Siblings Superb In The Capital

The 34th Fine Signs Crazyman was one to remember, with a brother and sister taking line honours on one of those can't beat Wellington on a good days.

Established in 1991, the Fine Signs Crazyman has long been the Wellington region's premier multisport event. Based around the Hutt Valley's spectacular harbour, hills and bush trails, the 2025 event dawned to perfect blue skies and gentle breeze for the opening 13k kayak from Eastbourne across Wellington Harbour and up the Hutt River.

Wellington team paddler Paul Moreno led off the water in 1hr 10min 30secs, with overall race favourite Bruce Hughes and Gisborne darkhorse Karl Macpherson right behind him.

Hughes, originally from South Africa, finished second in 2024 and was looking likely for line honours in 2025 when he held his lead through the 34k mountain bike up the Hutt River and over Belmont Regional Park. But in hot conditions he slowly came unstuck on the final 13k trail run down Korokoro Stream to the Petone Wharf finish line.

The athlete to hunt him down was Porirua's Aaron Lynch, but not without a fight. He overhauled Macpherson on the mountain bike but could only take 17secs out of Hughes. Once running, however, Lynch flew over the rough bush tracks to hit the front with about 5k to go. At the finish line he was 55secs clear, winning his first Fine Signs Crazyman title in 4hrs 04min 25secs while Hughes and Macpherson held on to second and third as just 6min covered the first three.

The women's race was also a close affair, with a 15min spread across the top three. But the winner was never in doubt, as pre-race favourite Deb Lynch joined her brother on the top step of the podium.

Lynch, the current Coast to Coast champion, led from start to finish to claim her third Crazyman title. But she didn't have it easy as a pair of Zoe's chased hard the entire way. Timaru's Zoe McClure and Whanganui's

Zoe Anderson were three minutes after the kayak section, but McClure held Lynch on the mountain bike almost to the second. Like her brother, however, Lynch was always going to be the fleetest of foot and romped away to a 10min win in 4hrs 32min 30secs. Behind her, McClure held on for a strong second place, while just 5min further back 16-year-old Anderson showed she's a star in the making with a junior record in third place.

Anderson was the youngest ever female finisher at the Fine Signs Crazyman. At the other end of the scale, Lower Hutt's own 61-year-old Mark Coffey was the eldest solo finisher.

In other races, Paul Moreno's teammates, Blackyard Engineering teammates, Terry Moes and Ryan Tait, held up their end of the bargain to be first multisport team across the line. In the duathlon race Wellington's Dylan Reid was impressive, winning the solo race in 2hrs 40min 56secs to finish 13secs ahead of team My Ride Wellington/Wheelworks of Gavin McCarthy and Matt Cryer.

For full results visit: www.crazyman.co.nz/history.