15th Kathmandu Crazyman
Crazyman to Shake Up NZ Rankings
Michael Jacques / 28.04.2005
2005 marks the 15th year of the Kathmandu Crazyman. The 66km kayaking, mountain biking and running event set in the rugged splendour of the Hutt Valley’s hills, river and harbour is one of New Zealand’s longest running multisport events.
This year’s Kathmandu Crazyman doubles as a round of the Sportzhub.com national multisport series, which combined with a $15,000 prize pool sees many of the country’s best multisporters gathering on the Petone Foreshore start line on Sunday.
On a course that is as spectacular as it is challenging, local favourite and defending champion Al Cross faces up and coming multisport stars Dwarne Farley (Mt Maunganui) and Jody Zerbst (Australia).
Farley has established himself among the country’s top 10 multisporters in the past two seasons, with several top placings in major events, including a win in Auckland’s prestigious Head to Head and sixth place in last year’s national series.
A win for either men will see them shoot up the current national series rankings. If Farley can claim only his second major multisport title he’ll take the national series lead, while a first or second placing for Cross will move into fifth place in the series.
Australia’s Jody Zerbst isn’t a danger to either of the favourites in the national series, but the talented Victorian multisport rookie is tipped to as a possible upset winner of the Kathmandu Crazyman.
Zerbst, a former Australian triathlon rep, shifted across to multisport only a year ago but is already challenging established Aussie stars such as three-time Speights Coast to Coast winner John Jacoby. In a major race in Victoria two weeks ago Jacoby only just managed to outsprint Zerbst in the final few hundred metres and the Aussie is now keen to gatecrash the Kiwi scene in search of more experience.
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