Reesby & Company Stroke & Stride Series
Race Report
It is now tradition that the season opener in the Stroke & Stride Series be buffeted by high winds, this tradition extends back quite a few years and seasoned competitors expect
nothing less than good storm to be blowing for their first race of the summer. The first event in this season’s Reesby & Company Stroke & Stride wasn’t going to disappoint with a howling southerly doing it’s best to send anything that wasn’t tied down
across the harbour to Rangitoto Island. Fortunately for some, this offshore wind direction leaves the waters of St
Heliers Bay relatively flat so the conditions for the 500 metre swim were not too testing for competitors. A different
story out along Tamaki Drive for the 5 kilometre run with the same wind doing it’s best to knock you back in the tide at
any of the exposed spots down the waterfront.
The women were granted the privilege of starting first and checking out the water temperature while the men huddled on
the beach awaiting their start ten minutes later. Rebecca Nesbitt hardly seems to get wet as she flies around the course
in a tick over 6 minutes but the short swim and smooth conditions doesn’t do much to break up the field and she was soon
followed up the beach by Jillian Wood, Anna Cleaver, Debbie Tanner, Marisa Carter, Anna Elvery and Nicole Cope.
Brent Foster lead the men around the buoys and exited the swim in 5 minutes 46 seconds but his chasers still had him in
sight as he headed out onto the run with the closest being James Elvery and also Oliver Tompkins, Malcolm McGregor and
Clark Ellice handily placed.
Anna Cleaver lead the women’s field early in the run but after a couple of kilometres it was the strong running Nicole
Cope who moved into the lead which she then extended to a 40 second advantage at the finish. Meanwhile Brent Foster
wasn’t looking back as he followed up his swim by also registering the day’s fastest run spit to record yet one more
Stroke & Stride victory.
Nicole and Brent’s contrasting style of win in the series opener is also reflected in these experienced competitors’
contrasting preparation for this summer’s Series. While Nicole stayed in New Zealand over the winter quietly training
and honing her skills in swimming and running, Fozzie was strutting his stuff on the world stage, travelling to
victories around the globe in exotic locations such as Xiaguan. Look that one up in your atlas. Also clocking up some
air miles in the off season were James Elvery and Clark Ellice who have returned to the Stroke & Stride with some terrific form enabling them to grab second and third places ahead of Sam Walker and Malcolm McGregor.
Anna Cleaver couldn’t match the speed of Nicole Cope out on the 5 kilometre run but was faster than all the rest
finishing in second comfortably ahead of Debbie Tanner, Fiona Docherty and Nikki Wallwork.
The next race is Wednesday, December 4, 2002
Results
Female Finish Time 1
Nicole Cope 24m 37s 2
Anna Cleaver 25 17 3
Debbie Tanner 26 10 4
Fiona Docherty 27 10 5
Nikki Wallwork 27 30 6
Anna Elvery 27 54 7
Carmel Hanly 28 11 8
Gayle Clark 28 14 9
Marisa Carter 28 32 10
Donna Churton 28 57
Male Finish Time 1
Brent Foster 22m 06s 2
James Elvery 22 55 3
Clark Ellice 23 13 4
Sam Walker 23 46 5
Malcolm McGregor 23 55 6
Carl Cairns 24 29 7
Oliver Tompkins 24 41 8
Darragh Walshe 25 01 9
Samuel Murphy 25 33 10
David Bowden 25 47