Northern Crossing Multisport Challenge
Northern Crossing Multisport Challenge : Saturday 21 April 2012 >>>
Trust Power Community Awards 2011
The Rotary Club of Kerikeri won the Far North 2011 Trustpower Community award for it's Top Energy Northern Crossing multisport event.
The Top Energy Northern Crossing is a sporting endeavour that raises funds for youth charities across the Far North and the Northland Electricity Rescue Helicopter. It is also building a network of collaboration and friendship between numerous service and other groups across the region. This community building aspect of the event, which is such a vital part of what Rotary is all about, contributed to the winning of the award this year.
Next year's 2012 Top Energy Northern Crossing task-force leader PP Owen Smith represented the Kerikeri club at the awards evening in Kawakawa on 1st August and was delighted to collect the Sports & Leisure category 1st place award from Mayor Wayne Browne.
One of the organisations that helps us and benefits from the NC event also received an award on the night: Rawene youth leader, Rob Pink and his young polo-cross players became involved this year. Rob willingly offered his facility at the Rawene Domain as the kayak/cycle transition. He made improvements to the area to ensure it met the event needs. He was present with young club members on the day to assist at the transition. Nothing was too much trouble and we were pleased to involve his young group members. On 22nd August 2011, the Kerikeri Rotary Club will be presenting Rob with a cheque for $2000 towards his ongoing work with youth. These funds are a portion of the youth proceeds from this year's Northern Crossing event.
Rotary putting Northland New Zealand on the multisporting map in 2011!
Putting Northland New Zealand firmly on the multisport event map in only its second year is the Kerikeri Rotary Club's Top Energy Northern Crossing. It attracted 174 competitors to the start line on Saturday 7th May. Professional athlete and trainer Sam Goodall (26 of Paremoremo) returned and successfully defended his 2010 title in the solo multisport event in a time of 5:13:19 Real competition this year happened out on the water as the Kayaks raced up the Hokianga Harbour from Opononi to Rawene. Second placed Craig Newton of Auckland pipped Sam's time in the kayak leg by 1 minute 51 seconds. This was in part due to Sam leaving his spray skirt at home. No spray skirt equals liquid ballast being shipped on board from the initial choppy conditions on the harbour. However Sam's strong running legs and fastest cycle leg in the event ensured his victory.
Hayley Goold (31 of Auckland) put in a strong performance particularly
with her awesome kayak leg time of 1:48:49 crossing the finish line first
in 6:14:35
Multisport team winners Team JDJ had a strong kayak leg with John Sanderson
(Auckland) taking it to the leaders with the 2nd fastest kayak time of
1:44:19 over the 18 km course. This team included Justin Philips and Kerikeri
Rotarian Dale Simkin.
The Duathlon solo was won by Rob Dallimore (34 of Auckland) 3:44:16 The
women's duathlon solo was won by Chubby Hale (22 of Whangarei) in 4:26:09
while the first Duathlon team home was Glendowie Mafia: Cam Langsford
and Marcel Blake in 3:55:47
First Rotarian to finish the entire course was Tricia Hodgson of the Waipapa
Rotary Club in 7:48:15.
This year after a drizzly early morning start, the day progressively brightened showing off the scenery in its best light. The TV3 crew filming at Rawene's Boat shed Café for the programme 'Café Secrets' to be aired later in the year was able to capture the energy brought to the Hokianga by this Rotary organaised event.
The starting orders, momentarily delayed as the overlooked gate key to unlock the barrier into South Head was located, were given by Far North Mayor Wayne Brown after a karakia by John Klarisich, releasing the runners into the growing dawn light over the Hokianga sand dunes, through the wet mist, and up and over the Klarisich farm. Once the notoriously steep hill heading to Omapere had been conquered, the Hokianga harbour opened up in front of the runners, who completed leg one with a scenic run along the beach to the waiting kayaks. Conditions continued to improve out on the water as the kayakers ploughed up the harbour on the incoming tide with a tough 10 - 15 knot northwesterly headwind giving way to beautiful paddling conditions by the halfway stage.
