Face of adventure race in firing line
Defending Coast to Coast champion Richard Ussher has hit out at the state of the iconic race, saying it is ‘‘shrinking’’ and that it’s ‘‘ maybe time’’ for race owner Robin Judkins to step aside and allow new people to run the event.
In an extensive interview with Fairfax Media, the multiple race champion levelled 10 key criticisms of the race which, he says, must be fixed if it is to return to its pomp of a decade ago.
The most provocative and controversial question was whether Judkins was as motivated as the race director as he once was.
‘‘I have always had pretty good relationship with Robin,’’ said Ussher.
‘‘He has never really had a go at me or anything like that.
‘‘I guess I have always tried not to do anything to incur his wrath either.
‘‘But I was sort of thinking about what I would say if someone asked me the questions you have and I just think I really love the race, think it is a great race, it’s done a lot of great things for the sport, but I think it is actually lagging behind now and there are things that could be done to make it a better experience and get the field back to full capacity.
‘‘It disappoints me that the race does not seem to be growing in popularity and, if anything, seems to be shrinking.
‘‘Without Robin the race would not exist and that is what you have to balance when you are trying to look at the things that could be improved.
‘‘But the race is over 30 years old and things are still done how [they were] 20 years ago in a lot of ways.
‘‘Who knows what would happen if someone [was involved] that had the passion for it that Robin did 30 years ago.
‘‘I am sure, naturally over time, the passion can wane slightly, even though he probably sounds as enthusiastic as he did 30 years ago on the start and finish line.
‘‘But I am sure in between times it is probably not the motivating force for him on a day-to-day basis that it was and maybe he just needs a slightly newer team that has the en-
Richard Ussher, left, and Robin Judkins share a joke after Ussher took first place in the Coast to Coast race in 2006. ergy that it did have a few years ago.’’
For his part yesterday, Judkins, when offered the right of reply, greeted Ussher’s criticisms as open sedition (Ussher’s reservations about Judkins’ wrath turning into a self-fulfilling prophecy).
‘‘How could he do this to me the week before the race?’’ Judkins said, before the rest of the interview, best described as a spontaneous eruption, became unfit for print.
Judkins vowed to have words with Ussher and the athlete said he would welcome the chance to discuss his concerns as he had taken the trouble to write them down and send them to ‘‘race organisers’’ in the past, but had never heard back.
‘‘I think all the athletes have their own views . . . but I don’t think I will be in the minority,’’ Ussher said.
‘‘I think most of them would agree all the little details are missing that you get at top international multisport events.
‘‘It is an amazing course, but the event can only survive on that for so long. I don’t think it is dying by any means, but definitely things that could be done to drag it up to date with the where endurance racing on a global scale is going could be done.
‘‘It is such a massive market these days that you need to provide more than what it is does. It does not represent huge value for money any more.
‘‘It is over $1000 for the entry fee and that is probably putting a lot of people off. It is cheaper to enter an ironman event and you get a much more professionally organised race.
‘‘I have been asked for feedback on the race a lot of times and have sent pages and pages of feedback over the years, though I never got a response from them and nothing really ever changes.’’
The issue of the race’s prizemoney has been raised before by previous high-profile athletes.
Judkins openly and unashamedly admits he pays under market value; this year’s Longest Day winner will win $10,000.
Ussher said the prizemoney was a marked improvement on a decade ago, but was still a bone of contention for athletes, especially those who finish second and third.
‘‘I think it is $1400 for second and that is a token amount for a runner- up who devotes as much time to the race as the person who finishes first.’’
The old adage in entertainment, that all publicity is good, will probably assuage any last Judkins grudge (after all he is the master of courting publicity). But Ussher said he did not offer his thoughts without serious consideration and they were designed to spark debate about the future of the event.
‘‘I have no idea what [Judkins] will say and maybe I won’t be racing on Saturday,’’ Ussher said.
‘‘It is definitely not a personal attack on him by any means, or on the race. It is just when you spend your life travelling around the world and doing big international races and you see things, lots of little things, and think, ‘man that would be a real winner at that race, that would work really well there’.
‘‘If they really want to get the race back to capacity, where there was a waiting list to enter, it might be as simple as canvassing 50 people who have those experiences to see what sort of ideas crop up and see how you could implement them into the race.’’