Top times in Tauranga tri

Outstanding results have been recorded by all eight Cook Islands athletes who took part in the weekend Port of Tauranga Half Ironman race.

The race was staged at Pilot Bay for the 2km swim, 90km cycle along Marine Parade and Ocean Beach Road including two loops of the famous “Mount” being the Mt Maunganui circle track for the final 21km run leg.

The islands’ top two female athletes Kelly Pick and Vanessa Palmer raced in the elite women’s division with Pick crossing the line 9th overall in the division with a time of 4.30.51 – 15 minutes behind division winner Joanna Lawn from Auckland.

Palmer placed 12th overall in the same division from a field of 48 in a time of 4.43.17.

Pick shaved off 13 minutes from her previous Port of Tauranga race in 2010 where she came second in her age division and 9th woman overall.

Palmer also improved on her time by 4 minutes after placing 8th overall at the same race in 2010.

“Had a choice as race and smiled the whole way round,” commented Palmer. “Bring on next year and now it’s time for a proper holiday.”

Rangi Apera raced in the individual women’s 30-34 age division coming 18th in the 32 strong field in a time of 5.44.35 while training partner Apii Napa, who raced in the individual women’s 35-39 age division, placed 25th from the field of 36 women in the division with a time of 6.20.01.

In the individual men’s division – veteran triathlete Geoff Stoddart was in fine form to come home second in the men’s 50-54 age division in a blazing time of 4.41.51 to achieve his goal of bettering his previous time of 4.44.11 set in 2009.

Taki Anaru, who ran as an individual for the first time in Tauranga, clocked a respectable time of 5.35.01 in the individual men’s 45-49 age grade division.

Island Girls team members Pare Tangata and Melanie Wilson had a tough race but together they clocked a creditable time of 6.40.36.

The Cook Islands team can now relax and maybe indulge after having to train through the Christmas and New Year’s festive weekends.