Ussher out to revive multisport classic

Richard Ussher, left, with Robin Judkins, the event owner he criticised and replaced as race director.

Richard Ussher made headlines in 2013 when he criticised longtime Coast to Coast owner Robin Judkins for the state of the race and suggested that it was time for the iconic character to step down after 30 years as race director. Now the 37-year-old is in the hot seat as the man in charge of New Zealand's most famous multisport race.

Entries for the 33rd anniversary of the event next year went on sale last month. We caught up with the five-time champion who has enjoyed success all over the globe.

Ussher knows there is a huge sense of responsibility in guiding the event into a new era.

You made a stir with your comments about Robin Judkins and the C2C, was it hard to raise those concerns knowing his firebrand reputation?

Not really, I was asked for an opinion on the state of the race and all I did was give an honest answer. Probably the hardest thing was coming up with answers on the spot, for example the 10 things I thought needed change - that is definitely something that would have been easier with a bit of time to prepare. It was probably a bit of distraction in terms of the race that year but I think it's important people don't shy away from difficult questions, I definitely think it's healthy to have discussions like that around where the race is at and would hope people do the same in the future.

You listed the Ussher File of the 10 considerations, is this going to be a blueprint for the changes in 2015?

No, not really, I was put on the spot and expected to come up with 10 things I'd change, which was quite difficult. There are lots of items we're currently looking at, from very minor tweaks to some more major items. The 10 points were probably more angled towards the elite end of the field and for the 2015 event we are looking predominantly at the participation side and how to increase the entry levels and provide an even better experience for the bulk of the participants. Once we've got our heads around that then we'll turn our attention to the one-day race and how to really hold it true to the World Championship heading that it has.

In your opinion, what makes the C2C a special event?

There are a lot of things which cumulatively add up to make it such an experience. The people involved as competitors and supporters are a great community, it is always really special to hear people's stories from the race and their challenges leading up to and during the event. For many people it's probably one of the biggest physical and mental challenges they'll take on in their lives and it shows when you hear the passion talking about it.

For me, I love the concept of crossing the country from coast to coast; it is the perfect distance as to be a real challenge for everyone but still achievable for anyone who puts their mind to it. The terrain through the run and the stunning section on the Waimakariri River are always highlights. It always hurts but hobbling on to the beach at the end always has a huge measure of satisfaction, no matter what the race result.

Has the C2C lost its way a little bit in recent times and how do you intend to get its magic back?

I don't think it's so much as lost its way as maybe just not kept pace with the racing scene internationally. There is so much choice these days and races have to continually evolve and do things better to keep people engaged and coming back. The Coast has such a great course but just some of the details have been letting it down.

How does the challenge of competing as an athlete compare to being on the other side of the event as the race director?

Well it's still very new being on the other side and I'm just really learning the ropes. There is definitely a lot more going on behind the scenes than I'd ever really imagined. It does highlight how difficult it is going to be in balancing trying to bring positive change but at the same time being realistic about the costs and the logistics behind making things happen. Trojan Holdings bring a great attitude and team from different areas of their operations and Dale Coulter's knowledge on the operations side is going to be key, so it's great to know there is plenty of support and knowledge within the team.

I imagine that there is a lot of pride in guiding this great race, but also a sense of responsibility?

Definitely, taking over from a personality as large as Robin Judkins, who created the event in the first place and has been guiding it for over 30 years, is going to be a big change for the event just with that alone. I've had a lot of support from the public so far and, together with the team behind the event, we're really just trying to make sure that any change stands up to the core principle of benefiting the competitors and their supporters. I think there is a lot of responsibility in making sure the event is still relevant and going strong for a long time to come.

How do you want the C2C to be known around the world?

I want to see the Coast to Coast on every endurance competitor's "bucket list". The one-day race we're really keen to see billed as the Kona of Multisport, with the two-day race the main participation event and viewed as an amazing experience but achievable for anyone willing to invest some time in preparing for the challenge. The two-day race splits up the challenge really nicely and in many ways has a much better atmosphere, with the overnight camp at Klondyke corner and the field far less spread on the course, meaning more interaction between the competitors. The one-day is a much tougher proposition and to finish the event means making some reasonably strict time cuts, making it a great challenge for those who have already conquered some of the more mainstream endurance challenges, like Ironman.

How would you like to be remembered as the director of the C2C?

As someone who was easy to approach, transparent in how I did things and hopefully who was able to be part of the team which reinvigorated the event.

Will you still compete next year?

No, I can't see it being possible to do justice to the race director role and competing so I'll just be focused 100 per cent on trying to deliver the best race for everyone come February 2015.

Are you still committed to competing at the highest level in multisport and how will being the race director of the C2C affect your programme this year?

At this stage I am. The race director role has been pretty time intensive so far but that is also a symptom of having to learn a lot from scratch. As long as I'm still excited about competing then I'll continue but I will definitely have to be more selective.

The event

Speights Coast to Coast

When: February 13-14, 2015

Where: The Coast to Coast traverses the South Island of New Zealand from Kumara Beach on the Tasman Sea to Sumner Beach on the Pacific Ocean.

Event Options:Completing the above traverse over either two days (individuals, two-person or three-person teams) or the one-day event (individuals only), competitors cycle 140km (three stages of 55km, 15km and 70km), run 36km (including a 33km mountain stage that crosses the Southern Alps) and kayak 67km of the grade two Waimakariri River through the Grand Canyon of New Zealand, the Waimakariri Gorge.

For more information visit: www.coasttocoast.co.nz