Triathlon: Whanganui's Allan Caird wins 65-69 world title

Allan Caird who competed in the XTERRA World Championship at Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii on Sunday 28 October 2018, winning the gold medal and World Champion title for the 65-69 age group

Ten years is a long time between drinks, but Whanganui's veteran multisporter Allan Caird has the world championship he converted after winning his age group at the Xterra World Championships in Hawaii last weekend.

Caird won the gold medal for the 65-69 age group amongst 12 other competitors at the off-road triathlon in Kapalua, Maui County.

He had previously been to Xterra in 2008 and finished second in the 55-59 age group.

"A tough race but totally elated at being able to bring a gold medal and world champion title back to Whanganui," he said.

In Kapalua, the triathlon consisted of a 1.5km ocean swim, a 32km mountain bike ride and a 10km trail run.

Caird said the organisers described the conditions as the toughest in 23 years.

The swimming section was an 'M' shaped course, where competitors swam out to a buoy and then back to shore, making a short run along the beach before diving back into the surf to swim out to a second buoy, then heading back for the mountain bike transition.

"The surf break at D T Fleming beach was similar to a Castlecliff "dumper" and the strong north west wind created choppy swimming conditions," said Caird.

"The mountain bike course was extremely muddy following constant nightly showers in the week leading up to the event.

"Much time was spent off the bike, just pushing up hill, which allowed thick clay mixed with grass to clog drive-trains and wheel arches.

"Which meant frequent stops to clear debris."

The first 3km of the trail run was the same as the bike course, making traction for the feet difficult as well.

Caird said that when he was practicing the run course three days before the event he was able to run past the mountain bikers, such was the struggle to get the tyres moving.

"So decided not to pre-ride the bike course and just hit it on the day.

"My time for the race was 5h 11m 13s against my original projection of 4 hours."

Caird had qualified for Kapalua by winning the 65+ age group title at the Xterra New Zealand Championships in Rotorua back in April.