Recovery time for teammates

Aaron Cox, left and Phil Dooney won age gorup in the Red Bull Definance two day multi sport race at Wanaka

WHANGANUI ELECTRICIAN Aaron Cox is relaxing on easy street this week, recovering from his team win in the gruelling Red Bull Defiance multisport event in Wanaka at the weekend.

Cox and longtime mate Phil Dooney from Napier won the 31-45 age group class at the 160km two-day, two-person multisport race on Saturday and Sunday in Wanaka. The pair went one better than their performance at the inaugural event two years ago.

Competitors had to run 43km, abseil, run 12km, kayak 5km, run 13km, kayak 20km, clay bird shoot, mountain bike 28km and run 29.5km.

Cox and Dooney completed the journey in 15hrs 8mins 6secs.

Cox said he was still a little sore yesterday and he would be taking it easy over the next few weeks before his next big challenge, the Coast to Coast two-day as an individual on February 12-13.

"Phil will be doing the same," Cox said from home yesterday.

"The Defiance was tough and I'm still a bit sore, but able to walk. It was really satisfying to win our class and also beat some of the elite athletes home. We won our grade, finished 13th overall and were the 8th male team home.

"It was a good race with the toughest part probably the final run. It was a big climb - 29.5km with an elevation of 1800 metres. Four and a half hours climbing a vertical course is hard work. In fact, there was a total of 5000 vertical metres to climb over the two days and it was pretty windy the whole time."

Cox and Dooney raced as Team Tu Fella Old Fella, a name reflecting Dooney's time in Vanuatu.

"Phil and his wife have been teaching in Vanuatu and he named our team this year. It's sort of a reflection of his time there."

Cox said he did not intend stepping up the training in the lead up to the Coast to Coast.

"There's a bit more planning to do because it is a slightly different race, but I don't need to get any more tired than I am. I need a bit of recovery time."