The Coast to Coast 2016 aka...

.... on the road to making it as a hard-ass psuedo Kiwi.

New Zealanders are a tough bunch and are pretty game for most sporting endeavors. There are vast mountain ranges and rivers that run through places inaccessible by any means. There are forests so dense that I'm sure that no human has ever seen or set foot on their soil and I reckon because of this...there are Moa still out there! So with all this bountiful terrain, why not have a race that lets one explore the greatness of what New Zealand has on offer. Sure all you need is a map, a few snacks, a good sense of humor and good sense in general. Sport is a big part New Zealand culture; you know it's not all about rugby (I swear) and there are plenty of other sports that New Zealanders excel in and have put this great nation on the map. As far as a country with a population less than the population of Ireland goes, this is stellar work. (I just threw that in as a good reference...not because of rugby and beer consumption). Anyhow, multi-sport is a big part of N-Zeds get out there and give it a go attitude, it involves a few different skills throughout the event, it's usually run, bike, kayak, throw in some navigation skills and you are away for fun time...promise :P

The New Zealand Coast to Coast is an iconic multi-sport event that is older than the Hawaiian Ironman (yeah, put that in your US IM tri hole). Some adventurous bloke and a few mates living on the South Island decided that it would be fun to make their way from the West coast to the East coast, time themselves in doing so, and then officially call it a race. The inaugural event was in 1982 and was done in 2 days covering 243km. The greatness of this course was it was all self powered by foot, bike, and kayak. This race is going strong to this day and has gained international recognition. You have your choice of doing it in one or two days, solo, 2 person team or a 3 person team. Even if you don't want to do the whole thing, you can just do the run. Yes, something for everyone.

I first heard about this race almost 10yrs ago from a Kiwi bloke that I worked with, and thought he was telling me a yarn until I looked it up. It remained stored in the depth of my cerebrum as something I needed to do, but I was pretty good at always saying "next year." So when Eliot and I moved back to NZ in 2014, I promised myself that I would do it within 2yrs. Then one night in September 2015 at 11:58 pm, I signed up online for the one day race and the rest is history.

So in November I decided leave my fun job at AJ Hackett Bungy here in Queenstown and put a little more time into training and enjoy a summer of being outside... a lot. It not an easy thing to do - quit work, not have a steady income, and know that you'll miss the social aspect of working with a good bunch of people. Eliot was supportive and promised that he wouldn't let me go hungry.

I had my bike and run somewhat sorted but the new venture was going to be handling a multi-sport kayak. With a bit of research and local guidance, I was directed to the good people at the Southern Lakes Multisport Club and they allowed me to borrow one of the club's boats. Spending a lot of my time in Lake Wakatipu, I gained more confidence and strength by the day. Then I signed myself up for a mandatory grade 2 kayak certification with Bill Godsall. I had no idea that this down to earth guy is a bit of a legend in the multi-sport community, so Kiwi-like. Do not underestimate any guy or gal at fun local events because they could be either an ex-olympian or in general a beast of an athlete.

The summer weeks flew by and my tan was coming along nicely from being outside (Irish people do tan you know) and before I knew it, February was flashing at me. I managed to squeeze in a kayak day on the Waimakrairi river with a local group, make some new like minded friends and give myself a wee taste of what lay ahead. Then 2 weeks before race day, I tackled the run section solo (don't forget your beacon if going solo). The 33km run is mainly off trail with a rocky riverbed for most of the up part. Multiple river crossings with chilly river water has your feet nice and wet for most of the way, throw in an elevation gain of nearly 800m to get to Goat Pass, and then your legs really start to burn on the the descent but the views are sensational. Coordination and strength are good skills to acquire. It was good to get a grasp of what lay ahead come race day.

Following the well-laid out rules and race information on the C2C website, I felt pretty ready come race week, the hay was in the the barn. After some serious interviewing for suitable crew, it was going to be Eliot and his dad Daryl, only because they were willing to work for beers! My whole approach was pretty laid back,  I had all my gear and food set, we all knew where we had to be and it was going to be a fun day. Bahahahaha...fun.

The following part is going to be a picture storyboard. Photos are a more lighthearted approach to explaining a race and realistically the reader starts to lose interest after 2 minutes. Hopefully you have made it this far. 

West coast. Pre-race mandatory meeting at Kumara racecourse and final preparation.

Marking out the vodka bottles over the H2O/electrolyte bottles. One can't get too tipsy too early!

Sunset at Kumara Race course. Camping here was the cheaper option and it was pretty cool. 


Just some Kiwi bathroom counseling. No buts!

The race started a 6am, and by 7:40am the first group of cycling cheetahs arrive into T2 after blasting out 55km- then off the bike and straight into a 33km run. No biggie.

My gang, about 20 mins behind the first group. We were admiring the sunrise...at least I was.

No mollycoddling here. The best support crews give honest advice!

1 guess who's my support crew! No-one else had to worry about sandflies. This was my boost at T2 for the mountain run section...thanks Eliot!


Finally a flat section to run on! Only 1km to T3, then back on the bike for 15km. I felt grand, not my fastest run, holding 10th place, no aches/blisters and I was ready to hammer on.

