Neururer and Skurosz win in tough adventure race

The Titikaweka Lagoon was the perfect location for the PTS and Uncle Thomas Adventure Races, which took place on Saturday afternoon.

This unique race includes a 1200m stand-up paddleboard race, a 19km mountain bike race, a 1.5km bush run and a 2km road run.

Cook Islands Triathlon Association president Roland Neurule said the event was challenging and fun.

“The lagoon is beautiful and calm, with little wind. The competitors paddle their boards quickly on an irregularly shaped track with many turns, which requires both skill and speed to gain an advantage in the next round.”

Jakub Postrzygacz was the first to emerge from the water and charged towards the challenging mountain bike track at great speed, followed closely by Roland Neururer and Adrianna Skurosz.

Neururer followed closely behind leader Postrzgacz and quickly caught up, making the mountain bike stage an exciting race for the leaders. The steep uphill jungle stage after 15 km was very tough in the hot weather and a real test for all the competitors.

The first to enter the transition area and exit was Neurule, followed by Schyros, followed by Jakob Pienenburg and Paul Dobinson. Neurule’s strength and determination remained strong in the road race, and he eventually won the overall title as well as the PTS and Uncle Thomas Adventure titles.

The first lady to reach the finish line was Adrianna Skurosz, who took home the women’s trophy, followed by Brook Ross and Alyce Nicholson in second and third place, respectively. The second and third men were Postrzgacz and Pynenberg, respectively.

Sponsors PTS, Uncle Tom’s BBQ Shop and The Bond Store donated wonderful prizes for the winners and all participants were commended.

The Cook Islands Triathlon Association would like to thank their very generous sponsors PTS, Uncle Tom’s BBQ and The Bond Store, as well as the Rayner family for generously lending the land behind the Enu Amanya Hall, and all the volunteers for generously giving up their afternoons to assist with marshaling, timing and organisation.

The next race is the “longest race in the Cook Islands” – the Ariki Challenge, which will be held on Saturday, September 14. “So if you are thinking of taking part, come and join us for our training sessions on Thursday and Saturday,” Cook Islands Triathlon said.

The competition is a team event, with each team consisting of two athletes, who need to complete all events together. The distances of the competition are: 5.8 km paddle board race, 13 km island run and 45 km mountain bike jungle ride. The competition takes about five to six hours.

To register for this competition, please send an email to Neururer at fb1@edgewater.co.ck.