February 7, 2025 • 7 mins
New Zealand's greatest multisport event, the Coast to Coast Longest Day, has started in wet weather on the West Coast.
But a strong tailwind is expected to give the competitors a fast start before headwinds kick in towards the finish at New Brighton beach in Christchurch.
Race expert Brian Ashby says there are some intriguing matchups.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Dancy
Waldegrave from US Talks EDB, All the analysis, all the talk,
all the sports, The All Sport Breakfast with Dancy Waldegrave
on your home of Sports US Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Here we are and now we go to a man
in a very very happy place, long time former colleague,
great mate, mister Brian Ashby. Brian, how are you, dah?
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Some real good things.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Great to have you on. Tell us about the Coast
to Coast That's where isn't an addiction for you? We
know this, but for the web behind the ears. What
exactly is the Coast to Coast?
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Yeah, it's quite the name says it all. You travel
from one side of the South Island Kamara Beach on
the west coast, to New Brighton Beach in christ Church
on the east coast and in between. How do you
get there? Will you start with a two k run
up off Kamara Beach up to your bicycle. You jump
on your bike. You pedal fifty five k's up into
(01:10):
the Southern Alps, a slow, gradual climb. You get to
a place called Aikens. You jump off the bike and
then you start the mountain run, and this mountain run
is horrendous over some of the roughest terrain that you
can imagine. You go up and over Goat Pass, you
drop down the Minga and you come out of a
place called Klondike Corner, still high up in the Alps,
(01:34):
and it's just down the road from Arthur's Pass for
those familiar with the area. From there you jump on
the bike. Another fifteen k's of sort of rolling country
around some bluffs and you stop at a place called
Mountain White. At that point you off the bike and
sixty seven kilometers in a kayak down the waimaker Airi Gorge,
(01:55):
totally inaccessible by anything except boat. You can't sort of
go and park beside the river and watch them go pass.
You're completely isolated the competitors when they're in the boats.
From here they come out on the Cannery Plains at
gords Bridge Wymacerary gords Bridge. It's onto the bikes and
seventy kilometers the cycle to New Brighton Beach through sort
(02:19):
of North Canterbury and the northern edges of Christ's finishing
at New Brighton Beach, so two hundred and forty three
k all conditions today on the West coast it's been wet.
The roads are very very wet, a bit of a
tail wind, but look that damn conditions. It's a little
bit scarier the bunches. They started at six o'clock and potentially,
(02:43):
you know, you hit a wheel in front, you're getting
all this stuff kicked up off the road, and you know,
they're just a bit more for them to think about
with their riding. The river conditions later on for the
mountain run very low. That'll be fast the mountain run,
but the low ye Macerari flow that'll slow the kayak down.
That'll keep them in the river for a bit longer.
(03:05):
And it sounds as though there will be kind of
head winds as well on that final cycle. Le Eggs
and New Brighton beat so one side of the country
the other days and you're never quite sure, you know,
different weather patterns as you know, you've sort of got
coastal stuff going on, you've got alpine stuff going on.
It throws all at these competitors.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
The brainchild of Robin Judkins, still going strong after all
of these years. Brian whose favorite to win this? And
how long it is going to take them? On the
longest day both men and women.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Yeah, Juddy is still about. He did sell the event
about ten or eleven years ago to Trojan Holdings and
Richard Usher became race director. Now it's Glenn Curry, the
brother of Brayden, himself a podium placekidner. Who are the
people look out for and the women? Simone Maya chasing
his sixth title. At the moment she has five titles
along with the great Kathy Lynch. If she wins today
(03:59):
and what is acknowledged as her last race, she will
have the outright most titles for a woman. She's a
bit bodies, a bit beaten up. So if she comes
out of the Mountain run there or thereabouts, she does
get stronger as the day goes on. I think the
key for Simon is surviving the mountain run. If she does,
I think she won't be beaten. Look Out for the
likes of Devlinch, Rebecca Kingsford, Alena Husher, They'll be there
(04:22):
or thereabouts, maybe Alice Mullins as well. In the men's
Oh my word, this is one for the ages. Last
year was an absolute belter fast conditions. Not often they
go under eleven hours. Two of them did. One of
them was just over. That was remarkable. Hamish Elliott winning
Alex Hunt on the final cycle stage set a stage record,
but couldn't quite real them in. Those guys are back.
