SA’s Owen could surprise the locals in tough Coast to Coast challenge

LEADING South African trail athlete, canoeist and adventure racer, Robyn Owen, faces one of her toughest challenges when she take on some of the world’s top multi-sport athletes in the 243km Coast to Coast race in South Island, New Zealand today.

Held every February since its inauguration in 1983, the Coast to Coast traverses the width of the South Island, crossing the main divide from west to east and finishing at Christchurch.

The Coast to Coast attracts multisport athletes from around the world, with over 18,000 people having completed the event in the 32 years to date, the majority over two days, but the professionals racing the distance as the World Multisport Championship in just one day.

“I had often heard of the Coast to Coast. It is a dream of many Adventure/Multisport Athletes all over the world to complete it,” explained Owen from New Zealand, where she has been training on the course for the past two weeks. “My sponsor, Best4Sports, encouraged me to dream big and at the hint of an opportunity to race abroad, the Coast to Coast immediately sprung to mind.”

Competitors left on foot this morning from the windswept landscapes on the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island, running 3km inland to their waiting road bikes. They then follow the Taramakau River to the foothills of the Southern Alps where they switch their bikes for trail shoes and a rugged, technical 33km trail along a rocky riverbed and an elevation gain of nearly 800m.

From the highest point at Goat Pass, a short bike ride leads to the mighty Waimakariri River, where a 70km kayak through a stunning gorge takes competitors from the heart of the Southern Alps to the Canterbury Plains. A final 70km bike ride into Christchurch completes the race.

Five times Dusi Canoe Marathon champion, record holder in the Otter African Trail Run, and a member of the South African Painted Wolf team, which placed 4th in the recent Adventure Racing World Championships in Australia, Owen has all attributes to achieve a podium finish and surprise some of the local favourites, including Finnish-born Elina Ussher.

Three times past champion, now resident in New Zealand, Ussher will start favourite to defend her title, which she won last year in 13 hrs 32 min 41 sec.

“I think my river paddling background will be an advantage on the paddle leg,” continued Owen. “And I think I’ll be fairly good on the rough and technical sections of the mountain run.

“The crossing of the island under your own power in a single day is a cool concept. A run over a rugged mountain pass, a paddle down a difficult-to-access gorge, and a few scenic bike rides sound fantastic. New Zealand is the capital of Adventure and Multisport Racing and the Coast to Coast is their premier event. From everything I hear the event is unique and I’m looking forward to taking part.”