Hundreds turn out for POT Half

Racing in the Port of Tauranga taking place in Mount Maunagnui is now underway. Photos: Rosalie Liddle Crawford

Hundreds of competitors have lined up for the 28th annual Port of Tauranga Half which is now underway in Mount Maunganui.

The iconic race, which doubles as the New Zealand long distance triathlon champs, is one of the longest running and most popular triathlons in the country and this year boasts a top field of elite triathletes.

The POT Half consists of a 2km swim, followed by a 90km bike and ending with a 21. 1km run.

This year's field includes defending champs Braden Currie and Amelia Rose Watkinson, 2011 runner up Anna Cleaver, 2016 Coast to Coast winner Sam Clark and two-day event winner Hayden Wilde, plus long distance legend Cameron Brown who's previously won the POT Half a massive 10 times.

'My first Port of Tauranga Half Ironman was in 1998 winning on my first go at the Half Ironman distance. After this I changed my direction to concentrate on long distance racing, winning my next seven appearances at the Port of Tauranga Half until 2004,” recalls Brown.

'I couldn't imagine not training through a Kiwi summer and racing at the Port of Tauranga Half. It's always been great preparation for the New Zealand Ironman in March. I'm looking forward to my 19th Port of Tauranga Half this January and another crack at the podium.”

Event director Wendy Boyce is also absolutely delighted with the elite entries at this year's Port of Tauranga Half.

'We have more elite entries than last year, and it is great that both our defending champs, Braden Currie and Amelia Rose Watkinson will be on the start line at Pilot Bay this Saturday.”

The Port of Tauranga Half is the feature event on the Mount Festival of Multisport programme, which includes the Under Armour Mount Run and Jetts Dash for Cash in Pilot Bay on Saturday, and the NZ Beach Volleyball Champs on Mount Maunganui's Main Beach over the weekend.

Paige Francis-Monrad and Chris Monrad from Whakatane.


Karen Nancarrow, 60, with husband Bill Revell. Today's event will be Karen's first-ever half-triathlon, while it's Bill's second

Graeme Sellars, Yvonne Shaw, and Stu Hague from Nelson.

OVERCOMING THE ODDS

The field for today's Port of Tauranga Half is filled with inspirational entries in both the individual and team events, like Lynley Brown who'll do the swim leg for her team after having her lower leg amputated last year.

Lynley, nee Allison, was one of the New Zealand's top long-distance triathletes in the 2000's with her crowning achievement coming in winning the 2004 Ironman USA Coeur D'Alene. She also had podium finishes in the NZ Ironman event.

Since her retirement from competitive triathlon, Brown has maintained an active involvement with the sport through coaching, and roles with Triathlon NZ.

She makes an inspirational return tomorrow in the swim leg as part of the team which originally consisted of fellow triathlon identities Jo Lawn and Anneke Jenkins.

Lawn has had to hand over the run leg to husband Armando Galarrga, after being over enthusiastic in her return to training and contracting Laryngitis this week.

The team entries in the Port of Tauranga Half also contain a host of country's top triathletes such as Rio Olympian Ryan Sissons, last year's runner-up Mark Bowstead and rising star Matt Franklin.

ROAD CLOSURES

Several roads in mount Maunganui have been closed while the Port of Tauranga Half and the Mount Festival of Multisport takes place today.

From 6am on Friday, 6 January until 10pm on Saturday, 7 January:

  • Salisbury Wharf Car Park – from the entire car parking area
  • Salisbury Avenue – from Victoria Road to The Mall
  • The Mall – from Salisbury Avenue to Prince Avenue

From 4.30am to 3pm on Saturday, 7 January (Roads may open earlier depending on progress with the event):

  • The Mall – from Prince Avenue to Adams Avenue including the Pilot Bay Boat Ramp
  • Adams Avenue – from The Mall to Marine Parade
  • Marine Parade – from Adams Avenue to Oceanbeach Road
  • Oceanbeach Road – from Marine Parade to road end
  • Yale Street – from Oceanbeach Road to Maranui Street
  • Maranui Street – from Yale Street to Sandhurst Drive
  • Papamoa Beach Road – from Sandhurst Drive to Parton Road

For more information visit the Mount Festival of Multisport website at: mountfestival.kiwi


POT Half event volunteers, from left: Wendy Boyce, Ian Taylor, Margaret Giles, Angela Bean, Darren Borrell, and Jodi Poulter.

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