Victorians Lead the Field in Swisse Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge

News Release / 28.11.2012

Two Victorians, Jarad Kohlar and James Pretto, have taken the early lead on the opening day of the five-day Swisse Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge.

The combination, competing as Swisse Active, crossed the line 17 minutes clear of defending champions, Team Iron House, consisting of local pair Mark Padgett and Mark Hinder.

New Zealand multi-sport adventure legend, Richard Ussher, and Braden Currie, from Team Tasmania, are third a further five minutes back.

Kohlar and Pretto got to all the extra control points around the course to maximise their score, creating a handy buffer over Ussher and Currie, and going into the second day in the Ben Lomond National Park.

The celebrity stacked field of 40 teams spent the day running, cycling, kayaking and rafting around Launceston on the first of five days.

"It was concentration plus today," Jarad Kohler said. "We were constantly looking at the map the whole day and we spent most of the day with Richard and Braden, and Mark and Mark.

"We were just lucky on the last run when we went up the zig-zag track and those guys ran past it, but we also lost a bit of time at the last check point, so we were surprised when we actually crossed the finish line first.

"We had mountain biking through an archery range and rafting down the Cateract Gorge. (With the additional bonus check points) … there was probably 50 kilometres of mountain biking and a good 20 or 30 kilometres of hard orienteering trekking legs, and it was quite a hot day as well for Launceston standards, so we're pretty happy that we got the win today.

His team-mate, James Pretto, agreed that the day went well for the Victorian pair.

"It went to plan as well as it can really," he said.

"In adventure racing anything can happen and you have to be wary of that. I cramped a bit in the calves on the bike, so I need to take more electrolytes and fix that up for tomorrow, but we'll be ready to go for day two."

Having been ill for the past month, Ussher was happy with Team Tasmania’s second place after the opening day.

“Today was pretty good. Solid, but not spectacular," Ussher explained.

"We wanted to go out today and get on to the maps and try and get the lay of the land, and not put absolutely everything into it because it's a five day event.

"I think we raced pretty sensibly. We made a bit of a stuff up towards the end where we lost Jarod and James and lost a few minutes, but apart from that it all went pretty smooth and it was a really, really nice course.

"The weather was nice. It definitely got a bit hot when you were out in the sun, but I think that it's much nicer to race in the heat than it is in the cold. It just means you've got to drink a bit more, and take every opportunity you can to cool off in the lakes."

Queenslanders, surfer Sally Fitzgibbon and iron woman, Jordie Mercer, competing as the Red Bullettes, were the leading female team.

Mark Webber is flying into Tasmania Thursday morning to join the competition as it heads to Hobart on Sunday.

The event is raising money to two charities, Whitelion and Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal.

Day two of the Swisse Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge sees the competitors head to the Ben Lomond ski resort, with over 75 kilometres of running, mountain biking and paddling. The will then overnight at the White Sands Resort on the east coast.   

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