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| The Kapiti team of Nigel Power, Des Woods, Daryl Clark, Rob DeBique, Steve Bullock, Alan Handley (crouched), me (with the cup), Bill Raymond, Trevor Walker, Clarence Marter and Bryn Kempthorne (squatting). We seem to have 11 members for an eight man team. The cup was from the Motel room and we put it back. |
The Takahe to Akaroa Relay is the last of the classic road relays left in the country. It is still run on an annual basis for local Canterbury clubs, but every four years it was opened to every club in the country. Once the National Road Relay Champs were established, this relay became a championship event every time it was open.
At Kapiti Harriers we never considered we had any show at delivering a decent placing in the champs so our attitude was that we were away for a weekend of partying with a bit of running thrown into the mix. On this occasion we took the ferry across to Picton and drove rental cars from there to Christchurch. The drinking for the weekend began on the ferry and continued on the drive (we weren't very responsible about drink driving in those days).
I don't remember a lot about the relay but do remember running the first lap. I was fairly well up heading up the hill but got overtaken by a couple of guys on the steep descent into Governor's Bay. From Governor's Bay to the lap change there are a couple of wicked climbs which are a real test for the legs rubberised by the steep downhill. I think I may have got the guys who overtook me back again on those hills.
I've got no idea who ran the other laps for the team, nor where we finished, but from the photo below it looks like Alan ran the uphill.
After the race was over there was the obligatory pub crawl back to Christchurch. Some things never change and I hope they never do.
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