Robin Judkins has spent more than a quarter of a century organising New Zealand’s favourite race. The Speight’s Coast to Coast race director essentially created adventure sports and most of the world’s best have cut their teeth in his 243k world championship across New Zealand’s South Island.

From 1983’s inaugural winner - Englishman Joe Sherriff, who will race again this year – to legends such as John Howard, Steve Gurney, Kathy Lynch, Australian John Jacoby, record holders Keith and Andrea Murray, Jill Westenra and Richard Ussher, Judkins has watched them all and become an astute judge of talent and tactics to the point where his annual “Top 10” prediction have become like a book-makers list of champions both current and to come.

“Gordon Walker is the definite favourite this year,” says Judkins without a hint of hesitation. “In the last four years he and Richard Ussher have dominated the Speight’s Coast to Coast and with Richard not racing this year, 2009 is really Gordon’s race to lose.”

Truer words have never been said. In 2008 Ussher won his third Speight’s Coast to Coast title, with Walker second but 25 minutes ahead of third place. Walker himself is aware of the favouritism, but rather than feeling the pressure he’s looking to dominate the race like never before.

The 36-year-old Aucklander will line up on Kumara Beach for the seventh time. After a couple teething years, the last four outings have netted him no worse than second place, with his breakthrough first place coming in 2007 when he beat Ussher and a star-studded field.

This year he hopes to play a catch-me-if-you-can game, but as Robin Judkins points out, “There are plenty of capable guys waiting to pick up the pieces if he falls apart.”

“There’s no Richard Ussher this year to really put the pressure on Gordon individually, but there are six or eight guys who have a shot at ruining the party if they worked together.”

“Guys like Marcel Hagener, Luke Vaughan, Gordon Blythen, and Carl Bevins are proven performers at the Speight’s Coast to Coast,” says Judkins, who points to the 25 year old Vaughan for a possible upset.

“Luke has been earmarked as a future world champion ever since he won the Two Day race as a teenager,” explains Judkins. “He’s a police officer and they give him a lot of support. He was seventh in 2007, but this year he has trained full time for three months. If you add his experience in this race – he’s only 25 but he’s done the Speight’s Coast to Coast seven times – then you’d have to say he will one day win this race. It’s just a matter of when.

Judkin’s, however, also has a soft spot for the Speight’s Coast to Coast old boys. “Marcel Hagener and Gordon Blythen are both over 40, and this year Glenn Muirhead is back as a 40 year old.”

All three athletes have been top six placegetters in previous years, with Hagener and Muirhead having bests of sixth (2003 and 2002) while Blythen was second in 2007, third in 2002 and 2006 and had a total of six top 10 placings.

Hagener, a builder based in Ohekune, is a former professional cyclist and has won the adventure racing world title with Richard Ussher in 2005. Muirhead is a physiotherapist with the Wellington Hurricane and NPC teams, while Blythen is a fencing contractor based in Wanaka.

“Gordon Walker remains the odds-on favourite,” says Judkins, but I highlight these three guys because they are good enough to be competing for overall honours instead of their veteran grade. And if they were to win it would be the first time someone over 40 has won the Speight’s Coast to Coast.”

Indeed, while the 2009 Speight’s Coast to Coast has been dubbed, “The Year of the Woman” following record female entries, it could turn out to be the year of the veteran because in the woman’s race the late entry of 44 year old, four-time winner Jill Westenra has turned the form book upside down.

“I was so wrapped when Jill entered,” says Judkins. She’s a tough competitor and although she hasn’t raced the Speight’s Coast to Coast One Day since 2004, she has stayed competitive and with four consecutive wins from 2000 to 2003, she has more experience than any other woman in the race.”

Westenra lines up against defending champion Emily Miazga and 2007 champion Fleur Pawsey, not to mention a handful of former top 10 women including internationals Elina Ussher (Finland) and Sia Svendsen (Denmark).

“Emily Miazga is going for her third win,” says Judkins of the Canadian-turned-West Coaster who won in 2006 and 2008. “Then you have local girl Fleur Pawsey, who won in 2007 and lost to Emily by only 43 seconds last year. I also think Elina Ussher will go very well because her husband Richard, who has won this race three times, is supporting her rather than racing.

