The Kiwis conquered the reigning Australian team by 30 minutes and 17 seconds, the Trans Tasman winner decided by the cumulative times of each of the three individual racers representing their countries.

World Multisport Champion Richard Ussher won outright to give his team a healthy early showing, crossing the line in 3 hours 55 minutes and 5 seconds. The win also returns Ussher to being the overall leader of the Anaconda Adventure Race National Series with only one round remaining.

West Australian elite athlete, Sean O’Neill came home second to restore some adventure racing pride for the Aussies with a time of 4 hours and 37 seconds.

Third place was snatched by a New Zealander, however Braden Currie was not a member of the Kiwi team racing for Trans Tasman honours. His first place in the previous Anaconda Adventure Race outing at the Gold Coast in September came too late for selection.  

Rounding out the dominance of the New Zealanders were Trevor Voyce in fourth and Fleur Lattimore, who won the overall female category in her first ever Anaconda Adventure Race in a time of 4 hours 43 minutes and 31 seconds.

There are sure to be some decent celebrations held tonight in Nelson, New Zealand, from where the three Trans Tasman team mates (Ussher, Lattimore and Voyce) all hail and where the coveted trophy will reside for the next 12 months.

O’Neill’s Australian team mates both suffered through the race, Victorian Grant Suckling feeling deflated for the first coastal run and swim legs before winding up and regaining places through the paddle and mountain bike courses. He came fifth overall in the men’s.

Victorian Deanna Blegg held on to the heels of Lattimore early on and even challenged for the women’s lead in the swim, before Lattimore put the hammer down, Blegg confessing to struggling through the mountain bike leg.

The Anaconda Adventure Race in Augusta is the World’s Biggest Adventure Race by participation; with more than 1700 competitors trail running, ocean swimming, kayaking and mountain biking their way over the 50 kilometre off road course.

Elite athletes join weekend warriors to tackle the Anaconda as either individuals or in teams of up to four.

Also in the field, albeit somewhat further back, was BBC TV celebrity and global adventurer Ben Fogle, with a film crew in tow capturing his race effort for a new BBC TV series, A Year of Adventures, to be screened worldwide in January. 

There is one round remaining in the Anaconda Adventure Race National Series, the grand finale set to take place in Lorne, Victoria, on 4 December.

www.anacondaadventurerace.com

FINAL RESULTS:

MEN’S OPEN

1. Richard Ussher (NZ)   3:55:05
2. Sean O’Neill (AU)       4:00:37
3. Braden Currie             4:07:12
4. Trevor Voyce (NZ)       4:08:02
5. Grant Suckling            (AU)     4:11:03

WOMEN’S OPEN

1. Fleur Lattimore (NZ)   4:43:31
2. Deanna Blegg (AU)     5:05:15
3. Joanna Fisher             5:09:21

TRANS TASMAN TROPHY

1. New Zealand              12:46:38
2. Australia                     13:16:55
   *time = collated times of individual racers representing their county

TEAM WINNER

1. Team Sensation         3:55:05