness students were marshals and Tauranga Boys’ College provided the on water support in the kayak leg.”

Sheree Trotter and Kelly Pender, lecturers from the Polytechnic’s Sport and Fitness Department were enthusiastic about the event. “The expectations for our sports students at the Grinder are all about having fun. We look forward to the seeing the students push themselves on each leg,” said Sheree. “We think it’s great that the Polytechnic can deliver the only tertiary-run Multisport Race in New Zealand and our students love the toughness of each leg, and the great scenic location.

The event saw an increase in individual competitors and it was certainly the most hotly contested class. Mount Maunganui’s Dwarne Farley come in first in the individual men’s section taking out the Grinder for the second year in a row, in a time of 2:54:55. Farley is a phenomenal athlete and has finished 11th (2004), sixth (2006) and third (2007) in the Speights Coast to Coast and is considered one of New Zealand’s best all round multisport athletes, showing the form that recently carried him to victory at the two day Coromandel Classic.

James Courbough, from Lower Hutt, and who has just recently returned from the World Mountain Running Champs in September, was placed second in a time of 2:56:59. Third place went to Jason Derecourt from Tauranga in 3:17:32.

In the women’s field Karen Halen, from Whakatane, was first in 3:23:45 with Emma McCosh, from Auckland, second in 3:36.49. Oxana Ivasina, (Rotorua) and an expatriate Russian representative runner, came in third place in 3:52:04 making for strong individual male and female fields.

The Waiariki Titans were the first team to complete the Grinder taking line honours in 2:51:25. The first Tertiary Individual was Sam Thompson in a time of 3:22:00. Team VITASPORT from Auckland came in as the first mixed team in 3:31:37.

The Grinder package of events also includes a 5km Mini Grinder and a 2km Kids Grinder on November the 6th and are only possible because of the involvement of the whole Bay community.

Ends.

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