Triathlon: Brown aims for ninth victory

Multiple winner Cameron Brown surges ahead to victory in last year's Eves Surfbreaker Triathlon. Photo / File

Legendary athlete Cameron Brown is the unbackable favourite to take out his ninth Eves Surfbreaker Triathlon over the sprint distance at Mount Maunganui tomorrow.

The 42-year-old is the star turn in another bumper field of 250 assembled for the 29th running of the event. Brown is the defending champion and also won in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2000 and 2002.

Brown used his experience last December to his advantage on the run leg that finished with a gruelling sprint along the beach. He made better use of the harder sand than most of the other athletes did. "It has always been part of the Mount sprint," Brown said.

"You just try and get off the soft sand and get on to the hard stuff as quickly as possible. Your calves pay for it if you are running on the soft stuff.

"It is always tricky and hard but it is unique and that's what is cool about this race."

Unlike the majority of the summer's triathlons that start and finish along Pilot Bay, the Surfbreaker is centred on Mount Main Beach.

Competitors take on the unpredictable surf before the bike leg along Marine Parade and Ocean Beach Rd, and the final road run down Marine Parade ends with a gut busting final sand sprint to the start/finish line opposite Mt Drury.

Organiser Sheryl McLay from Team Shorebreak is delighted Brown will be at the start line tomorrow.

"Cameron is coming and bringing his two young boys, which helps everything. He is looking to retain his title and the boys are in the super sprint races," she said.

"Everything will be the same as it was last year but the only thing we have done is go back to a rectangular swim course. This is one of the few real surf swim triathlons that are left now, as there is no Whangamata this year."

Tomorrow's event, beginning at 8am, is the first of this summer's Eves Triathlon Series, with the Pilot Bay Classic on Monday, January 26, and Coronation Classic on March 1 to follow.

Eves Surfbreaker Triathlon
*Mount Main Beach, tomorrow, 8am start
*Course: Swim - rectangular course on Mount Main Beach; Cycle - Marine Parade, Ocean Beach Rd; Run - Marine Parade, beach finish opposite Mt Drury
*Sprint Distance 750m swim, 16-20km cycle, 5km run
*Sprint Teams 750m swim, 16-20km cycle, 5km run
*Super Sprint 375m swim, 8-10km cycle, 2.5km run