A riveting relay

The relay terrain had highly detailed sand dunes with recurring, intricate depressions and small knolls. The planner had prepared a technical and challenging course, but it was the map flip that tested the reading of the Bulletin and who had listened to the briefing. The event centre was tucked in the trees offering shelter and good visibility of the spectator run-through creating an exciting relay atmosphere. Underfoot the pine needles and sand stayed very dry despite all the recent rain.

The Mixed Open relay got off to a tight start, with PAPO 1, Nelson, and PAPO 2 closely matched after the first leg, with Wellington right on their heels. By the end of the second leg, Nelson and PAPO 1 were running neck and neck. However, a mistake by PAPO 1 on the final leg gave Nelson the edge. Meanwhile, Auckland surged through the field, with Zara Stewart delivering a strong run and Nathan Borton finishing to secure second place. PAPO 2 overtook Wellington to claim third.

Results:
🥇 Nelson 1 (Zefa Fa’avae, Tide Fa’avae, Matt Ogden) – 1st place
🥈 Auckland 1 (Sam Carryer, Zara Stewart, Nathan Borton) – 2nd place, +5:51
🥉 PAPO 2 (Tane Cambridge, Katherine Babington, Jakob Knoef) – 3rd place, +10:29

Full results:
https://ochamps.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250421_NZ_Champsionship_2025_Relay.pdf

Photos by Andy Johnstone