Ponsonby duo recieve rewards from duathlon

The 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Men’s Triathlon. New Zealanders Hamish Carter and Brendan Docherty are in the leading group of six in the bike leg.

Has there ever been a more thrilling sight in New Zealand sport? As it turns out, there has.

Early last November, the Inner City Schools Triathlon, organised by Sport Auckland, Triathlon NZ, and Black Sands Tri Club, was held at Cox’s Bay. Competing were year 5 and 6 athletes from Ponsonby, Pt Chevalier, Freemans Bay, Bayfield, Richmond Road, Marist and Grey Lynn. Due to an uncooperative tide, the event was changed to a duathlon
- a 200m sprint, a 1350m ride and a 650m run - but the reduction of the race from three disciplines to two did nothing to reduce the drama.

Among the favourites for the girls’ event were two from Ponsonby Primary, Charlotte Squire, who is better on the bike than she is on foot, and Evie Vuletich, who runs faster than she cycles.

The race started in a frenzy, as the athletes fought to get clear of the rush, but Charlotte soon worked her way to the front on the bike leg, and as expected, led her friend Evie into the second transition. As Evie disembarked after the 1350m ride and headed out on the 650m run around Cox’s Bay, observers estimate she trailed Charlotte by a whopping 200m, a distance everyone thought was too great to bridge.

Everyone except two people.

Charlotte: I knew that I had to make the most of my biking and try to get as far in front of my friend Evie on the bike leg as I could because she is an awesome runner.

Evie: I came off the bike in 5th position. Charlotte’s a great cyclist and was in the lead, about 200m ahead. I knew I’m a fairly strong runner so I thought maybe I had a chance.

Charlotte: I was turning around to look back every minute, and Evie was getting closer and closer and closer.

Evie: I challenged myself to sprint the 600m to the finish and see what happens.

Charlotte: She was still catching up and when we got to the home straight she was just three metres behind me.

Evie: I dug deep and went for it.

What was unfolding was a sporting drama like no other. No television cameras recording the action, no Olympic medals at stake. Just two highly motivated 11-year-olds putting it all on the line in pursuit of victory. Physiologically the girls were in deep distress. Way over their anaerobic thresholds. Pulse rates and lactic acid through the roof.

As the two athletes crossed the finish line, Charlotte had just held her friend and rival Evie at bay to win by the narrowest of margins. Charlotte collapsed to the ground and felt like she was going to pass out. Evie felt like her legs had been turned to jelly by the effort of her valiant run.

Both felt the deep glow of satisfaction that comes with giving your all. (BILLY HARRIS)