Whanganui paddler Liam Lace beats the elements to win the NZ Kayak Marathon Champs in Tauranga

Whanganui paddler Liam Lace won the 2021 New Zealand Kayak Marathon Championships in Tauranga earlier this month. Photo / Supplied

Whanganui paddler Liam Lace successfully battled the stormy weather and the gruelling 26km distance to claim a thrilling victory at the 2021 New Zealand Kayak Marathon Championships in Tauranga earlier this month.

The 21-year-old rose to the challenge to outsprint Sam Newland (Bay of Plenty) and claim a narrow two-second victory on the Wairoa River in a time of 2h 03m 49s.

Ben McCallum (Waitara) completed the podium in bronze, recording 2:04:57.

Fourth was K1 novice and national surf ski champion Tupuria King. The 27-year-old all-around paddler dropped off the pace, but he impressed battling on to take fourth (2:06:47) in his first serious K1 competitive outing.

"I didn't have too many expectations going in, it was just a case of going out there and having fun," Lace said.

"It was pretty tough out there because of the wind, there was a lot of flow and debris on the course – a lot of weed kept getting caught on the rudder.

"I was in a tough group of paddlers with Sam, Ben and Tupu. At the first portage, I took a bit of a gamble and backpedalled to get rid of some weed – and I think this helped me conserve a bit of energy.

"At the end, I managed to pip Sam by a nose. It was awesome for it to come down to a nose-length after 26km of paddling.

"To win the title feels pretty surreal. It is not something I expected, but it is an awesome feeling, for sure."