Norton and Jones take lead on day one of Coast to Coast

Hannah Norton and Nathan Jones know they have to pull out their best kayaking efforts to retain their leads built after day one of the Speights Coast to Coast two day event.

Jones expressed surprise to find he was the first individual competitor to cross the finish line at Klondyke corner while Aucklander Norton says she hopes a summer gaining more confidence in the kayak will see her hold off her training partner from Christchurch Ainslee Roughan who lies just under five minutes behind.

Both women realise they will have to hold off third placed strong kayaker Olivia Spencer-Bower during tomorrows 67 kilometre kayak leg which is followed by a 70 kilometre cycle to New Brighton in Christchurch.

Things are tight at the top of the individual men’s event with just over a minute separating Jones from Owen Warburton with Kevin O’Donnell three minutes further back after today’s short run off Kumara Beach, 55 kilometre cycle leg and 33 kilometre mountain run.

Jones, from Canterbury, entered the run as part of a breakaway cycle group which quickly broke up as they heading up towards Goat Pass. He passed four individuals on his way down the Minga Valley knowing he still had two competitors in front of him, but unaware they were the runners from two teams.

Two day team favourites Tim Pearson and Ryan Kiesanowski stamped their mark on day event to carry a 17 minute lead into Saturdays racing.

Pearson said he thought todays conditions for the first bike leg ‘couldn’t have been more perfect.’ “I didn’t feel the wind; it wasn’t too hot and we had a really good group that worked well together.”

Kiesanowski said that he enjoyed the run, and even faced with a head win and conditions that heated up towards the end, recorded the day’s fastest run of three hours and fourteen minutes. 

Pearson will do the kayak leg tomorrow with Kiesanowski, brother of professional cyclist Joanne Kiesanowski, riding the final bike leg.

Nick Hirschfeld won the mountain run event for the second time, taking three hours of twenty seven minutes, 11 minutes ahead of Giles Fairbrother. 

Defending champions Braden Currie and Jess Simson face a number of multi sports established and rising stars when the one day World Championship Longest Day event gets underway tomorrow at 6am.  

The first two day competitors are expected in New Brighton at 2pm with the leading one day men due at 5pm followed by the first one day women at 6.45pm.