Thousands of spectators packed New Brighton Beach on Saturday afternoon to witness the close finish of the Kathmandu Coast to Coast, as competitors crossed the finish line of the grueling 243-kilometre multisport race.
Under stunning weather conditions, the crowd cheered on the athletes who had battled across the South Island from Kumara Beach to Christchurch.
History was made as Tasmania’s Alex Hunt became the first Australian in 32 years to win the Coast to Coast Longest Day event. The 33-year-old civil engineer crossed the finish line in 11 hours, 29 minutes, and 20 seconds, securing victory four minutes ahead of defending champion Hamish Elliot.
“It’s a tough gig coming from Australia to this race. I don’t think some people appreciate how hard it is,” Hunt said after his victory. He had trailed Elliot for much of the race but made a decisive move during the 70-kilometre kayak stage on the Waimakariri River, emerging with a two-minute lead before the final cycle leg.
After finishing agonizingly close to winning last year, Hunt dedicated himself to an intense training regime, relocating to New Zealand for six weeks with his partner and two-year-old daughter to prepare for the event.
The last Australian to win the race was Melbourne’s John Jacoby in 1993. Jacoby said Hunt’s victory was “incredibly well deserved.”
In the elite women’s race, Porirua’s Deb Lynch claimed her maiden Kathmandu Coast to Coast title after an intense battle with five-time champion Simone Maier. Lynch, competing in her third attempt at the event, maintained her lead throughout the final kayak and cycle stages, finishing in 13 hours, 6 minutes, and 11 seconds—four minutes ahead of Maier.
“I was not letting up the whole way,” Lynch said. “Even on that last stretch along the boulevard, I was like, ‘She could come’, so I was redlining the whole way.”
Race Director Glen Currie said Lynch’s victory was a testament to her perseverance and determination.
“Facing off against a field of world-class athletes, she has clearly shown what it takes to be a champion,” Currie said.
With a packed beach, clear skies, and a charged atmosphere, the Coast to Coast finish line at New Brighton provided a fitting end to one of New Zealand’s most demanding and iconic multisport races.
