There were plenty of smiles and even a few tears as competitors crossed the finish line during Saturday's inaugural Ironmaori Half Ironman. Rain did little to dampen the excitement of the 300 competitors who lined up at Pandora Pond to start the triathlon which involved a 2km swim, 90km cycle and21.1km run. The event, organised by the Te Timatanga Ararau Trust, aimed to encourage Maori and Polynesians to get fit and create a healthier lifestyle. Event organiser Heather Skipworth said the day had been ``the best ever''. ``The whanau environment was just awesome,'' she said. ``The crowd really got behind all the competitors which probably kept a lot of them going.'' Weather played its part on the day with rain easing and temperatures increasing in the early afternoon. ``It was a perfect day for a triathlon.'' Competition was tough with Nick Vaughn winning the men's title in a time of 4:33:09 and Ali Hollington led the women's field with 5:02:41. The all-women trio of Linda Exeter, Nick Baudinet and Kay Ross dominated the team section with a time of 5:12:17. But for many of the competitors the victory was in completing the race. ``A lot of them were overwhelmed,'' said Mrs Skipworth. ``The feedback's just been amazing.'' The only disruption to the day was when two cyclists, a male and female, came off their bikes after a collision with a vehicle at a roundabout. The pair was shaken but neither suffered injury. An alcohol-free prizegiving ceremony at the old Rothman's building in Ahuriri concluded the day with many of the competitors enjoying the night with their families and supporters. ``It was the best alcohol free party ever,'' she said. Mrs Skipworth said the highlight of the day came when Kevin Nicholson, who won the open category and was second overall, donated his trophy to fellow competitor Leslie Hokianga. Mr Nicholson said he had been inspired by Mr Hokianga, a full figured man, who had completed the entire triathlon. ``I don't think there was a dry eye at the prizegiving,'' said Mrs Skipworth when the trophy was donated. She said the race would be an annual event and encouraged others to enter next year.
