REESBY & COMPANY STROKE & STRIDE
RACE #3
5 DECEMBER 2007
MISSION BAY – AUCKLAND – NEW ZEALAND

RACE REPORT

Nobody wants to miss the final Stroke & Stride of 2007 and that includes the low-pressure system that rushed down from the tropics to join the fun at Mission Bay.  So while hundreds of Stroke & Stride competitors lined up on the beach for the start they faced head on into a very brisk breeze and stared into the teeth of the advancing squall who’s arrival coincided precisely with the blast of the start horn.

The four hundred metres out to the first can was plain hard work punching through the one to two metre chop with navigation crucial, as straying off course in these conditions would be very costly.  Nicky Samuels was having her first start for the season however she happily went to the front of the women’s field and led the way recording the time of 14 minutes 15 seconds for the undulating 1000 metre swim.

With the thick low cloud, persistent precipitation, sea spray and failing light the visibility wasn’t optimum however all the faster male and female swimmers held good lines around the swim course.  The master of these punishing conditions is always Brent Foster and he didn’t appear to be slowed much at all recording 11 minutes and 47 seconds for his swim and most importantly gaining more than ten seconds of lead over the closest of his pursuers.

The first half of the run was over in no time with the breeze propelling all towards the turn cone, the price was paid in the second half as it was a hard slog into the wind and horizontal rain all the way back.  There’s only 3 kilometres of running in this event and even if it was longer it may not have made any difference as Nicky Samuels backed up her lead from the water with the day’s fastest run split to record a resounding victory, her first first in nearly three years.  Defending Series Champion Carmel Hanly won a fortnight ago but this time had to settle for second place.  Kirsty Wannan is having her best season ever and confirmed that with her best place ever finishing in third just ahead of Nicola McKay and Teresa Adam.

It’s déjà vu time.  This event is our traditional pre-Christmas outing and while Santa visits every 12 months without fail there is one other occurrence that can be relied on at this time of year.  We’re talking about Brent Foster winning the December Stroke & Stride, something he has done every year since 1992.  So while we may have been amazed to see Fozzie running down the beach to victory this time, we were not surprised to see him bank his second win of the season.  At race number one it was South Island based Tony Dodds triumphant and here he was returning to the Stroke & Stride for a fine second place. James Elvery’s flying run got him onto the podium heading home Will Green and James Upton.

Currently leading the overall Series Grand Prix are Kirsty Wannan and Brent Foster.  Brent has been in this position on countless occasions, over many, many years.  Possibly more years than young Kirsty has been alive.

We now break for seven weeks and when we resume we’ll see if the experience of Brent Foster can hold off the agile Liam Scopes, James Elvery, Tony Dodds, Will Green, Lee Greer and James Upton in their charge for the top spot.

Can the youthful exuberance of Kirsty Wannan keep the talent of Carmel Hanly, Sophie Corbidge, Julia Scopes, Jacqui Seebold and Teresa Adam in her rear vision mirror over five more races?

The next event is on Tuesday, January 22nd 2008.  Further details including full results are at swimrun.org

RESULTS

Female
1       Nicky Samuels                                 25m  47s
2         Carmel Hanly                                 26m  20s
3       Kirsty Wannan                                  26m  42s
4         Nicola McKay                                 26m  53s
5         Teresa Adam                                  27m  16s                               
6       Anna Elvery                                     27m  31s
7         Belinda Harper                               27m  49s
8         Nicole Silver                                   27m  53s
9         Tracey Steens                                 28m  05s
10         Marisa Carter                                  28m  28s

Male
1       Brent Foster                                    22m  16s
2       Tony Dodds                                    22m  44s
3       James Elvery                                     23m  06s
4       Will Green                                     23m  15s
5       James Upton                                     23m  45s
6         Stephen Sheldrake                               23m  23s
7       Lee Greer                                        23m 28s
8         William Curtayne                            23m  32s
9       Liam Scopes                                   23m 42s
10     Blair Jordan                                    23m  48s

GRAND PRIX POINTS after Race #3

Female
1       Kirsty Wannan                                  39
2         Carmel Hanly                                 37
3           Sophie Corbidge                             35
4       Julia Scopes                                   30
5          Jacqui Seebold                                25
6         Teresa Adam                                  21
7       Nicky Samuels                                 20
8         Nicole Silver                                   19
9       Anna Elvery                                     18
10         Simone Ackermann                            17

Male
1       Brent Foster                                    55
2       Liam Scopes                                   41
3       James Elvery                                     39
4       Tony Dodds                                    37
5       Will Green                                     33
6       Lee Greer                                        27
7       James Upton                                     26
8         Michael Poole                                  15
9       Dylan McNeice                                 14
10     Ryan Sissons                                  13