The burger and beer drop off crew.

The Drake cowboy support crew.

My legs decided they were actually worked from the 33km run, so I had a very slow 15km bike ride; I don't think I ate enough. At least the sun is out and Eliot is still in his speedos.

Ah sure it's not that far in fairness and it's a grand day for it. F**k off!


Giddy up.

    See y'all soon (ish)! 67KM of down river :)


Tired souls making their way to Gorge bridge.


Last corner, promise!

These guys ran out of fuel, so I had to tow them along. Ok ok, they gave me some amazing encouragement. I was feeling a bit down at this stage, I picked up 2 cracks on my kayak at a rapid, took on water, did a few bail outs, cried a little but now 67km was in the bag. I had been on the water for 6.5hrs. Cry me a river, literally! Dig deep Murphy.

Gorge Bridge take-out. T4- now back on the bike for 70km!

East Coast. Doneskis! People waited...epic. That was a f**cking long day. 

The support that competitors receive from family and friends for an event like this is truly remarkable. The months of training that one undertakes involves a lot of self motivation, willpower, and sacrificed time with family and friends. Even though it's an expensive venture, it's rewarding on both a physical and emotional level. A race like this is no joke and I feel fortunate to have been able to achieve another 'to-do' event. The people you meet along the way are really wonderful and I have gained new friendships. If you are up for a challenge and not scared to suffer a bit, remembering that it builds character, then sign yourself up to some 'suffering is optional' fun!

I am thankful for my support team, Eliot; Daryl; Lauren 1; Chase, who took some fun pictures along the way; Lauren 2; and Maureen. My mom too, she waited on my ass during training sessions when she was supposed to be relaxing on her NZ vacation. A big thank you to all my wonderful friends at AJ Hackett Bungy, they are the rainbow in a rainy day.

I wrote a little email to the C2C folk. It sums up my day without writing a book!

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Dear wonderful people of C2C,

You have no idea how grateful I am to have been able to finish a race like the C2C. To the crew involved, whether you were on the payroll or a volunteer for the event: having people like you out there keeping the fire lit for all the competitors and their support crew, was one of the highlights of my day. Like most, my day started out pretty great; I was feeling fresh and stoked to have made it to the start line with intact body and mind. I was ready for a day self-powered transportation across the country. As the day progressed, competitors were greeted with smiles and enthusiasm at every manned safety point or race check point by happy go lucky folk. This was most excellent for race morale.

My day (and I'm sure I'm not the only one), took an interesting turn on the kayak section at one of the more troublesome spots, Rock Garden #3. I braced, and when I did so, my quads seized hard, which had me going one way, and that was upside down! The safety crew were on the ball there and had me to shore in no time along with my kayak. Becs and her water warriors made sure I was OK and then we checked out my trusty steed, which I had named "Póg mo thóin" (that's Irish for "kiss my ass"). I don't think the Waimak took kindly to that name and hence the river gods threw me out! Anyhow, the boys patched the two cracks that Póg had gotten and we all agreed that I'd be fine, but I might have to stop to empty her out. It was my decision no matter what. So back in I got and continued down the river on my journey. To cut a long story short, my food had turned to fish food and my spirit gradually faded too. I just made the Woodstock cutoff and decided there was simply no giving up, and I fought a big mental battle at this stage. Being hungry is not a good thing!

The jet-boat lads were the best and they kept me going, and by the time I rounded the corner at Gorge Bridge and saw all those lovely faces smiling and clapping me in, I was jubilant. There were a few minutes of wondering if I was going to be allowed to finish the race, but I was asked how I felt and was advised that the C2C crew were behind me to the finish if I wanted to keep going. My spirits were up and my body felt good, and I think my ass was pretty happy to be out of the kayak! I shoveled some much needed calories into my mouth, threw a leg over the bike, and pedaled off into the sunset. Luckily had I my shit together with my night lighting, and I'm pretty sure the safety truck appreciated that. I just kept moving; I had no concept of time by this point and I just followed the arrows along the road. Along the way, I was consistently cheered on by C2C traffic control, to whom I apologized for keeping them out longer than they should have been. A few random passersby honked their horns, and I was just thankful not to have a Speights bottle or a half-eaten burger thrown at me! 

So then it happened: I finally reached the end, and I was assisted off by bike by a bunch of energetic high school kids, who helped me take off my bike shoes and told me to go get my beer and celebrate my achievement. I had no idea that anyone would be left at the finish line; I thought you would all be across the street at the pub. The welcoming party was the icing on the cake, I ran down the chute and up those steps feeling like a champ. Dickie and Steveo congratulated me, asked me how I was feeling (fucking hungry!) and chatted for a few minutes. Some other nice guy had kept me two burgers; I inhaled one and I sat down with the biggest smile on my face. I may have completed the C2C 2016, but honestly I don't think I would have if it were not for the wonderful crew that kept everyone's spirit alive throughout the day, especially mine. To be involved with a race like this is a fantastic notch on the adventure belt. Know that you all hold a special place in my heart. I might even see you next year or in the not too distant future ;)

A massive warm Irish thank you! 

Whakawhetai koe

Lots of sandfly love,

Paddy-last aka Ethel Murphy