Port of Tauranga Half has both defending champions

Port of Tauranga Half has both defending champions on the start line this Saturday

The iconic Port of Tauranga Half is set to start at Mount Maunganui’s picturesque Pilot Bay this Saturday at 6:15am.

The event, which doubles as the New Zealand long distance triathlon champs, has assembled a top field which includes both defending champs – Braden Currie & Amelia Rose Watkinson.

Braden Currie competes in his four consecutive Port of Tauranga Half, after an outstanding year in 2016. His roll call of 2016 wins included the NZ Long Distance Champs, NZ Olympic Distance Triathlon Champs, XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championship, and the Taupo 70.3.

He boasts a strong history in the Port of Tauranga Half – in 2014 he finished third behind Cameron Brown, in 2015 he was the first kiwi home and second overall behind Australian great Craig Alexander, and last year, he finished on top of the podium.

Currie’s main competition for the national title is likely to come from long distance legend – Cameron Brown. Recently made at Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, Brown’s record in the Port of Tauranga Half is meritorious in itself. He has recorded ten wins in the event including seven straight titles from 1998-2004, and then wins in 2007, 2012 & 2014.
Cameron Brown said that – “my first Port of Tauranga Half Ironman was in 1998 winning on my first go at the Half Ironman distance. After this I changed my direction to concentrate on long distance racing, winning my next 7 appearances at the Port of Tauranga Half until 2004”

Brown went on to say – “I couldn't imagine not training through a kiwi summer, and racing at the Port of Tauranga Half. It's always been great preparation for the New Zealand Ironman in March. I'm looking forward to my 19th Port of Tauranga Half this January and another crack at the podium.”

There is plenty of intrigue in this Saturday’s event from a Whakatane duo who took the one & two day titles in the 2016 Coast to Coast. Sam Clark was hard on the heels of Braden Currie in finishing 2nd in the 2015 Coast to Coast, and then took advantage of Currie’s absence to win the 2016 Coast to Coast by 58 minutes. Clark now heads on-road to take on Currie in Port of Tauranga Half.
19 year old Hayden Wilde, also from Whakatane, won the two-day event at last year’s Coast to Coast, and makes his first appearance in the Port of Tauranga Half.

The women’s field in the Port of Tauranga Half also features the defending champ with Amelia Rose Watkinson back after an outstanding year on the Asian circuit.

Whilst only 25 years of age, Amelia Rose Watkinson is established as New Zealand’s leading women’s long distance triathlete. She has started recent seasons’ with impressive performances in the Port of Tauranga Half. In 2014, she finished 2nd in the event which encouraged her to become a professional triathlete later that year.

Last year, she dominated the women’s field, winning with a 12 minute 56 second margin. That win started a remarkable year for Watkinson. She headed to Thailand in May to live and train in Phuket with the Thanyapura Triathlon Team. She took the Asian triathlon scene by storm winning 10 long distance events in China, Korean, Malaysia, Phillipines and Thailand.

Watkinson’s competition in 2017 will come from 2011 runner up – Anna Cleaver, 2015 third place getter – Julia Grant, and former Rotorua Marathon winner – Erin Furness. Established triathlete’s Teresa Adam & Rebecca Clark are also stepping up to the long distance format after strong short course careers.
Event Director Wendy Boyce is delighted with the elite entries at this year’s Port of Tauranga Half saying – “we have more elite entries than last year, and it is great that both our defending champs, Braden Currie and Amelia Rose Watkinson will be on the start line at Pilot Bay this Saturday.”

The Port of Tauranga Half is the feature event on the Mount Festival of Multisport programme, which also has the Under Armour Mount Run and Jetts Dash for Cash in Pilot Bay on Saturday, and the NZ Beach Volleyball Champs on Mount Maunganui’s Main Beach over the weekend.

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