(04:46):
Ben Phillips, the brother of Ironman New Zealand two times
winner Mike Phillips. He's back here. He will shake things
up on the bike. Hamous Elliot so good on the
mountain run, Alex Hunt, desperate to win after five podiums,
throw into the mix four times win at Sam Clark
back after four years away. He is probably the best
all round competitor of them. But there's a question mark.
(05:09):
He's been away, he's been training on the course in
the intervening years, and so I knows it well. We've
worked through so many different scenarios as to how the
day will play out. We've given up, we've thrown up
our arms in surrender and we're just going to see
what unfold.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
It's not like you, Brian asked me one last thing
before we let you go. When are you going to
have a crank again? Those days long since past.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Yeah? For me, it's swim bike run. I'll stick with
triathlon varieties is a kayaking for me? I can't ever
see me developing the skills even remotely talented or bran
in the boat. Certainly wasn't the one time that I
did way back when I was nineteen years of age.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Wow, going back in the day and quickly, how do
we follow this extraordinary race? The best way to do
it is.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Gold Gold Sport Radio, iHeartRadio, very very good listeners in
Christ's on ten seventeen am. But yeah on the iHeartRadio
app go on Gold Sport Extra the air and you'll
particularly from midday full we've got to fall outside broadcast
the Alliott Smith at the beach, Leslie Murdock talking to
all the competitors as they come in on the roving mic,
(06:28):
myself and Dick Brunton and former podium finisher on the
longest day, we're in the chase car. We've got guys
in the lead cars, so we'll be sort of getting
splits on what sort of movement there is in the
field further back, so and a whole heap of interviews.
So yeah, it's a very colorful day. So yep, hook
in on iHeartRadio and we'll bring you all the action.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
And not a happier man in broadcasting right now than
Brian Aspy Gas great to be back on air with
you again. Long may this continue. You have a safe
and successful afternoon.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Cheers friend.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk Said Be on Saturday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Dancy
Waldegrave from US Talks EDB, All the analysis, all the talk,
all the sports, The All Sport Breakfast with Dancy Waldegrave
on your home of Sports US Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Here we are and now we go to a man
in a very very happy place, long time former colleague,
great mate, mister Brian Ashby. Brian, how are you, dah?
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Some real good things.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Great to have you on. Tell us about the Coast
to Coast That's where isn't an addiction for you? We
know this, but for the web behind the ears. What
exactly is the Coast to Coast?
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Yeah, it's quite the name says it all. You travel
from one side of the South Island Kamara Beach on
the west coast, to New Brighton Beach in christ Church
on the east coast and in between. How do you
get there? Will you start with a two k run
up off Kamara Beach up to your bicycle. You jump
on your bike. You pedal fifty five k's up into
(01:10):
the Southern Alps, a slow, gradual climb. You get to
a place called Aikens. You jump off the bike and
then you start the mountain run, and this mountain run
is horrendous over some of the roughest terrain that you
can imagine. You go up and over Goat Pass, you
drop down the Minga and you come out of a
place called Klondike Corner, still high up in the Alps,
(01:34):
and it's just down the road from Arthur's Pass for
those familiar with the area. From there you jump on
the bike. Another fifteen k's of sort of rolling country
around some bluffs and you stop at a place called
Mountain White. At that point you off the bike and
sixty seven kilometers in a kayak down the waimaker Airi Gorge,
(01:55):
totally inaccessible by anything except boat. You can't sort of
go and park beside the river and watch them go pass.
You're completely isolated the competitors when they're in the boats.
From here they come out on the Cannery Plains at
gords Bridge Wymacerary gords Bridge. It's onto the bikes and
seventy kilometers the cycle to New Brighton Beach through sort
(02:19):
of North Canterbury and the northern edges of Christ's finishing
at New Brighton Beach, so two hundred and forty three
k all conditions today on the West coast it's been wet.