“These four were always the women’s favourites,” continues Judkins, “And they knew it. But now Jill Westenra’s late entry will have them all worrying. They know she’s a legend at the Speight’s Coast to Coast, but Emily is the only one who has raced against her, and that was five years ago. So none of them have raced her for five years. They don’t know what to expect... and at the Speight’s Coast to Coast it’s the unexpected that is the greatest challenge for any Speight’s Coast to Coast competitor.”

Robin Judkins Top 10 Predictions

Men

1st Gordon Walker Auckland 

2nd Luke Vaughan Christchurch 

3rd Marcel Hagener Germany 

4th Gordon Blythen Wanaka 

5th Carl Bevins Timaru 

6th Glenn Muirhead Wellington 

7th Wayne Oxenham Auckland 

8th Sam Moon UK 

9th Neil Gillespie Hokitika 

10th Guilherme Pahl Brazil 

Women

1st Fleur Pawsey Christchurch 

2nd Jill Westenra Wellington 

3rd Emily Miazga Canada 

4th Elina Ussher Finland 

5th Fleur Lattimore Nelson

6th Sia Svendsen Denmark 

7th Koleighne Ford-Collins Christchurch 

8th Kim Johnston Christchurch 

9th Rachel Dixon Nelson 

10th Karina O’Conner Christchurch 

RUNNING
Marc Ellis Takes up Wanaka Marathon Effort for Charity
In 2009 New Zealander Mal Law made history by becoming the first person ever to run NZ’s seven Great Walks in just seven days – a total distance of 360 kms in the longest week of his life.

Thursday, 2 September 2010

ADVENTURE RACING
Red Bull X-Alps 2011: One month to apply
There is just one month remaining for potential participants to apply to the Red Bull X-Alps 2011, the 864km adventure race where athletes must hike or paraglide from Salzburg to Monaco in the quickest time possible.

Thursday, 2 September 2010

CYCLING
Subway – Avanti's Williamson clings to lead in Australian tour
Subway – Avanti’s James Williamson is clinging to a slender lead at the Tour of the Murray River in Australia today after surviving intense pressure in a fiercely-contested criterium on stage five of the event.

Wednesday, 1 September 2010

RUNNING
Preview New Zealand Road Championships
Sam Wreford of Canterbury could well be the surprise package at the New Zealand road running championships to be staged at Spencer Park in Christchurch on Saturday.

Wednesday, 1 September 2010

MOUNTAIN BIKING
UCI Mountainbike World Championships, NZ MTB Team Preview
The 28 strong New Zealand MTB Team is now assembled at Mont Sainte Anne in the beautiful Quebec region of Canada’s west, making final preparations for a week of championship racing.

Tuesday, 31 August 2010

CYCLING
Festival Of Cycling - Christchurch
On the first weekend of December every year the Armstrong Motor Group Festival of Cycling confirms Christchurch as the epi-centre of New Zealand cycling.

Tuesday, 31 August 2010

CYCLING
Cheatley returns buoyed by success for Commonwealth Games bid
New US road cycling series champion Cath Cheatley returns home at the weekend in the form of her life and looking ahead confidently to the upcoming world championships and the Commonwealth Games.

Tuesday, 31 August 2010

CYCLING
Trailgater hire scheme launched
In a joint project with Nelson City Council, and the District Health Board, Nelson Plunket has just launched a trailgator hire scheme.

Tuesday, 31 August 2010

CYCLING
Bid for Hawke's Bay Velodrome Gets HDC Tick of Approval
Hastings District Council has thrown its support behind a Regional Sport’s Park Trust bid to bring New Zealand’s second velodrome to Hawke’s Bay.

Tuesday, 31 August 2010

CYCLING
Delhi-bound Archbold wins cycle race in Belgium
Commonwealth Games cyclist Shane Archbold has found good form on the roads in Belgium today.

Tuesday, 31 August 2010

CYCLING
Cheatley grabs USA National Series cycling title
New Zealand cyclist Cath Cheatley has sealed the USA National Series Champion title after a second placing in the final race of the season in New York.

Monday, 30 August 2010

CYCLING
Cycling holidays at the Santos Tour Down Under
Cycling enthusiasts can combine watching the action of the Santos Tour Down Under with a cycling holiday that lets them test their own cycling skills on the roads of South Australia.

Monday, 30 August 2010

Endurance Sport news is powered by infonews.co.nz