Stroke & Stride competitors have been thoroughly spoiled this summer with sublime conditions for racing at event after event from the start of the season back in November until now at the end of March.
This is especially so when you consider that twelve months ago our deciding event for the season was held while Auckland was being drowned in a torrential downpour. In 2012 our transition area resembled a swimming pool with as much water out on the run course as we'd expect in the sea. This year it is the Waitemata Harbour doing its own impression of the world's biggest swimming pool with hardly a ripple in sight and perfect conditions for fast racing.
The 1000 metre swim circumnavigated a large triangle course and the only possible hindrance was that the second of the swim legs was heading to the west and into the setting sun. The men's field were first to start and while the conditions were super fast that doesn't help spread the field out so there weren't any substantial breaks from the main field. The leading swimmer rounded the final buoy and reached the beach just inside 12 minutes. That was Brent Foster clocking a flying 11 minutes 58 seconds for the kilometre and good enough for a 12 second lead over Cameron Todd. Ten seconds later it was Stefan Talbot hitting the beach with Sam Franklin on his shoulder and Jay Wallwork and Cooper Rand also close.
 Cameron Todd and Cooper Rand(Photo: Phillip Wong; click to enlarge) |
The women's field were chasing the men around the buoys and by the time the fastest were nearing the shore they were already passing some of the guys. Out in front and leading them in was a trio made up of Rebecca Clarke, Sophie Corbidge and Simone Ackermann and they stopped the clock at 13 minutes and 5 seconds. Trailing by 20 seconds in fourth and fifth came Elise Salt and Samantha Warriner and then it was a further half minute before we saw any more of the female swimmers.
 Sophie Corbidge(Photo: Liz Hardley; click to enlarge) |
 Samantha Warriner(Photo: Itsuko Yokoe; click to enlarge) |
Race #8 in the Stroke & Stride is not just the decisive final race to decide our Series Champions but it also doubles as the 2013 New Zealand Swimrun Championships with the added kudos that those venerable titles carry. Our defending national champs Simone Ackermann and Cameron Todd were both to the fore at halfway with strong swims. Simone and Cameron may be young in years but they have plenty of experience with Simone having won this title three times and Cameron twice. Talking experience we therefore must also mention our four time New Zealand Swimrun Champion Samantha Warriner and Brent Foster with an even ten titles to his name.
The 4 kilometre run to decide this year's champs was an out and back jaunt to the turn cone at St Heliers Bay before a finish back on the sands of Mission Bay. Like the swim, conditions for the run were just fast. Ok, there may have been some sun in the eyes for parts of the return journey. By the time the first men rounded the point and came into view two runners had already started sprinting with a third close behind. When they reached the final turn onto the beach and we could make out exactly who these leaders were it was apparent that it was Cameron Todd at the front and he had now broken clear of the pursuers. Cameron held that small lead to the line and took his third title in a row. Having a tremendous race recording not just his best ever result in the National champs but also his best ever Stroke & Stride result was Cooper Rand taking second place. Just seconds later Brent Foster finished claiming the final podium position. Next it was Jay Wallwork coming home in fourth place ahead of Sam Franklin.
 Brent Foster(Photo: Liz Hardley; click to enlarge) |
Not too far behind this action it was the fastest of the women's field closing on the finish and one athlete hadn't waited for any sprint finish to decide this title. Out on the course Samantha Warriner had caught the couple of runners ahead of her and ran straight past them to come home and comfortably take another title and her first Stroke & Stride victory since 2009 - it is called getting better with age. Simone Ackermann made a valiant attempt to defend her title but had to settle for second this year. Rebecca Clarke claimed the valuable third place ahead of Elise Salt and Alana Lythe.