The 700m transition from the kayak to cycles at Rawene gave the legs a good stretch before the 74km cycle route across the district to Waipapa. By then the shady stream-side run down the Kerikeri river track to the Stone store basin offered relief to the runners from the sunshine.
The 108 km route, which follows the ancestral path of early Maori and missionaries from "coast to coast" across Northland, is the fund-raising brain child of the Kerikeri Rotary Club which has received huge support from Top Energy and many other sponsors and supporters, creating an event benefitting all Northlanders. 'We couldn't put on such a large, involved event without the enthusiastic support we get from other Rotary Clubs in the region, the Lions, the schools and many, many others' said Kerikeri Club Past President and PR coordinator of the event Lian Brott. 'The coming together of so many members of the community to make this happen is what makes this event so special'. Proceeds from the Northern Crossing are supporting the Northland Electricity Rescue Helicopter and community youth projects.
Some of the Rotary helpers
So how did a Rotary Club get into organising such a major sporting event? The Kerikeri Rotary Club was running two fairly weather dependent major fundraisers, the annual Garden Safari now in its 24rd year and a sailing outing 'Day on the Bay'. When it had to be cancelled a couple of years in a row due to bad weather the Club looked around for a less weather dependent activity that would bring more widespread benefit to Northland and hit on the Multisport event. Well, sure enough, it nearly got wiped out by a terrible stormy day last year but the resilient athletes pulled through and came back for a second try.
'Congrats to all those who competed, and thanks to all the marshalls, support crews, and police out there. Also a massive congrats to the organisers, yesterday was the most well organised, and best run race I have ever done, well done guys, look forward to next year,' wrote Sam Goodall on the event Facebook page.
Margaret Parfitt wrote 'I am going back to Nelson to tell everyone about
this great race. Hats off to the Rotary Club, for thinking outside the
square on this as a fundraiser, and turning on such a professionally run
event. I thoroughly enjoyed myself (It's like childbirth - you soon forget
the pain) and would love to return next year!'
We believe the Top Energy Northern Crossing is truly an example of how
Rotary clubs can be leaders in their wider communities. This event brings
visitors to the Northland region, involves the communities along the route,
gives a number of service groups the opportunity of working together (Rotary,
Lions, Coastguard, Army Cadets, School groups etc.), and raises funds
for charity.
A great example of this year's Rotary Theme "building communities" and I am sure we will soon be "bridging continents" with some international entries!!!
Some images from the 2011 event
Some quotes from competitors in the inaugural (2010) event
"The highlight is the fantastic awesome scenery. The lowlight was that hill."
When asked "How did you like that run?" competitor Graeme Heaphy replied "That hill was horrible. Nobody can run up that, but the view at the top is amazing!"
Another said "Great course, great organisation, great prizes, CRAP
weather."
You had to be there to believe last year's weather!
The inaugural event had great spot prizes appreciated by the lucky competitors. All our sponsors are back again this year plus more. Kerikeri New World is putting up $1000 next year for the male and female who break this year's benchmark times for the Multisport event.
Major prizes include a Giant road bike, top spec. digital camera, holiday weekend packages and tourist trips all generously provided by our sponsors. Every competitor is in the prize draw for these items.
And don't forget the winner's trophies donated by Palmer Macauley - those magnificent carved waka trophies could have your name on them. Additional trophies for the dualthlon have been donated for this year's event by the Kerikeri Striders.
Devised as a Kerikeri Rotary Club fund raising event in collaboration with Top Energy, the Northern Crossing draws the wider community together and helps raise the profile of the Far North as a sports destination. The township of Kaikohe plans to cordon off its main street especially for the event and hold a street party that won't interfere with the athletes cycling through. The Northland Electricity Rescue Helicopter and other Youth programmes benefit from the proceeds.
For course details, video clips of previous events and on line registrations visit the Northern Crossing website.
