Teams share the daunting task

For those daunted by the prospect of doing the full standard distance of 1.5km swim 40km cycle and 10km run on their own, the team’s competition is the answer in this weekend’s Air New Zealand International Triathlon.

Getting together with family or friends and sharing the pain (and the rewards) is a great way to be part of an endurance event.

The team’s competition appears hard to pick a winner or even a firm place getter from.

With a mix of ages and abilities, the overall outcome could be any one of a number of teams.

The junior teams, veteran teams and women’s teams’ competition within should be interesting with a number of younger athletes teaming up to tackle the event.

We see Celeste Brown, Jacob Pynenburg, Adam Henderson, Aaron Brown, Harry Ivaiti, Emily Barltrop, India Lambeth and Sam Read in the juniors and although there will be some apprehension of some in starting amongst a field approaching 150 in number, the excitement and challenge of it all will soon take over.

We see Rob Matheson tackling the swim leg for his team Kiwi- Raro- Express before heading off to get married later in the afternoon.

Cook Islands Triathlon also welcomes back athletes from Taranaki known as ‘Naki Teams” (Tony & Annette McDowall) who were here for last year’s Tin Man Triathlon.

Veteran athlete Noel White teams up with Jenny Flack of Australia which proves that old triathletes don’t die they just spread themselves thinner and race on.