Tauranga Half 2024: Jack Moody, Hannah Berry win first and third-time titles

Third-time Tauranga Half winner Hannah Berry. Photo / Hamish Collie

The Tauranga Half held on Mount Maunganui’s Marine Parade at the weekend resulted in a first and third-time victory for the men’s and women’s winners.

Auckland-based athlete Jack Moody won his first-ever men’s title after one of the more dramatic final sprints in the Calley Homes Tauranga Half event’s history.

Moody had been the event’s perennial place-getter for the past five years, finishing second in 2022, 2020, and 2019 plus third in 2023, and 2021.

Moody said in a statement afterwards: “I have wanted to win this event for so long”.

“There were moments on the run today when I wondered if I was forever going to be the event’s bridesmaid, so [I’m] stoked to finally win.”

Moody came out of the race’s swim leg in fifth place, just behind Mike Phillips and two minutes behind Javier Gomez of Spain.

Phillips dominated the bike leg, creating a three-and-a-half-minute lead heading into the running leg.

However, Moody’s pace meant he soon caught up. As Phillips and Moody came off Mauao’s base track for the final time in the race, Moody took the lead and sprinted down the Mall to record an 11-second victory.

Moody said of Phillips: “He was incredibly strong throughout today’s run, and it was difficult to pull back that deficit”.

Three-time winner Bay of Plenty’s Hannah Berry took the women’s title. The victory follows previous wins here in 2019 and 2020.

Berry outpaced an international line-up of competitors including Ironman World Champion Chelsea Sodaro from the United States, current New Zealand Ironman champ Els Visser from the Netherlands, and two-time defending champion Rebecca Clarke from Auckland.

Berry and Clarke shadowed each other for most of the bike leg but on the running leg, Berry held the lead.

Berry said afterwards: “I knew that Chelsea was going to chase me down on the run leg, so I pushed really hard on the bike. I looked across at her a couple of times during the run and she looked amazing. I just stuck my head down and focused on my own form.

Berry was jubilant with the victory saying: “This is the best place to race, on my home course. To hear people yelling ‘Go Hannah’ throughout the race was amazing.

“It is wonderful to have world-class athletes here, and a privilege to win today’s event.”

The 35th event included a 2km swim, 90km bike and 21km run for athletes.

The Calley Homes Tauranga Half was the headline event for the Fulton Hogan Mount Festival of Multisport which also featured the Pilot Bay Swim over 800m, 2km and 3.8km distances, an Aquabike event, and the Pressio Mount Festival Half Marathon which was held over 5km, 10km and half marathon distances.