Coast to Coast - South Island, New Zealand, 9 - 10th Feb, 2007

The Coast to Coast is one of the longest running multisport events in the world. This year was its 25th year. Competitors run, cycle, and kayak, in a multistage race that traverses the South Island of New Zealand, from Kumara Beach on the West Coast to Sumner Beach on the East Coast.

The race has two options;

The Two Day, that starts on Friday and finishes Saturday with an overnight camp at Klondyke Corner in Arthur's Pass National Park.

The Longest Day, competitors start on Saturday complete the course non-stop.

Having done both versions in the past, I enjoyed the Two Day more. It's very social and fun atmosphere. You have people around for the whole race and the overnight camp at Klondyke Corner is a spectacular camp site.

The Longest Day tends to be just that, a long day, mostly by yourself. It also requires a greater commitment to training that the Wisconsin winter makes hard to commit to.

The Coast to Coast is an extremely well run, race director Robin Judkins has being doing it for 25 years. Originally he thought that it would be a "three year thing". The race now draws hundreds of competitors, many internationals, teams, and a great crowd of supporters and spectators. It is perhaps the most successful event of its kind in the world.

The event really starts on Thursday, with the pre-race banquet and race briefing. This is held at the small West Coast village of Kumara. The locals put on a huge spead of good food, served buffet style. The race briefing gets underway during the dinner, and is a quick run over of the compulsory gear and warnings about any new dangers that need to be watched for. Judkins has spent 25 years running this race, I'm sure he could run it in his sleep now.

After dinner people make their way back to the camp at the Kumara Horse track where most people camp overnight. Here you'll find people from all walks of life, happy to have all the training over and done with, and now it's just the business left to do. All kinds of kayaks, plastic sea kayaks, down river racers with more patches than you can count, and the latest and greatest new gear. No one cares what you paddle, what you cycle, what you wear, as long as it complied with the rules. Everyone here is just as happy to be doing the race.

The weather is warm, overcast, and no bugs, great evening to relax, sort gear for the early morning start, and worry about everything you’ve forgotten. Sponsors have set up tents, selling gear at discount prices. It's a great time to pick up some nice new race gear and souvenir clothing.

Friday 4am, my alarm goes off. I look out the window of the van and see a few lights in the darkness. Kerry, my support crew, lives up the road a few miles at Greymouth and is meeting me later in the morning. I slowly rise, get into my racing gear and wander off to find the loo. Already a small line has formed outside this high demand room. The light does not work, which may be a blessing, the cool morning controls the odor, and the seat is warm.

Slowly the camp comes to life. It’s a pretty sedate time this early, as people wake up, get breakfast and nerves play a on the digestion system. Soon vehicles start up and a convoy of support crews heads out. Kerry turns up right on time at 5:45 am and after a few words of encouragement, he heads off with the van and gear up to the first transition point at Aickin's Corner. Support crew are not allowed down to the start about 5kms away, so competitors must cycle to the bike racks, and walk the last 3 kms to the start on the beach.

The sky lightens slowly as I get to the bike transition and set out my gear. Not much to do here but rack my bike in the assigned place. Walking to the beach everyone is pretty quiet as they contemplate the next few hours of racing. One hapless chap got his running shoes caught in his front spokes while cycling to the start. Face planting over the handle bars he's cut open his chin. Still smiling, taped up, no worries.

Start 2007	Start 2001 Longest Day	Start 1991

Gathering on the beach over 800 competitors. The day is cloudy and cool, with a chance of rain. For this race these conditions are ideal. This first day is a hard day and heat is something I've not trained in, so the cooler conditions feel fine by me. 

6:50am helicopters overhead record the start for the evening news. Judkins greets everyone and gives the countdown, just as he has for the last 25 years. With no delay and little fuss he sounds the start horn at 7am and the sprint to the bikes is on. People race up the beach, scramble up the small sand bank onto the gravel road. Those that feel the need to be first, sprint like crazy to get into the front bunch that will form on the bikes. The second group are people who want to be in the first bunch but are not fast enough, and then there's the rest of us.

The 3 kms to the bikes is a fast warm up. The next 54 km ride is one of the most dangerous sections. The cool morning, damp roads, railway tracks, single lane bridges, screaming down hills, and worst of all, 100 plus bunches of riders at high speed, shoulder to shoulder, wheel to wheel. Makes you cringe just thinking about it.

This year I wanted to enjoy the race and not beat myself up over being as fast as I could be. Usually I sit near the front of the second bunch, this is where the more experienced riders are, and it’s safer. This year I settled for a smaller 3rd group well back, and did an easy ride. It cost me some time but I knew I needed to pace myself. It's a long hard run ahead.

