Hat-trick hero may take year off
He’s been near unstoppable the past three years, but Whakatane athlete Sam Clark might not be back to defend his Coast to Coast title next year.
The back-to-back-to-back longest day champion wouldn’t entirely rule out competing in the 243km race across the South Island for an eighth time in 2019, but hinted he had other plans.
‘‘Just quietly, I kind of promised myself a year off to do a few other things,’’ Clark said shortly after coasting to his third title on Saturday.
‘‘But this race has given me so much and opened up so many opportunities, so I won’t rule it out.’’
Should Clark be absent from the iconic event next year, it will be starved of a quality athlete who has been the centre of memorable scenes at the finish line in New Brighton the past three years. If
Braden Currie, who is currently focussing on ironman events and didn’t compete this year, is again absent next year, it would be a double blow.
But much can change. After all, Clark, ˘one of six athletes to have won at least three men’s titles, revealed he was considering flagging this year’s race six months ago due to a couple of deflating results overseas, ˘including finishing 14th in the brutal ˘ Embrunman ˘Triathlon in France.
Given the enthralling battle between Clark and Currie last year, it’s fair to say new race director Glen Currie will be pushing for brother Braden and Clark to return next year.
Clark downplayed Currie’s absence ahead of Saturday’s race, but isn’t shying away from a rematch in the future. ‘‘At some stage down the line it would be good to have a round two with Braden,’’ he said.
In the meantime, Clark wasn’t giving away just what he had in mind for the next year, unless he was talking about paying back mother Alison for her support.
‘‘I probably owe her a few lawn mowings or something like that,’’ Clark said.
‘‘Mum’s been down here for the past 10 days being patient and waiting for me to paddle over the river and run over the mountain and cooking for me. This is the one time of the year I’m treated like a princess.’’
This year’s event featured the first capacity field in a decade with 960 competitors (including teams) entered in either the one-day, twoday, or mountain run. It confirmed the revival of the event, departing race director Richard Ussher’s goal since he took over in 2015 and secured major sponsor Kathmandu in 2016. Registrations for next year’s Coast to Coast opened at noon on Sunday.