Moehau Man

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Stevens is the Moehau Man

Michael Jacques / 18.01.2004

Almost 250 endurance junkies turned out for the 125km circumnavigation of the spectacular but rugged Coromandel Peninsula. Stevens was always favourite for the annual event and as a former winner of the teams event his course knowledge made him a threat to the course record. And in ideal race conditions he didn’t disappoint, although he did get a scare early on.

Stevens had unexpected company in Auckland’s Jeremy Kuggeleijn during the opening 14km kayak from Coromandel to Waitete Bay. Kuggeleijn got the drop on the race favourite too, opening up 7secs as they swapped kayaks for mountain bikes for a 40km ride to Port Jackson. Stevens, however, is from a cycling background – his brother Gavin is a former Commonwealth Games medallist – and wasted no time in opening up a commanding lead while Kuggeleijn eventually faded out of the placings.

From there Stevens was never going to be headed and the question was not whether he would win but how much he could lop off the course record set by Troy Griffin in 2002. But even Stevens himself was surprised by the eventual answer, when his winning time of 7hrs 46min 55secs smashed the record by a whopping 25min.

Even some broken spokes during one of the mountain bike legs and big seas on the penultimate leg – a 17km kayak in the Pacific Ocean between Waikawau Bay and Kennedy Bay – failed to hinder Stevens impressive solo effort.

Although the near-ideal weather conditions helped as both Stevens and second placed Carl Bevan broke the previous record. Bevins was the surprise package of the day, even taking time out of Stevens during the epic 22km run around Moehau mountain, to trail the experienced winner by just 12min.

Third placed Mark Struthers was also a standout. The 50-year-old Aucklander filled third overall and won his veteran 50+ category while beating everyone in the younger 40+ category. In a small women’s field Dunedin’s Kyle Doel made her trip north worthwhile when she was the only woman to finish the full course in just over 10hrs 30min.

Organised by local Coromandel event company, Adventure Racing Coromandel, the Moehau Man benefits the Spirit of Coromandel Trust, which was set up to encourage local youth into outdoor activities. At the Moehau Man organisers also encourage people new to multisport via a short course version dubbed Son of Moehau. See All Event Posts