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Coast to Coast Again, but FASTER!

Rob Howard / 31.08.2011

At the end of the 2011 adidas TERREX Coast to Coast race Anthony Emmet came up to me and said, “I was 3 hours quicker than in 2009 ... and I’m still 4th�, and for those returning to race a second time it was a familiar story. Female solo racer Kathryn Jackson was over 6 hours quicker, but still last, though for her, and for others, it was the journey which was much more important than the race time or position.

There is no doubt this race was much faster and more competitive than in 2009 however. In that first event the times were a lot quicker than the organisers initially expected, and this time, with that experience behind them, they had a better expectation of what to expect. There were no logistical problems for the racers, but only because the organisers set up transitions and controls nice and early! For support crew and media following the race it was a frantic cross-country dash just to keep up with the athletes!

A quick comparison tells the story;

<b>Female Solo</b>
2009 Fastest Time; 27.08.52
2011 Fastest Time; 24.34.36

2009 Slowest Time; 44.32.24
2011 Slowest Time; 38.41.12

<b>Male Solo</b>
2009 Fastest Time; 21.56.03
2011 Fastest Time; 19.06.06

2009 Slowest Time; 44.45.44 2011 Slowest Time; 36.18.51

<b>Teams</b>
2009 Fastest Time; 22.11.39
2011 Fastest Time; 19.20.21

2009 Slowest Time; 40.48.46
2011 Slowest Time; 32.51.53

<b>Returning Racers</b>

Anthony Emmet;
2009 - 23.34.39 (4th) 2011 – 21.02.44 (4th)
Kim Collison;
2009 – 24.21.47 (6th) 2011 – 20.33.16 (3rd)
Adam Marcinowicz;
2009 – 25.17.35 (7th) 2011 – 21.47.32 (6th)
Kathryn Jackson;
2009 – 44.32.24 (4th) 2011 - 38.41.12 (5th)

No one at the race could quite put a finger on why there was such a startling increase in pace, especially as there were a couple of minor course changes that added distance/time to the race. There was definitely a steep learning curve after the first event, with more course knowledge allowing for better tactical choices this time, and a better choice of equipment, including faster kayaks and more use of road bikes and slick tyres. The weather was very good this year, and the transitions seemed even more rapid, especially at the front end of the race and in the male solo class. (Fastest was Anthony Emmet with just 14 minutes 22 seconds in transition over 4 days … and there were 13 transitions!)

All of those factors probably played their part and credit must go to all the athletes and supporters. Maybe the main reason was that everyone is getting quicker!

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