For those that care to look around this is a special ride, going from sea level and climbing gently through farm land and beech forest, it follows wide river valleys towards the Southern Alps. It's a great ride to do just for run.

Getting to Aickin's Corner transistion I have a slow transition. Time to eat second breakfast, as a Hobbit would say. Kerry tells me of a crash in the first group, about 20 riders went down in a messy fall on the railway crossing. I think this point catches someone every year.

Looking around the scenery is typical West Coast Alpine foothills. High annual rainfall keeps the place lush and green, while the rocky river valleys testify to the torrents that flow down these rivers when in flood. The mountains rise steeply and the tops are hidden in the clouds.

The race officials have put the cold weather provision rule into force, and an extra fleece has to be carried. I forgot to put the fleece in my transition bag so as Kerry rushed back to the van to get it, I took the time to have a really good second breakfast. The mountain run requires all competitors to carry a backpack with with food, emergency first aid, survival bag, dry clothing and a waterproof jacket. The water in the rivers is great to drink, it's not carring water is not needed. Many people carry a small supply of sports dring to suppliment the water.

I headed off for the 30 km mountain run with my legs feeling heavy and slow, I've cooled down during the transition. It's hard to find terrain like this in Wisconsin to practice on. Road running just does noot help you develop the balance that's needed to run on loose rocks. This type of running is difficuilt, every step needs to be place carefully, and there's no way to relax and zone out into a steady rhythm. It's energy sapping from the first step.

1991	2001

The route for the run traverses the main divided of the South Island crossing the west to east over the Sountern Alps via Goat Pass. There is no defined track for much of the run on the west side. It route ascends the Minga River Valley and descends Deception River valley. The scenery is spectacular if you find the time to look up. The rivers are mountain fed, cold, and crystal clear and great drinking.

After about 30 minutes it starts to rain, then pour. This is the West Coast after all. Overhead two helicopters take spectators for gut wrenching trips up the narrow valley. Flying at speed a little over 75 metres high, and about the same distance from the valley sides, they sound like they’re about to land on top of you as they speed passed.

After about two and a half hours of picking a path up the valley, pushing through the occasionally overgrown high water trail, many cold river crossings, and a few knocks in the shins from alpine scrub roots and low branches, the stream that leads directly up the valley side to Goat Pass appears. The rain has stopped, (actually I think the the route has climbed above the rain). The temperature is much cooler this high up and I'm pleased I've dressed warmly. I pass people stopped to put on more clothes.

It's a steep ascent up from the Minga River to Goat Pass, and what stuck me was the sudden silence. After spending the last few hours next to the Minga River and the noise of the river, suddenly it's very still, and very quiet. A thick mist keeps visability down to about 50 metres. Stunted alpine scrub each side of the stream bed means there’s only one way to go and it's a scramble.

The Climb to Goat Pass

Out of the mist Goat Pass hut suddenly appears. Officials check numbers and the rest of the run is, technically, down hill. The bummer is this is not half way yet. On the pass there is a flat section for about 1 km, swampy ground, and board walks have been built to protect the fragile alpine environment. They make for springy running and a relief from the unvent terrain. After about 10 minutes the descent begins, with a steep rough drop to the Deception River.

Even though the Deception River is technically down hill, very little of of the east side feels down hill. The route now follows a defined trail down the right side of the valley, with over a dozen steep spurs that have to be negotiated. Each one has an energy sapping climb and calf cramping descent. At Dudley’s Knob one of the last and larger spurs, Klondyke Corner can be seen and you can see how far you have to go. It looks close, but in the mountains distances always look shorter, and it’s still maybe two hours way.

Dudley's Knob 2007	2001

Dudley's Knob looking back up the mountains.

After about 4.5 hours my legs don’t have much power left in them. With each climb I get cramping in my thighs. A kind sole hands me a salt tablet to see if that helpes free up my legs. Finally dropping down the last spur it’s a flat last few kilometers across the wide and rocky Waimakariri River valley. The longest and hardest few kms of the run. My legs are tired but I’m please I have a nice steady jog left, and pass over a dozen people in various stages of exhaustion and pain.

Slowly shapes become more defined, I see tents and helicopters in the distance, slowly people start to take shape, then the final river crossing, a climb up the flood protection blocks, over the levy, and a short 100m later, Judkin’s smiling face, a hand shake and I’m done, for the day.

Looking across the Waimakariri River Valley to the Deception River Valley, from the finish at Klondyke Corner. A long hard flat final few kms.	Day 1 ends, 2007

Camping out overnight at Klondyke Corner a tent city has sprung up, including food tents, beer tents, a band and a massage tent with 30 tables and a 3 hour wait. Time to get some food, an early night, tomorrow the day begins at 4 am.

