Challenge Wanaka

Nicholas Hull
Mar 5, 2018
4 min read

Everyone should get their diaries out now and mark down February 16, 2019. Challenge Wanaka put on one incredible race in one incredible race and if you haven't been there before, 2019 should be when are there! Not only is it one heck of a race location that is dubbed one of the most scenic triathlons in the world, it is also guaranteed to teach you a lesson or two as well and boy did I get taught a few lessons this time around!

As if the drive from Queenstown to Wanaka wasn't stunning enough, heading out for a swim in Lake Wanaka to check out the course confirmed what an impressive location it was. With every stroke and breath I was greeted with views of the surrounding mountains. After an evening ride over a small portion of the bike course I was also quickly realising that scenic also means very challenging. Driving the entire bike course the following day it became clear that this race was stunningly scenic but equally as challenging with relentless undulations, continual exposure to winds, rough road surfaces and as we would find out on race day, temperamental weather conditions.

Saturday morning brought about a calm change to the wind of the previous few days and as I warmed up for the race and readied my Zone 3 Wetsuit I entered the cool waters of Lake Wanaka with twenty of the best half ironman athletes. The water was perfect for swimming and after a short warm up I was lined up with the professional field and ready to go. The gun went off at 8:15am and the water erupted as we all took off for that first turning marker 600m in the distance. With such clear water I was able to keep my head down push hard while keeping my eyes on who was around me. A few of the top swimmers opened up a gap but I found my pace just behind them and got into a good rhythm. I could see the athletes around me and knew I was in good company but didn’t want to let the front group open up too much of a lead so we kept the pace as hard as possible. Exiting the water I didn’t know what the gap was but being surrounded by Jessie Thomas, Luke McKenzie and Luke Bell was just where I wanted to be as we got to our bikes. The one thing I wasn’t as excited to see were the wet roads and dark skies as we mounted our bikes. The bike course started off with a 20km undulating out and back section following the lake. This also meant exposed to the winds and unfortunately for me left me a little bit too tentative and as I saw Jessie, Luke and Luke come by I knew it was my meal ticket to a fast ride but my hesitation saw a small gap open that continued to grow. After heading back through town and for the next 50km loop things were getting really tough. I'd let a few too many guys ride away from me and was finding the conditions a lot tougher than I should've. The rain, wind and bumpy roads were slowly getting the better of me and my pace was dropping. Apart from continuing to refocus and concentrate on the course bit by bit I wasn't sure what to do, I've always been one of the stronger cyclists but for some reason things just weren't going my way. The last 15km was a real mental battle, the winds had picked up and I was well down and the will to keep fighting was diminishing. I've always prided myself on being a mentally tough athlete but this race was truly going to test that. There was a moment or two during that last stretch where I really had to focus otherwise a single wind gust would've had me in a ditch and there was a moment or two where I thought that's where I was heading.

As I ran through transition I knew I had a half-marathon to get through and even though it wasn't going to be the result I wanted, there were still opportunities to achieve small wins. The same focus that I'd needed on the bike was called on again as the first half of the run followed an off road track. There weren't many spectators and no opportunities to even get a glimpse of where anyone else was. I was close to calling it a day and had convinced myself that it was all over at the next aid station. I was going to refuel and call it a day. As I came out of the single trail section to that aid station I heard a few cheers and saw my host family as excited as ever to be handing out drinks to all the athletes and have me come past them - how could I call it a day now! The second half of the run was anything but pretty but after the cheers and support I was determined to cross that finish line.

My times and position don't reflect how hard I had to battle on that day and it isn't a race I'm going have fond memories of for a while but boy did I learn some lessons! That's two disappointing results to start the year and far from how I thought things would be travelling but sport can be cruel at times and it's all about how you deal with those lows.

Results aside, all of the organisers did an amazing job for all of the athletes in Wanaka and I couldn't not thank Bill, Belinda and the rest of the team for everything they did to put this event together. Another huge thankyou has to go to the Searle family for opening up their home to me for the weekend and making me feel like part of the family. Following Wanaka, I was lucky enough to have my own family come over to Queenstown for a week of rest and relaxation and they deserve endless thanks just for putting up with me!