The roads are very very wet, a bit of a
tail wind, but look that damn conditions. It's a little
bit scarier the bunches. They started at six o'clock and potentially,
(02:43):
you know, you hit a wheel in front, you're getting
all this stuff kicked up off the road, and you know,
they're just a bit more for them to think about
with their riding. The river conditions later on for the
mountain run very low. That'll be fast the mountain run,
but the low ye Macerari flow that'll slow the kayak down.
That'll keep them in the river for a bit longer.
(03:05):
And it sounds as though there will be kind of
head winds as well on that final cycle. Le Eggs
and New Brighton beat so one side of the country
the other days and you're never quite sure, you know,
different weather patterns as you know, you've sort of got
coastal stuff going on, you've got alpine stuff going on.
It throws all at these competitors.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
The brainchild of Robin Judkins, still going strong after all
of these years. Brian whose favorite to win this? And
how long it is going to take them? On the
longest day both men and women.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Yeah, Juddy is still about. He did sell the event
about ten or eleven years ago to Trojan Holdings and
Richard Usher became race director. Now it's Glenn Curry, the
brother of Brayden, himself a podium placekidner. Who are the
people look out for and the women? Simone Maya chasing
his sixth title. At the moment she has five titles
along with the great Kathy Lynch. If she wins today
(03:59):
and what is acknowledged as her last race, she will
have the outright most titles for a woman. She's a
bit bodies, a bit beaten up. So if she comes
out of the Mountain run there or thereabouts, she does
get stronger as the day goes on. I think the
key for Simon is surviving the mountain run. If she does,
I think she won't be beaten. Look Out for the
likes of Devlinch, Rebecca Kingsford, Alena Husher, They'll be there
(04:22):
or thereabouts, maybe Alice Mullins as well. In the men's
Oh my word, this is one for the ages. Last
year was an absolute belter fast conditions. Not often they
go under eleven hours. Two of them did. One of
them was just over. That was remarkable. Hamish Elliott winning
Alex Hunt on the final cycle stage set a stage record,
but couldn't quite real them in. Those guys are back.
(04:46):
Ben Phillips, the brother of Ironman New Zealand two times
winner Mike Phillips. He's back here. He will shake things
up on the bike. Hamous Elliot so good on the
mountain run, Alex Hunt, desperate to win after five podiums,
throw into the mix four times win at Sam Clark
back after four years away. He is probably the best
all round competitor of them. But there's a question mark.
(05:09):
He's been away, he's been training on the course in
the intervening years, and so I knows it well. We've
worked through so many different scenarios as to how the
day will play out. We've given up, we've thrown up
our arms in surrender and we're just going to see
what unfold.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
It's not like you, Brian asked me one last thing
before we let you go. When are you going to
have a crank again? Those days long since past.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Yeah? For me, it's swim bike run. I'll stick with
triathlon varieties is a kayaking for me? I can't ever
see me developing the skills even remotely talented or bran
in the boat. Certainly wasn't the one time that I
did way back when I was nineteen years of age.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Wow, going back in the day and quickly, how do
we follow this extraordinary race? The best way to do
it is.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Gold Gold Sport Radio, iHeartRadio, very very good listeners in
Christ's on ten seventeen am. But yeah on the iHeartRadio
app go on Gold Sport Extra the air and you'll
particularly from midday full we've got to fall outside broadcast
the Alliott Smith at the beach, Leslie Murdock talking to
all the competitors as they come in on the roving mic,
(06:28):
myself and Dick Brunton and former podium finisher on the
longest day, we're in the chase car. We've got guys
in the lead cars, so we'll be sort of getting
splits on what sort of movement there is in the
field further back, so and a whole heap of interviews.
So yeah, it's a very colorful day. So yep, hook
in on iHeartRadio and we'll bring you all the action.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
And not a happier man in broadcasting right now than
Brian Aspy Gas great to be back on air with
you again. Long may this continue. You have a safe
and successful afternoon.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Cheers friend.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk Said Be on Saturday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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