Saturday 4am, my alarm goes off and it seems my head had only just hit the pillow. Looking out I’m surprised to see the people next to me have already broken camp and gone.

I get my bike ready and breakfast down as the whole camp quickly comes to life. Hundreds of competitors must be up and race ready, as the entire support entourage must leave camp by 5 am and get to the kayak transition, 15 kms away at Mt White Bridge. There they have to get the kayaks and safety gear through scrutineering and ready for the competitors’ arrival.

7:30am After a long cool wait, the start begins in groups of 10 at 1 minute intervals based on race number. From Klondyke Corner the cycle is a fast 15kms. Easy climbs with steep decents and flat valley sections. Hyped competitors hit the road with gusto. It’s fun and the group I’m in has some strong cyclists that soon drop me. My legs are tired from yesterday’s long run and I need them later in the day so I take an easy pace.

Day Two starts.

Getting to Mt White Bridge I find my jogging legs again for the 1km down the gravel road to the river.

This is a wonderful river to paddle, technically it’s exciting but not difficuit. The first 15km is open vast river valley with a braided river, where picking a channel is the challenge. The next section is the long gorge, fantastic grade 1 – 2 paddling, shear walls and a clear single channel. Fantastic paddling. The last 15 kms opens out on to the Canterbury Plains, again open braided river.

This year the river was flowing low but had a clear main channel so even though it was shallow in places the flow was fast. Setting out at an easy paddle I found maintaining 16 to 18 km/h (over 10mph) was ease. Quickly I began picking up people that had passed me in the cycle, and before long I enter the gorge section. Pleased I had chosen a more stable kayak then my UFO, I was able to relax and really enjoy the rapids.

2007	2001

Heading into the gorge a speedster passed me in the flatter top section, but every time we hit rapids I quickly closed the gap and later on I passed him swimming.

One of the great things about paddling these South Island rivers is that the waters are crystal clear, mountain feed,if you want a drink you just scoop up a handful or just tape a tube to the side of the kayak and suck it up.

The Waimakariri Gorge is a wonderful section of the river with some challenges. In the Gorge the river walls out against bluffs. The river hits a bluff and exits at 90 degrees. The trick is to get close to the wall to keep in the fast flow, but not so close that you get hit by the pressure wave rolling off the wall, which can cause an unwanted swim and munch a kayak in the undertow. Cutting in close to the opposite bank is safer but the risk is getting stuck in the whirlpool the wall creates, spinning you around and making the exit an undignifed reverse, facing up river, lossing all speed and a lot of time.

I stopped twice to empty my kayak, a pump would have been great addition. It's amazing how much water gets through the spray deck. The stops are a nice time to stretch and let the blood flow back into the gluts and ease the bladder, and have a snack. A look at the scenery is well worth it, remember Load of the Rings, this is the part of NZ that much of the filming was done.

Meanwhile, the support entourage has returned to Klondyke Corner, packed up the camp and driven to the next transition at Gorge Bridge, and set out the bikes. I hit the transition in 5 hrs 39 minutes,including the cycle time before the paddle, placing me 93 out of over 800 for this section. I'm very pleased with that effort, as I feel I did it comfortably. A quick bite to eat and I jump on the bike, concerned that my legs really had not recovered from yesterdays long run.

The last big push, 70km cycle, flat, all the way to Sumner Beach. Easy right? Nooooo, head winds are the norm for this section, and this year it was no different. No howling wind but a steady breeze held me to just under 30km/h. I ease up a bit and wait, usually a bunch will form up and that helps. However my paddle time was fast enough to get ahead of the masses. The result was the the small bunch that came along was a fit lot of about 8 riders. At first we zipped along nicely at about 34 kmh then for some reason they picked up to 40kmh, leaving me and my tired legs waiting for the next group. The second bunch was bigger and I was able to stick on the back of them for most of the distance.

About 20km from the finish the group broke up as stronger rides made their move. I moved out with another rider and we passed some riders who had been in the first group that dropped me earlier. Blown out from the effort and running on nothing, they had hit the wall. A race this long requires discipline. You need to know your limits and keep true to them to avoid this. It's a long cycle when you have nothing left in the tank.

At last the final few turns, the sea comes into view, the beach, then one final turn and the finish is a short stagger down the beach. Off the bike, and horror, legs need to run now, down the beach in soft sand, and there’s Judkins as he was in 1991, when I first did the race in 13hr, 30 minutes, and in 2001, when I did the Longest Day my time was 15hrs 15 minutes, and now in 2007, Judkins again shakes my hand, hands me a beer and says well done, 16 hrs 2 minutes and I’m happy.

A great couple of days, no injuries, no blow out and big fun.

The End 2007	2001 Longest Day

Some excellent video of the course and race here from 2006 and 100's of photos from 2007 here.