Sclater takes on Coast to Coast

One Far North athlete has been confirmed as being registered for the Kathmandu Coast to Coast multisport endurance event in Canterbury next month.

Twenty-nine-year-old Andrew Sclater from Russell is preparing to feature in a field potentially made up of record breaking numbers taking on the 35th Coast to Coast from February 8-9. After selling out last year for the first time since 2004, race director Glen Currie said the Coast to Coast has come to be regarded a rite of passage for multisport athletes from around the world, with over 18,000 people having taken it on since it was first established.

“In 1983 Robin Judkins had some crazy idea about creating a race from one side of New Zealand to the other, and in 2019 it seems that New Zealander’s and a number of folks from throughout the world are still keen to participate in the most iconic adventure that is the Kathmandu Coast to Coast.”

Last year’s trend of increasing international and female entries has continued with February’s event now set to eclipse 2004’s largest field ever of 920 competitors across both teams and individuals running, cycling and kayaking across the South Island. (Note, DoC restrictions limit the event to 800 entries to help protect a pristine environment. However, two- and three-person relay teams are only counted as one entry, which the allows the actual number of competitors to go well above 900 and potentially exceed 1,000 for the first time.)

The Coast to Coast starts at Kumara beach and traverses the width of the South Island, crossing the main divide where competitors reach over 1000m above sea level before finishing on the east coast at New Brighton beach pier in Christchurch.