Carter Makes it Three In New Zealand

RACE RESULTS 

(ROTORUA, New Zealand) - No question about it - adidas XTERRA New Zealand on April 8, 2006 was the largest (and probably the most spirited) gathering of the XTERRA Tribe on the planet.  About 2,500 competitors - trail runners, walkers, mountain bikers, and triathletes - joined thousands of supporters on the shores of Blue Lake just outside Rotorua. 

Rotorua is mecca for people who live an active, outdoor lifestyle and a fitting host to the celebration.  Mother Nature has created a very special and unique environment - complete with steaming geysers, boiling mud pools, tropical rainforest and pristine trails.  There are blue lakes, green lakes, and even black lakes. There's a huge range of activities to sate even the heartiest adventurer.  But, possibly the biggest lure for competitors was a to compete for a Nissan X-Trail for a year!

A mass start of 1,100 competitors kicked off the festivities with an 11K and 21K run/walk on stunning forest trails cooled by light rain showers.  Canadian triathlete Jill Savege took first-place honors for women in the 21K run. 

Next up was a mass start for 300 mountain bikers who ripped on the 30K XTERRA mountain bike course. 

Then it was time for the big show… heralded by the arrival of a Maori canoe full of warriors who performed a haka for the crowd.  On behalf of all competitors, Kiwi mountain bike specialist Jon Hume, accepted the warriors' challenge, and the race got underway.
 
Two waves of swimmers dove into the crystal-clear Blue Lake, turning the serene waters into a mass of churning froth. Five hundred racers headed out on the 1-kilometer single-loop course. Thirty minutes later another 200 racers in the team competition followed.
 
Two-time defending XTERRA New Zealand Champion and gold medal Olympian, Hamish Carter, was first out of the water in 13:15.  Hot on his heels 8 seconds back was Canadian Brent McMahon, who raced the U.S. XTERRA pro circuit last year and took 3rd at the 2005 XTERRA World Championship. Competing in his first XTERRA race, Ironman Cameron Brown was in 8th coming out of the water.

The battle for the lead on the bike took racers through some of the most scenic areas and unique trails in the entire XTERRA Global Tour. By the end of the 30K ride a new leader had emerged. 

Bike course designer Jon Hume, who had been 10th out of the water, rode to the front of the pack and blazed into T2, posting the fastest bike split of the day at 1:26:55.  Carter was in second 2:26 back, followed by 2003 XTERRA NZ champ, Sam Mallard in third (-5:22). McMahon settled in at 4th almost 6 minutes back. 

Once on the 11K trail run, the hunt was on. Two laps around Blue Lake - which included a gnarly stair climb - proved to be too much for Hume. Carter passed him going into the second lap. McMahon was on fire and racked up the fastest run of the day - good enough for second place, but not enough to knock down Carter who claimed his third XTERRA New Zealand title.  McMahon finished 44 seconds back, followed by Hume in 3rd place and Mallard in 4th. Cam Brown finished a respectable 9th.

In the women's race, two-time defending champion, Sonia Foote battled with Gina Ferguson and Meagan Stewart - each one leading at some point during the race. 
Ferguson was first out of the water followed by Australia's Leesa White and Meagan Stewart.  Foote was almost 8 minutes back exiting the swim, but this was ground quickly made up on the mountain bike.  Foote's mountain biking expertise was evident as she scored the fastest bike split and was first into transition 2:43 ahead of Stewart who was followed by Ferguson.  Out on the run, Ferguson shined and with a run time more than five minutes faster than any of the pro women, and she surprised the announcers who were all looking for Foote to win with her first place finish (3:01:10).  Stewart finished second (-3:48) with Foote third (-5:39).

In the amateur race, competitors battled for the chance to compete on XTERRA's ultimate proving ground - the Nissan Xterra World Championship at Makena on the sun-baked shores of South Maui. Top finishers in each age division at XTERRA Global Tour races are invited to Maui.

Andrew Maisey (40-44) will be one of them. He took the overall age group title, hitting the line in 2:43:24. That's got to be a proud finish for Maisey considering he'd have ranked right in there with the top ten pro men and 11 minutes off Olympic champ Carter. 

The fastest female, Tracy Kirkwood (30-34) crossed the line in 3:21:17, just thirty seconds ahead of second-place finisher Eloise Cottee (25-29) in 3:21:49.

The XTERRA New Zealand Championship is a gathering of the tribe not to be missed - mark your calendars for April 14, 2007 and experience it all for yourself.  In the meantime, keep an eye out for an upcoming episode of XTERRA Planet, which will feature all the action from New Zealand.

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