These results would be crucial in deciding the Stroke & Stride champions for the season as athletes are awarded points in the Series Grand Prix. That is crucial for all except Sophie Corbidge. Sophie had been so dominant in the Stroke and Stride this summer with five crunching wins from five starts that the competition was simply left in her wake. Sophie Corbidge made it look easy as she claimed the title of Stroke & Stride Series Champion for the first time. Doing their best to make a race of it was Elise Salt (4th, 5th, 9th, 4th, 1st & 4th) and Samantha Warriner (5th, 2nd, 7th, 3rd & 1st) with a win a piece this season and they deservedly filled the podium while Amelia Watkinson ( 6th, 10th, 5th, 7th, 1st & 6th) took home the remaining first place on offer and finished in 4th overall in the series ahead of Rebecca Clarke and Alana Lythe equal in 5th place.
The men's Grand Prix was considerably tighter with it coming down to the final placings in the final race to decide just who would be Stroke & Stride Champion in 2013. Brent Foster won his first Stroke & Stride Series Championship in 1993, that was 20 years ago and over the decades he has had his name engraved on the cup a jaw-dropping fifteen times. His 3rd place in the final event is enough to award him the championship one more time. This title may be his sweetest and toughest to date as he did it without recording a win all season (3rd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd & 3rd) with a display of class and consistency. Sam Franklin (6th, 4th, 2nd, 2nd, 1st & 5th) applied the pressure and is rewarded with second place in this quality field. Now a very hard athlete to beat, Sam Ward (1st, 3rd, 1st & 1st) captured 3rd place a solitary point ahead of up and coming Cooper Rand (7th, 8th, 6th, 3rd, 3rd & 2nd) with Liam Scopes (9th, 9th, 7th, 5th, 4th & 6th) keeping them all honest and scoring fifth place.
So at the end of the summer that delivered the best weather that many can remember we were delivered two Stroke & Stride champions in what couldn't me more contrasting styles. Now we just have to wait until November when all the action resumes at the 25th Stroke & Stride Series.
Full results, points and photos from this event are available at www.swimrun.org.
Results: Stroke & Stride Series, Race #8
Male
1. Cameron Todd 26m 28s
2. Cooper Rand 26m 36s
3. Brent Foster 26m 42s
4. Jay Wallwork 27m 03s
5. Sam Franklin 27m 36s
6. Liam Scopes 27m 42s
7. Matt Franklin 28m 03s
8. Michael Perree 28m 36s
9. Matthew McQueen 29m 00s
10. Stefan Talbot 29m 04s
11. Matthew Roets 29m 23s
12. Stephen Farrell 29m 27s
13. Quinn Wallwork 29m 43s
14. Jared Bowden 29m 53s
15. Bill Blackmore 29m 57s
Female
1. Samantha Warriner 28m 06s
2. Simone Ackermann 28m 39s
3. Rebecca Clarke 29m 08s
4. Elise Salt 29m 31s
5. Alana Lythe 30m 09s
6. Amelia Watkinson 31m 02s
7. Ashleigh Williams 31m 42s
8. Emily Pearce 31m 49s
9. Natasha Poole 32m 24s
10. Danielle Parkinson 32m 34s
11. Sarah Cushing 33m 20s
12. Rachel Penney 33m 55s
13. Julia Cree 34m 04s
14. Libby Morrison-Jones 34m 24s
15. Katherine Reardon 34m 26s
Final Grand Prix Points After Race #8
Male
1. Brent Foster 98
2. Sam Franklin 88
3. Sam Ward 75
4. Cooper Rand 74
5. Liam Scopes 57
6. Daniel Hoy 53
7. Michael Perree 47
8. Matthew McQueen 42
9. Jay Wallwork 41
10T Cameron Todd 40
10T Ryan Sissons 40
12. Sam Kidd 33
13. Nick Berry 32
14T. Jared Bowden 30
14T. Mark Bowstead 30
Female
1. Sophie Corbidge 100
2. Elise Salt 77
3. Samantha Warriner 72
4. Amelia Watkinson 66
5T Rebecca Clarke 57
5T Alana Lythe 57
7. Nicole van der Kaay 49
8. Claire Macky 46
9. Ashleigh Williams 42
10. Anneke Jenkins 38
11. Penny Hayes 32
12. Simone Ackermann 34
13. Danielle Parkinson 28
14T Rachel Penney 27
14T Jessica Lawson 27
