Napier success for multisport club members

Whanganui Multisport Club member Allan Caird won the Tane (male) 60-64 race at the Hawkes Bay Ironmaori event in Napier on Saturday. Photo/Supplied

They were running in a large crowd but a number of the Whanganui Multisport Club members stood out at the Hawke's Bay Ironmaori event on Saturday.

Held in and around Napier's Pandora Pond, the half ironman event consisted of a 2km swim, 90km cycle, and 21.1km walk/run.

This is the original Ironmaori event with others now being held in Taranaki, Nelson, Upper Hutt and even the Gold Coast, and with more than 2500 competitors on the weekend it was the largest field since the inaugural race in 2009.

The triathlon competitors from the Wanganui club did well as they claimed five podium places in their respective age groups.

Ironmaori patron Tony Fantham was the oldest competitor on the day and he won the Tane (male) 70+ age group in an excellent time of seven hours, 42 minutes.

Allan Caird also stood on top of the dais by winning the Tane 60-64 category in five hours, 12 minutes.

In the Wahine (female) events, club newcomer Waitohu Ngarewa took out the 18-24 age group event in six hours, eight minutes.

Competing in two of the bigger Tane sections, regular ironman athletes Jason Page and Adam Holmes were the fastest Wanganui locals on the day with both finishing runnerup in their divisions with personal best times.

Page's time of four hours, 37 minutes, with Holmes just four minutes behind him, meant they were also in the top 10 of all the individual competitors.

On his comeback from injury, Gareth Wright finished fifth in Tane 30-34 in four hours, 49 minutes.

In the team events, Wanganui's Livi Wright, Catherine Page and Melina Holmes combined in the to finish fifth in six hours flat.

Whanganui Multisport Club member results:

Wahine 18-24: 1. Waitohu Ngarewa, 6:08. Wahine Teams: 5. Livi Wright, Catherine Page, Melina Holmes, 6:00.

Tane 30-34: 5. Gareth Wright (21st overall), 4:59; Tane 35-39: 2. Adam Holmes (8th overall) 4:41; Tane 40-44: 2. Jason Page (6th overall), 4:37; Tane 60-64: 1. Allan Caird, 5:12; Tane 70+: 1. Tony Fantham, 7:42.